Danubius University, represented by Associate Professor Andy Puşcă PhD, president of Danubius University and Professor William B. Harvey PhD, Rector of Danubius University, together with representatives of the United States Embassy in Bucharest, accompanied by Fulbright American professors opened the photography exhibition THEN AND NOW, which contains a number of 55 photographs presenting images of the life in the communist regime, in antithesis to the life in the post-December era, an exhibition initiated by the US Embassy in Bucharest.

The opening of this exhibition was attended by representatives of Danubius University management, but also by representatives of the local authorities from Galați and Brăila: the president of Galaţi County Council, Mr. Costel Fotea, the deputy mayor of Galati, Lucian-Valeriu Andrei, the mayor of Brăila, Mr. Marian Dragomir, the deputy mayor of Brăila, Mr Alexandru Jantea Crican, the vice-president of Brăila County Council, Mr. Ciprian Ionuţ Dobre and Dr. Costin Croitoru, manager of "Carol I" History Museum in Brăila.

The president of Danubius University, Associate Professor Andy Pușcă PhD confessed that: "we are both honored and proud to host this exhibition at our university and we want to have as many visitors as possible, to enjoy the opportunity to see the history as it is illustrated through the eyes of these artists of the image."

The cultural attaché of the US Embassy in Bucharest and representative of the Public Diplomacy Section of the Embassy, William J. O'Connor, who was present at this event, confessed that "A picture is worth a thousand words".

The exhibition was originally developed by the US Embassy in Bucharest to display photos that capture the communist era and juxtapose them with today's society. It highlights the benefits of freedom and democracy for all Romanians and aims to remind everyone, especially the generations born after 1989, what communism and the oppression, the fear and injustice that defined it looked like. In history, we may find more information than in other fields. Its wealth is probably what attracts us the most, the idea that we could learn something about ourselves from this odds and ends box, about how it was then and how it is now.

The event could not have started without the members of Galaţi Branch of Tomis Cultural Association (TCA), who, at the beginning, gave the guests the honour, in period uniforms.

"It is our responsibility to help people better understand what happened in the past, to find out how they can save the future," said the Rector of Danubius University, Professor William B. Harvey.

This event also represents the start of the national essay contest for high school students, a contest that will have the same theme, "Thoughts and opinions on then and now." The students will send an essay of maximum two pages that will present their opinion on the exhibition theme. There will be two categories of registration, real and virtual, depending on how students have access to our exhibits, as some of them will physically visit this exhibition and others will be able to see the photos on the website www.univ-danubius.ro, organized and sponsored by Danubius University.

The students wishing to participate will first see this historic photographic exhibition, which is currently on display in the university halls. Moreover, in recognition of the fact that 2022 is the thirtieth anniversary from the founding of Danubius University, every month there will be cash prizes for the best three works during each month: 200 lei for first place; 150 lei for the second place and 100 lei for the third place. In addition, seven honorable mentions will be selected and the authors of the essays will receive a certificate of merit and a T-shirt with the slogan of Danubius University: "Young, Smart and Beautiful".

Therefore, according to the rector of Danubius University, Professor William B. Harvey, PhD: “Put your ideas on paper and do it right now! The more you think about it, the more your ideas will come to you, the more you will be able to capture the ideas on paper - the better essay is gonna be.”

On Wednesday, February 23, starting at 10.00, the former Minister of Education and current director of UEFISCDI, Professor ADRIAN CURAJ, opens the series of events named after the founder of Danubius University, Prof. Benone Pușcă.

Professor Adrian Curaj's presentation brings to the audience's attention the importance of research for higher education institutions in the Romanian context and can be watched live on the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DanubiusUniversity.

An internationally acclaimed scholar and academic leader, over the course of his career, Adrian Curaj has acted as the Romanian Prime Minister’s Adviser on Science, Technology, ICT and e-Governance; as the President of the National Authority for Scientific Research—Ministry of Education, Research, Youth and Sport in Romania; and as the General Director of the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation.

Professor Curaj has been High Representative of the Romanian Prime Minister for ecosystem development based on science, innovation, and entrepreneurship associated with ELI-NP pan-European infrastructure and is a former minister of national education and scientific research.  He is also the Chair holder – UNESCO Chair on Science and Innovation Policies at the National University of Political Science and Public Administration, professor of Research Management and the Director of the Centre for Strategic Partnership and Quality Assurance in Higher Education at the POLITECHNICA University of Bucharest, and he serves as a board member of the Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation; of the Romanian Association for the Club of Rome, and of the Romanian-American Fulbright Commission. 

These events will bring to the fore exemplary personalities from academia, business, civic society and public policy, demonstrating through their achievements, an international recognition in their field, to share their knowledge and opinions on the subject. relevant to today's world.

Due to health restrictions in the context of COVID-19, people wishing to attend this event in the Great Hall are invited to fill out the form below - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BcYR2nLIaRNZnU9Sbh4JS0iWebJc6jK8q9UTDdJEN1c/edit?usp=sharing_eip_dm&ts=6213606c

This series of events dedicated to the celebration of phenomenal women aims to fill the Great Hall of Danubius University with people who aim in life to fulfill not only their childhood dreams but also all the professional plans that take shape, especially during adolescence. Dr. Gabriela Mustață Wilson has taken on a very important role for her students from all over the world - to share publicly how much courage is needed to be transformed, by life, by society, by people around you, even by her own family, to exclaim, one day: YES! I did it!

The presentation given to the audience by Ms. Wilson was like an imaginary journey through her life; the slides were full of memories that made her parents, who were seated in the first row of the Great Hall, wipe their tears several times. It is not easy to remember your past from the communist period, but it can be an incentive for anyone to start listening to history, as it is, to understand it. Gabriela Mustață Wilson's childhood dream was clear: The United States of America! And with a lot of perseverance, enthusiasm, courage, desire for transformation, joy, strength, and a lot of power, she succeeded. She learned. She studied. The secrets of chemistry were discovered in Romania. Then, in Belgium, she continued her studies in molecular biology for two years. The University of Houston gave her the opportunity to pursue a PhD in computational biochemistry. The rest is history! The pharmacological industry, molecular modeling, and drug design, followed by health informatics, specializations that have revealed her strength to succeed in any field. Now her academic home is at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she inspires her students of all nations as a professor and co-director of the Multi-Interprofessional Center for Health Informatics (MICHI).

The wish of this phenomenal woman for all of us is as simple as it is profound:” Trust in your abilities more than anybody else. Life is full of challenges and hardships, and you will always have people around you who will try to slow you down or even stop you.”

The lesson learned and generously shares with all her students is inspired by former US First Lady Michelle Obama: “Success is not about how much money you make. Success means the difference you make in people's lives.

Chapeau-bas, Gabriela! See you next time!

Oana Draganescu,

PR&MEDIA Director

Danubius University celebrates 30 years of excellence in higher education in Romania.

Our students, masters, graduates, trainees, professors, our partners are, in these 30 years of our existence, what today we call the DANUBIUS ACADEMIC COMMUNITY!

The President-Founder of Danubius University, Professor and

Magistrate BENONE PUSCA wrote, on the first page of one of his books, the following lines:

I LEAVE YOU SOMETHING FROM MY LIFE, NOT AS A WILL,

BUT AS AN ARGUMENT TO LIVE BEAUTIFULLY. EVERYWHERE, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO SOMETHING, YOU SUCCEED.

THE FUTURE IS YOURS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANUBIUS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANUBIEN COMMUNITY!