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On June 9, 2001, on the occasion of the Jubilee Session with the topic “Engineers’ managerial training. Traditions and perspectives”, held at the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest (UPB is the oldest and most prestigious engineering school in Romania, with a tradition of more than 190 years), we had the honor and pleasure of making known our views regarding knowledge imperatives at the level of the relation engineer – manager (http://www.crd-aida.ro/originsvocation/cu-ocazia-desfasurarii-la-universitatea-politehnica-din-bucuresti-9-06-2001-sesiunii-jubiliare-cu-tema-%e2%80%9epregatirea-manageriala-inginerilor-traditii-si-perspective-%e2%80%9d-crd-si-a-facut/ ). At that time, Professor Dr. Eng. Ioan Dumitrache served as Rector of the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, where he also served as Deputy Dean (1976-1984) and Dean (1984-1990) of the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Science.

Time passes, is changing things, and remains (to paraphrase Rabelais) the father of truth. And now we are happy to have the opportunity to make some comments on the recent “Semi Centenary Celebration of the UPB Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Science”. This recent significant event, hosted by the Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Science (http://www.upb.ro/en/the-faculty-of-automatic-control-and-computer-science.html ) at the impressive Research Center for Innovative Smart Products, Processes, and Services “PRECIS” (whose research activities covers cutting edge scientific research and technological transfer for a new generation of ITC products, processes and services, with a main focus on industry and health sector), confirmed that this kind of celebrations are a great way also to discover changes that have taken place, to reconnect with friends and peers, and to contribute to academic life, culture and tradition.

Participants were welcomed back to the UPB Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Science by Dean Professor Adina Magda Florea (a former Fellow Graduate) – who gave a brief update of how the Faculty has developed over the last 50 years – also being congratulated by Professor Ecaterina Andronescu, UPB Senate President.

Other distinguished speakers – such as: Professor Emeritus Ioan Dumitrache; Professor Nicolae Ţăpuş (Vice President of UPB Senate); Academician Florin Filip (a former Fellow Graduate); Minister of Public Consultation and Social Dialogue, Gabriel Petrea (a former Fellow Graduate); CEO of UEFISCDI, Professor Adrian Curaj (a former Fellow Graduate); Professor Emeritus Mircea Petrescu – shared with the audience their thoughts and insights within this special framework.

But as a picture worth a thousand words, we invite you to take a look at some significant moments from this special event.

 
According to Hippocrates, the Father of modern Medicine, the physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future, he must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do well or to do no harm. On the other hand, a famous brain surgeon and researcher, Wilder Graves Penfield (1891 – 1976), expressed significant opinions such as: “The brain is the organ of destiny. It holds within its humming mechanism secrets that will determine the future of the human race;” “The problem of neurology is to understand man himself.”
 
These wise words made us recall some beautiful moments from the first SANABUNA International Congress (Brasov, 2011), and some news  –  posted on our website after the first SANABUNA Conference (2009) – concerning a member of the Presidium of the above mentioned first SANABUNA International Congress: Prof. Alexandru Vlad Ciurea MD., PhD., MSc., Dr. h.c. Mult., Vice-President of the Romanian Ministry of Health Neurosurgical Committee, Chief of Neurosurgery and Scientific Director, Sanador Medical Center Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, and Professor of neurosurgery, “Carol Davila” University School of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania.
 
Prof. Alexandru Vlad Ciurea always confirmed his vocation, with vision and commitment, and proved the pleasure of spreading knowledge.
 
Within this context, as a picture is worth a thousand words, we are pleased to share some pictures, and – the last but not the least – the following link: http://www.alexandruvladciurea.ro/
 

Robert D. Kaplan’s new book entitled “In Europe’s Shadow: Two Cold Wars and a Thirty Year Journey Through Romania and Beyond” (Random House, New York 2016) – focuses on Romania, but reflects his wide knowledge of the entire area of East-Central Europe. This challenging new book of Robert D. Kaplan addresses a host of regional issues and is many-faceted.

According to the review posted on the website of the Selous Foundation for Public Policy Research (a conservative Washington DC-based think tank founded in 1985 during the height of the President Ronald Reagan years), Robert D. Kaplan (who is fascinated by the uniqueness, culturally, historically and ethnically, of Romania – a key country to understanding Southeastern Europe) takes up historical questions, old and new challenges, socio-political and philosophical issues, as well as contemporary worries, politics and geopolitics. The author notices that for Romania geography was a nightmare and history was a tragedy (he consulted, among others, George Cristian Maior, former Director of Romanian Domestic Intelligence and currently Ambassador to Washington).

Link:

http://sfppr.org/2016/08/leaving-something-to-history-2/

The reviewer, Nicholas Dima, captured the reader’s attention with his opening sentence (“Leaving Something to History”), gave the essential information about this challenging book, determining the author’s main ideas and how they are developed, offering the reader some understanding of the author’s thoughts, supporting this documented work’s evaluation with evidence from the text, and proving that he knows not only the work under review, but also the author. He also proved the understanding of the author’s purpose, established the book’s authority and made a final judgement regarding this book.

It is worth remembering that the reviewer, Nicholas Dima, is a strong advocate of freedom of learning, of education, of seeking knowledge – as the foundation for a better generation today and for a better society tomorrow – in his capacities as a professor, a writer and a “Voice of America” journalist. His American professional career (he received a doctoral degree from Columbia University in New York) includes working 20 years for Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, and teaching college, university and US Military schools for another ten years. Among his most rewarding achievements were meeting Kings, Presidents, and Prime ministers as a VOA reporter and editor, teaching American officers up to the rank of full colonel (for example, Professor and Director for European Studies at the US Army, J.F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, NC., 1985-1988), teaching in the US and Africa, and promoting democracy, education, and human values world-wide.

Professor Eliot SOREL is Senior Advisor to the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, a Senior Scholar in the Center of Healthcare Innovation & Policy Research at the George Washington University, a member of the Health Information Exchange Policy Board of the District of Columbia, and Co-editor of “The Marshall Plan: Lessons Learned for the 21st Century” published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Link: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/americas-health-innovation-technology-and-the-united-states-presidential-election

The Website of the prestigious Wilson Center (chartered by U.S. Congress as the official memorial to Woodrow Wilson, U.S. nation’s 28th President), well-known for its bridge-building activity between the worlds of academia and public policy, gave on August 3, 2016 the opinion of Professor Eliot SOREL published under the title of “America’s Health, Innovation, Technology, and the United States Presidential Election”.

Vineri, 17 iunie 2016, Şcoala Gimnazială nr. 11 “Ştefan Octavian Iosif” din Braşov a sărbătorit 60 de ani de existenţă la Centrul Cultural “Reduta”. Printre busturile personalităţilor care se află pe faţada “Redutei”, un simbol cultural, se numără şi cel al lui Goethe, căruia îi aparţin şi următoarele două aforisme: “Încearcă să-ţi faci datoria şi vei afla îndată cine eşti”. “Nimic nu este mai de preţuit decât valoarea zilei”.

Prof. Dr. Tudoriţa Albu, Managerul Şcolii Gimnaziale nr. 11 “Ştefan Octavian Iosif” din Braşov în perioada 2002-2016, este expresia vie a dascălului care a aflat de la bun început cine este, confirmând că valoarea zilei la locul exercitării misiunii este cel mai de preţuit lucru, punându-şi efectiv pecetea personalităţii, îndeplinindu-şi misiunea în mod exemplar. În discursul ţinut în acest generos context, Prof. Dr. Tudoriţa Albu a transmis idei de forţă ale filosofiei sale manageriale care a slujit “contractul de iubire” cu Elevii Şcolii Gimnaziale nr. 11 “Ştefan Octavian Iosif” din Braşov şi a adus un omagiu: Dascălilor săi, iubitei sale Mame (care a dorit ca a sa fiică să devină Profesor), Directorului adjunct Georgeta Vasiliu, Familiei sale, distinşilor Inspectori şcolari, Colaboratorilor şi nu în ultimul rând lui Dumnezeu. A concluzionat cu îndemnul lui Simion Mehedinţi:  “Să fii lumină, căldură şi izvor de bucurii pentru toţi cei din jur”. După care a invitat pe scenă elevi valoroşi care au dus prestigiul Şcolii Gimnaziale nr. 11 “Ştefan Octavian Iosif” mai departe şi cărora li s-au oferit Trofee si Diplome în semn de recunoaştere a meritelor acestora.

Ne-am bucurat că Prof. Dr. Tudoriţa Albu, Managerul Şcolii Gimnaziale nr. 11 “Ştefan Octavian Iosif”, a reamintit în deschiderea festivităţii şi de memorabila vizită a Profesorului John Stanton (Membru de Onoare al Comitetului Român al Distribuţiei), cel care a înfiinţat prima Catedra de Marketing alimentar în S.U.A. (care a fost invitat în iunie 2016, de exemplu, să vorbească la “Fox Business”) şi care a fost ales “Personalitatea anului 2016” de către “Academia Europeană de Retail”, Germania, fiind inclus în celebrul “Hall of Fame”, alături de alţi Pofesori excepţionali la scară mondială, cum sunt, de exemplu, cei din anii imediat anteriori: Léon F. Wegnez, Romano Prodi, Klaus Toepfer, Robert Aumann.

Am remarcat, cu aceeaşi bucurie, galeria impresionantă de personalităţi – reamintite în deschiderea festivităţii – care au mai vizitat Şcoala Gimnazială nr. 11 “Ştefan Octavian Iosif” din Braşov, recunoscută ca “ŞCOALA EUROPEANĂ”: Îndrăgitul Mare Actor Florin Piersic (care a încântat audienţa şi cu ocazia acestei festivităţi, inclusiv recitând – “pentru Doamna Tudoriţa” – “Revedere” de Ştefan Octavian Iosif); Cosmonautul Dumitru Prunariu împreună cu alţi “Colegi de zbor spaţial”; Soprana Mariana Nicolesco, Artist UNESCO pentru Pace și Ambasador Onorific UNESCO; Poetul Adrian Păunescu, Maestrul Dumitru Fărcaş, Profesorii George Sorescu şi Stancu Ilin; Camelia Potec, Campioană Olimpică şi alţii.

Aici, la Şcoala Gimnazială nr. 11“Ştefan Octavian Iosif”, s-a acţionat cu convingere managerială fermă în direcţia explorarii în profunzime a dimensiunii spirituale, s-au promovat valorile universale (dragoste, integritate, justiţie, relaţii de sprijin) şi nationale, manifestându-se o preocupare constantă pentru recuperarea acestor valori şi pentru promovarea autenticului. Toate acestea au reconfirmat faptul că Managerul Şcolii: trebuie să facă față cerințelor Părinților, controlului ierarhic, implicării autorităților locale și privirii exigente a mass-media; joacă un rol de mediere între Elevi și Profesori; acționează ca interfață cu exteriorul, fiind în mod direct responsabil pentru imaginea și reputația instituției în faţa Publicului; este adevăratul Dirijor care construieşte pedagogia la nivelul Şcolii pe bază de proiecte dezbătute şi asumate, dilemele şi încercările fiind abordate cu spirit de echipă, reflectând împreună şi acţionând în consecinţă;  priveşte Şcoala ca pe un „loc în care fiecare generaţie îşi predă mai departe valorile”, adăugând valoare spre beneficiul generaţiilor următoare.

Salutăm rolul crucial pe care îl joacă Profesorul “Manager al Şcolii” în asigurarea primirii de catre Elevi ai educației de calitate. Prof. Dr. Tudoriţa Albu, Managerul Şcolii Gimnaziale nr. 11“Ştefan Octavian Iosif”, predă ștafeta, pregătindu-se deja să supună dezbaterii alte noi proiecte provocatoare calitativ.

Încheiem şi noi aceste rânduri cu ceea ce am scris (alăturat mesajului memorabil al Profesorului John Stanton)  în “Cartea de onoare” a Şcolii Gimnaziale nr. 11 “Ştefan Octavian Iosif, fapt reamintit, de asemenea, în deschiderea festivităţii: “O vizită la Şcoala Gimnazială nr. 11 “Ştefan Octavian Iosif” Brasov este o încântare a spiritului. Aici te convingi că suntem capabili de performanţă, de lucru în echipă, că ai noştri copii frumoşi şi isteţi au şansa pe care o merită. Aici realizăm legătura între ceea ce moştenim de la înaintaşi şi ceea ce împrumutăm de la urmaşi. Felicitări Doamnei Directoare Dr. Tudoriţa Albu şi echipei sale, precum şi tinerelor vlăstare!”