NTB Conferences

Video-streaming On Sunday, 13th May 2018, from 11.00 a.m., in the NTB Black Box Hall, Prof. Mihai Zamfir shall hold the conference on the topic Unmasking Current Naiveties. About the Conference „For at least two centuries, the idea of a steady and ascending evolution of mankind has reigned over the spirits: the Hegelian scheme of history, passed through successive avatars (Romantic historiography, Marxism, the naive positivism of the 19th century, the collectivistic doctrines of the 20th century), have proven an impressive tenacity. According to Leninist Hegelianism, the immediate future of the world is traced with certainty – multilaterally developed socialism, communism. Current generations, who have also experienced the courses of political teaching of the communist era, have unconsciously taken over the Hegelian scheme and placed it at the core of contemporary collective psyche. Or, nothing can be farther from the truth. Luckily, the unfolding of history is by no means predictable, and its course represents the absolute randomness. One could imagine an Anthology of an immense humour, focussing precisely on the way in which the most exacting and scientific predictions concerning the future have failed mathematically, lamentably and spectacularly. „We live a terrible age, poverty and scarcity growing year after year, rich people becoming richer, audaciously rich, whereas the poor even poorer. A social explosion shall rock the world. This litany emitted on various tones and repeated ceaselessly constitutes the basic policy of the European and American left in the last decades – actually, after 1989, after the collapse of communism. Repeated endlessly and transformed into a true current, the slogan above is not less false. In reality, mankind has never been better than nowadays, than in the month of May 2018. Diverse and plentiful nourishment, the efficient curing and elimination of severe diseases, the culture spread in all social layers and at accessible prices, the possibility to travel without restrictions and anywhere in the world, the almost total absence of dictatorial regimes in the contemporary political landscape show us that welfare has spread in colossal proportions and that we are living in a rather blessed era”. Mihai Zamfir About Prof. Mihai Zamfir Born in 1940, in Bucharest, Mihai Zamfir is a writer, literary historian and critic, university professor at the Bucharest University. Education Graduate of the Philology Faculty of the Bucharest University, year 1962, department for Romanian-Portuguese. In his student years, he participates in the meetings of the Stylistics Circle, founded and coordinated by Tudor Vianu. In the time frame 1966-1967, he pursues specialization training in France, at the Nice University. In 1967, he returns to Romania and shall defend his doctoral thesis in July 1970, on the topic Romanian Poetic Prose in the 19th Century (coordinated by Șerban Cioculescu), becoming a PhD of Letters. He is a specialist in stylistics, literary history and comparative literature and a translator from Portuguese. He starts his teaching activity in 1962, after graduation, as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Letters. Over time, he traverses all university degrees. In 1975, he founds the department for Portuguese Language and Literature at the Bucharest University. Beside his teaching activity in the country, he collaborates with universities from Portuguese speaking countries: from 1972-1975, he is an auxiliary professor at Lisbon University, and after the Revolution of December 1989 he is a guest professor in Lisbon (1990-1993) and Brazil (1995). Since 2008, he has retired from the Literature Chair of the Faculty of Letters. From 1970-1972, he is an advisor to the Ministry of Education. After the Revolution from December 1989, he holds the position of state sub-secretary in the Ministry for Education and Research in the time frame 1990-1993. In the period November 1997 - May 2001, he is the ambassador of Romania in Portugal. From 2007 - 2013, he is the ambassador of Romania in Brazil. He authored five novels and a significant number of critical essays, including: Romanian Poetic Prose in the 20th Century, 1971, The Hidden Image. The Narrative Structure of the Proustian Novel, 1976, The Forms of Portuguese Poetry, 1985, The Other Side of Prose, 1988, From the Romantic Century, 1989, Discourse of the Nineties, 1997, Indirect Diary. Portuguese Letters, 2006. The volume Brief History. Alternative Panorama of Romanian Literature, awarded by the „Observatorul Cultural” magazine in 2012 was published in two editions, at Cartea Românească (2011) and Polirom (2013).   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Video-streaming On Sunday, January 27th, 2019, from 11.00 a.m. in the Black Box Hall, Cristian Pirvulescu shall hold the conference on the topic Romania at the gates of illiberalism. Is democracy still possible nowadays? About the conferenceYesterday was an assumed goal! But what is democracy nowadays? When more and more politicians openly claim the so-called "illiberal democracy", can democracy be an ideal? And, in fact, what democracy are we talking about? About a political regime, an ideology, a state of mind? Can democracy be reduced to voting? And, in fact, is the vote essentially democratic? A few years ago, these questions could only be raise the interest of a handful of experts, but today they have become issues of wide public interest. That is because, in the age of social networks and opinion polls, there may be something called public opinion. Because, if at its origins, the concept of public opinion designates the opinion of an elite, referring to debates among politically active citizens, today, at the time when opinion polls dominate the media, public opinion is reduced to the radiography of different opinions. And in a world in which Plato's "doxa" views become true, can there be a "truth"?All of this and others shall be dealt with on Sunday, January 27th, at the NTB Black Box Hall. Cristian Pirvulescu About Cristian PirvulescuBorn in 1965. He is a political scientist, political commentator and activist for democracy and human rights. Since 1992, he has been teaching political science, comparative politics and political institutions at the Faculty of Political Science at SNSPA Bucharest, where he has been dean since 2005. He participates in public debates in Romania in written and audiovisual media. From 1999 until 2013, he was the president of the Pro Democracy Association, and since 2013 he is honorary president of this organization. He published several books and articles, Politics and Political Institutions (Trei Publishing House, 2000, 2002), Parties and Party Systems (Dimitrie Cantemir Publishing House, 2000, 2007), Political Science (Dimitrie University Publishing House Cantemir, 2001). Since 2007, he has been a member of the European Economic and Social Council (EESC), where he has written more than 20 opinions, particularly in the areas of human rights, migration and education. Since 2015, he has been chairing the Permanent Study Group on Immigration and Integration in the EESC.   Teaching: - Professor of Philosophy (1989-1992) - Assistant Professor, Faculty of Political Science, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (1992-1995) - Lecturer, Faculty of Political Science, SNSPA, 1995 - 2004 - Scientific Secretary of the Faculty of Sciences Political, 2000 - 2004 - since 2004, he is University lecturer - Deputy dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences, 2004 - 2005 - Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences, since 2005 - courses held at the Faculty of Political Sciences of the National School of Political and Administrative Studies: Fundamental Concepts in Political Science , Paradigms of Political Science, Contemporary Political Systems, Comparative Policies and Political Institutions; - the General Politology course at the Faculty of Journalism and Public Relations from the University of Bucharest, since 1999 to present   Professional experience: - member of the editorial board and deputy editor of the journal of political science Sphere of Politics, 1994-1997 - founding member of Romanian Political Science Association - founding member of the Romanian Political Science Society - member of the jury of the Barometer of Public Opinion, biannual research conducted by the Open Society Foundation, 1999 - 2005 - collaborations and presentations in the debates in the Romanian media (22, Dilema, Bursa, Cotidianul, Curentul, Romania Libera, the BBC, Radio Free Europe, Radio Romania news, Radio Romania International, Radio 3, Radio Contact, Europa FM, Radio Total, Mix FM, TVR, Antena 1, Prima TV, Pro TV), - Advisor for the CDF Program (Comprehensive Development Framework) of the World Bank, 2000, 2003 - Coalition 2005 Assessor (network of more than 100 civic organizations from the Republic of Moldova which monitored the electoral process for the March 2005 parliamentary elections) July - November 2005 - member of Team Europe 2005 - member of the European Economic and Social Committee since 2007   Other activities: - 1999 - 2013, President of the Pro Democracy Association - 2002 - 2003, 2013 coordinator as president of the APD, of the Constitutional Forum, public debate on the involvement of civil society in the revision of the Constitution - 2003 - 2007, moderator of the Political Dialogues organized by the Prometheus Club - in 2009, Vice President of the European Civic Forum   Trainings: Institute for Political Studies and National Foundation for Political Sciences in Paris (May-August 1995) CESI, Paris (September - October 1998) Paris X - Nanterre University (November 1998) CEFIPA, Paris (October-November 1999) University of Paris X - Nanterre (February 2001) Information internship funded by the Goethe Institute Foundation Science and Politics, German Institute for Political and International Security, Berlin and IGMedien, Stuttgart, March 2001 Academic Exchange Department of Political Science of the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, in November 2002 Associative and academic exchanges of experiences in the United States of America organized by the State Department's International Visitors Program, July-August 2003   Research: Coordinator of the research project Political parties and doctrinal orientations in Romania of the 90s funded by the National Scientific Research Council, 1995 - 1998 Coordinator of the research project Democracy and multiculturalism, funded by the National Council for Higher Education Financing, 1999 - 2000 Coordinator of the Romanian section of the Moress programme, financed by Phare, 2002 - 2005 Coordinator of quantitative and qualitative research at the Faculty of Political Sciences from SNSPA within the project Needs and priorities of educational change in Romania - the basis of the development and modernization of pre-university education, a research project financed by the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth, 2006-2007 SNSPA, 2008 Mass media and democratic and responsible citizenship, project financed by CNCSIS and carried out by the University of Bucharest, 2008 - 2009 Populism and neopopulism in Central and Eastern Europe, project financed by CNCSIS and carried out by the Babes-Bolyai University.   Publishing: Author: Politics and Political Institutions, Trei, Bucharest, 2000, 2002 Parties and Party Systems, University Dimitrie Cantemir, Bucharest, 2000, 2007 Political Science, University Dimitrie Cantemir, Bucharest, 2001   Co-author: Manual of Philosophy ( Coordinators: Adrian Miroiu, Doina Ştefănescu) Humanitas Publishing House, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Dictionary of Political Writings (Coordinator Laurenţiu Ştefan Scalat) Humanitas Publishing House 2000 (articles: Montesquieu -On the Spirit of Laws, Roberto Michels- Political parties: essay on the oligarchic trends of democracies) Economic and social development and labour market - Craiova University, 2004 volume edited by CNSRL - Frăţia and the Institute of Trade Union Studies of Romania, OAED and INE / GSEE-ADEDY Greece (Chapters Social life in post-revolutionary Romania and Romania faced with globalization and European integration) Constitutional reform in Romanian. Theoretical and Historical Aspects related to the Evolution of Constitutions (Cristian Pîrvulescu, Todor Arpad, Resource Center for Democracy of the Pro Democracy Association and Hans Seidel Foundation, Bucharest 2008 "Romania between Democracy of Opinion and Mass Absenteeism" in Elections 2008. Volume II: Continuity and Change, Polirom Publishing House, 2009 "The Democratic Compromise in a Socially and Politically Split Romania" in Romania's Chance - People. Re-professionalization of Romania II, Institute for Projects for Innovation and Development, 2009   Contributions to Collective Works: "Values ​​and Culture" (pp24-25) in the Barometer of Public Opinion, Open Society Foundation, May 2001 "Values ​​and Culture" (pp18-19)) and "Institutional Reform" (pp. 34-35) in the Public Opinion Barometer, Open Society Foundation, November 2001 "Nationalism and racism diffused in the Romanian political culture" in Populism, demagogy, political realism - volume edited by Catalin Turliuc and Alexandru Zub, Romanian Academy, AD Xenopol History Institute, Iasi, 2001 "Constitutional Reform" (pp. 39-42) and "Trust and Vote" (pp. 61-14) in the Public Opinion Barometer, Open Society Foundation, June 2002 "Constitutional Reform - Public Expectations and Political Reconstruction" (pp. 15-30 ) in the Constitutional Forum - final report, Chamber of Deputies of the Romanian Parliament, 2002 (http://www.forumconstitutional.ro/raport_final.pdf) "Constitutional Reform" (pp. 82-85) and "Trust and Vote" (pp. 94-97) in the Public Opinion Barometer, Open Society Foundation, October 2002 "The parliamentary parties in the process of Romania's accession to the EU" study carried out within the framework of the project "Actors and problems of Romania's accession to the European Union, Open Society Foundation" 2002 "Politics and institutions" (pp. 83-88) Public Opinion Barometer, Open Society Foundation, May 2003 "Aux racines de la confusion à gauche" ("At the roots of leftist confusion") in Le Monde diplomatique, September 2006, pp II-III " The civic vocation " in Le monde diplomatique, No. 11, Romanian edition, February 2007, p2. "The game with the people" in Le monde diplomatique, No. 12, Romanian edition, March 2007, p2 "From the Constitution of the Nomenclature to the Constitution of the Elite" in Le monde diplomatique, no. 16, Romanian edition, July 2007, p2. "Racism: From Vicious to Systematic Discrimination" in Le monde diplomatique, No. 17, Romanian edition, August 2007, pp 10-11 "The Substitution Democracy" in Le monde diplomatique, No. 20, Romanian edition, November 2007, pp 1-2   Conferences, Conferences, Symposiums, Round Tables: Social Justice and Formal Equality, organized by the New School of Social Research in New York, Bucharest, December 1993 Christian Democracy in Romania organized by the Pro Democracy Association, February 28, 1996 " Political Regimes and Political Institutions "at the School for Young Political Leaders, organized by the Foundation for Pluralism, Sinaia, May 1996. Contemporary political regimes, organized by the Pro Democracy Association, Caciulata, September 8-9, 1996 "The political and media system", within the media seminar organized in Romania by the Soros Foundation, Bucharest, 4-7 October 1996 "Typology of Political Groups", within the Education for Democracy Programme organized by the Romanian Academic Society, September 1996 "Political regime and type of administration" within the seminar - workshop Local Public Administration. Local Policies organized by the European Institute and the Delegation of the European Commission, Iasi, October 23-24, 1996 "Political Establishments and Political Communication" at the post-election evaluation seminar - Access to information organized by Article XIX from the United Kingdom, APADOR-CH, Centre for Independent Journalism, 6-7 December 1996 "Political parties and polarization of the press" in the Freedom of Expression and Access to Information seminar organized by Article XIX from the United Kingdom, APADOR-CH, Centre for Independent Journalism, Iasi 21-22 March 1997 Constitutional Systems and Legislative Systems in the Training Programme for Civic Culture Teachers, organized by the Pro Democracy Association and financed by Phare, Targoviste, March 27, 1997 "The Relationship between MPs and the Press in Strengthening the Rule of Law" at the seminary MPs and the Media organized by Article XIX from the United Kingdom, APADOR-CH, Centre for Independent Journalism, Brasov, May 23-24, 1997 "Rule of Law and Political Institutions", within the Democracy School of the Pro Democracy, Sinaia, November 27th and December 6th, 1997 Debate Political crisis: scenarios and dilemmas organized by the Centre for Independent Journalism, Bucharest, February 6th 1998 "The Rule of Law - Modern Democracy Institutions" within the Democracy League programme organized by the ProEuropa League, Targu Mures, February 7th, 1998 "Social Fracture: The Inadequacy of the Romanian Political Class to the Issues of the Transition Society", Timisoara, September 1998. "The role of political institutions in defining the political regime", within the framework of the Democracy College organized by the ProEuropa League, Targu Mures, January 23, 1999 "The new orientation of the social democracy and the bipolar tendency of Western political systems " within the debate Third Path organized by the Romanian Academy's Prospective Studies Commission, the Romanian Association for the Club of Rome and the Black Sea University Foundation, Bucharest, January 28th, 1999 "Democracy, from electoral democracy to participatory democracy" within the programme of the Pro Democracy Association Bacau, in collaboration with the Phare Democracy Programme, Bacau, January, February 1999 "The Rule of Law", within the framework of the programme developed by the Pro Democracy Association in collaboration with Phare for Democracy, Slănic Moldova, April, May 1999 "The Influence of the Political System on Political Career " at the Youth and Politics Seminar organized by the Youth and Sports Directorate of Arad, Moneasa, June 4-6, 1999 "The Place of Trade Unions and Civic Organizations in Strengthening Democracy in Romania" at the Communication Session of the Romanian Social Movement - Present and Future, organized by the Institute for Education and Trade Union Studies and CNSLR - Fratia, Bucharest, September 23rd, 1999 "The Rule of Law and Representative Institutions" within the Democracy College programme organized by the ProEuropa League, Targu Mures, November 26th, 1999 "Perverse Effects of the Transition to Democracy" within the seminar Press freedom and the progress of democracy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, organized by the Euroregional Center for Democracy, Timisoara, March 30 - 31, 2000 Analysis and debate of the research "Creating a broad vision in Romania" under the World Bank's CDF Programme, Bucharest, 7-11 July 2000 "Civic Responsibility" at the seminar Democracy and Accountability organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, November 29th, 2000, " «Central European Political Regimes. A Comparative Approach » within the conference" Romania and Central Europe ", organized by the University of Udine, Italy, December 15-18, 1997. " The Influence of Political and Social Divisions in the Structure of the Romanian Political Parties after 1990 " within the National Colloquium of Political Sciences, Cluj , May 1998. "Round Table No. 1 for Democracy and Human Rights", within the framework of the Stability Plan in South Eastern Europe, Geneva, 19-20 October 1999. "Minorities and Democracy in Europe", Bratislava, seminar organized by the Council of Europe, November 20-21, 1999. "Round Table No. 1 for Democracy and Human Rights", within the framework of the Stability Pact in South Eastern Europe, Budapest, February21-22, 2000 "Political Culture between Realities and Wishes" Romanian-Hungarian Seminar organized by the Romanian Cultural Centre, Budapest, April 25th, 2000 "The dynamics of the political regime in post-communist Romania", during the joint session Bucharest, May 2000 "Good governance - theory and practice in Romania" within the framework of the Good Governance - dream or nightmare seminar in Romania organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, March 2-4, 2001 Moderator of the working group "Monitoring of the decentralization process through the use of performance measurement indicators" at the Public Administration Reform conference and the performance monitoring of this process organized by the Local Administration and Sustainable Partnerships Reform Program (GRASP), USAID, Ministry of Administration and Interior, Sibiu, 10-11 September 2003 "From elections to freedom of choice free elections. An ethical perspective" in the Ethics and Society Conference and Debate Programme. Limits and Openness of Applied Ethics organized by the Department of Systematic Philosophy of the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj, November 7th, 2003 "Extremism and Democracy - Legal Regulations Concerning Combating Extremism and the Romanian Environment" at the conference "Extremist Trends in Romanian Society" organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Pro Democracy Association, Bucharest, November 12th, 2003 "Between Terrorism and Freedom of Expression" at the Seminar Mass Media and Terrorism organized by the Hans Seidel Foundation and Word Universitary Service - Romania, January 24th, 2004 The structural reform of 21st century Romania within the 5th edition of the Transylvania Summer University organized by the Pro Europe League, Ilieni, July 22 - 27, 2006 Presentation of the "Faces of Integration" at the Summer School: Romania’s Role in a Changing Europe organized by the Minister for European Integration and the Ithaca Foundation, August 27 - September 2 ie 2006 "Corruption: the Eternal Problem" within the panel of the EU, Bulgaria and Romania between the euphoria and the hangover - beginning ar end of the reform process, organizat de Bulgarisches Forschungsintitut in Österreich, the Austrian Science and Research liaison Office Sofia, Vienna, Haus Wittggwenstein, April 24th, 2007 What kind of regime for Romania? Between presidentialism and parliamentarism at the 6th edition of the Transylvania Summer University with the topic "Romania" - an "original" EU member organized by the Pro Europe League, Ilieni, July 23-27, 2007 "Culture of dialogue and Romanian politics " at the Summer School: The Culture of the Dialogue Reflected in the Internal and External Policy, organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Brasov, July 29 - August 4, 2007 "Lustration and the Romanian Post-Communist Society " within the first edition of the Summer University of Ramnicul Sarat, organized by the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes, August 27th, 2007 „La réforme de la classe politique roumaine, exigence de l'intégration dans l'UE" in the fifth edition of the Romanian-French Sociological School of Methodology in Social Sciences with the topic of the European Central and Eastern European Future of Europe, 5-7 September 2007, Iasi The Conference La société civile organisée fait entendre sa voix sur l'avenir de l'Europe, organized by the Economic and Social Committee, Brussels, September 28th, 2007 Conference Ethics in Democracy organized by Riga, Latvia, 5 to 6 November 2007 "Manipulation and Political Marketing "at the 6th National Journalism Symposium on "Forms of Public Opinion Manipulation", organized by the UBB Journalism Department, November 17th, 2007, Cluj Napoca Electoral Systems and their Effects on the Political Strategy for the Roma, at the Leadership Academy for Roma, organized by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, December 1st, 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria Facilitator of the academic, civic, media and political parties meeting on political and institutional reform organized by the Pro Democracy Association and the Hans Foundation Seidel (Constanta January, Cluj Napoca February, Timisoara March, Braila April, Focsani May, Craiova June, Arad July, Sibiu September, Ramnicu Valcea September, Oradea October, Botosani November 18th, Brasov December 3rd), January - December 2008. Presentation "Les partis politiques et les comptes de campagnes dans les campagnes électorales roumaines" within the Symposium Financement des partis politiques et lutte anticorruption Analyse comparative: France, Bulgarie, Hongrie, Roumanie et Slovaquie, organized by the French Institute in Sofia and the Embassies of France to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, Sofia, April 18th, 2008 "The Ivan Denisovich Syndrome in Post-Communism" within the second edition of the Summer University of Ramnicul Sarat, organized by the Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes, August 27th, 2008 "La citoyenneté européenne vue par les européens" in Journées Civiques Européennes, Mobilité, dialogue, participation: vers une citoyenneté européenne active organized by the European Civic Forum with the support of the European Commission and the French Presidency of the European Union, La Rochelle, 4-6 September 2008 "Associer esprit d'entreprise et responsabilité sociale", biennial conference organized by the European Economic and Social Committee and the Greek Development Minister, September 8-9, 2008 "Parties' programmes in Romania: developments and perspectives" within the conference "Programs, parties, perspectives " held at the former Romanian students’ meeting Alumni in Germany, organized by the German Embassy in Bucharest, Friedrich Ebert Foundation and DAAD, September 15th, 2008 "Two years and a crisis. Romania between Europe and the Orient two years after the accession" at the N-OstConference (Netzwek fNetworkṻr Osteuropa-Berichterstattung), Bucharest, October 1st, 2008 "European Integration through Political Parties" within the framework of the the Sixth Edition of the Romanian-French Sociological School Methodology in Social Sciences with the topic "La Roumanie dans l'Europe: une intégration achevée", October 15-18, 2008, Iaşl Statut fiscal des organisations de la société civile: la promotion de la subsidiarité et les problèmes des relations avec les institutions publique at the extraordinary meeting of the Group III Bureau of the European Economic and Social Committee on „La subsidiarité fiscale en Europe: situation et perspectives" Statut fiscal des organisations de la société civile: la promotion de la subsidiarité et les problèmes des relations avec les institutions publique, Rome, November 7th, 2008 "The crisis of democracy and the crisis of society" within the framework of the International Colloquium of Romania, 20 years after the fall of the communist regime organized by the Faculty of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, and the Center for Political Analysis at the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, October 2009 "Secularism in Post-Communist Europe. The Romanian case" within the framework of the working group „L'Union européenne, une union politique avec des cadres de vie très différents en matière de laïcité", held on the second day of the" Espacio de Libertad" Forum by the Ferrer i Guàrdia şi Moviment Laic i Progressista Foundation at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Barcelona, ​​Barcelona 5 - 7 November 2010 "Democracy and Crisis" during the European Civic Days event organized under the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union Budapest, June 5 to 7, 2011 Secularism and school in Romania (laïcité et Ecole en Roumanie) within the colloquium "Laïcité et ecole en Europe" organized by the Ligue de l'Eseignement, de l'Education et de la Culture populaire in collaboration with Maison de l'Europe, Paris, June 10th, 2011 La crise de la démocratie ou la crise d'un modèle socio-économique? L'état de la démocratie contemporaine entre politique, économie et société, at the International Conference "Cha (lle) nging Democracy at the Beginning of 21st Century" organized by the Babeş Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, October 27-29, 2011 Initiator, together with Luca Jahier, Group III President of the Economic and Social Committee European, of the Seminar on Universities organized by Group III of the European Economic and Social Committee; the presentation and introductory remarks to The University (De l'Université) opened the second session, "The role of universities as actors in the European public arena", Brussels, November 24th, 2011 Democracy and Secularism: A Suffering Couple at the International Seminar "Secularism and the Public Space in Europe and Romania at the Beginning of the 21st Century" (Espace laïc et public en Europe et en Roumanie au début du XXI siècle) organized with the support of the French Embassy in Romania by the Faculty of Political Sciences, and the Pro Democracy Association, Bucharest, March 23rd, 2012 The introduction and moderation of the workshop "Strengthening the democratic space open to the civil society in the European public sphere" (Renforcer les espaces démocratiques pour la société civile dans la sphère publique européenne) at the session "How can a democratic political culture be promoted? : Practices from the local level to the European level "(Comment on the promotion of a culture of political démocratique: pratiques to local level have a European level) on the occasion of the Civil Society Day "La démocratie en Europe: Ou sommes-nous? A vue of société civile" organized by the European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels, May 8th, 2012 Youth and Civic Engagement at the Visionary Planning for Romania conference Responsible Youth Leadership, Cluj Napoca, October 26th, 2012 Brief presentation "On crisis and inequity" within the public debate "The  anti-egalitarian society and its enemies" organized by World Vision Romania and the Center for Political studies and International relations, Cluj Napoca, December 26th, 2012 Analysis La crise économique, une crise de la democratie? presented within the debate "No European crisis exit strategy without democracy, social citizenship and associations involvement" (co-organizer of the debate as President of the Pro Democracy Association with the European Civic Forum, ARCI Italy, the Human Rights League of France, etc.), on November 9th, taken place within the framework of the event "Firenze 10 + 10", Florence, 8 to 11 November 2012   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Video-streaming On Sunday, 22nd of February 2015, at 11:00 a.m., at Sala Atelier of The National Theatre, Cristian Pîrvulescu will deliver a conference on the topic Politics - Does It Still Have a Meaning?. Ticket price: 16 lei. About the conference In a time when the daily political scandal seems to have irreversibly compromised politics does this still have a meaning? Can justice be a substitute of politics in a time when the rule of law has become a daily leit-motif? What is left of the separation of powers in the State and how can the rule of law function today? It is not quite clear who and when first used the expression "Fiat justitia, pereat mundus", but the idea that justice should prevail over ethics, mores, feelings and especially politics is well-known since ancient times. Hence the question: how can the act of justice be ethically justified and what is its role in society? Should justice be independent? This philosophical dilemma is expressed by the conflict between the utilitarian vision (justice should provide maximum of utility, namely, to maximize hapiness and to minimize suffering, in the way John Stuart Mill understood this) and the absolute vision -as we could call it - (justice should be eternal, universal, immutable, implacable, impersonal etc.) Consequently, what type of ethics is procedural justice - the one that in common parlance we call justice - subject to? To the utilitarian one, namely to the idea that justice is a function of the State and it has a practical utility, or to the one against or non-utilitarian, namely to the idea that justice is the embodiment of supreme Justice. But who can decide what and how is supreme Justice? Returning on the banks of the Dâmboviţa river to the Romanian society, we might say, paraphrasing Caragiale: "Let there be justice, but let us know it, too." "We ", that is they, the politicians obsessed with polls, who are in a permanent election campaign, living in a permanent today. Let there be justice? Of course! To achieve what? About Cristian Pîrvulescu Cristian Pîrvulescu is a politologist, a political commentator and an activist for democracy and human rights. As a professor at the Faculty of Political Science of the National School of Political Science and Public Administration, where he has been working since 1992, he teaches Political Science (Fundamental Concepts in Political Science, Political Institutions, Comparative Politics). Since 2005 he is the Dean of the faculty. He actively takes part in civic and political debates in mass-media and he also publishes political commentaries in the written media. He is the honorary president of the Pro Democracy Association whose president he was from 1999 to 2013. Since 2007 he is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee .                                                         Translated by Toma (Grama) Aureliana MTTLC, University of Bucharest

Video-streaming About Sever Voinescu Sever Voinescu was born in 1969 in Ploiesti. In 1992 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of the Bucharest University. The same year, he became a trainee attorney at the Bar of his hometown, and since 1994 he has become a full-time lawyer at the Bucharest Bar. Between 1994 and 1996, he was assistant professor at the Law Department of the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. Between 1998 and 2000, he was Secretary General to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From March 2000 to December 2003, he was General Consul of Romania in Chicago. From 2004 to 2008, he was Coordinator of the Foreign Policy Programme at the Institute for Public Policy. Between 2008 and 2012, he was deputy in the Romanian Parliament and for the duration of this mandate, he led the Parliament Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Since January 1st, 2016, he is editor-in-chief of the Cultural Weekly Newspaper Dilemma, and, since the same year, he makes the weekly show "Europa Christiana" on the television channel Trinitas. Since 1993, he has published over 3,000 articles, commentaries and essays in cultural publications or in daily newspapers such as the Old Dilemma / Dilemma, 22, Cultural Observatory, Cotidianul, Evenimentul Zilei, as well as specialized journals in the fields of law, philosophy and political sciences . He has lectured on various subjects specific to international relations in public or private institutions or universities in the United States, Great Britain, Belgium, France and Romania. He contributed to the content of several volumes, wrote prefaces, and enjoyed the few occasions when he was invited to speak at the opening of exhibitions. He especially boasts a book dedicated to opera, entitled Canta che ti passa - talks with Virginia Zeani. Currently, he is working on completing a doctoral thesis in law, about property. He has no Facebook page and is therefore happier than others. "Contrary to the general belief that it is impossible to find a place and a precise time for her birth, I believe that Europe, the one we know, was born on a certain day and in a particular place when a man of the great faith pursued a dream and met other people willing to listen to new things. Almost 2000 years later, someone else had an extraordinary insight into how Europe's history is flowing. Putting the two moments side by side, we will get something like a mysterious code whereby we shall explore our present, the everyday. And we'll try to guess our past and discover the future. I said well...". Sever Voinescu   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Video-streaming The first conference of 2015 will open its doors on Sunday, January 25th, at 11:00 am, in The Black Box Hall, and will be held by Mr. Emil Hurezeanu. The theme of the conference is "Europe, between growth and terminal crisis". Ticket price - 16 lei. About the conference "Europe is at the center of unusual crises: a war in the East, between Ukraine and Russia triggered by the desire for rapprochement of Ukraine with Europe and by Russia's desire of separation from Europe. It puts into question the ability of the West to overcome the global economic and social crises, its political and moral inability to manage democracy in the age of dying capitalism. We are witnessing the commotion caused by the terrorist attacks in the capital of France, against a background of escalating phenomena of anti-Semitism, Islam phobia and xenophobia in the founding countries of the Enlightenment and of the Euro-Atlantic civilization. We can no longer speak about Christianity or about Islam, but about the anger of the religions' sunset. We are witnessing a wider crisis of globalization, which homogenizes without connecting, but by separating and exacerbating identities. A crisis of religion, of collective and inclusive ideologies, defied by the excesses of confused, autistic and aggressive individualism. Europe's crises are installed between center and periphery too, at the level of EU member states as well as between the hard core of developed Europe in relation to the peripheral countries of the continent. Are these signs and signals of a temporary syndrome, in the logic of a problematic increase, or of a terminal one, in the logic of the Western irreversible decrease?" (Emil Hurezeanu)   About Emil Hurezeanu Born in 1955 in Sibiu. One of the best-known journalists and political analysts of the moment. Between 1975 and 1979 he attends the School of Law in Cluj- Napoca. Starting with 1976 he is an editor of the "Equinox" (Echinox) Magazine and beginning with 1978 he becomes an editorial secretary, publishing poetry and literary criticism. After graduating in 1979, he gathers his poems in Lecţia de anatomie (The Anatomy Lesson) volume that was awarded the Debut Prize of the Writers Union a year later. In 1981, Ana Blandiana, as a Herder Prize winner, offers her grant to the Equinox editorial staff and Emil Hurezeanu, who will leave for Vienna in 1982, is nominated for it. After completing the two exchange semesters of the Herder Grant, he reaches Munich where he works as an  editor for Radio Free Europe from 1983 to 1995. In October 1983 he gets political asylum in Germany. In the same period he starts writing political articles and producing the Romanian News section. He also works as an expert consultant for various radio and television channels in Europe. In 1985 he gets a scholarship for the Charlottesville University of Virginia, USA, where he studies political science. Back in Germany, he continues his studies at various American universities from Europe until  he gets his Master's Degree in International and Strategic Political Relations, in Boston. In 1990 he returns to Romania, still working for Radio Free Europe (RFE). In 1995, the radio station is relocated in Prague and Emil Hurezeanu is a director there, for a short period of time. In the same year, he goes to Cologne to work as head of the Romanian section of Deutsche Welle, where he writes political leading articles. He stays there until 2002, when he returns to Romania for good. For five seasons, he is the broadcast producer of the show România mea (My Romania) on Antena 1. The show was awarded the APTR 2003 Prize, the talk-show section. Since 2005 he produces the Cap şi pajură(Heads and tails) reality TV show, together with Cristian Tudor Popescu. He continues his career in radio with The Interviews of  Europa FM, produced at the  broadcast station of the same name. In March 2003 he becomes personal advisor in policy analysis on issues of external affairs to Adrian Năstase, who was prime-minister at the time. He resigns from this position six months later. He published two volumes of political essays in Romania, Între câine şi lup (Between Dog and Wolf) - 1996 and Cutia Neagră (The Black Box) -1997, the latter receiving The Journalism Award of the Writers Union of Romania.   Translated by: Aureliana Grama MTTLC, University of Bucharest

Video-streaming On Sunday, 28 February 2016, 11.00 a.m., in the Black Box Hall of NTB, the poet Nora Iuga shall hold the conference entitled Mister Beligan is to Blame for My Becoming a Poet. „My first encounter with the stage was at the age of three, when I saw the operetta The Gipsy Baron. Ever since, I have not dreamt of anything else but getting on stage. It was not possible, so I became a poet.” Nora Iuga About Nora Iuga She was born on 4 January 1931. She is a poet, novelist, translator, and member of the Romanian Writers’ Guild and of the PEN Club. She published around 20 poetry collections, including: It Is Not My Fault (1968); Trapped in a Circle (1970; withdrawn from bookstores and libraries, and banned from publishing for seven years); Opinions on Pain (1980); The Heart as a Boxer’s Punch (1982, 2000); Sky Market (1986); The Night Typist (1996, 2010); Mannequins' Hospital (1998, 2010); The Bus with the Hunchback (2001, 2010); Montrouge Party (2012); The Wet Dog is a Willow Tree (2013). Prose and poetry volumes translated abroad: the novels The Sixty-Year-Old Woman and the Young Man (in Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Slovenia, Bulgaria), Leopold Bloom’s Soap and Let’s Steal Watermelons (in Bulgaria) and the poetry collections Dangerous Whims (anthology, in Germany and Slovenia), The Bus with the Hunchback and October Poem (in Germany), The Heart as a Boxer’s Punch (in France), A Heart Coming on Stilts (in Switzerland). She translated over 30 titles from Friedrich Nietzsche, August Strindberg, Paul Celan, Ernst Jünger, Günter Grass, Elfriede Jelinek, Herta Müller etc.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Video-streaming Sunday, on November 9th, 11.00, at The Small Hall of NTB, Alexandru Andries will hold the conference - Self - Portrait. Ticket price: 16 lei. About Alexandru Andries His friends call him “Alexe”. Born in Brașov on October 13th 1954 (therefore, a Libra) he loves his native town with all his heart. In 1980, he graduated the “Ion Mincu” Institute of Architecture in the city where he was to settle. He has been a member of the Union of Architects of Romania (since 1980), of the Writers’ Union of Romania (since 1994), of the Union of Composers and Musicologists of Romania (since 1994), of the Journalists’ Association of Romania and of many other commissions and committees. He is a Lecturer Doctor at the “Ion Mincu” Institute of Architecture. Debut: as a soloist, in 1974 – Club A, on stage in 1979, The Jazz & Rock Festival in Brașov, with the Bas-relief Band and only in 1984 in discography at Electrecord (“Interiors”). He has performed in over 3100 concerts. Throughout his long list of albums he “played” with: his voice, the guitar, the piano, the harmonica, electronic percussion etc. As you can see on his site (alexandies.free.fr) he draws a lot. He hisses in a charming way. He is very grateful to Florian Lungu, due to whom everything started. “Last but not least”, he is a special musician and lyricist with complex harmonies and intelligent lyrics. Andrieș has recorded extremely many songs, but there are even more which haven’t been recorded yet. On his site, you can find in alphabetical order, all those from his records, all those for which he has written only the lyrics, and all those that do not belong to him but that he has sung (such as, the two songs on the “From the Gift of Kings” album in the memory of Vali Sterian). Moreover, you can find the lyrics of some songs which have never been recorded (from “Waiting for Maria”, from concerts, shows…) A huge number. “I was born in Brașov when the town was called Stalin, and the exact date, in case you want to know, is October 13th, 1954. If 30 years ago you had spoken to anyone who knew me, including my mom and dad, my sister, my grandma and grandpa, my aunt, auntie Lice, uncle Mitică, my great-grandma and her next-door friends, you couldn’t have guessed that I was to become a public figure, somebody good at having interviews, at being on TV (rarely, it’s true, but still), at expressing his opinion on this and that. On the contrary, you would have learned that I was squeamish, that I was eating the heart out of them with my utterly unexplainable stubbornness, that you could hardly take a word out of my mouth and that it was only at night time that I was giving up that bloody pencil which I had used to doodle everything all over our house and even the neighbours’… Luckily, 30 years ago, nobody wanted to know anything about me, did they? Well, now you would probably like to know what happened next, who helped me, how much it cost, why this and not that, if I really don’t have a phone or… If you like it, then it’s fine… If you don’t… well, what can I say? Try again tomorrow, and who knows…” Alexandru Andrieș (information taken from http://alexandries.free.fr)   Translated by Aureliana Toma (Grama ) MTTLC, University of Bucharest

Video-streaming The new science of molecular paleogenetics can be considered a “window” to the past of human kind when trying to solve some historical enigmas which have been and still are of concern in the international scientific world, such as: clarifying the identity of the family of Russia’s tsar Nicolai, clarifying the identity and ethnic affiliation of Ötzi, the “man of snows” or that of Christopher Columbus. The successes of molecular paleogenetics are owed especially to the amazing technological progress made in the laboratory in the last 25 years in the field of DNA analysis, chiefly through PCR methods (Polymerase Chain Reaction). The results of a German-Romanian paleogenetic study, held at the Institute of Human Biology and Anthropology from the University of Hamburg, Germany (PhD Alexander Rodewald), suggests the keeping of a genetic core of old populations from the Brazen and Iron Age in Romania, which has been transmitted to the actual Romanian population, probably through the Geto-Dacian people, despite the partial Roman occupation and all the genetic influences of the migratory peoples that have crossed the Carpathian-Danubian-Pontic territory. These results suggest that a genetic continuity might have existed for about 5000-6000 years, from the Brazen Age to nowadays, and, throughout this whole time, conserved in the genetic structure of the actual population from the Romanian territory. Phd Alexander Rodewald About Phd Alexander Rodewald Born on the 18th of February 1943, in Tulcea, Romania. Son of PhD in Biology Ludovic Rodewald-Rudescu, associate of the Romanian Academy. Studies 1960-1965 – University of Bucharest, Faculty of Biology. National valedictorian with honours. 1971-1974 – graduates from the Faculty of Biology from the University of Munich, in the field of Anthropology and Human Genetics Studies, obtaining a PhD in Biology as Doctor rerumnaturalium, cum laude. Postgraduate studies: Specialization in Human Cytogenetics (1973-1974), at the “Max Planck” Institute from Munich; Specialization in Clinico-medical human genetics at the Pediatrics and Genetics Clinical-Medicine Faculty (1974-1976); Specialization course in Molecular Genetics at the National Institute of Health Bathesda-Maryland (1990). Scientific and academic career: - 1965-1970: intern researcher CP Gr. 3 at the Anthropologic Research Center of the Romanian Academy - 1967: matriculation for Doctor’s Degree. Publishes parts of his thesis in AnnuaireRoumain d ´Anthropologie(1968-1970) - 1970-1972: scholar of the “Alexander von Humboldt” Foundation, University of Munich – Faculty of Biology/Anthropology and Human Genetics Institute, Germany - 1973-1978: Assistant Professor and lecturer and the Anthropology and Human Genetics Institute, University of Munich. - 1978: Reader examination at Medical Faculty of Saaebruecken-Homburg University, Germany. - 1978: named PhD at Medical Faculty of Saaebruecken-Homburg University, Germany. - 1983: named via contest PhD and Head of Department at the Anthropology and Human Biology Institute, University of Hamburg, Germany. - 1998: named Rector for life at the Human Biology Institute, University of Hamburg - 1990: named President of the University of Hamburg, for the coordination of the Universities of Hamburg and Bucharest partnership. - 1994: named President of the University of Hamburg for coordinating the “Sokrates-Erasmus” Program of the EU for South-East Europe, especially for Romania. Doctorate Director at the University of Saarbruecken, Germany, Medical and Biology Faculties; Doctorate Director at the University of Hamburg; Was given the right to guide Doctor’s Degrees, Master’s Degrees by the Rector of the University of Bucharest. Academic Distinctions: Member of the Scientists Academy, 1999 Professor Honoris Causa of the University of Bucharest, 2000 Honorary Member of the Medical Science Academy, Romania, 2002 Scientific papers: - Over one hundred articles in international scientific magazines, such as: American Journal of Medical Genetics, DysmorphologyandClinicalGenetics, American Journal of HumanGenetics, Humangenetik, ClinicalGenetics,HumanHeredity, European Journal of Pediatrics, Advances in ForensicHumangenetics, HumanGenetics, Gene Geography, AnthropologischerAnzeiger, etc. - Published a book about medical clinical genetics, Hautleistenfibel(1991) - Contributed with four chapters in books and scientific manuals Translated by Podaru Gina   MTTLC, University of Bucharest

Video-streaming Sunday, December 8th 2013, at 11 a.m., at the National Theatre, Small Hall, PhD Irinel Popescu will hold a conference on Organ transplantation - an adventure of the human spirit. Ticket price: 16 lei. About the conference "Although it may seem unusual to use the term "adventure" when referring to a medical procedure, this term is very suitable when talking about the history of organ transplantation." Brave surgeons, who were ahead of their time, tried to rescue their patients. Sick people, who had no other chance and had lost all their hope, put their lives into the hands of the doctors, hoping they would be saved. However, most of these surgeries were performed before the surgeons had acquired enough knowledge for the surgeries to be successful. This is why the history of organ transplantation is filled with failure and tragedies. Nevertheless, it is due to these surgeries that, nowadays, over 150,000 lives are saved every year with the help of transplantation procedures. If it hadn't been for those brave doctors who wanted to be ahead of their time, today we wouldn't know so much about transplantation and we couldn't save so many lives." PhD Irinel Popescu   About PhD Irinel Popescu He was born on April 22nd 1953 in Filiași (Dolj). Studies: 1997 - graduate - Faculty of General Medicine "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest; Award of the Foundation "Elena Dimitriu" for the highest mark (faculty and internship exam) Doctor in medicine: 1990 - "Acute haemorrhagic gastric ulcerations" (Thesis guidance: PhD Dan Setlacec) Postdoctoral studies: January - June 1992 - Research Fellow at Pittsburgh University July 1992-December 1994-Research Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital New York Medical and University titles: 1980-1983 - Tutor at the faculty of General Medicine, Bucharest 1983 - 1992 - University Assistant 1992 - 1995 - Lecturer 1995 - 1999 - Associate 1999 - present - Professor at the Fundeni Clinic Institute for General Surgery, at the Faculty of General Medicine "Carol Davila", Bucharest Professional Membership: 2006 - 2008 - President of the Romanian Society of Surgery 1998 - present: President of the Romanian Transplant Association ("Romtransplant") 2002 - 2006: President of the Romanian Association of Endoscopic Surgery and other surgical techniques 2006 - present: President of the Romanian Association of Liver-Billiary-Pancreatic Surgery and Liver Transplant 2002 - present: Member of the Executive Committee of  "International Association of Surgeons and Gastroenterologists" (IASG) Fellow of the American College of Surgeons Member of the European Surgical Association Member of European Board Surgery. Specialization: Surgery. Sub-specialization:           Transplantation. Member of the Transplantation Society Member of the European Society of Organ Transplantation Doctor Honoris Causa: 2006: University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova 2007: University "Ovidius", Constanța 2010: University "Nicolae Testemitanu", Chișinău 2012:  University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hațieganu",Cluj-Napoca Honorary Member: 2007: Academy of Sciences in Moldavian Republic 2006: Bulgarian Surgical Society 2006: Serbian Medical Association, Surgical Section 2008: Hungary Society of Surgery 2007: Chinese Society of Surgery 2008: Association Francaixe de Chirurgie Academies Membership: 2013: Corresponding member of the Romanian Academy 2011: President of the Academy for Medical Sciences (member since 1999) 2006: Full member of the Academy of Scientists, President of the Medicine section 2002: Member of the National Academy of Surgery in France 2006: Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences in Moldavian republic 2012: Academy of Medicine in Malaysia 2013: Corresponding member of the French Academy of Medicine Distinctions and medals: 2000: Decorated by the President of Romania with the National Order  "Star of Romania" in the rank of Grand Officer 2011: Decorated by the President of France with the "Ordre national du merite" in the rank of Officer Awards, diplomas and other titles: 2000: "Iuliu Hatieganu" Award of the Romanian Academy 2012: "Eugen Proca" Award of the Academy of Scientists 2006: "Ten for Romania - The best surgeon for the year 2006", following sociologic research performed by CURS, TNS-CSOP, IMAS and ISOMAR and representing the opinion of Romanian surgeons 2001: The Award of the Doctor's College in Romania for the year 2001 for special achievement in the year 2001 in the scientific activity for surgical specialities 2007: 1st Place granted by MECT - ANCS for Complex Projects of Research-Development, thematic area - Health Administrative and public functions 1998-1999: Director of the Institute for Postgraduate Training of Doctors and Pharmacists 1999-2000: Secretary of State in the Ministry of Health 2004-2008: Senator - President of the Romanian Committee for Education, Research, Youth and Sport 2006-2011: Vice-President of the National Awarding Committee of Titles, Diplomas and Certificates 2009 (January - December): President of the National Authority for Health Insurance Member of the editorial board of national publications: 2004 - present: Editor of "Chirurgia" magazine 1996 - present: Editor of "Annals of Fundeni Hospital" Timișoara Medical Journal-member The Romanian Journal of Surgery -member Archives of the Balkan Medical Union - Co Editor-in-chief Member of the editorial board of international publications: Hepatogastroenterology- Editor-in-chief (2011-2012), Senior Honorary Editor- 2013 Telemedicine and E-Health - member Langenbecks's Archives of Surgery - member Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology- member Scientific Interests: Liver transplantation - the first to perform liver transplantation in Romania (he achieved 500 transplantations) Digestive oncology - genomic studies of digestive cancers Robotic surgery - 825 robotic surgery interventions Cellular therapies - pancreatic islets, stem cells Telemedicine The surgeon Irinel Popescu is an exemplary man, who achieved in Romania something nobody had ever achieved before and which many believed to be impossible: the first liver transplantation and the founding of a true Romanian school for liver transplantation. The famous Romanian surgeon will talk about his surgical performance, considered a „challenge of the human spirit", on Sunday. „The talent and the vocation are very important values of a person, regardless of his job. In my profession, which has been considered humanistic par excellance for centuries, we could use a little more vocation. Everything else is attained through endless hours of hard work and through sacrifices which pave the way for somebody who feels that being a doctor is the right profession for him." Translated by: Diaconescu Alina MTTLC, The University of Bucharest  

Video-streaming On Sunday, May 31st, starting from 11 o'clock, the Black Box Hall of the National Theatre will host a unique meeting - Neagu Djuvara: Actor and poetry performer. For the third time on the NTB stage, Neagu Djuvara, a refined man of culture, career diplomat, with a tumultuous life, spent mostly in Africa and Paris, head of the Western intelligence services during the Second World War, will surprise us with a hypostasis unknown to the general public, that of performer of some verses from French and Romanian lyric poetry. The selection of poems belongs to the lecturer and proves his great lightness in traversing the vast territories of poetry. About Neagu Djuvara: Neagu Djuvara was born in Bucharest in 1916. He holds a degree in Letters from the Sorbonne (history, 1937) and a PhD in Law (Paris, 1940). In 1972, he obtained his state PhD at the Sorbonne with a thesis on the philosophy of history. Entered by competition at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 1943, he was sent a diplomatic courier to Stockholm on the morning of August 23, 1944, in connection with the peace negotiations with the Soviet Union. He is appointed legation secretary in Stockholm, by the Sănătescu government. He remained in Sweden until 1947, when the Communists took over the Foreign Ministry. He decided to remain in exile, militating, until 1961, in various organizations of the Romanian diaspora (general secretary of the Romanian Refugee Assistance Committee, in Paris; journalism; Radio Free Europe; general secretary of the "Carol I" University Foundation, etc.) . In 1961, he went to Africa, to Niger, where he remained for 23 years as diplomatic and legal advisor to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and concurrently professor of International Law and Economic History. Since 1984, he has been a Secretary General of the Romanian House in Paris, until after the Revolution of December 1989, when he returned to his country. Since 1991, he has been an associate professor at the University of Bucharest and an honorary member of the "A.D. Xenopol" History Institute of Iasi and the "Nicolae Iorga" History Institute of Bucharest. Among his many works we mention: Le droit roumain en matière de nationalité, Paris, 1940 (doctoral thesis); Civilizations and Historical Patterns: A Comparative Study of Civilizations, Humanitas, 1999; Between East and West. The Romanian Countries at the Beginning of the Modern Era, Humanitas, sixth ed., 2008; The Aromanians - History, Language, Destiny, Romanian Cultural Foundation Publishing House, Bucharest, 1996; A Brief History of Romanians Told to Young People, Humanitas, ninth ed., 2008; Memories from Exile, Albatross, 2002; Humanitas, fourth ed., 2008; French version: Bucharest-Paris-Niamey et retour ou Souvenirs de 42 ans d'exil (1948-1990), L'Harmattan, Paris, 2004; Is There True History ?, Humanitas, third ed., 2008.   Press "In a discussion in which he confessed to me, Mr. Djuvara told me that he often concealed in himself a potential actor and a lover of beautiful words, especially poetry, and wants to make them public" (Ion Caramitru)   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu