Ph.D. Prof. Eng. Ecaterina Andronescu, the president of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest Senate, was granted “The Excellency in Education Award” from the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi. The prize was awarded on the 14th of June 2013, with the occasion of The International Festival of Education Gala (FIE 2013).
The distinction was granted by Ph.D. Prof Eng. Ion Giurma, the Rector of TUIASI, whom also mentioned during the ceremony the significant contribution of misses Andronescu to the quality of Romanian higher education in her over 40 years of activity, as well as during her three commissions as the Minister of Education and Research. “We are honored by this nomination as misses Ph.D. Prof. Ecaterina Andronescu is an outstanding professor. A researcher acknowledged for exceptional achievements”, stated the Rector of TUIASI. He also underlined the excellent collaboration between her and TUIASI. “The relationship between the Polytechnic University of Bucharest and the Technical University of Iasi is very strong and the most important thing is that misses Andronescu encouraged this collaboration. I would say that – along the years – hundreds scientific research contract, scientific publications were made possible due to this cooperation. More than half of collaboration contracts our University is currently developing are collaboration agreements with the Bucharest Polytechnic University”.
The Award and the Laudatio were granted to Ecaterina Andronescu by Ph.D. Prof. Eng. Dan Cascaval, the Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection from TUIASI, whom also offered her a picture signed by the Iesean painter Felix Aftene. “I’m deeply moved to grant this award to misses Ecaterina Andronescu, whom – although being a former Minister, former Rector and currently a Senator and professor – is most of all a colleague that does not sees herself above us, those in the academic environment, and, most importantly, proved to be entirely devoted to the Romanian educational system.”, stated Ph.D. Prof. Eng Dan Cascaval.
The former Minister of Education – Ecaterina Andronescu – proved herself moved and flattered at her turn by the granted distinction. “I thank you for this exceptional recognition in this special evening. I want to extend my thanks for an absolutely extraordinary evening, as we are all the outcome of education. The education we received in our schools and we taught ourselves during our entire career. I am a servant of the school, I’ve learned that the day has 24 hours, I’ve learned this from my teachers to whom I am extremely thankful, and, should anyone deserves this award, they are the teachers of this country who, in all her history, have enlightened this beautiful people. I believe that a particular quote from Saint Exupery i smost suited to describe the teachers in this country: «the architect is I, I with a soul and a heart, I who know to turn the stone into silence»”, stated Ph.D. Prof. Ecaterina Andronescu with the occasion of the awarding.
The management boards of the “Al.I.Cuza” University, the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, the “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University, the “George Enescu” University of Arts, the “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Agronomical Science and Veterinary Pharmacy, and the Iasi branch of the Academy of Romania, have also granted an excellence award for an academic community member, while the County Board for Education and the IFE Board have granted two awards to outstanding representatives of Iesean school.
Ph.D. Prof Ion Giurma, the Rector of TUIASI, acknowledged the importance of FIE 2013 for the academic community of Iasi and mentioned that “this festival is welcomed for the city of Iasi, as it increase its visibility both in our country and internationally, and, through this festival and others alike, Iasi stands a chance to become an European cultural capital. The Technical University is automatically a component of the educational system because – given a little thought – the engineering sciences played an important role in the progress of society. All that you see around you in this city is built by engineers and architects”.
