Between October 19-20, 2023, the Western University of Timisoara is the host of the 40th edition of the Annual Danube Rectors' Conference (DRC), with the theme "Forty years of overcoming divisions: Importance of higher education for democracy and culture".
Our choice of the city for the organization of this anniversary edition is not a random one at all - having as a benchmark the fact that democracy spread from the streets of Timișoara to all of Romania in 1989. The founding members of the DRC have tried since 1983 to establish institutional contacts with the universities behind the Iron Curtain that operated under communist regimes, so the DRC representatives decided to gather at the West University of Timisoara in 2023, the year in which Timisoara was designated European Capital of Culture, to celebrate not only the 40th anniversary of years of DRC activity, but especially to discuss topical issues related to higher education and research.
Rectors of universities from Romania and from countries of the Danube area participate in the event, along with diplomatic representatives, His Excellency, Mr. Ambassador Emil Hurezeanu, Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Austria, His Excellency, Mr. Ambassador Martin Eichtinger, from the Ministry Federal for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, but also the Mayor of Timișoara, Dominic Fritz. The rector of the West University of Timișoara (UVT), prof. univ. dr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, rector of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca (USAMV), prof.univ.dr. Cornel Cătoi, rector of Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (UBB), prof.univ.dr. Daniel David, vice-chancellor of the University of Bucharest (UB), prof.univ.dr. Romiță Iucu, rector of the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, prof. univ. dr. Stefan Koch, rector of the University of Maribor, prof.univ.dr. Zdravko Kacic, rector of Andradsy University in Budapest, prof.univ.dr. Dietmar Meyer, rector of the Academy of Music, Dance and Arts "Prof. Asen Diamandiev" from Plovdiv, prof. univ. dr. Toni Shekerdzhieva-Novak and the rector of the University of Pristina, prof.univ.dr. We want. We want.
Starting from the last four decades of inter-institutional cooperation, joint activities and projects, the representatives of four DRC founding universities will look back at the history of the network, analyze the current role in the European higher education structures and outline its future directions. Moreover, among the topics proposed for discussion during the conference are also aspects related to the consequences of the Russian invasion on the facilities of universities in Ukraine, their operation during wartime, as well as the phenomenon of academic migration induced by the war.
Last but not least, during the proceedings of this conference, the project 'The DRC Initiative Fund' will be presented, on which occasion doctoral students from DRC member universities will meet the winners of the Danubius Awards 2023, during the official award ceremony, hosted at the University West from Timisoara.
