Opening ceremony of the new academic year 2018 – 2019 at the Romanian-American University
octombrie 6, 2018
Gala „100 pentru Centenar”, organizată de Ministerul pentru Românii de Pretutindeni în parteneriat cu Ambasada României la Washington, D.C.
octombrie 19, 2018
Show all

Ten years since the passing into eternity of Professor ION SMEDESCU, PhD, Founding-President and Rector of the Romanian-American University

 

The Romanian-American University commemorated on Friday, October 5, 2018, ten years since the passing into eternity of Professor ION SMEDESCU, PhD, Founding-President and Rector of the Romanian-American University (RAU), a true agile leader, talent developer, empathizer with students, thinker in multiple time frames, always anticipating and reacting to discontinuities, enhancing capabilities while looking ahead, challenging priorities and inspiring the entire RAU academic family, giving shared ambition and purpose, stimulating innovation. Let us recall the inspiring words of Professor ION SMEDESCU: “For me, the Romanian-American University is everything: my home, my profession and my spare time. This establishment of education and science is a mirror of me and of my work for tens of years, my eternal soul, and my idea for the renewal of the concept of work.”

President of RAU Senate, Professor Ana-Maria Preda, RAU Rector Ovidiu Folcuţ, and President of the “Romanian-American Foundation for Promoting Education and Culture” (FRAPEC), Professor Dumitru Miron, invited the audience to honor the legendary RAU Founding-President and Rector ION SMEDESCU – outstanding personality of the Romanian academic life, renowned specialist in marketing, creator of school and promoter of private higher education – witnessing the strong RAU academic family’s conviction to build and to advance so as to keep RAU dream alive and well. Other distinguished Professors – such as Ion Bulborea and Theodor Purcărea – shared their thoughts within this impressive commemoration.

After this commemoration ceremony a special commemoration service was held by the Parish Priest Dr. Ioan-Paul Crîngaşu at the Chapel of the Romanian-American University and at the Cemetery. Let us also remind that Professor ION SMEDESCU chose the same day as Rev. Prof. Dr. DUMITRU STĂNILOAE, the 5th of October (1993, namely 2008), to step on the path of eternity. Former student of the „Christian love Theologian” – Father STĂNILOAE, Professor ION SMEDESCU often mentioned Father STĂNILOAE, speaking of the mysterious beauty of a wonderful landscape and the necessity of the conscious sense of the ordinance, of the beauty, in order to perform a task the right way, in joyful communion.

It is not by chance that the Parish Priest Dr. Ioan-Paul Crîngaşu at the Chapel of the Romanian-American University has recently published a book entitled << The debate of the concept of “Re-evangelization” of Europe. An Orthodox perspective >> (Andreiana Publishing House, Sibiu, 2018), at the beginning of this book introducing a memorable quote from Father STĂNILOAE: “If I were young again I would do everything to re-evangelize Europe” (Pr. Dumitru Stăniloae, apud His Beatitude DANIEL, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, in “Treasures of Orthodoxy”, Trinitas Publishing House, Iaşi, 2007, p. 1).

On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that on January 16, 2014, His Beatitude DANIEL, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Bucharest, and Metropolitan of Muntenia and Dobrudgea, has consecrated the painting of the Romanian-American University’s Chapel and inaugurated the “Lux Mundi” reading room. Within this special context, His Beatitude also remembered the very special moment with His Beatitude TEOCTIST, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church and Professor ION SMEDESCU, RAU Founding Rector on the occasion of the Consecration of the Romanian-American University Chapel in 2007.