During the 47th edition of the Congress of the American Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences (ARA), hosted by Transilvania University of Brașov from 30 June to 1 July 2026, two thematic panels dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Romania’s accession to UNESCO took place on the first day of the event.

Brought together under the title “70 years of Romania in UNESCO – Past Lessons, Future Horizons”, the two sessions offered a platform for reflection on the ways in which education, science, culture, heritage, and academic cooperation have shaped Romania’s international profile within UNESCO over the past seven decades.

The first panel, “Part I: High-Level Dialogue with University Rectors and High-Profile Academics”, was moderated by Professor Ruxandra Vidu, President of ARA, and brought together leading representatives of the academic and university community: Professor Mihnea-Cosmin Costoiu, Rector of the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest and Secretary General of the National Council of Rectors; Professor Ioan Vasile Abrudan, Rector of Transilvania University of Brașov; Professor Steve O. Michael, Rector and CEO of Danubius International University; Professor Bogdan Istrate, Vice-Rector for Student Relations at “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași; Dr. Marius-Sorin Miclea, academic associate at Babeș-Bolyai University and former Consul General of Romania in Montréal; and Codrin Tăut, expert of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO.

The dialogue focused on the role of universities not only as spaces of research and education, but also as actors of knowledge diplomacy. The discussions addressed the contribution of academia to strengthening international cooperation, developing scientific and cultural partnerships, and connecting Romanian expertise with UNESCO priorities such as quality education, open science, heritage, sustainable development, and the circulation of ideas across academic communities.

The second panel, “Part II: Roundtable Discussion”, was moderated by Gabriela Gabor, expert of the Education Subcommission of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO, and Codrin Tăut, expert of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO.

The roundtable brought together Dr. Alexandru Andrășanu, Lecturer at the University of Bucharest and President of the National Geoparks Forum; Ioana Drăgan, Director of the Directorate for Foreign Representations and Romanian Communities Abroad within the Romanian Cultural Institute; Dr. Mădălina-Liana Iacob, Lecturer and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Governance and Communication Sciences at the West University of Timișoara; Dr. Bogdan-Lucian Jora, Scientific Researcher III at the “Ion I. C. Brătianu” Institute of Political Sciences and International Relations of the Romanian Academy; Andrei Luca, Director of the Cultural Diplomacy, Education and Science Directorate within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Madlen Șerban, Secretary General of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO between April 2021 and January 2025; Adrian-Marcel Tudor-Drăghici, Deputy Mayor of Târgu Jiu Municipality; Professor Sergiu Musteață, Secretary General of the National Commission of the Republic of Moldova for UNESCO; and Dr. Cosmin Holeab, researcher and lecturer within the UNESCO Chair on Science and Innovation Policies at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration.

The roundtable highlighted several concrete dimensions of Romania’s cooperation with UNESCO: the role of cultural and natural heritage in local development, the relevance of geoparks as instruments for education, conservation, and sustainable development, the importance of university networks and UNESCO Chairs, and the contribution of cultural diplomacy to Romania’s international visibility. The interventions also underlined the need to better connect academic expertise, public administration, cultural institutions, and local communities, so that UNESCO-related programmes can generate visible impact beyond the strictly institutional framework.

Taken together, the two sessions offered both an assessment of Romania’s participation in UNESCO and a forward-looking discussion on future forms of cooperation. From this perspective, the 70th anniversary of Romania’s accession to UNESCO was approached not only as a commemorative moment, but also as an opportunity to identify new avenues for cooperation in education, science, culture, and communication.

In an international context marked by rapid transformations, geopolitical realignments, and growing competition over symbolic and cultural resources, Romania has the opportunity to make more coherent use of UNESCO networks, academic expertise, heritage, and cultural capital as instruments of dialogue, cooperation, and sustainable development.

The Secretariat of the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO expresses its gratitude to the leadership of ARA and to Professor Ioan Vasile Abrudan, Rector of Transilvania University of Brașov, for their support in organizing this event.