December 24, 2013
News and current affairs from Romania
Florentin Căpitănescu, 24.12.2013, 00:00
Romania’s public education now is 11 years, instead of 10. The change has occurred with an emergency executive decision modifying the law of education. At the same time, admission to university will be based only on grades obtained in the high school graduation exam, while grades obtained during high school no longer count. Delegate Minister for Research Mihnea Cristoiu said that grades obtained at the graduation exam reflect knowledge accumulated by students during the four years of high school as the exam in the last few years has been free of cheating. In 2013, the rate of success in the graduation exam has been a mere 55% in the first seating and 20% in the second.
Romanian Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean continues his four day visit to Israel, which began on Monday. He is scheduled to meet President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On the first day of his visit, Corlatean met his counterpart, Avigdor Lieberamn, to discuss means of speeding up the procedures for granting visas for Romanian citizens. The two ministers discussed broader issues of cooperation, such as investments, research, energy and education. The Romanian minister also met Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, the head negotiator on Israel’s behalf in talks with Israel. According to the press in Tel Aviv, Israel has around one hundred thousand citizens of Romanian origin, including major figures in all areas of the economy, culture and politics.
British magazine The Economist published a study according to which Romania is among countries with high social risks in 2014, in terms of economic and institutional stability. On the list there are countries such as Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Turkey and Ukraine. On the list of highest risk countries are Greece, Egypt, Lybia, Syria and Irak. The US and Germany are listed among the countries with a low risk, while the list of countries with the lowest risk includes Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland and Japan. The criteria for instability taken into account were income inequality, lack of social protection, ethnic tensions and low confidence in the authorities and in institutions.
The Republic of Moldova received 15 million Euros from the European Commission for implementing its strategy to reform the judicial system. This is the first installment of the financial aid package worth 60 million Euros promised by the European Union. Romania gave Moldova a grant of 20 million Euros for developing its education system. Stay tuned for more after the news.
Romania’s former king, Mihai I, spends these holidays, like every year, at his residence in Savarsin. The former sovereign and his wife Margaret gave holiday gifts to local families, in a long standing tradition, while children from all over the country gathered to sing carols at the royal residence.
Andreea Creanga, 35 years old, who lives in the US is among the 100 winners of the award granted this year by the White House to start-up scientists and engineers. She works in Atlanta, Georgia, where she researches maternal deaths as part of a national monitoring program. According to statistics, maternal death has not decreased in the US for longer than 20 years. The award she was granted is the highest distinction granted by the US executive to young researchers.
