The University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest hosted the closing ceremony of the 19th edition of the “Eugen Ionescu” Fellowship Program—a flagship initiative dedicated to strengthening academic and scientific cooperation across the Francophone world.
Launched in 2007 and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, the program is managed by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and provides research grants to doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers from member states of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
Throughout its 19-year history, the program has supported over 1,500 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers from approximately 45 Francophone nations, enabling them to complete research stays at Romanian universities and research institutes.
During this year’s edition, 111 fellows from 19 countries successfully concluded their research stays across 31 Romanian universities, fostering international scientific collaboration and encouraging the exchange of best practices between academic communities in Romania and the broader Francophone region.
The ceremony was attended by distinguished representatives from academia and public institutions, including:
- Adela Talchiu-Chiriță, Regional Director of AUF-ECO
- Sorin Mihai Cîmpeanu, PhD, President of the Romanian Parliamentary Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie and Rector of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest;
- Luca Niculescu, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania;
- Dacian Cioloș, Presidential Adviser for Foreign Policy, Strategic Partnerships, and Diaspora, and Romania’s candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie;
- E. Hassan Abouyoub, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Romania and President of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors (GAF);
- David Bongard, First Adviser at the Regional Representation for Central and Eastern Europe of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie;
- Mihnea Costoiu, PhD, Rector of the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest.
The “Eugen Ionescu” Program stands as one of Romania’s premier initiatives supporting scientific research and academic cooperation across the Francophone space, providing early-career researchers with the opportunity to advance scientific projects at Romanian universities and cultivate long-lasting academic partnerships.
By hosting the closing ceremony of this 19th edition, the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest reaffirms its commitment to internationalization, academic excellence, and the expansion of global partnerships in education and research.
