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The Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj (UBB) reopened today the 'Emil G. Racovita' Institute for the Study of Life in Extreme Conditions in an online ceremony, 100 years on since famed scientist and explorer Emil Racovita set up in Cluj the world's first speleology institute.
"November is a special month for the 'Babes-Bolyai' University. It's in November that the courses of the Romanian University of Cluj began and scientist Emil Racovita was also born and died in November, after a life dedicated to research," UBB Rector, Professor Dr. Daniel David said during the event.
Back in 1920, Professor Emil Racovita founded the world's first institute of speleology at the University of Cluj. Called since 1948 the 'Emil Racovita' Institute of Speleology, it was disbanded in 1956 as part of the university and a new national institute was set up under the authority of the Education Ministry (the Institute of Speleology of the Romanian People's Republic). Starting with 1957 the foundation was called the 'Emil Racovita' Institute of Speleology. In 1960 it was placed under the authority of the Romanian Academy, but returned to the Ministry of Education in 1972. After 1990 the institute returned to the Romanian Academy, where it operates to this day. The 'Emil G. Racovita' Institute for the Study of Life in Extreme Conditions is the successor of the UBB institute abolished in 1956, having its headquarters in the building of the University of Cluj that also accommodated the old institute," UBB informs.
