University of Bucharest inaugurates restored Faculty of History building and officially opens the 2026–2027 academic year

On Thursday, 1 October 2026, the University of Bucharest inaugurated the restored Faculty of History building as part of the official ceremony marking the opening of the 2026–2027 academic year. Following renovation works that began in January 2023, students and teaching staff are returning to the faculty’s premises in the University of Bucharest Palace.

The ceremony was attended by Mr Nicușor Dan, President of Romania, Mihai Dimian, Minister of Education and Research, Cseke Attila Zoltán, Minister of Development, Public Works and Administration, and Prof. Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University of Bucharest. The event was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Matei Gheboianu, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of History.

Assoc. Prof. Ioana Ciocan, PhD, a member of the Faculty of History teaching staff, Raluca Peiu, President of the “Dacia” History Students’ Association, and Rareș Mandache, a first-year student at the UB Faculty of History, also addressed the audience. Their contributions brought to the forefront the community that will once again bring the building to life.

President Nicușor Dan spoke about the role of the university and historical research in a society where public decisions must be based on knowledge. He encouraged teaching staff to take an active role in public debates and students to make the most of the years they have to learn and discover.

“The stake of this period in our society is to succeed in becoming a knowledge society, a society in which decisions are made based on the truths of science, a society in which citizens relate to society through truths that are recognised, in which citizens relate to their own health through medical knowledge, in which citizens relate to our past through historical research,” said President Nicușor Dan.

A historic building prepared for a new generation

The Rector of the University of Bucharest, Prof. Marian Preda, PhD, emphasised that the restoration of the Palace concerns both the future of education and the memory of the place. As part of the consolidation and restoration project, UB sought solutions for preserving the traces of the 1989 Revolution and the University Square phenomenon.

“This building does not belong only to the University of Bucharest. It is the building at Kilometre 0 of the capital, intrinsically linked to our history. The Faculty of History illustrates UB’s vision of combining tradition with modernity, through the spaces and technology we have here, but above all through the spirit of a European, strongly internationalised university,” said Prof. Dr Marian Preda.

The Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, through the National Investment Company, provided funding of more than RON 84 million for the restoration of the Faculty of History building. The works focused on strengthening the building, protecting its historic elements, and adapting the spaces to current study, teaching, and research needs.

The Faculty of History wing has a total floor area of 5,870 square metres and includes 20 rooms dedicated to teaching and study activities, along with another 50 rooms, including the library, offices, and administrative spaces.

“Perhaps the most symbolic moment of this restoration is the recovery of sculptural elements that were part of the historic image of the University of Bucharest: the eagle and the two griffins, repositioned on the pediment of the UB Palace building. It is a gesture that speaks of an institution’s memory and preserves the memory of a society: a restored building looks to the past, while the university looks to the future. The University of Bucharest brings the two together,” said Minister Cseke Attila Zoltán.

History returns to the University of Bucharest Palace

For the faculty community, the inauguration means returning to the place where generations of students and professors have studied and researched history. The Dean of the Faculty of History, Assoc. Prof. Matei Gheboianu, PhD, thanked the teaching staff and his administrative colleagues for their contribution to the life of the faculty and recalled the role of the discipline beyond the university: “History is not merely a story of the past; it shapes civic consciousness.” In this context, he reaffirmed the faculty’s commitment to preserving the place of history in pre-university education.

Addressing students at the beginning of the academic year, Minister of Education and Research Mihai Dimian encouraged them to find their place within the university community through the relationships they will build with their professors and fellow students.

“You are one of the 37,000 students – I think it is overwhelming to think about this number; you wonder whether you will find your place among so many people and whether you will matter. […] The university will acquire faces, voices, and memories. You will begin to feel that this is your place. You have to understand that the University also belongs to you,” said the Minister of Education and Research.

The steps toward the consolidation and restoration of the building began in June 2020, when the Romanian Government approved the project. After more than a year of preparations, in March 2022, the University of Bucharest signed a design and construction contract with the National Investment Company, marking the transition of the works into the operational phase.

The actual works began in January 2023 and focused on strengthening the entire Palace building, restoring the façades and historic decorations, rebuilding the roof, creating a museum space dedicated to the archaeological remains discovered in the inner courtyard, as well as installing a modern architectural lighting system. The objective is twofold: on the one hand, to create modern educational spaces for students and, on the other, to protect and promote the historic heritage.

The completion of the Faculty of History wing represents one stage of the broader project to consolidate, restore, and modernise the University of Bucharest Palace, the largest educational building in the country.