Wednesday, March 7, 11:00 hours at Classroom 522 - Erasmus Info Session

On the webpage www.rau.ro, section "Office for European Programs - ERASMUS"

Room 306 - Office for European Programs - ERASMUS

THE PATH TO SUCCESS...

Can we speak of a history of the Romanian-American University? Of course, there is a history of the beginnings, a history of the people and their struggle, a history of the accreditation, of the international relations, which our institution continuously developed and strengthened, a history of the students and alumni, of the scientific research, of the financial resources needed to build a modern campus, a history of its making…

In 1991, when most people retire, professor Ion Smedescu initiated, with determination and courage, the most ambitious and precious project of his life - the set-up of a strong and stable establishment of education, science and culture. Thus, he had the opportunity to put into practice his vast managerial and pedagogic expertise: he carried out tens of investment projects, managed huge fund volumes, performed activities of domestic and international trade, set up and organized many economic units and was a professor in the higher education system for over 30 years. According to his own confessions, he completed these with "strong will, courage, perseverance, ambition, but also well-defined strategic goals and a consistent financial policy".

From 1991 and until the end of his life, on October 5, 2008, professor Smedescu identified his destiny with the existence of the Romanian-American University. Here, he worked both as professor Ph.D. for Marketing, and Founding President and Rector of the University.
The foundation of the Romanian-American University relied on the ambition of combining pragmatism and tradition in a private academic system. It was developed after the model of the pragmatic and efficient American education and the sublime traditions of the Romanian spirit, which holds learning in high esteem and which is endowed with outstanding intelligence.
Right from the outset, the University management encouraged a dynamic and participative training system, where the professor-student relation is as close as possible to the spirit of American universities. Another basic feature of the Romanian-American University is that it set to be competitive and to display excellent quality. Special attention was paid, during this period, to the quality of teaching staff and members of the University Senate, by attracting the most valuable teachers from the state education system, with large national and international recognition, as well as the best practitioners - specialists in each scientific domain. They had lectures within the following schools: The School of Medicine and Public Health, The School of Design, The School of Domestic and International Commercial and Financial Banking Relations, The School of Management-Marketing, The School of Domestic and International Economy of Tourism, The School of Computer Science for Business Management and the School of Law.
Since the first year of its establishment, the Romanian-American University has organized an entrance examination for bachelor studies, for all schools and forms of study. Here are a few guidelines specified by Rector Ion Smedescu: "We will always focus on the student's general behavior and professional training, starting with their entrance and finishing with their degree examination. Our purpose is to form intellectuals who are able to think beyond their professional limits, to discern and understand the variety of human values, to make the right decisions related to issues of everyday life. We are determined to train specialists who honor the business card of this University".

The accreditation of all schools and the establishment under the law was the next major goal pursued by the Romanian-American University. In April 1999, based on the proposals of the Ministry of National Education and CNEAA, the Romanian Government submitted to the Parliament the Bill regarding the foundation of the Romanian-American University and the accreditation of all its schools. The Government had proposed the foundation of 10 universities, out of which the Romanian-American University was the only one which had all its schools proposed for accreditation.

However, this long and difficult accreditation process of the University's schools did not stop the institution; it continued to adjust its educational offer to current and future requirements of the labor market, transition, Romania's integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures. Thus, in 2000, in view of Romania's EU accession, the Romanian-American University set up a new economic school, suggestively called The School of European Economic Integration.
After the enactment of Law 274/2002 on the establishment of the Romanian-American University, with its six accredited schools - The School of Domestic and International Business, The School of Domestic and International Commercial and Financial Banking Relations, The School of Management-Marketing, The School of Domestic and International Economy of Tourism, The School of Computer Science for Business Management, The School of Law and The School of European Economic Integration, the institution integrated organically into the national education system, with all the rights and obligations in its charge.
"The ratification of the University" - Rector Ion Smedescu said - "is the most important event of its becoming (n.n. the University), and it officially acknowledges our efforts throughout these 11 years of activity".
Scientific research has developed in the Romanian-American University since its first year of existence. The Romanian-American University has established the Department of Research in February 1992 and research groups at the level of the Chairs and Schools. There were created four research centers, namely: The Centre for Research in Information Technology and Communications & Artificial Intelligence, The Center for Economic Research, The Center for Research, Consultancy and Training in Economic Computer Science and Information Technology and the Center for Political Economy and Business "Murray Rothbard." Besides these research centers, in the University there are: 2 Centers for Studies (The Romanian-Japanese Studies Center and The Center for European Studies and Documentation) and five laboratories (The Laboratory of Applied IT, The Laboratory of Criminalistics and Criminology, The Research Laboratory for the Development of Human Resources, The Laboratory of Tourism and The Financial-Banking Relations Laboratory).
Results of scientific research: the Romanian-American University conducted over 400 research contracts, 1500 publications with national and international publishers, over 4000 articles published in internationally recognized journals, BDI or ISI ranked, in the volumes of international conferences and/or those organized by international professional organizations, 4 scientific journals nationally recognized and the organization of 20 editions of student scientific events where students presented over 16.000 papers.
International relations represent for the Romanian-American University a strategic objective aimed at developing collaboration relations with specialized institutions from the developed countries, in order to integrate our university, into the European and world higher education system.
Spring 1992 represents the start of collaboration with James Madison University (JMU).
What followed after May 1992, in the 20 year history of the relationship between James Madison University (JMU) and Romanian-American University? A series of events, mostly on a fixed date (such as the presence of a representative of JMU on the official opening of the Romanian-American University academic year) or periodically (such as the courses held by JMU professors on our university, or the scholarships offered to Romanian students by JMU). In November 1992, Professor George Blomstrom visited for the first time Romanian-American University, to teach the "Entrepreneurship" course, in 1993, JMU offered the first two scholarships for the Romanian-American University students ("in-state" scholarships), in May 1994, the first group of 10 American students visited our university accompanied by Dr. Stephen Bowers.

Over the years our University developed many solid connections and partnerships with universities, departments, professors and students from different European, north-American or Latin American countries. In 2003 the Romanian-American University was included on the list of eligible universities for the Erasmus/Socrates program and in March 2004 the European Commission granted the University the University Erasmus Charter - EUC.
Starting with 2006, upon the initiative of Professor PhD. James K. McCollum from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and of Rector Ion Smedescu, the International Summer School was organized every year in June. In 2007 in partnership with DeSales University of Pennsylvania our University initiated the first MBA in Project Management, all the courses being held only by American professors.

Starting with 1991 one of the strategic objectives pursued by the management of the Romanian-American University ever since its foundation has been to ensure optimal conditions for the educational process. The final objective was to build our own modern and functional campus, 34.515 square meters and its inauguration was in October 2003.
On May 28 2007 His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist, accompanied by a synod of priests consecrated the Chapel from the precincts of the Romanian-American University ("Saint John the Baptist"), built, according to the Founding Rector Ion Smedescu. Upon the same occasion, the Senate of the Romanian-American University decided to grant its first Doctor Honoris Causa title to His Beatitude Teoctist, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The year 2008 was marked by numerous events for the Romanian-American University. Firstly, in April 2008 academic elections took place, Professor Ion Smedescu being re-elected as Rector of the Romanian-American University. It was for the first time when in the newly elected management structures, as well as in the team assigned by the rector - when it presented his 2008-2012 Managerial program - a lot of young teaching staff emerged from our own university as a result of our training. Another dream came true, built thoroughly, with care and perseverance, by a man of vision, the Founding President of our University. Then, on the 1st of October 2008, the University Senate decided to grant the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the Romanian-American University to Ronald E. Carrier, the President Emeritus of James Madison University - former Rector of that University for 27 years in a row, one of the most skillful managers and mentors of the North-American academic community.

On the 5th of October 2008, the University was grieving the loss of its Founding President, Professor Ion Smedescu. Many days of mourning followed, during which the academic community honored the memory of the late great man and braced up to continue his work, which he left as legacy to posterity.

In December 2008, the Senate of the Romanian-American University elected as Rector Professor Ovidiu Folcut, vice-rector in charge of education matters, who was confirmed through Ordinance no. 6413/19.12.2008, of the Ministry of Education and Research.
After more than 2 years of assessment for provisional accreditation, on October 1, 2009 the Romanian-American University had a rich educational offer. Thus, all conditions for the passage to the last phase of this regular external assessment process (taking place every 5 years), respectively institutional accreditation were met. The Internal Assessment Report for the institutional accreditation of the Romanian-American University was submitted to ARACIS in March 2010, the visit from the expert committees took place in May 2010 and on the 22nd of July 2010 the ARACIS Council granted the Romanian-American University the High Degree of Confidence Qualification, the highest appreciation regarding the quality of the provision of educational services..


April 17, 2012…

It is a special moment in the life of the university, filled with satisfaction and hopes: satisfaction based on the publicly acknowledged accomplishments and hope, generated by the belief in the correctness of the chosen path, and self-confidence. The time elapsed from the foundation and the experience accumulated during these years, reinforce the belief in the future of our university, the path towards the future being a projection of our ability to understand the world around us, but not without paying a tribute to an accomplished dream, and not without understanding that the real responsibility is based on building and respecting a system of professional, moral, ethical and social values that will enable the understanding of the real history, characterizing our past and defining our identity…!