For 12 years, the Great National Lodge of Romania (MLNR) recognizes and awards the Romanian elites through a solemn and exceptional event, held at the Romanian Athenaeum.
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The public recognition takes place in partnership with the Romanian Academy, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Research, as well as with 12 universities in the country, and each of the 7 laureates received 10,000 euros each. The event was opened through the speech of the president of the Romanian Academy, followed by the word of the great master of MLNR, Mr. Cătălin Tohăneanu. During the evening the Minister of Education, Daniel David, the Minister of Culture (through the Internet) spoke, and at the conclusion, the interim prime minister, Mr. Cătălin Predoiu, as a laureate.
Before each award of the prize, a representative of the jury said a message with deep academic character, emphasizing the achievements of the laureates (many of them being researchers). Thus, I listened to the praisehs spoken by the academics Nicolae Zamfir, Dorel Banabic, Ioanel Sinescu, Daniel Dăianu, Mircea Dumitrescu, as well as by the rectors Viorel Jinga and Marian Preda. The jury was one of excellence.
The academic event was supported, in a sensitive and uplifting way, by the vibrations of the music performed by the Orchestra of the Bucharest National Opera, directed by Daniel Jinga, and by the voices of the Bucharest Opera Bucharest, along with the tenor Teodor Ilincăi and Mezzo-Soprana Adelina Maria Cociobanu. In the concert hall of the Athenaeum, works by Ravel, Lara, Verdi, Mozart, Brahms, Strauss, as well as the Vals of the late Moldovan composer Eugen Doga.
Undoubtedly, for all the nearly 800 guests in the room (but also for the artists of the choir and the orchestra), the event represented “A special opportunity to honor the elites of the Romanian society, a testimony of the fundamental values that are the basis of a prosperous society: truth, integrity and benefit and an inspiration for all to continue to aspire to excellence and to remain dedicated to making the world a better place”, As the great master pointed out, Cătălin Tohăneanu.
I will briefly describe some details from the remarkable activity of the nominated, an activity that, in all cases, has an impact at European level, as well as some quotes from their speeches. What is worth remembering is that all the 7 laureates, beyond the constant work in their own field, their vocation and devotion, practical intelligence, have shown a refined national spirit, sensitivity to recognition and a very rare modesty. We have been confirmed once again that big people are truly modest and possess a high -price authenticity.
In the category exact sciences The physicist Anton Airina, from Iasi, for works in the science of polymers were nominated; The astrophysicist Mirel Birlan, from the Institute of Astronomy, for results in the field of spectroscopy and the dynamics of asteroids and comets; and mathematician Lucian Beznea, who received the G. Moisil prize for works published in 2024 in the field of Markov processes and Dirichlet problems. I invite you to look for the CV of each laureate-you will be impressed by their research activity and the impact of the results obtained.
The teacher Dragoș Axinte, From the University of Nottingham (UK), he received the award for his contributions in the field of special robots. He confessed to us that he has been living in the United Kingdom for 25 years, he worked in Italy and Denmark in two research projects financed by NATO, and is originally from Galați. Coordinated Over 50 doctoral theses, patented over 70 inventions (many in collaboration with Rolls-Royce) and has published over 200 items scientists. He thanked the family – wife and daughter – for support, physics and mathematics teachers from the National College “Vasile Alecsandri” in Galați and teachers at the University of Galati.
25 years old I was named Dragoș in the United Kingdom, and now I am called Professor Axinte, which makes me reflect on the road. It was a long road mainly stimulated by curiosity.
Also in the field of applied sciences were nominated Professor Lucian Bușoniu, from Cluj, for contributions in the field of artificial intelligence with applications in optimistic and robotic planning, and Professor Liviu Marșavina, from Timisoara, for the results obtained in characterizing the mechanical behavior of cell materials.
The prize for Medicine was handed to Professor Simona Olimpia Dima For the development of genomic research in Romania – A large project.
“It is the most important strategic project, because it represents an investment in the future of medical research. It brings together over 640 Romanian researchers and a consortium of 20 partners. We will generate a lot of data that will be the basis of studies of medical genetics, oncology, pharmacogenomic. We will sequence the genome for 5,000 presumptively healthy people – for the first time in Romania. We will create all the premises for precision medicine: prevention, diagnosis and treatment of patients will be personalized, we will see what genetic profile the patient has and we will treat. “
(Prof. Simona Dima)“And maybe, in the future, we will be able to abolish the surgery: not to operate, but to treat by gene therapy. ” (Prof. Viorel Jinga)
The “Eugeniu Carada” award for the economy was given to Professor Ionuț Purică for the work on climate change, published at Elsevier Publishing House (2024). Valentin Lazea, chief economist of the National Bank of Romania were also nominated, for a work published at Cambridge Scholars Publishing, and Alexandra-Claudia Grosu, in Iași, for the volume “Sustainability of the public debt of the European Union”, Economic Publishing House (2024).
We must get out of the concept of struggle against the climatic changes produced by man because it means a syllogism, we fight against ourselves, using the basic quality of humanity: the creative intelligence that will generate technologies and which into a sustainable development transforms today's waste in the resources of future generations constituting a circular economy. (Prof. Ionut Purică)
The largest and perhaps the most exciting speech of the evening was supported by the minister Cătălin Predoiu, which gave the audience a true lesson of authentic modesty and deep generosity.
During his term, in 2024, Romania finally managed to adhere to the Schengen space – a major national objective, reached 12 years after all the necessary technical criteria. The symbolic coincidence of this moment with the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Schengen space gives Romania's accession, strengthening both the European status of the country and the cohesion of the European project as a whole. It was, as the minister emphasized, a matter of internal policy, essentially related to the management of migration, and the success was the result of a sustained collective work.
His speech was noted not only by the depth of the content, but especially by his homage: instead of focusing on his own contribution, Mr. Predoiu brought to the fore the team with which he worked. He evoked the personal and family sacrifice, but especially the collective dedication of his collaborators in the ministry – Mrs. Beatrice Drăghiciu, Mr. Necula, Despescu and Stoica – as well as the undeniable merits of the Border Police, the Gendarmerie and the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police.
He had a public appreciation for the constant support of the officers of the Protection and Guard Service, of the Aghiotants and Drivers who accompanied him over an intense period, marked by numerous trips-some night and lasting-in multiple capitals and European decision-making centers.
In the end, made a deep symbolic and ethical gesture: he announced that the prize worth 10,000 euros will be donated to border guards who were attacked and injured by a group of traffickers, emphasizing by this act the spirit of solidarity and gratitude towards those who wate, often in silence, to the safety and dignity of national borders.
Romania's ambassador to Kiev, Mr. Victor Micula, and the former ambassador in Paris, Luca Niculescu, were included in the list of nominations. In the opinion of Minister Predoiu, both could hold this prize in hand.
The “Spiru Haret” award for education was awarded to Professor Romiță Iucu. Professors Constantin Cucoș and Marius Turda were also nominated, both for two works published at Polirom Publishing House.
Prior to the award, Minister Daniel David was invited to hold a speech in which he noticed with a fine humor and an irony note of education:
“I was thinking about how humorous and irony can exist in a situation where education is presented after a Requiem … We say that we will have a knowledge-based society, because such a society gives us a longer, better, meaningful and meaningful life … The current problem is that science and education is under an extremely powerful attack, or some of the country, even from stupidity. ”
The “Brâncuși” Award for Art and Culture was given to conductor Cristian Măcelaru, for the album with symphonic works by George Enescu, registered with National de France orchesti and released in April 2024 in Paris. Teachers Mircea Mihăieș and Lucian Dinicică were also nominated in the same category.
I believe that any Romanian present that evening at the Romanian Athenaeum would have learned to appreciate the Romanian academic research, to respect the work of the teachers and the devotion of our diplomats. I hope this article will also be read by the parliamentarian Claudiu Năsui, who erroneously and unfairly criticized, the research institutes in Romania and those of the Romanian Academy. Knowing the activity of these special personalities who dedicate a large part of their research life, you can only stand up and express your appreciation-as the Athenaeum Hall did, applauding each laureate.
Congratulations Great National Lodge in Romania and Lord Cătălin Tohăneanu and Remus Borza for impeccable organization, for an evening of glory, for a soul celebration. Romania fully deserves this consideration.
