​Rector message - the beginning of the academic year 2024-2025​​

Dear Rector Colleagues,
Honorable Mayor,
Honorable Prefect,
Honorable President of the County Council,
Dear students and dear faculty colleagues,
Honored Audience,

Every start of the academic year carries its own energy, it is a moment of renewal and enthusiasm, marked by opportunities as well as academic challenges. Every autumn, we find ourselves at a starting point, a chance to reflect on past achievements but also to look toward the future we want to build together.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to the over 2,100 young people who have joined the large UMF Iași family, comprised of approximately 1,000 faculty members, 10,000 students, 4,000 resident doctors, 500 PhD students, and 400 master's students. A university with a tradition, which counts no less than 145 years of excellence in medical education. A university with four faculties, 11 undergraduate specializations, and 8 master's programs, as well as doctoral programs in the fields of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy.

You are 550 first-year students in Medicine in Romanian, 200 in Medicine in English, and 150 in Medicine in French, 170 in Dentistry in Romanian, 70 in Dentistry in English, and 100 in Dentistry in French, 80 in Pharmacy in Romanian, and 20 in Pharmacy in English, 90 in Bioengineering, and 120 in General Nursing.

I also warmly welcome the 500 students who have chosen one of the three-year specialization programs: Balneophysiokinetotherapy and Recovery, both in Romanian and English, Nutrition and Dietetics, Dental Technology, Prophylactic Dental Assistance, Medical Cosmetics and Cosmetic Product Technology. This year, we have added a new, nationally unique specialization, aimed at future professionals in diagnosing and treating auditory, balance, and related disorders. I am referring to Audiology and Hearing Aids, and I congratulate the 30 students who will represent the first class of this specialization.

 I wish great success to the 205 master's students and the 190 first-year PhD students as well. I would like to emphasize that, in addition to the five existing master's programs, we have received ARACIS accreditation for three more master's programs within the Faculty of Pharmacy. These additions to our educational offer underline our commitment to providing relevant and innovative study programs and addressing a real need in the field of public health in Romania.

Dear first-year students,

Today, you begin the first stage of your professional journey, your undergraduate studies. You are surely eager and, at the same time, stressed about starting your courses, but I guarantee that we, your teachers, also feel some emotions, despite our experience. We assume a great responsibility and commitment—today, more than ever, as we are going through a period of significant transformations and unprecedented opportunities. The world is changing rapidly, and with it, the paradigms of learning are also evolving. And your generation, dear students, comes with new expectations and a way of thinking adapted to an era dominated by artificial intelligence, advanced technologies, and unlimited access to information. As Alvin Toffler said, "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

With all the openness you naturally possess toward the challenges of the future, with all the courage that youth provides, I cannot say it will be easy. A career in healthcare, regardless of your chosen specialty, is filled with intellectual effort and hard work. The sacrifices required are greater than you can imagine now, and only passion, the vocation to heal, and empathy for the patient will give you a pure sense of professional and human fulfillment.

Dear colleagues,

This day marks not only a new beginning for each of us but also the continuation of our commitment to academic excellence and innovation in healthcare. We are at an important stage of the university's modernization, with numerous infrastructure projects, both completed and in progress. Allow me to present some of these investments that will contribute to improving the educational process and creating a modern and high-performing study environment:

In recent years, we have undergone a significant patrimonial development phase and have never stopped. We have recently completed a series of works that reflect our commitment to providing a safe, modern, and efficient environment for everyone studying and working here.

The rehabilitation and modernization of the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic on Lăpușneanu Street is in the reception phase, one of the recently completed investments. This building is designed to provide the University with generous, modern spaces for the activities of the Faculty of Dentistry.

Significant improvements have also been made to the housing conditions offered to students. Dormitories C9 and C10 have already been modernized, and in the near future, the other dormitories will also undergo rehabilitation, consolidation, and interior design work.

I would like to briefly inform you about the stages of some extremely important infrastructure projects:

• The Fundamental Research Center is in the authorization phase
• The renovation of the Faculty of Pharmacy building is in the technical expertise phase
• The rehabilitation and consolidation of the Bolta Polyclinic, known as the Craftsmen's Insurance House, is in the procurement phase for design and execution
• The sports hall on Sărăriei Street is in the Urban Zoning Plan design phase
• The new student restaurant/canteen on Universității Street No. 16 is in the contracting phase for design and execution
• The consolidation of the Buțureanu House is in the documentation preparation phase for the design and execution procurement
• At the Institute of Anatomy, the roof structure will be modified, the attic will be arranged, and the façade will be restored. The project is in the DALI phase and is awaiting approval from the Monuments Commission
• The new technical-administrative building on Sărărie Street (the former canteen and later the Bagdazar sports hall) is in the design and approval phase.

The total value of these investment projects amounts to an impressive 81,720,000 euros, and the forecasted patrimonial development for the coming period will maintain the university's infrastructure at the same level of excellence. These investments reflect our commitment to building a quality educational environment that supports both teaching and research activities, offering students and faculty the best conditions to carry out their work.

In addition to infrastructure development, another focus is the “updating" and adapting of the educational process to the digital age. Since last year, we have implemented digital assessment, a natural step to align ourselves with European and international standards and to prepare our students for a global labor market that already uses these evaluation methods.

Furthermore, the Digital Campus project is a priority for our university. It will integrate the complete digitalization of the educational process for all study cycles, from admission management to graduation. Through this project, we aim to create a digital environment where technology supports education, research, and collaboration between students and faculty.

We continue to encourage excellence in research, and we are proud to have created a budget from our own funds to support faculty members who wish to publish in Open Access journals. Publishing in such journals is essential to making knowledge accessible and sharing our research results with the international scientific community. To date, we have reimbursed the publication of scientific articles in Q1 and Q2 journals—the only ones considered in international rankings—amounting to over 600,000 lei (616,318 lei).

The massive infrastructure investments of recent years, which have resulted in modern teaching and research spaces, are proof that we aim to offer our students a quality education, aligned with modern international standards.

But the development of the University should not only be material but also intellectual and moral. In this regard, it is a source of pride to introduce, starting this academic year, the “UMF Iași Student Oath," a solemn commitment that all our students will take from now on. This oath reflects our fundamental values: respect, commitment, and responsibility toward the University, the profession, colleagues, and, most importantly, the patients.

This new tradition strengthens our collective commitment to excellence in education, research, and medical practice. I will now read this oath:

As a student of the “Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iași, I swear to respect and honor the name, values, and tradition of this institution.

I promise to develop my knowledge and skills, to learn from every experience and from all those around me—teachers, colleagues, and patients. I will respect my teachers and collaborate with my colleagues, trusting in the wisdom and guidance of the experienced. I will contribute to an academic environment based on mutual respect and support.

I promise to dedicate my time and effort with passion to learning to practice the chosen profession at the highest standards. I will treat every patient with compassion, respect, and dignity, always placing their well-being first. I will maintain confidentiality and uphold the ethical principles of the medical profession.

I commit to working for the health of the community and contributing to the advancement of medical science. I will diligently follow the path of continuous learning, dedication, and sacrifice, with my reward being the positive impact on the lives of those around me.

Today, by donning the white coat, I pledge to wear with pride and responsibility the symbols of this University. I will remain faithful to its values and traditions and be a worthy ambassador of its name.

This is my solemn oath, on my honor and conscience!

Dear students,

I wish you a year full of achievements and discoveries, and may you wear the white coat of this great university with pride!

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I will conclude here, but not before responding to the invitation and initiative of my distinguished colleague, Rector Gerard Jităreanu, to establish a Rectors' Club in Iași. I have enthusiastically received this proposal and want to extend my full support for this initiative. I believe that such a forum would offer us all an effective and valuable framework in which we can collaborate more closely, share ideas, and develop common projects that contribute to the development of the academic community and our city.

Our universities play a crucial role not only in the professional training of students but also in the social, cultural, and economic life of Iași. Through the establishment of this club, we will be able to engage more actively in the community, support local initiatives, and make a significant contribution to defining the strategic directions for the development of our city and region.

I am convinced that through constant dialogue and collaboration, we will be able to identify innovative solutions and valuable partnerships in fields such as education, research, as well as in our relationship with the socio-economic environment. In this way, we can ensure that Iași remains a center of academic excellence, capable of meeting contemporary challenges and becoming an attractive hub for students and researchers from around the world.

Thank you, and I wish you all a successful academic year!

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