The Romanian Academy celebrates 150 years of existence

The Romanian Academy this week celebrates 150 years of existence.

România Internațional, 05.04.2016, 13:44

The Romanian Academy on Monday celebrated 150 years of existence. A solemn ceremony marked the event, bringing together representatives of the authorities, foreign guests, presidents of European academies, men of culture and Romanian scholars, members of the Romanian Academy and contributors from across the country and abroad.

Founded in 1866 under the name of the Romanian Literary Society, the institution was later known as the Romanian Academic Society, quickly growing into a landmark of Romanian culture and science. In March 1879 the institution changed its name again into the Romanian Academy. Its members include renowned scholars of national and international status in a plethora of fields, from history, philosophy and linguistics to nuclear physics, chemistry, macro- and micro-biology.

At present the Academy comprises 84 tenure members, 76 corresponding members, 45 honorary members, of whom six from abroad. In his opening address, the president of the Romanian Academy Ionel-Valentin Vlad said that after 150 years of uninterrupted activity, the Academy had fulfilled its role to protect national identity and its profound spiritual values:

“The Romanian Academy is fulfilling an extremely important long-term development project, linked to Romanian culture, seen from a national and universal perspective, with clear-cut objectives in the field of education, making culture more appealing to the population, particularly the younger generations”.

Attending the event President Klaus Iohannis highlighted the importance of the Romanian Academy in terms of the dialogue between various cultures.

“In our society, this top-notch institution is a landmark of excellence for the new elites, as well as for the Romanian intellectuals living and working abroad for some time”.

The President also said that the trust the Academy enjoys at present enabled the institution to get involved in Romania’s development priority projects with utmost credibility and professionalism. In turn, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said the Government wanted a solid partnership with the Romanian Academy, so as to make better use of the experience and analyses of this institution, for the citizens’ benefit.

Prime Minister Ciolos recalled the Academy already had a working strategy for Romania’s development in the next 20 years, calling for a debate on this topic over the following period that should result in a plan to transform the country, reform mentalities and shift its system of values.

(Translated by V. Palcu)