Freshly elected President of the Romanian Academy, Marius Andruh, said on Tuesday that he wants the institution to maintain its role in Romanian society, stressing that politicians should pay closer attention to the work of economic institutes, "work more carefully and collaborate better" with them.
"There is always room for progress, but the Romanian Academy has a long cultural and scientific tradition behind it. It is a necessary institution - the highest forum for culture and science in the country - first and foremost through its members, but also through the institutes operating under its umbrella," Andruh said after his election.
He pledged to consistently defend fundamental research, as well as the Academy's economic and humanities institutes.
"The Romanian Academy is a space for fundamental research. Fundamental research will always remain on the agenda, because it is part of human nature - inquisitive, always seeking to understand. We also have economic institutes, whose results politicians should examine, work with more carefully, and collaborate with more effectively - this is one of my objectives. And, of course, we have institutes in the humanities, which are tied to our cultural identity. Let us not forget that the rules of grammar are established in and by the Romanian Academy," he noted.
Marius Andruh said he wants to continue what he began four years ago as Vice-President of the Academy, particularly "opening the Academy to the general public".
"This is done in several ways. We already have the conferences held by Academy members at the Dalles Hall, and I invite you to attend. There are also others that I organized myself - the 'Science Hour' series, where I invited personalities who are not Academy members. Both types of conferences are held in the evening, precisely to be accessible to the general public. Unfortunately, they are not well known, because people do not regularly check the Academy's website to see the conferences and events we organize - debates, commemorations, scientific lectures, folklore conferences, discussions on the authenticity of our folklore. All 14 sections have something to communicate," Andruh noted.
He added that the Romanian Academy organized 900 events last year, "all for the general public, who can choose the field that interests them".
Regarding investment projects, Andruh said it is "extremely important" to save "the houses that are part of the national and urban heritage".
"I see the leadership of the Romanian Academy as a construction effort. The President, and not only him, but all Academy members , must be a builder of cultural projects, but also literally a builder. We have a significant patrimony, which we recovered in very poor condition, because our properties were taken away in 1948 and we received back houses in very poor shape, some of them heritage buildings. For me, it is extremely important to save the houses that are part of the national and city heritage. As I said today and I repeat it, this is not just about aesthetics or image; it is about the cultural heritage of this city and its cultural identity," he said.
The new Academy President also expressed optimism about contemporary Romanian society.
"I am an optimistic person. You cannot always be dissatisfied with Romanian society, with the younger generation, with the state of education. You must be optimistic. To serve the country, you must believe in something, believe that progress is possible. From my point of view, society can correct itself, of course with the help of the Romanian Academy, which holds moral authority. I believe society can progress, and only with love for it can you achieve something," Andruh said.
Academician Marius Andruh was elected on Tuesday President of the Romanian Academy, receiving 84 votes in favour in the second round out of 157 votes cast.
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