Bucharest, March 2nd 2020
During the meeting held with the Parliamentary Group of National Minorities, Professor Emil Constantinescu, PhD, presented the projects and programs of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization, conceived in agreement with the mission established by Emergency Government Ordinance 66/2019, passed by the Chamber of Deputies on February 25th, 2020, along with the orientation towards society of the Romanian academic environment’s activity. Ever since its first program, “Dobrogea, witness of the millennial civilizations of the Levant”, initiated and led by Professor Dan Grigorescu, PhD, Scientific Director, the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization showed an interest in the research of ethnic groups and their contribution to the history and culture of the Romanian people. Within this program, a national symposium was organized, entitled – “Multiculturality research in Dobrogea – Accomplishments and perspectives”. The presentations delivered during this event shall be published in a volume.
The new projects of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilization – “The Lower Danube Civilization from prehistoric times until modern days”, “The Cultural History of the Balkans”, “the Armenians in the Romanian History” and “The Jews in Romanian Culture”, follow, equally, the contributions of ethnic groups to the history and culture of the Romanian people and of the adjoining geographic area. Speaking on behalf of the members of the National Minorities Group, deputy Varujan Pambuccian highlighted the decisive role of ethnic and cultural diversity in the process of a dynamic re-definition of the Romanian nation’s identity. Several deputies of the Parliamentarian Group of National Minorities expressed their support towards the Institute’s projects, including by the establishment of partnerships.
The reunion established the main cooperation directions, meant to support the continuation of research on ethnic minority traditions, in the spirit of harmony, respect towards cultural pluralism, towards disseminating contributions and the accomplishments of each ethnic group on a national and international level.