17 Students from Vulnerable Communities to Participate in the Urban Camp Organized by the University of Bucharest’s “Virtute et Sapientia” Foundation17 Students from Vulnerable Communities to Participate in the Urban Camp Organized by the University of Bucharest’s “Virtute et Sapientia” Foundation

The first edition of the camp, organized as part of the SEED program, will take place in Bucharest between August 3 – 8, 2026

Seventeen students, all beneficiaries of the Educational Support for Disadvantaged Students (SEED) program run by the University of Bucharest’s “Virtute et Sapientia” Foundation, will take part in the first edition of the SEED Urban Camp. Over the course of six days, from August 3 to August 8, 2026, the students will stay at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Student Residence Complex and will have the opportunity to explore the University of Bucharest’s faculties, experience university life, and discover some of Bucharest’s cultural, educational, and professional landmarks. The SEED Urban Camp has been designed as a comprehensive educational experience, combining personal development workshops, cultural activities, visits, meetings, and opportunities for social interaction.

The camp is a natural extension of the program’s mission and further strengthens SEED’s role as one of the University of Bucharest “Virtute et Sapientia” Foundation’s strategic projects for promoting social and educational inclusion and supporting the development of young people from vulnerable backgrounds.

The 17 students come from the counties of Dâmbovița, Vrancea, Botoșani, Neamț, Argeș, Iași, Olt, and Prahova, and for many of them this experience will represent their first direct encounter with the university academic environment.

Beyond the camp’s scheduled activities, their encounter with the University of Bucharest may become an opportunity to imagine new educational and career paths, discover new aspirations, and strengthen their confidence in their own future. The camp program gives students the chance to explore both the university and the city where it operates in an accessible and interactive way. They will take part in workshops organized by the University of Bucharest’s Learning Center and visit several University campuses, including the University Palace, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, as well as the University’s Panduri Campus.

The university experience will be complemented by meetings and visits designed to introduce students to different fields and career perspectives. The program will include a meeting with Presidential Adviser Sorin Costreie at Cotroceni Palace, as well as a visit to HILTI Romania. These experiences will give students the opportunity to interact with representatives of various institutions and organizations and to discover professional environments and career paths that, for some of them, they might not otherwise have encountered.

The camp’s cultural dimension includes a visit to the “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History, a guided walk along Calea Victoriei, and a visit to the “Dimitrie Brândză” Botanical Garden of the University of Bucharest. The program also includes leisure and social activities, ranging from team games and sports to a 3D movie screening and a visit to Children’s Town amusement park.

The SEED Urban Camp promotes social and educational inclusion and builds bridges between students from vulnerable backgrounds and the opportunities offered by education

“A university is more than lecture halls, laboratories, or libraries. Above all, it is about people, meaningful encounters, and opportunities. For a student who has never had the chance to set foot on a university campus, that first experience can have a lasting impact on the way they see their own future. We hope that, for the 17 students participating in the SEED Urban Camp, the University of Bucharest will become more than just a place they visit – it will become a place where they feel welcome, inspired, and encouraged to pursue their aspirations. Education is one of the most important ways we can reduce inequality, and supporting students from vulnerable backgrounds is a responsibility we embrace through the projects of the University of Bucharest’s Virtute et Sapientia Foundation and our entire academic community. I would like to thank everyone involved in delivering this program, and I especially appreciate the voluntary commitment of our faculty members and the other members of the University of Bucharest community. The fact that, during the height of the summer holiday, they are dedicating their time to welcoming these students and showing them what university life is all about is, in itself, a lesson in solidarity, responsibility, and the power of education to change lives, ”, said Prof. Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University of Bucharest.

“For us, the SEED Urban Camp is much more than a week of activities for 17 students. It is an investment in confidence, in the courage to dream, and in every child’s chance to imagine a different future. We want these students to leave Bucharest not only with wonderful memories, but also with the feeling that there are places where they are welcome, people who believe in them, and opportunities they can access. Through the SEED program, the University of Bucharest Foundation is taking an active role in building these bridges between students from vulnerable backgrounds and the opportunities that education can open up,” said Elena Fecioru, President of the University of Bucharest’s Virtute et Sapientia Foundation.

The organization of the SEED Urban Camp is made possible through the support of Kaufland Romania, the initiative’s financial sponsor, as well as through the involvement of members of the University of Bucharest community who contribute to the planning and delivery of the program, many of them on a voluntary basis.