NEWSLETTER

No. 39July

2015

On 9 June, Braşov officially launched its candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2021. The announcement was made at a press conference organized on the location of Enescu Square, one of the venues of the forthcoming Vibrate!festival, the first event on the Braşov 2021 agenda.

This was an opportunity for our Rector, Dr Ioan Vasile Abrudan, to reiterate the University's contribution to the city's cultural and artistic life, through the literary and cultural projects developed by the Faculty of Letters, as well as through the concert season, a project open to the general public, organized and managed by the Faculty of Music under the coordination of its dean, Dr Stela Drăgulin, and which led to the acquisition of some outstanding musical instruments. In addition, as part of the University's strategy of enhancing its public and cultural role, the ground floor of the Rectorate building will be turned into a multifunctional cultural centre, project which started with the refurbishment of the University's Multicultural Centre designed to become a modern venue for exhibitions and other cultural events.

During the next weeks the citizens of Braşov are invited to take part in selecting the concept that their city will promote in the competition for European Capital of Culture 2021. The six proposals put forward by the representatives of the cultural and administrative institutions involved in the project are: Multiculturalism in the ten‐name‐city; Opera prima – the first book, the first school, the first Romanian grammar, the first printing press; The polycentric cultural city; From Medieval to Contemporary – redefining cultural identity; Braşov's stories – a new cultural geography, and Regeneration through culture. The schedules also include a series of public debates aimed at helping shape the final version of the candidacy file whose deadline for submission at the European Commission is 10 October this year.

Dr Adrian Lăcătuş

BRAŞOV ‐ CANDIDATE CITY FOR EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

IN 2021

BRAŞOV ‐ CANDIDATE CITY FOREUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE IN 2021

On 22 June the University's Aula Magna hosted the Valedictorian Gala. On this occasion, top BA graduates from the eighteen faculties within the University received

diplomas and prizes handed out by the Rector, Dr Ioan Vasile Abrudan. Besides the prizes awarded by the University, our valedictorians also received prizes from RCS‐

RDS Company, a partner in this event.This year's valedictorians were: Pavel Cristian Labonț (Faculty of

Mechanical Engineering), Mircea Florian Onceriu (Faculty of Technological Engineering and Industrial Management), Răzvan Mihai Luca (Faculty of

Materials Science and Engineering), Ștefan Popa (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), Claudia Prăjanu (Faculty of

Silviculture and Forest Engineering), Raisa Andreea Gherasim (Teciu) (Faculty of Wood Engineering), Marius Hîrtopanu (Faculty of Civil

Engineering), Radu Cîmpean – average grade 10,00 (Faculty of Food and Tourism), Oana Andreea Rușanu (Faculty of Product Design

and Environment), Bogdan Adrian Mușat (Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science), Alexandra Mihai (Faculty

of Economic Sciences and Business Administration), Alina Ioana Pușcașu (Faculty of Psychology and Education

Sciences), Rodica Petrișor (Faculty of Physical Education and Mountain Sports), Anghel Melodin (Faculty of

Music), Adrian Papa Severuș (Faculty of Medicine), Dimény Tünde – average grade 10,00 (Faculty of

Letters), Gabriela Mihaela Grămadă (Faculty of Law), Laura Elena Ghinea and Mihai Răducan, ex aequo

(Faculty of Sociology and Communication). Besides the 2015 valedictorians,

Transilvania University also awarded prizes to over 100 students, winners of national and international student competitions during the 2014‐2015 academic year. A regular occurrence which marks the closing of each academic year, the valedictorian award ceremony is an event whereby the University acknowledges and commends our best students for their efforts and results.

Dr Daniel Munteanu

VALEDICTORIAN GALA 2015

VALEDICTORIAN GALA 2015

ICEGD 2015 VIBRATE!FESTIVAL

TOOLS ON TOUR 2015

Transilvania University of Bra�ovWhat purpose does the university serve if not to pave the way for the society of wisdom?

(Paolo Blasi)

FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA

It is not the walls that make a school, but the spirit that reigns within.(King Ferdinand I)

DOCTOR HONORIS CAUSA INVESTITURE CEREMONY

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PROCESSES ENGINEERING THTHE 10 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ROMANIAN

GERMANISTSGABRIELA ADAMEȘTEANU, SPECIAL GUEST

THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON MECHANISMSEVENINGS OF THE FACULTY OF LETTERSALEXEI NABIOULIN AND A MUSICAL FEAT SEMINAR FOR FUTURE TRANSLATORS

PROMOTING THE ARCHITECTURAL PATRIMONY, SOCIAL AND ARTS DIALOGUE THROUGH MUSIC

Starting from 14 June, for a week, Aula Magna of our University was the venue of the Gala of Vibrate!festival ‐ the International Chamber Music and Arts Festival. Vibrate!festival welcomed on its stage three of the winners of the International Contest of George Enescu Festival: violinist and composer Vlad Maistorovici, the director of the festival, pianist Diana Ionescu, and violinist Valeriy Sokolov (Ukraine). The audience was given the opportunity to listen again to the virtual organ playing the compositions of J.S. Bach and G. Enescu ‐ Andante Religioso for organ and two cellos.

The aim of Vibrate!festival is to pursue three directions: to promote the architectural patrimony of Braşov through music, to promote music as a topic in the dialogue among people from different walks of life, while encouraging the presence of children, students, youth as well as people with disabilities, and to promote the dialogue among arts through music.

Vibrate!festival was one of the cultural events financially supported by Braşov Town Hall, with our University as an important partner. The festival gathered fifteen musicians from Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Romania, and included seven concerts held in unusual locations in the old city of Braşov: the Church of St. Peter and Paul, the A. Şaguna National College, the Weavers' Bastion, Mureşenilor House, Bistro del Arte and the Synagogue. Enescu Square became the festival square during this week, and the venue of various workshops, mini‐concerts and exhibitions.

Mădălin IacobProject Manager of Vibrate!festival

VIBRATE!FESTIVAL ‐ THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC AND

ARTS FESTIVAL

THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ENGINEERING GRAPHICS AND DESIGNthBetween the 11 and 13 of June, our University hosted the 6 edition of the International Conference of

Engineering Graphics and Design, an event organized by the Department of Product Design, Mechatronics and Environment from the Faculty of Product Design and Environment in partnership with the Department of Manufacturing Engineering from the Faculty of Technological Engineering and Industrial Management.

Organized for the third time by Transilvania University, this year's edition enjoyed the support of the Romanian Society for Engineering Graphics – SORGING, a professional organization affiliated with the International Society for Geometry and Graphics” – ISGG.

� The turnout consisted of 65 specialists from seven countries – England, Austria, Bosnia, Italy, Japan, Serbia, and Romania. The Romanian participants represented eleven major universities from Bucharest, Brăila, Constanţa, Cluj‐Napoca, Craiova, Galaţi, Iaşi, Târgovişte, Târgu Mureş, Timişoara, and Braşov.

Over the past few years, this itinerant conference has become the hub for exchanging ideas and teaching expertise in the fields of geometry, graphics and industrial design. This year, the 75 presentations were grouped in panel sessions, under the following headings: Theoretical Geometry and Graphics, Applied Geometry and Graphics, Assisted Engineering Graphics, Industrial Design and Graphic Design, Teaching and

Learning Methods. Among the keynote speakers, special mention should be made of Prof Hellmuth Stachel (Vienna University of Technology) whose presentation was entitled “Strophoids, a family of cubic curves with remarkable properties” and Prof Naomi Ando (Hosei University, Japan) with a presentation on “A form analysis of Japanese pedestrian decks and European plazas”.

Dr Lucian Bârsan

ICEGD 2015

On 4 June 4, Professor Peter Kuchar from the University of Applied Sciences in Konstanz (Germany) became our latest Doctor Honoris Causa. A Transilvania University alumnus, Dr Peter Kuchar graduated our Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and has worked, since 1979, in Germany, first as a design engineer and later as head of design and research services with various companies. In 1988, following a job competition, he acquired a full professorship at HTWG‐Konstanz, becoming a staff member at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering where he remained until his retirement.

Professor Peter Kuchar is the initiator of and person responsible for the partnership between HTWG‐Konstanz and Transilvania University of Brașov. Within the framework of this partnership, students from the two universities benefitted from study trips and internships in Romania and Germany, while faculty members and doctoral candidates were given the opportunity to take courses and participate in conferences. Under Professor Kuchar's supervision, doctoral students from our University conducted experimental research in the laboratories of HTWG‐Konstanz. Professor Kuchar played an important part in the completion of doctoral theses at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering by his former students, among others.

Professor Kuchar has also been instrumental in setting up collaborations between Transilvania University and a number of higher education institutions and companies from Germany, such as the Institute of Reciprocating Machines from TH Karlsruhe, the IBH Institute from RTWH Aachen, the Development Service from OPEL Rüsselsheim, the BEDIA Company at Bonn, TEDATA Bochum Company, etc.

In this context, awarding the Doctor Honoris Causa title is an act of recognition of the ongoing contribution by Professor Kuchar, an outstanding and relentless ambassador of higher education services provided by our University.

Dr Ioan Călin Roşca

DOCTOR HONORIS CAUSA INVESTITURE CEREMONY AT AULA MAGNA

PROFESSOR PETER KUCHAR RECEIVES AN HONORARY

DEGREE FROM TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY

FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA

The development of the industrial environment in Brașov area has made it necessary to provide specialists able to implement advanced techniques and strategies in manufacturing processes. Therefore, in October 2014, the Department of Manufacturing Engineering at the Faculty of Technological Engineering and Industrial Management, in partnership with two major companies operating in Brașov, Schaeffler Romania and Draexlmaier Braşov initiated a project for the establishment of a M.Sc. study programme oriented towards advanced manufacturing processes in industry. The new M.Sc., Advanced manufacturing processes engineering, is a study programme unique in Romania. It ensures flexibility to the educational paradigm via two categories of elective courses: Plastic products manufacturing and Roller bearing‐type products manufacturing and focuses on the training of specialists able to implement advanced techniques and strategies in plastic and metal product manufacturing processes. Designed to meet the current needs of industries, this study programme has attracted considerable interest from other important companies: on 26 May this year the Department of Manufacturing Engineering hosted a meeting of the two founding partners ‐ Schaeffler Romania and Draexlmaier Braşov – and other companies such as Continental Powertrain Romania, Hutchinson, HIB‐Rolem Solutions, Lingemann Romania, Preh Romania, Premium AEROTEC and Stabilus Romania. Apart from the introduction to the new master's programme, the discussions were centred around finding optimal ways to support this programme, the responsibilities it involves and the promotion strategies necessary. The most recent addition to the list of supporting companies interested in the development of the Advanced manufacturing processes engineering study programme is CADITEC Automation.

Dr Lucia‐Antoneta Chicoş

A NEW PROFESSIONAL M.Sc. STUDY PROGRAMME AT THE FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGICAL ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PROCESSES ENGINEERING

Between 23–25 June, Transilvania University of Brașov received the visit of Dr Tiemao Shi, Rector of Jianzhu University of Shenyang, China, and of Mr Zongsheng Chen, representing the International Relations Department at Jianzhu University. Initiated in 2011, the partnership between the two universities led to the opening of the Confucius Institute within our University in the month of March of 2012.

In the official reception which took place on 23 June took part delegates from both universities, among whom Dr Emil Stoica, President of the our University Senate, Dr Mihaela Gheorghe, Vice‐Rector for Education, Dr Gavril Budău, Vice‐President of the University Senate, Dr Adrian Lăcătuș, Director of the Confucius Institute in Romania, Dr Yang Zhaoyu, Director of the Confucius Institute in China, and Mrs. Adriana Florescu, Executive

thManager of Confucius Institute. On 24 June, our University hosted the 6 Board Meeting of the Confucius Institute, where the activity report for 2015 was presented. The parties signed a cooperation memorandum and a new partnership agreement, stipulating objectives related to student, as well as teaching and research staff mobility. The last event of the day was the Chinese Rector's meeting with the staff and the students of the Confucius Institute.

The scientific dimension of the cooperation was manifest on the final day of the visit, when the Chinese delegates toured the Research‐Development Institute of Transilvania University of Brașov, and met with Dr Ion Vișa, Director of the Institute and with Dr Anca Duță, Scientific Director.

The lecture given by Rector Tiemao Shi at the Aula Magna was the day's last event. Professors, researchers and students interested in the conference topic (the construction of an ecological and energy

efficient green campus) attended the event and enjoyed Professor Shi's expertise and impressive professional portfolio as President of the Chinese Architects Association and of the Chinese Association for Urban Planning.

Dr Adrian Lăcătuș,Director of Confucius Institute

LECTURE GIVEN BY PROFESSOR

AND ARCHITECT TIEMAO SHI

Reinstated after 1989, the Romanian Germanists Society revived the tradition to organize a triennial large scale congress, with national and international participation. The privilege of organizing the 2015 edition was granted the local RGS subsidiary which includes the German‐language staff members at the Faculty of Letters.

The Congress took place between the 31May and 4 June and brought together 145 Germanists from Romania, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine and South Africa, who showcased their research in the fields of literature, linguistics, translation studies, cultural studies and German language teaching. The series of conferences in Braşov was included as a special section in the Congress, centred on the topic of “Emanzipation und Manipulation. Mittel und Wege der deutschen Moderne und Postmoderne”. As usual, the Congress also included a special section for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a section in Romanian dedicated to intercultural interferences. The opening session was attended by Dr Mihaela Gheorghe, Vice‐Rector of Transilvania University, H.E. Gerhard Reiweger, Austria's Ambassador in Bucharest, Mr Uwe Koch, Cultural Attaché of the German Embassy in Bucharest, and Dieter Müller, DAAD representative in Bucharest. The Romanian Germanists Society was represented by Dr Carmen Elisabeth Puchianu, acting as executive manager and host of the event.

The programme included, among others, two reading sessions delivered to the public in German by the writers Dimitré Dinev, Horst Samson, Joachim Wittstock, and Caius Dobrescu. On 3 June, the participants visited the fortified churches of Prejmer and Hărman, the fortress of Râşnov, Poiana Braşov, and, on the evening of the same day, “Duo Bastet” (Carmen E. Puchianu and Robert G. Elekes), the German‐language theatrical troupe of the Faculty of Letters, performed Pflegefall on the stage of Reduta Art Centre.

Dr Carmen Elisabeth Puchianu

LECTURES, READING EVENING SESSIONS AND THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES IN GERMAN THTHE 10 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ROMANIAN

GERMANISTS

THE RECTOR OF JIANZHU UNIVERSITY OF SHENYANG VISITS TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY

FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA

The Faculty of Letters hosted on 12 June a meeting with writer Gabriela

Adameşteanu. The meeting occasioned a discussion about the literary '90s, based on

Gabriela Adameşteanu's volume of memoirs Anii Romantici (The Romantic Years).

Gabriela Adameşteanu recounted for the audience the key events of the early '90s described

from the vantage point of a complex artist and civil activist.

The Doctoral School Lecture Series was followed by the launch, at the Okian bookshop, of

two books by Gabriela Adameşteanu: Drumul egal al fiecărei zile, a re‐editing of her debut novel, and

Anii romantici, a volume of memoirs. The books were introduced by Dr Adrian Lăcătuș, Dean of the

Faculty of Letters, and by Dr Ruxandra Ivăncescu, faculty member.

The meeting concluded with a Q&A session around Gabriela Adameşteanu's work and career.

Iuliana‐Gabriela Răducan

MA student, Cultural Innovation program

LECTURE SERIES AT THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL OF THE FACULTY OF LETTERS

GABRIELA ADAMEȘTEANU, SPECIAL GUEST

THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON MECHANISMSthBetween 25 and 27 June Transilvania University hosted the 10 edition of the National Seminar on

Mechanisms SNM2015, a professional event organized by the local office of the Romanian Association of Mechanism and Machine Theory (ARoTMM), under the aegis of the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science (IFToMM). The seminar was initiated in the year 2006 by Dr Ion Vișa, who held the presidency of ARoTMM between 2005 and 2013. This year's edition was attended by 35 representatives from ten academic centres (Bacău, Brașov, Bucharest, Cluj‐Napoca, Craiova, Galați, Iași, Suceava, Târgu Mureș, and Timișoara) who engaged in a debate on the Dynamics of the Science of Mechanisms over the past ten years and its prospects in a knowledge‐based society. The event benefitted from the participation of Dr Marco Ceccarelli (Italy), former IFToMM President, with a remarkable presentation on innovation in the field of mechanism and machine science.

The seminar venue ‐ the Research and Development Institute of Transilvania University ‐ represented in itself a genuine opportunity to get an update on the research preoccupations and resources of the local academics and to lay the foundations of further collaboration within the frame of excellence in research.

In acknowledgement of their special contribution along several decades of teaching activity in the field of mechanisms, the ARoTMM association awarded diplomas of excellence to eight senior professors among whom our distinguished colleagues Dr Petre Alexandru and Dr Florea Dudiță, Dr Marco Ceccarelli, and Dr Ion Vișa.

This festive edition of The National Seminar on Mechanisms was unanimously acclaimed by the participants as it set the framework for the development of the science of Mechanisms and for its national and

international promotion.Dr Mircea Neagoe

President of ARoTMM Office Brașov

thTHE 10 EDITION HOSTED BY

THE UNIVERSITY'S R&D INSTITUTE

VASILE ERNU AND HIS SECTARIANS AT THE EVENINGS OF THE FACULTY OF LETTERS

On 18 June, a new edition of the Evenings at the Faculty of

Letters took place on the premises of Şt.O. Iosif Bookstore in Braşov,

where Vasile Ernu's novel The Sectarians (in Romanian) was launched.

The book is the first volume of the “Small Trilogy” dedicated to

marginal communities, a quasi‐narrative overview (based on archives

and testimonials) focusing on a religious community which survived

for four generations in Bugeac ‐ a territory that belonged

first to the Tsarist Empire, then to interwar Romania, the

USSR, and the Republic of Moldova.

The novel was introduced by Mihai Vakulovski,

Dr Adrian Lăcătuş, Dean of the Faculty of Letters, and Dr

Cristian Pralea, and was further described by the author

himself in an engaging and provocative manner which

combined humour and history, mixing the highbrow tone with features of orality.

Dr Mihai Ignat

AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF

A MARGINAL COMMUNITY

FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA

On the evening of 2 June Transilvania University's concert season featured a genuine piano feat: the exceptional Chopin‐Liszt‐Tchaikovsky recital performed by Russian pianist Alexei Nabioulin. The artist is known to the general public as a serious and profound interpreter, with a varied repertoire, and with an unfailing sense of style and epoch. His university studies at the Moscow Conservatory refined his musical education, preparing him for the many competitions, festivals, seasons and disc projects. Alexei Nabioulin performs regularly in Russia as well as in Europe, the USA, South Asia and Africa, featuring regularly on the stages of the philharmonic concert halls of Russia, Ukraine and Romania. From 2012, Nabioulin combines his artistic activity with his pedagogical call within the Moscow Conservatory.

The repertoire of the recital in Brașov was particularly difficult, performed with unique exigency, evoking a complexity of feelings and the typical Romantic air: ballads and polonaise belonging to Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt's the second ballad and pieces opus 72 belonging to Tchaikovsky. His profoundly Romantic piano discourse ‐ impulsive, impressive, mysterious, sensitive

thand eloquent ‐ was built from the chromatic shades of the spirit of the 19 century. Nabioulin's approach consisted of a tormenting and unique sonorous reality, always convincing, but at the same time restrained, pathetic and sensitive, capable of rendering the complexity of a privileged musical territory in the history of music: a real event on the cultural stage of Brașov and of Romania, offered to the public by exceptional organizers from Transilvania University of Brașov.

Dr Petruţa Măniuţ – Coroiu

ALEXEI NABIOULIN AND A MUSICAL FEAT

TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY OF BRAȘOV'S CONCERT SEASON

The Faculty of Technological Engineering and Industrial Management of our University hosted a professional event dedicated to modern tools, equipment and technologies for metal cutting which took place at the University's R&D Institute. For the second year running, the faculty teamed up with Hoffmann Industrial Tools Ltd., a member of the Hoffman Group based in Germany, to organize the “Tools on Tour 2015” symposium.

The symposium had two foci of interest: one involved the presentation, within the mobile exhibition set up in the ToolTruck vehicle, of a full‐range of cutting‐edge tools and equipment, such as the Zero‐Clamping system, tools pre‐setting devices, 2D digital microscopes, electronic roughness testers, TÜV/GS attested Garant industrial workbenches, etc. Representatives of Hoffmann Group gave presentations and demonstrated the operation of each item displayed in the ToolTruck exhibition.

� The second focus of interest was the chipping symposium which took place at the D03 Research Unit within the R&D Institute. The symposium featured the latest developments in metal cutting tools and technologies, such as the HOLEX ProSteel method, high‐productivity monoblock tools, etc.

“Tools on Tour 2015” has over 50 visitors representing various local industries, faculty members, students and technical staff. It was a successful event which led to strengthening the collaboration between Transilvania University and Hoffmann Group, laying the foundation for further joint projects in the future.

Eng. Anton Mircea VasiloniEng. Marius Gabriel Iuga

MOBILE EXHIBITION IN TOOLTRUCK

THE "TOOLS ON TOUR 2015" METAL CUTTING SYMPOSIUM

INTENSIVE TRAINING COURSES FOR POST‐GRADUATE STUDENTSStudents enrolled in the masters programme Translation and Interpreting from French into Romanian

run by the Faculty of Letters benefitted from an intensive training course organized by Dr Liliana Alic with the support of the Academic Success Centre. The seminar entitled "Traduction/interprétation francophone" was almost entirely held by professors teaching in similar programmes with universities from abroad.

In this context, the students were briefed on various aspects germane to translating and interpreting as a profession: Atelier de sous‐titrage interlinguistique (Françoise Bacquelaine, University of Porto); Le reste du texte (Yann Kerdiles, Université Haute Alsace, Mulhouse); Les phraséologismes : où les traducteurs sont sur le grill (Renaud Lallement, Université de Lorraine‐ Nancy).

Apart from the lecturers, this intensive training programme capitalized on the presence of professional translators who were able to share their professional experience: Florin Zori lectured the master students on the Romanian laws on the status of the translator and on the difficulties facing them in their future career.

The invited speakers expressed their high opinion on the level of achievement attained by our students as well as on their eagerness to expand their knowledge, and showed interest in a future collaboration of this kind.

Dr Liliana AlicDr Georgiana Burbea

SEMINAR FOR FUTURE TRANSLATORS

FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA