THE FRIENDSHIP AWARD BEETHOVEN'S SONATAS FOR PIANO AND VIOLIN (PART II) A TRANSCULTURAL APPROACH TO A GLOBALIZED WORLD THE RESTORATION CAMP – 2016 EDITION (RE)CONTEXTUALIZATION ON A NEW AND VALUABLE ERASMUS EXPERIENCE FORMEC 2016, WARSAW – POLAND THE NATIONAL PROJECT BE AT EASE WITH YOURSELF IN A RELATIONSHIP POLAROID 002: WATER‐BOAT‐REED ALEA 2016 RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES FAIR FROM IDEA TO PUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT... “SYMBIOSIS” – PAINTING EXHIBITION EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS' NIGHT 2016 PROFESSORS WE TAKE PRIDE IN SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI

No. 54 October 2016

FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA

N EWSLETTER Transilvania University of Bra ov It is not the walls that make a school, but the spirit that reigns within. (King Ferdinand I)

What purpose does the university serve if not to pave the way for the society of wisdom?

THE RECTOR OF TRANSILVANIA UNIVERSITY OF BRAȘOV – THE FIRST ROMANIAN TO RECEIVE “THE FRIENDSHIP AWARD”, CHINA'S HIGHEST AWARD COMMENDING FOREIGN EXPERTS The 25th edition of “The Friendship BEETHOVEN'S SONATAS FOR PIANO AND VIOLIN (PART II) Award” included among this year's laureates On 28 September, the Multicultural Centre of Transilvania University Professor Ioan Vasile Abrudan, Rector of hosted the second recital in a series initiated in April this year, as part of the Transilvania University of Brașov, who received this project “Complete Sonatas for Piano and Violin by Ludwig van Beethoven”. prestigious Award from the Chinese Vice‐Prime Minister, HE Ma Kai, during a ceremony held at the State An event which attracted a large turnout, the concert also occasioned a novel collaboration between young pianist Szöcs Botond and violinist Council of the People's Republic of China – Zhongnanhai, Valentin Șerban, a graduate of the Faculty of Music in Brașov. In an on 29 September. exquisite display of talent and professionalism, they performed the “The Friendship Award” is conferred every year on the Sonata for piano and violin No.3, occasion of China's National Day to 50 foreign experts in Op.12, the Sonata for piano and recognition of significant contributions to China's economic and violin No.8, Op. 30, and the social progress, to the development of her international relations. Sonata for piano and violin For the first time, this year's edition included a Romanian laureate, and No.10, Op. 96. the proposal to confer the award came from the Chinese Academy of The audience was Forestry, with whom our university had established an active academic c h a r med by the collaboration during the past decade. c o n s u m m a t e Prior to the ceremony, Dr Vasile Ioan Abrudan took part in discussions performance which captured the dynamism and with Mr Peng Youdong, Vice Administrator of the State Forestry drama in Beethoven's masterpieces. The dialogue Administration, and with the management of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, between the piano and the violin echoed the on possible professional and academic partnerships. perfect fusion between the two instruments, in On 30 September, the 50 laureates were received by the Chinese Premier, an ineffable synergy which fully resonated HE Li Keqiang, and were invited to the official dinner in celebration of China's with the public. National Day, at the Great Hall in the People's Palace at Beijing. The two musicians once again Dr Liliana Rogozea proved that talent and perseverance are inherent qualities required in the musical field, and that the audience will always respond to state‐of‐the art interpretive skills. Maria‐Emanuela Rionesei, 1st year student, Faculty of Music

THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FROM INDIVIDUAL TO . SOCIETY – APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY FOR A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY On 22 and 23 September, the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences organized the first edition of the International Conference From Individual to Society – Applied Psychology for a Sustainable Community. The FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA conference title links the field of psychology to a major contemporary issue: sustainable development. The participants hailing from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Holland, the USA and Sweden joined the plenary sessions given by reputable field A TRANSCULTURAL APPROACH researchers: Mariane Frenay from the University of Louvain la Neuve, Manuela Keller‐ TO A GLOBALIZED WORLD Schneider from Pädagogische Hochschule in Zürich, Alphonsius van de Vijver from the University of Tilburg and Puiu Vasilescu from Union College Kentucky. The multiple themes converged towards the issue of transculturality, deemed as the most appropriate form of addressing research enquiries in a globalized world. The round‐table sessions integrated in the conference program covered the following topics: “Lessons learned from the collaborative European project RESTRAIL: Reduction of Suicides and Trespasses on RAILway property” and “Emotions and risk. Public vs. experts' perception of environmental risks”. A popular activity among the young researchers was the workshop on scientific writing coordinated by Radosveta Dimitrova from the University of Stockholm. The participants presented their research and received feedback within the four panel sessions that configured the conference program. The success of the conference is an incentive for us to organize similar events in the field of psychology in the near future. Dr Mariela Pavalache‐Ilie

THE EXHIBITION 16 FOR ASTRA

THE RESTORATION CAMP – 2016 EDITION

Between 12 and 16 September, the Museum of Traditional Popular Civilization at Sibiu hosted th the 4 edition of the Restoration Camp, an event organized by the Faculty of Wood Engineering in collaboration with ASTRA Centre for Heritage Sibiu. As previously, 16 volunteers from Brașov coordinated by experts from the Centre were involved in restoring nine pieces of mobile heritage which ranged from traditional, household tools to pieces of furniture that needed painting or finishing. The magnitude of the challenge varied with the typology of the items, their size and the extent of work needed. From the category ethnographic heritage one piece stood out, namely a mechanical wool combing device. Also, the furniture category was finely represented by three rustic chairs, dating from 1902‐1904, and painted in the well‐known red‐blue Transylvanian chromatic, as well as a furniture set made of a dowry chest and two carpenter's stools, decorated in a contrasting chromatic manner. The opening of the exhibition 16 for ASTRA took place on the terrace of the ASTRA Centre for Heritage which also served as venue for the five days of “The Restorers Terrace”. The opening was attended by certified restorers of the Centre, curators, conservationists, and other invitees. The young volunteers were commended on their initiative and were awarded restoration certificates by the management of ASTRA Museum and of the Centre for Heritage. This was also an opportunity to emphasize the importance of volunteering for the benefit of national heritage, and the imperious need to prepare students in the spirit of volunteering. Dr Emanuela Beldean, Dr Maria Cristina Timar, Dr Anca Varodi

CONFERENCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THEORETICAL AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS

The fourth edition of the Conference Structure, Use, and Meaning was held at Aula Magna (RE)CONTEXTUALIZATION between 21 and 23 September. It attracted over 50 participants from Romania and abroad who presented papers from various language sciences: syntax, morphology, pragmatics, discourse analysis, language acquisition, translation, and translation studies. The 2016 edition inaugurated a novel format: besides the subject‐specific sections, the conference also included a panel dedicated to current issues in translation (Translation and Interpretation Studies: Converging worlds) and a workshop aimed at the analysis of political debates in the Romanian and European Parliament as part of the project Analysing political communication: From theory to practice (PN‐II‐RU‐TE‐2014‐ 4‐0056). Each event featured plenary speeches delivered by theorists and practitioners from the University of Alicante (Spain), University of Veszprem (Hungary), University of Lodz (Poland) and the University of Bucharest (Romania). Dr Răzvan Săftoiu

ON A NEW AND VALUABLE ERASMUS EXPERIENCE THE NETHERLANDS: Like probably every Erasmus student, we had our fair share of doubts GATEWAY TO THE EUROPEAN and mixed feelings which often make one wonder “How are things going to be WAY OF LIFE over there, will I be able to cope?” But as it turned out, it was the best decision

that we had ever taken to apply for a training mobility with a Dutch company, a decision which changed and broadened our perspectives in more ways than one. First, we were happy to discover that the Dutch have a peaceful style of approaching things and enjoying life. Workwise, we were fortunate enough to be part of a great team. Our colleagues were supportive and understanding and invited us to concerts, museums and parties. Mention should also be made of the cookies we received every day at the office from one colleague or another. Then, there were the superb Dutch landscapes and natural scenery, the cities and their unique architecture. Since our return home, seeing a picture of Amsterdam or Rotterdam conjures up the charm of the places, reminding us of the harmonious and special style of their buildings, streets and waters. For us the Netherlands represented a new experience likely to stay with us forever. It is the fond memory of a country that opened its doors to us, while also opening our eyes to a European life we would like to forge for ourselves in the future. Cynthia Pucheanu, Diana Mitrea, Communication and Public Relations

FORMEC 2016, WARSAW – POLAND th

Between 4 and 7 September, the 49 edition of the FORMEC symposium, the most prestigious technical and scientific event of the FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA forest engineering network took place in Warsaw (Poland). Drawing on the decisions made previously, th during the 48 edition organized in Austria, this edition laid down the details for the organization of the festivities to th THE LAST STEP TOWARDS be taking place on the 50 anniversary of FORMEC 2017. SEMICENTENNIAL FORMEC It is an honour and a privilege for Romania to act as organizer of the 2017 edition, with the active support of Transilvania University of Brașov, and its Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering. This year's event has been a great opportunity to showcase the research pursuits of the Romanian scientific community in this field to an audience consisting of reputed scientists and practitioners from all over the world. This edition also included presentations aimed at promoting the image of Transilvania University, with special focus on the research infrastructure and logistics available locally. Dr Stelian Alexandru Borz

THE FACULTY OF PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION SCIENCES INVOLVED IN THE FIRST EDITION IN BRAȘOV Timișoara, Iași and Brașov were the venues for the workshops Be at Ease with Yourself in a THE NATIONAL PROJECT Relationship organized by the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Trauma (ISTT) in collaboration BE AT EASE WITH YOURSELF with Trei Publishing House and hosted by Cărturești Book Stores. On its third edition, this series of workshops afforded the interested public a chance to discover themselves and to ponder on the IN A RELATIONSHIP

various doubts and uncertainties besetting life as a couple, but also on the unexplored possibilities which could improve a relationship. Through discussions with guest psychologists and psychotherapists, the participants were encouraged to voice their personal needs in a relationship, to get to know themselves better and to understand more clearly the role each of the partners plays in their own love story, how much of the couple's scenario comes from the past and, especially, to become aware of how much the quality of one's relationships depends on oneself. The first edition at Brașov began on 26 September, with the workshop A Couple's Happiness – between Family Legacies and Personal Choices moderated by Laura Elena Năstasă. Starting from recent studies concerning family and therapy psychology combined with examples from existential therapy centred on child‐couple‐family and the Adlerian therapy, the moderator encouraged the public to reflect on the way the discovery of personal family secrets, the awareness of transgenerational memories and parental projections facilitate the development of free will which, in its turn, leads to a decrease in the intensity of conflicts (unavoidable in the life of any couple), and to an understanding of the significance of each instance of suffering in the family history through our own personal history. Dr Laura Elena Năstasă

EXHIBITION BY ADRIAN TIMAR AT THE MULTICULTURAL CENTRE

POLAROID 002:

While travelling the region to the North of Han river, Dsi Gung came across an old man toiling WATER‐BOAT‐REED on his vegetable plot for which he had built irrigation channels. The old man would descend into the wells, then he would climb back up holding a bucket filled with water which he then emptied in the channels. (...) Dsi Gung said: ”There is a way to water one hundred channels every single day. (...) Don't you want to use it?”. The gardener stood up, looked at him and said: ”And what might this way be?”. Dsi Gung said: ”take a wooden lever which is heavier towards its end and lighter at it its front. (...) This is a water well”. Anger clouded the face of old man who, derisively, made the following reply: “I heard my primary school teacher say: 'he who uses a machine, does everything like a machine; (…) gets the heart of a machine; loses his pristine innocence; (…); is no longer sure of his spirit's impulses; uncertainty and sound judgement just do not match.' It's not that I'm ignorant of these things, it's that I'm ashamed to make use of them”. This story belongs to one of the parents of the atomic bomb: Werner Heisenberg. Its high stake is a phenomenon which has become overwhelming nowadays but was merely worrisome back in the 70s: the substitution of substantial reason for instrumental reason. Adrian Timar's instant photography and drawing exhibition open between 30 September and 26 October at the university's Multicultural Centre has the same issue as an undercurrent. It is an expression of the difference from digital photography and the simulation of reality the latter embodies. This exhibition shows the choice of a different path motivated by a Nietzschean spirit, that is ”the pleasure to embrace one's being different”. Visibly and in a subtle way, this exhibition highlights the ephemeral, the singular, the non‐spectacular, everything related to nature and the Danube Delta. And for this the artist uses a camera that is has already gone out of use: the Polaroid. There is one thing I did not understand in the exhibition, but I will not confess it here, to avoid leading the viewer. And a question: what do you think the story told above would look like if photoshopped? Dr Ștefan Ungurean

UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA PARTICIPĂ PENTRU A ȘAPTEA OARĂ TÂRGUL SURSE REGENERABILE DE ENERGIE Once again this year, Transilvania University of Brasov was represented at ALEA 2016 ALEA 2016 Renewable Energy Sources – Equipment and full services fair, organised by Alba Local Energy Agency

and Alba County Council on 18 and 19 September. The members of the Blue Streamline 2016 student team presented the monopost designed and built for the Formula Student competition. Moreover, representatives of the research centres at the university's Research and Development Institute presented prototypes and research results at the Ecoinventica Salon: solar‐thermal collectors to be integrated in a built environment and a waste water treatment installation. The university's Intellectual Property Office promoted the concern for the protection of students and researchers' creations and the Centre for Technologies, Invention and Business offered logistic support for the participation in the fair, as they did every year. Transilvania University of Brașov participated in the ALEA Fair in the past seven years running, focusing on the cooperation with organisations interested in the implementation of research results in such fields as robotics, renewable energies, environmental protection, wood manufacturing, mechanical engineering, etc. Eng. Ioan Țoțu

WITH PROFESSOR PETRE MANU ON THE PUBLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH RESULTS Professor Peter Manu from Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New York, Editor‐in‐chief of American Journal of Therapeutics and Honorary FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA Professor at Transilvania University was the guest leader of the workshop “Preparing Manuscripts for Publication”. In an article he published in 2013 in the journal Viața medicală of the Aequanimitas series, Professor Manu stated: “in my view, research does not mean FROM IDEA TO PUBLISHED making science but accepting, every day, that there are questions whose answer you do not MANUSCRIPT... know; it means formulating these questions intelligibly and pragmatically; it means knowing where to look for data and expert opinions which can answer your questions, (...) research begins by asking yourself if you know enough about what is going on and about what you have to do. (...) University teaching staff or not, we all need to do research but only some of us can do science. (...) The difference is that the result of this research ‐ looking for answers in other people's data and opinions – is either not satisfactory or is not available. Science is done in order to answer unanswered questions.” After his first visit on a Fulbright grant, Professor Manu visited our university a second time and, on this occasion, he attended a meeting with research students from the Department of Fundamental, Prophylactic and Clinical Disciplines and discussed the reasons why research articles are rejected or accepted for publication in journals as well as the way in which research has to be prepared i.e., the actual stages of the process of writing an article. The ensuing discussions on topics related to the research students' own work and their opportunities for publication showed clearly how interesting and relevant the meeting on the 20 September was. Dr Liliana Rogozea

BETWEEN THE CONTEMPORARY UTOPIAS AND THE TECHNOLOGIES OF THE FUTURE “SYMBIOSIS” – PAINTING EXHIBITION

Between 1 and 27 September, our university's Multicultural Centre and the Visual Festival Amural joined forces in order to host two painting exhibitions showcasing works by two young artists, Victor Fotă and Obie Platon. The paintings on display revolved around different human types which the painters scrutinize and magnify, morphing them into genuine utopias. Part of a large‐scale visual festival, these paintings are an artistic reflection of contemporary society, an exercise in imagination resulting from blended modes, variation, visual shock, clichés, all combined with accuracy of detail, 3D superpositions, perfect geometrical shapes, and illusion. This symbiosis of different techniques and styles was intended as an in‐depth exploration of one and the same theme. Victor Fotă's works offered a preview of HUMAN EXTENSION, a future exhibition of oil painting, while Obie Platon's pieces were a selection of one of the artist's recent projects, HUMANUTOPIA, shown in Bucharest, at the Palace of the Parliament and at Constantin Brâncuși centre. Symbiosis was an event which helped promote the second edition of the Visual Festival Amural, as well as the young artists invited to take part in this project. Ioana Zenaida Rotariu

A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE TOWARDS EDUCATION AND RESEARCH European Researchers' Night is one of the most popular initiatives of the European Union. EUROPEAN In one single night, hundreds of European cities celebrate science and research by implementing RESEARCHERS' NIGHT 2016 educational and interactive activities conducted by researchers and scientists, for the benefit of people of all ages and from all walks of life. The event is also a great opportunity for Transilvania University of Brașov to promote its research results and motivate young people to embrace education and research. This year's event was co‐organized by Transilvania University with Andrei Șaguna and Dr Ioan Meșotă National Colleges. Its venue was Andrei Șaguna National College, where the event attracted a large turnout. The activities included technical experiments and solutions of wood processing and furniture restoration; intelligent platforms for studying physical phenomena and renewable‐ energy sources; advanced manufacturing technologies; thermal imagers for identifying heat loss from buildings, for determining counterfeit food products; tests of muscle and body‐mass activities; applications of solar energy, optometry, and medical engineering; Formula Student – a race‐car created by students; applications of science in forestry, environmental protection, beekeeping; astrophysics and chemistry experiments, etc. The visitors were involved in designing sociological research processes, as well as in interactive dialogues with psychologists, improvisational workshops on various musical themes. They were also allowed a sneak peek into the ways to create media events in either television format or online magazine format. The scientific activities successfully alternated with theatrical performances, basketball games, and music recitals; with various presentations held by Brașov County Police Inspectorate (on crime prevention and special interventions), as well as with a wide range of games based on the participants' general knowledge at the end of which the most proficient competitors were awarded various prizes. Dr Radu Muntean

PROFESSORS WE TAKE PRIDE IN Born on 12 April 1944, Gheorghe Brătucu went to school in his native village, then to Dinicu Golescu High School in Câmpulung Muscel and later became a student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering within the then FIDES ET EXCELLENTIA Polytechnic Institute at Brașov. After graduation he was co‐opted as a faculty staff, where he stepped up the PROFESSOR professional ladder to the position of tenured professor. In the academic year 1975‐1976 he won a scholarship at T.U. München to complete his PhD thesis in Mechanical Engineering, GHEORGHE BRĂTUCU which he defended in 1976. In 1997 he became doctoral advisor. During his 49 years of career in higher education he supervised hundreds of B.Sc. projects and dissertations, and advised 27 doctoral candidates which successfully completed their Ph.Ds. Among the main fields of interest that preoccupied Professor Brătucu during his career are the design, manufacturing, reliability and maintainability of machinery in agriculture and food industry. While a member of the scientific and editorial boards of high‐ profile professional journals in his domain, he is also author or co‐author of over 450 articles and 27 books, one of which landed him the ASAS award in 2010. Apart from this, Professor Brătucu led many research projects won in national and European competitions. An important side of Professor Brătucu's work is his chairmanship, over the years, of 29 boards in the Baccalaureate examinations, as well as his mentoring of more than 50 high schools teachers who took their first degree in secondary‐level teaching.

Dr Carol Csatlos

SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI ROXANA ELENA BELEAUA

Diana Geanina Ionaș is a 2003 graduate of Transilvania University, where she studied the law. In 2004 she became a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Law, and was later promoted to junior lecturer. She attended courses in pedagogy run by our Department of Teacher Training and also completed a Master's in Penal Law in Business. Between 2012 and 2015 she completed a Ph.D. training program at Nicolae Titulescu University in Bucharest which earned her a doctoral degree in law. In the meantime she acted as team member on the European Project Uniformization of the Law – Legal Effects and Social, Political, Administrative Implications. Her teaching activities combined with research in the legal field and materialized in over 40 articles and books. Between 2007 and 2015 she also worked as a lawyer, a member of the Brașov Bar Association. At present, Diana Geanina Ionaș is a trainee notary within the Romanian Notarial Institute and a staff member in the Department of Private Law.

Dr Ioana Nicolae

SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI Passionate about Psychology and English since high school, motivated, intelligent and able to ROXANA ELENA BELEAUA work well under pressure, our former student Roxana Elena Beleaua divided her time between studying, experimenting and participating in scientific events at both our Faculty and others around the country, balancing them with a rich personal life. As a result of her attending the Master's programs Psychology of Work, Organisations and Human Resources and, in parallel, Counselling, School and Educational Psychology, Roxana acquired exceptional research skills. She won the annual contest organised by Transilvania University, which secured the funding for her work on her M.A. dissertation. This work involved creating and implementing measures for the formation of proactive coping strategies in employees at the university's support departments. At the age of 24, by the time she completed her Master's training, our graduate student had already taken part in two national and two international conferences, having various contributions published and acknowledged by the academic community. She worked rigorously and enthusiastically as a human resources inspector at a temporary work agency in Braşov, and she is currently the beneficiary of a paid traineeship in Human Resources, Robert Schuman, at the European Parliament. Besides her practical work, she intends to become involved in psychology in Brussels. We are quite confident that wherever she is, whatever she does, she will always make us proud. On a more general note, in its effort to forge its own identity and fulfil its mission, the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences has capitalized on its most valuable asset – its students. And it has had, as always, the good fortune to train some exceptional students. Dr Elena Cocoradă