Rector’s speech at the opening of the academic year 2018-2019

Speech of the Rector of the University of Bucharest, Mircea Dumitru, at the opening of the academic year 2018-2019

In the presence of His Excellency Mr. Hans Klemm, Ambassador of the United States of America in Romania and His Excellency, Mrs. Michèle Ramis, Ambassador of the French Republic in Romania

Madame l’Ambassadrice,

Monsieur l’Ambassadeur,

Monsieur le Doyen,

Chers collègues,

Chers étudiants,

La traditionnelle ouverture de l’année académique est l’une des plus émouvantes cérémonies universitaires. Nous nous en réjouissons aujourd’hui davantage, pour avoir parmi nous Madame l’Ambassadrice de France et M. l’Ambassadeur des Etats-Unis, deux pays qui ont beaucoup fait pour l’intégration européenne et le développement de la Roumanie. Comme on sait, notre pays est membre de la Francophonie. Beaucoup de nos jeunes apprennent le français et l’anglais ensemble, comme les deux langues obligatoires de l’enseignement secondaire.

Dans cette Faculté même, un Collège juridique franco-roumain ouvre aux étudiants la possibilité d’obtenir, en même temps que le diplôme national, un diplôme en droit de l’Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne. Ils peuvent approfondir leurs études dans un Master francophone en droit européen et international des affaires. Une école doctorale francophone en droit attend ceux qui souhaitent approfondir encore leurs compétences juridiques.

Pour ceux qui ont à cœur une approche interdisciplinaire des sciences sociales, l’école doctorale du Centre francophone d’études avancées en sciences sociales, CEREFREA-Villa Noël, ouvre la perspective de recherches conduites ensemble sous la férule de juristes, mais aussi de sociologues, politologues, historiens et autres chercheurs. Nombreux sont mes collègues ici présents qui ont obtenu leurs prestigieux titres scientifiques dans des universités françaises ou belges. L’Université de Bucarest est membre de l’Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie et profite du vaste cadre de coopération scientifique devenu possible grâce à l’appui de cette organisation. La Villa Noël rassemble des chercheurs venus de nombreux pays et qui travaillent en français dans leurs équipes de recherches soutenues par l’AUF et l’OIF (l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie), l’Institut Français en Roumanie, la Délégation Wallonie-Bruxelles, la Fondation Maisons des sciences de l’homme, le Ministère roumain des Affaires étrangères et par les nombreuses universités partenaires.

Dear Students,

You should be proud of yourselves. You have secured a position in BA or MA programs in one of the most prestigious Law Schools in the country and indeed in the whole of Europe, as attested by the results of our students in international competitions and by the success of graduates of the Law School in all domains requiring legal scholars and specialists.

Our new English-language program in International Arbitration demonstrates the profession’s international character as well as the Law School’s commitment towards engaging in international endeavors.

I believe that the most valuable outcome of your educations will be your contributions to society as lawyers, judges, diplomats, or in your capacities as specialists in a range of professions linked to contemporary law.

The country is in great need of your expertise. A crisis of faith characterizes the contemporary attitudes of Romanian citizens towards their public and private institutions and as future legal specialists, your expertise will often be required to solve difficult problems stemming from this issue. Unless the law becomes, through education and good practices, a sort of social reflex which no one will wish to undermine, no real progress in how our institutions work will be made. Our moral values will not be attained unless the law changes the behavior of people, and unless the law advances beyond mere abstract concepts into concrete social practices.

I encourage you to let yourselves be educated and inspired by our outstanding professors, who are among the best our country has to offer in the many fields of contemporary law. Use every moment of time here to absorb their knowledge, their expertise and their ethos. I also encourage you to live a full student life, form communities, get involved, and integrate yourselves in the many social activities that our University has to offer.

I will be seeing some of you in my Judicial Logic (or Logic for Law) class, which is an elective course that is open to Freshmen. Over the years I have noticed that Freshmen law students have been among my best students in Logic classes. Thus, my appreciation for law students is evidence-based, and not merely a rhetorical flourish.

Let me end by once again offering my heartfelt congratulations to the faculty, to the students, and to their parents on the occasion of the inauguration of the academic year 2018-2019. You all have an excellent head start as students of the best Law School in Romania and, having been admitted to the School, have already demonstrated yourselves to be very good students. Only through sustained efforts shall you continue to excel and become the best legal specialists and experts that you can be. Your country needs you!

Thank you all and good luck!