On 13–14 November 2025, a delegation from the University of Bucharest travelled to Vienna at the invitation of the Romanian Embassy in Austria, which organized a series of events marking the 185th anniversary of Titu Maiorescu’s birth.
The delegation was led by Professor Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University of Bucharest, and included Associate Professor Constantin Vică, PhD, Director of the Humanities Section of the UB Research Institute and faculty member of the Faculty of Philosophy, along with Lecturer Alexandra Nicolaescu, PhD, from the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures and Vice-Dean of the faculty.
Ceremony and lecture at the Theresian Academy: a dynamic exchange with students and the Viennese academic community
The anniversary programme opened with the unveiling of the newly restored commemorative plaque dedicated to Titu Maiorescu, located in the courtyard of the renowned Theresian Academy-an institution celebrated for its academic excellence, multicultural environment, and high-quality education.
Maiorescu’s formative years at the Theresian Academy played a crucial role in shaping his intellectual path and preparing him for his future contributions to Romanian society-as Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, founding member of the Romanian Academy, literary critic, writer, essayist, scholar, philosopher, and educator. He graduated as valedictorian in 1858-a testament to his remarkable talent, later reflected in his tenure as Rector of the University of Bucharest (1892–1897).
The ceremony brought together numerous distinguished guests, including David Stögmüller, President of the Austria–Romania Parliamentary Friendship Group; representatives of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs; leading academics such as Professor Markus Müller, Rector of the Medical University of Vienna, and Professor Radu Boț, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Vienna; Vienna district vice-mayors Karin Eichler (4th district) and Ramona Miletic (11th district); Father Nicolae Dura, PhD, Vicar of the Romanian Orthodox Community in Austria; students of the Theresian Academy; and members of the Romanian community.
Speeches were delivered by Andreas Schatzl, Director of the Theresian Academy; Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Andrea Amza-Andras; and student Miruna Badea.
In her remarks, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Andrea Amza-Andras emphasized the importance of honoring Titu Maiorescu as a figure who strengthened intellectual ties between Romania and Austria and who continues to inspire Romanian students studying at the Theresian Academy: “Today we organized an event dedicated to building bridges between Austria and Romania. Figures like Titu Maiorescu remind us that intercultural exchange, the pursuit of knowledge, and respect for intellectual value are the foundations of our shared European heritage,” she said.
Director Andreas Schatzl highlighted the relevance of celebrating Maiorescu’s legacy and drew a parallel between him and Empress Maria Theresa, founder of the Academy: “Let us not regard this moment only as a retrospective, but as a mission: to strengthen education as the foundation of a responsible future, in the spirit of Titu Maiorescu and Maria Theresa.”
A key moment of the event was the lecture delivered in German by Lecturer Alexandra Nicolaescu, PhD, in the Academy’s library. Her presentation, “Vom Theresianist zum Premierminister. Titu Maiorescu: eine rumänisch-österreichische Geschichte”, sparked considerable interest and prompted lively exchanges with the Academy’s director, librarians, students, guests of the embassy, and members of the Romanian community.
After the lecture, UB Rector Marian Preda spoke informally with students from the Theresian Academy, including young high-performance athletes inspired by Romanian swimmer David Popovici, currently a student at UB. Romanian and Moldovan students living in Vienna also attended the event and discussed their academic interests with the UB delegation.
The UB delegation meets the Romanian academic diaspora at the Embassy of Romania in Vienna
That evening, the Romanian Embassy hosted a meeting between the UB delegation and members of the Romanian academic diaspora in Austria. In his address, Rector Marian Preda highlighted the University’s commitment to supporting faculty, researchers, and students in engaging with international academic communities. He underscored the value of international partnerships in fostering innovation, high-quality research, and education, promoting diverse perspectives, and offering mobility opportunities. He also presented several research fellowships offered by the UB Research Institute:
Fellowships for Young Researchers – residential fellowships for early-career researchers with strong academic records and a PhD earned within the past seven years; duration 3–12 months; applications accepted year-round.
Fellowships for Visiting Professors – for experienced international researchers supporting research projects, academic events, postdoctoral guidance, and more.
ERC Pre-Project Scholarships – supporting researchers in preparing competitive proposals for ERC and other European programs.
Rector Preda also reiterated UB’s active role in the European Civic University Alliance (CIVIS), one of the most dynamic alliances in European higher education, now comprising 11 universities, over 400,000 students, and 55,000 academic staff.
A visit that opened new paths for collaboration
On the second day, the UB delegation met with Professor Manuela Baccarini, PhD, Vice-Rector of the University of Vienna, and Dr. Barbara Good, Director of the International Relations Office.
Discussions focused on cooperation within European university alliances-Vienna being part of Circle U. and Bucharest of CIVIS-as well as on developing joint curricula and integrated degree programmes in line with the future European University Degree framework.
The meeting, facilitated by Professor Radu Boț, PhD, marked an important step in reinforcing academic collaboration between Romania and Austria. Participants also discussed expanding Erasmus partnerships and supporting joint Horizon Europe research initiatives.
The visit confirmed the University of Bucharest’s active role in promoting Romanian culture and education across Europe and opened promising avenues for research collaboration, academic mobility, and academic diplomacy-with Austrian universities as well as with the Romanian academic diaspora.
This visit follows another similar meeting held in September 2024 in London, where Rector Preda engaged with Romanian academics based in the UK. Hosted and moderated by H.E. Laura Popescu, Romania’s first female Ambassador to the United Kingdom, that event also aimed at strengthening ties within the Romanian academic diaspora and connecting it with the academic community in Romania. More details about this visit are available here.
Postări asemănătoare:
Celebrating 160 Years of the University of Bucharest and 330 Years of Higher Education in Bucharest: A dedicated Panel at the Annual Conference for Communicating Research Results at UB
The University of Bucharest launches the events dedicated to the anniversary of 160 years since its founding and 330 years of higher education in the Romanian Space
35 years after the June 1990 Events, the University of Bucharest hosts the conference “June 13–15, 1990. 35 Years Later”
