CEREFREA Villa Noël defined its strategic directions. Relaunching research fields and strengthening the involvement of associated researchers, among the priorities

On Wednesday, February 19, 2024, the Regional Francophone Center for Advanced Research in Social Sciences at the University of Bucharest (CEREFREA Villa Noël) held a special meeting of the Administrative Committee. The even brought together representatives of the University of Bucharest and key figures from the Francophone world to review the center’s activities for 2024 and outline its main strategic directions for the future.

The meeting, presided over by the Rector of the University of Bucharest, Professor Marian Preda, PhD, was attended by H. E. Nicolas Warnery, Ambassador of France to Romania, H. E. Hassan Abouyoub, Ambassador of Morocco to Romania and President of the Group of Francophone Embassies, Delegations, and Institutions (GADIF), Laure Castin, Regional Director of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) for Central and Eastern Europe, Julien Chiappone-Lucchesi, Director of the French Institute in Romania, and David Bongard, Senior Advisor at the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) for Central and Eastern Europe.

The discussions highlighted the need to strengthen academic collaborations and fully integrate CEREFREA into Francophone research networks. In this context, Professor Marian Preda, PhD emphasized the importance of increased synergy with the research centers of the University of Bucharest. Meanwhile, H. E. Nicolas Warnery stressed the necessity of closer coordination between Francophone institutions to encourage collaborative dynamics and enhance the visibility of joint initiatives.

Laure Castin (AUF) highlighted the opportunities available through AUF programs that align with CEREFREA’s strategic directions, while Julien Chiappone-Lucchesi (IFR) reaffirmed the institute’s interest in developing Francophone academic initiatives in Romania. David Bongard (OIF) noted that the OIF remains open to collaboration prospects and may explore integrating CEREFREA into initiatives related to geopolitics and multilateral Francophonie.

Dr. Simona Necula, Secretary General of CEREFREA, emphasized the center’s essential role in the Francophone academic landscape of Eastern Europe and the Balkans. She highlighted the strengthening of international collaborations, the expansion of research topics through interdisciplinary projects focused on memory, migration, media, and political transformations, as well as CEREFREA’s role as an academic mobility platform hosting international researchers and artists. The center also remains committed to training young Francophone researchers through the Francophone Doctoral School in Social Sciences (EDFSS).

The strategy for the next three years (2025-2028), presented by Associate Professor Dr. Simona Corlan-Ioan, CEREFREA’s coordinator, focuses on relaunching research fields and increasing the involvement of associated researchers.

Key priority themes include mobility and migration, heritage in crisis, the circulation of ideas in Central and Eastern Europe, and social dynamics around the Black Sea. This new strategic direction is supported through close collaboration with the Institute of African Studies and the Senghor Chair, allowing for the expansion of Francophone studies and the strengthening of comparative perspectives. The strategy also includes continuing the CIVIS projects, which are crucial for the internationalization of CEREFREA’s academic and scientific exchanges, further solidifying its role as a bridge between European Francophone institutions and those in other Francophone regions.

With a history spanning thirty years, the Francophone Doctoral School will continue to play a central role in training Francophone researchers, a strategic asset recognized by CEREFREA’s partners. Lecturer Dragoș Jipa, PhD, responsible for the Doctoral School, reviewed its development and promising prospects for 2025, emphasizing its status as a model of academic cooperation. This training program represents an essential partnership between France, Francophone institutions, and the University of Bucharest, ensuring the continuity of high-level Francophone research. An anniversary colloquium was also announced, to be organized in collaboration with the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and other traditional partner universities of EDFSS.

Dr. Larissa Luica, researcher at CEREFREA, presented the 2025 scientific and cultural program, highlighting the center’s involvement in initiatives supported by the French Institute in Romania, the OIF, the Institute of African Studies, the Senghor Chair, and other partners. This program includes colloquia, seminars, and summer schools aligned with CEREFREA’s strategic directions, featuring events dedicated to Francophone mobility, African philosophy, heritage, and creativity within Francophonie. The engagement of associated researchers plays a crucial role in strengthening collaborations and interdisciplinary approaches within the center.

Finally, the Rector of the University of Bucharest, Professor Marian Preda, PhD, proposed that Simona Corlan-Ioan continue her mandate as coordinator of CEREFREA’s activities, a position she took over in October 2024. The proposal was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors.