Advisory Board

National Advisory Board

Academician Eugen Simion
President of the Romanian Academy 1998 - 2006
President of the Department of Literature and Philology of the Romanian Academy
President of the National Foundation for Science and Arts

         A prolific critic and consummate literature historian, professor at the Faculty of Letters in the University of Bucharest, coordinator of the General Dictionary of Romanian Literature, Acad. Eugen Simion is a member of the Romanian Writers’ Union, an honorary member of the Moldavian Academy of Sciences, of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Denmark, a corresponding member of the Academy of  Moral Sciences and Politics in France.

Academician Cristian Hera
President ad interim of the Romanian Academy December 2017 - Avril 2018
President of the Department for Agricultural and Silvicultural Sciences, Romania

         Acad. Cristian Hera, specialised in agricultural chemistry, Ph.D. in agronomy and sciences is the honorary president of the Academy of Agricultural and Silvicultural Sciences, president of the International Centre for Fertilizers and consultant professor at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest . One of the fields in which he has essentially contributed is the use of nuclear techniques in agricultural research. As an expert of the International Agency for Atomic Energy of Vienna, Austria (AIEA) , he has coordinated and supervised the activity of specialists in various countries in their research work in soil fertility, plant nutrition and use of fertilizers.

Academician Victor Voicu
Vice-president of the Romanian Academy
President of the Department of Medical Sciences of the Romanian Academy

         Acad. Victor Voicu is the founder of the first Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Romanian medical school, at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy ”Carol Davila” in Bucharest and the founder of a new discipline, psycho-pharmacology. His research work has been particularly in experimental and clinical pharmacology of antihypertensive and anti-arrhythmic drugs, a field in which he has obtained remarkable results and several patents. Acad. Victor Voicu has had an essential part in the formation of medical staff specialised in treating drug addiction and in the working out the drug legislation in Romania.

Academician Maya Simionescu
Vice-president of the Romanian Academy 1998 - 2008
President of the Department for Biological Sciences of the Romanian Academy
Founder and director of the Institute for Biology and Cell Pathology ”Nicolae Simionescu”

         Founder of this field in Romania and associate professor at Yale, Columbia (USA) and McGill University (Canada), acad. Maya Simionescu has authored over 500 articles published in famous revues and has been cited in literature over 6,500 times. At the beginning of her career she worked in the research laboratories of the Rockefeller Institute (USA) under George Emil Palade, the Nobel prize winner of 1974 for ”discoveries regarding the functional organisation of cell, that has had an essential role in the development of modern cell biology”. She is member of the American Society for Cell Biology, European Cell Biology Organization.

Academician Răzvan Theodorescu
Vice-president of the Romanian Academy
President of the Department for Arts, Architecture, Radio and Televison of the Romanian Academy
Minister of Culture 2000 - 2004
Ambassador of the ”Alliance of Civilisations” for Romania

         Historian Răzvan Theodorescu, professor at the University of Arts in Bucharest has written tens of articles and books on Romanian and European Arts, published in revues in Romania and abroad. He is associated member of the Archeological Society of Athens, member of the Academy of Sciences in New York, and of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

Professor Andrei  Marga
President of the Romanian Cultural Institute 2012 - 2013
Minister for foreign affairs of Romania 2012
Minister of education 1997 - 2000
Rector of the Babes- Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca 1993 – 2004, 2008 - 2012

          Professor Andrei Marga - Herder Prize winner –is specialized in history of modern and contemporary philosophy, philosophy of politics, philosophy of religion. Prof. Marga has initiated vast reforms in the Romanian educational system with the aim at hastening the integration of Romania in the educational system of Europe. Membership and affiliations: senior consultant for the international Network Confucius Institutes (Hanban Fundation, Beijin China), expert  for  Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK,Germany) and Agenzia per la Valutazione e la Promozione della Qualità delle Facoltà Ecclesiastiche (Vatican), vice-president of CEPES – UNESCO Council, member of the Higher Education and Research Committee, the Council of Europe, Strasburg.

Professor Daniel Barbu
Minister of Culture 2012 - 2013
Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences in the University of Bucharest, 1994 – 2000, 2002 – 2004

         Ph.D.  in history, philosophy and theology, Daniel Barbu has been „ricercatore invitato” at  Pontificio Instituto Orientale of Rome, Fulbright grantee at Jackson State University, visiting professor at École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales of Paris, National University of Athens, University of Pittsburgh, Central European University of  Budapest, Institutes for Political Studies of Bordeaux and Aix-en-Provence. He has published 12 books and over 120 studies/papers in volumes published in Romania and abroad, in specialised revues in Romania and other countries.

Conf. dr. Puiu Haşotti
Minister of Culture 2012
Vice-president of the Senate 2004 - 2005
Vive-president of the Chamber of Deputies 2002 - 2005
Associate professor at the Faculty of History, University  Ovid at Constantza

         Assoc. prof Puiu Hașoti is specialised in pre-historical archeology and has written several books, articles and  studies published in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Italy and France. He is honorary president of the Association for the Promotion of Cultural Heritage and Experimental Archeology, ARCHEX.

Professor Romulus Brâncoveanu
Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest
Chair holder of the UNESCO Department for Intercultural and inter-religious exchanges

         Ph. D since 1996, his doctoral thesis was on the philosophy of social sciences; he is a consummate researcher in political philosophy, management of knowledge and the philosophy of education. As dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of Bucharest, Prof. Romulus Brâncoveanu coordinates all the curricula and research-work in the institution. He has also contributed to the so-called ”White Book” of the Romanian Educational System.

Dan A. Petre
General director of the Romanian Diplomatic Institute 2013-2020
Secretary of State for Global Affairs  in the Ministry for Foreign Affaires
Ambassador of Romania to Argentina and Paraguay

        A graduate of the History and Philosophy Faculty of Bucharest University, of the École des Hautes Études en Science Sociales in Paris, visiting research fellow with the School of European Studies of Sussex University, UK, and with Université Libre de Bruxelles, Dan Petre taught at Bucharest University – the Faculty of Political Science, and the International Relations and European Studies section of the Faculty of Letters, and was a guest lecturer at the National Defense University – College of Multinational Operations and College of National Defense. He was senior research fellow of the Romanian Diplomatic Institute, where he gave many lectures. His main expertise area being Theory of International relations, Geopolitics and Strategic Studies, and he also practiced and thought about Black Sea area, South East Europe and Middle East.

Prof. Dr. Tasin Gemil
Director of the Institute of Turkology, “Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca
The First Romania’s Ambassador in the Republic of Azerbaijan (1998-2003)
Romania’s Ambassador in Turkmenistan (2004-2008)

       Experienced researcher and academic with a strong background in the History and Civilization of the Turkish World (Ottoman and Tatar in particular), History of the Romanian-Ottoman-Tatar Relations, Romania‟s Relations with Turkey, the Independent states in Central Asia and Southern Caucasus and History and Civilization of Islam. Community and Political Activity: Founder and the first President of the Democratic Union of Muslim-Turkish Tatars of Romania, Member of Romanian Parliament; Member of the first Permanent Delegation of the Romanian Parliament to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Member of the first Permanent Delegation of the Romanian Parliament to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Economic Cooperation in the Black Sea Region. Titles and Awards: Doctor in Sciences (Ph.D.), Correspondent member of the Turkish Society for History (Türk Tarih Kurumu), Ankara, “Nicolae Iorga” Prize of the Romanian Academy, Honorary Professor of the “International University of Baku”, Friend of Azerbaijan, title awarded by the Civil society of the Azerbaijan Republic,Diploma for excellence of the Romanian Cultural Institute of the Romanian Government. Silver Medal for Success in Science, (“Za Dostiszenija Nauke”) of the Academy of Sciences of the Tatarstan Republic, Russian Federation; Honorary Member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists; Foreign member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation.

Doru Costea
President of the Human Rights Council, United Nations 2007-2008
Romania’s Ambassador to Cairo, Egypt 1997-2001
Romania’s Ambassador to the Emirate of Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman 1991-1995

         Having a Bachelor’s degree in English and Arabic, from the Faculty of Classical, Roman and Oriental languages, of the University of Bucharest, Doru Romulus Costea began his diplomatic career in February 1990, as Third Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Political Synthesis Department. From there, he moved to the Middle East and Northern Africa Department and would become Romania’s ambassador in the Emirate of Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman, Egypt and later Romania’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations in Geneva. Between 2007-2008 he was President of the Human Rights’ Council within the same organization. With a PhD in Political Sciences – International Relations, from the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, he had the opportunity to share his rich diplomatic expertise during lectures held at the MFA’s Diplomatic Academy, the National Defense College, the NATO Study Centre of Bucharest and the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies of the University of Bucharest.

Radu Onofrei
Romania’s Ambassador to Amman, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 2003
Representative of the Coalition Provisional Authority of Iraq to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Baghdad 2003
Romania’s Ambassador to London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1997-2001, 2001-2003
Romania’s Ambassador to Cairo, Egypt 1993-1997

         Having a university degree in Classical, Roman and Oriental languages from the University of Bucharest, as well as complementary studies in political sciences and communication from the University of Algiers, Radu Onofrei began his diplomatic career in 1979, at the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as an Attaché in the Middle East and Asia Department. He then occupied the position of Romania’s Ambassador to Egypt, to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In 2003, he was successively Romania’s Representative in the Reconstruction of Iraq in Baghdad and then Representative of the Coalition Provisional Authority of Iraq to the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, again in baghdad. The latter position was held for several years.

International Advisory Board

Federico Mayor
General Director UNESCO 1987 - 1999
President of the Alliance of Civilisations

         Biochemist, member of numerous scientific and academic societies around the world, Federico Mayor is fully appreciated for his mandate as general director UNESCO. He is the  initiator of the programme Culture of Piece, whose objectives revolve around four main themes: education for peace; human rights and democracy; the fight against isolation and poverty; the defence of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue; and conflict prevention and the consolidation of peace. Federico Mayor supervises  Foundation for a Culture of Peace which offers an annual Culture of Peace course in collaboration with the Juan Carlos I University of Madrid.

Ismail Serageldin
Foundind Director of Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Vice – president of World Bank 1992 – 2000

         Holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the University of Cairo and a Ph.D from Harvard University, Ismail Serageldin has published over 100 books and monographs and over 500 papers on a variety of topics, including biotechnology, rural development, sustainability, and the value of science to society. He is a member  of US National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Distinguished professor at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, he has been visiting professor at Conservatoire National des Arts and Metiers and professor at Collège de France, Paris.

Academician Ekmeleddin Mehmet İhsanoğlu
Member of the Grand National Assembly (2015-2018)
Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (2005 – 2014)
President of International Union of History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS) (2001 – 2005)
Founder and Head of the Department of History of Science at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University (1984 – 2000)

         Ekmeleddin Mehmet İhsanoğlu is an advocate of intercultural dialogue and also an author and editor of academic journals. İhsanoğlu was the founder of the Department of History of Science at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University, and he remained the chairman of that department between 1984 and 2003. He was also a lecturer and a visiting professor at various universities, including Ankara University, the University of Exeter, United Kingdom (1975–1977), Inönü University (1970–1980), the University of Malatya (1978–1980), and Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Germany (2003). İhsanoğlu's academic work has focused on the history of scientific activity and institutions of learning within Islam, cultural exchanges between Islam and the West, the relationship between science and religion, and the development of science in its socio-cultural environment.

Erhard Busek
Minister of Education, Science and Research, vive-Chanc, Vice-Chancellor of Austria 1991-1995
Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe 2002-2008

         Throughout his political career, dr. Erhard Busek is the vice-chancellor of the University of Applied Sciences Salzburg and the president of the International Center for Advanced and Comparative EU-Russia. He is visiting professor at Duke University, NC, USA and member in the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation

Kakha Shengelia
President of   IAUP (International Association of University Presidents)
President of Caucasus University Tbilisi, Georgia

         Apart from his administrative responsibilities he teaches courses in Management Concept and History of Georgia. He holds MA degree from Tbilisi State; MBA degree in Management from the University of Hartford (Hartford, USA) and PhD Degree from Georgian Technical University (Georgia). Dr. Shengelia is a Honorable Doctor of Tallinn University of Technology, Member of Steering  Committee of  NISPAcee  (The Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe). Dr. Kakha Shengelia was conferred the  title of Honorary Doctor of Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. Kakha Shengelia was a Member of Parliament of Georgia, Deputy Chairman of Committee of Education, Science, Sport and Culture and Committee of Foreign Affairs. He was a Vice-Mayor of Tbilisi in Social Affairs. Dr. Shengelia is awarded the Presidential Order of Excellence by the President of Georgia and the Ring of Honor by the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.

Prof. dr. Fotini A Pomoni – Papaioannou
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

       Graduate of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Geography  of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She performed her PhD in the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of the University of Bucharest. Professor of Sedimentology, Lithostratigraphy and Palaeogeography of the Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Visiting research fellow of the GeoZentrum Nordbayern, University of Erlangen-Nurnberg. She has travelled and delivered talks in numerous International Conferences and Meetings of Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Doctor Honoris Causa of the University Liceo Cervantino of Irapuato, Mexico. Founder and President of the Hellenic Sedimentological Association. Member of the Editorial Board of the J. Palaeogeography, China University of Petroleum (Beijing) and Scientific Coordinator of the Hellenic-Chinese Cooperation Agreement. She has published more than 100 research papers in distinguished international scientific journals.

Prof. Dr. Jean Jaques Askenasy
University of Tel Aviv
Associated Member of the American Academy of Neurology
Honorary Member of the French Society of Neurology
Member Honoris Causa of the Roumanian Academy
President of the Israeli Sleep Medicine Association

        Received his doctorate in medicine degree cum laude from the University of Cluj in Romania 1954. Appointed instructor of neurology in his 5 ler School of Medicine. Residence of Neurology- Neurological Institute of Academy 1956. Doctor in Science  at the University C.I.Parhon Bucharest, 1969. Chairman of the dpt. of Neurology at the Universitary Hospital CFR II Bucharest. In 1973 neurologist at Ichilov Hospital-Tel-Aviv University. Researcher in Neuroscience at Weitzman Institute 1974-1975. In 1981 was appointed Associated Prof. of Neurology at Mount-Sinai School of Medicine NY University, where he worked together with Prof. Melvin Yahr and Prof. Eliot Weitzman on the project Sleep in Parkinsonian patients. He subsequently was nominated Director of the Sleep Medicine Center at the Sheba Medical Center. In this quality he organized the courses in sleep medicine at the Tel-Aviv University. In 1986 was nominated Professeur Agrege at  Pierre et Marie Curie University, Clinique Charcot. In 1995 was nominated Clinical Professor of Neurology at Sackler School of Medicine TAU.  Member of the International Scientific Program Committee of the World Sleep Congress 2007 in Australia. Author of 13 books, 12 chapters in books, 90 original scientific articles & cas reports in the field of Neurology and Sleep Medicine, 31 invited lectures and 195 presentations at national and international congresses.

Thierry de Montbrial
Member of the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences
Chairman of the World Policy Conference (WPC)
Executive Chairman and Founder of the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri)
Honorary member of the Romanian Academy

Photo: Romanian Academy

            He is an Emeritus Professor at the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM) and École Polytechnique. He was the first head director of the Centre for Analysis and Prevision, of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the first chairman of the Foundation for Strategic Research (Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, FRS, 1993-2001), and chairman of the French-Austrian Centre for European Economic Convergence (CFA) (1985-2015). He is a member of the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences (since 1992), a founding member of the Académie des Technologies (2000), and a member of the Academia Europaea (since 1993), the Royal Academy of Belgium (since 1996), the Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences (since 1999), the Romanian Academy (since 1999), the Russian Academy of Science (since 2003), the Academy of Science of the Republic of Moldavia (since 2006) and the Academy of Science of Bulgaria (since 2006). Thierry de Montbrial was accepted as corresponding academician of the Spanish Royal Academy of Economics and Financial Sciences (2008). Thierry de Montbrial is a Grand Officer of the French Legion d’Honneur and of the Ordre National du Mérite, as well as a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He has received numerous awards from the French Government and other states across the world, including the Grand Prix de la Société de Géographie (2003).