President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday sent a message on the 160th anniversary of Bucharest University (UB), highlighting its role in supporting education and research as well as civic values.
The message was delivered to a UB anniversary event by presidential adviser Diana-Loreta Paun.
"I am glad to pay tribute today to this higher education establishment that has proved a constant commitment to excellence in education and research and that has established itself as an essential landmark in building and consolidating a modern and democratic Romania. We are marking 160 years of historical continuity of the University of Bucharest, founded by decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, in 1864, without forgetting the older contribution and the indisputable connection with the Royal Academy, founded in 1694 by Constantin Brancoveanu. It is important to recognise and highlight the significant role of the University of Bucharest in the formation of a school of thought that would define the national ideal through remarkable contributions in all spheres of knowledge," Iohannis said in his message.
He mentioned that the purpose of this establishment is not only to support excellence in education and research, but also to be actively involved in supporting civic values. For almost 35 years, the University of Bucharest has been "ground zero of democracy.".
"It was its students who proved that they knew what liberal democracy and the rule of law meant, even after almost four decades of totalitarianism, after a bloody regime change, and despite the elimination of a good part of the country's intellectual elite. Throughout its history, which we are celebrating today, the University of Bucharest has represented the gateway to the light of knowledge, to the West. When the Iron Curtain separated the two hemispheres, the University was a space of peaceful resistance through culture and humanism, a true point of convergence of values."
Among the challenges of the future are the new industrial revolution, environmental and social issues, the president said. He mentioned, however, that all of them find "fast and innovative answers in an environment connected to the most prestigious networks of researchers," such as the University of Bucharest.
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