The visit began with an institutional meeting with Frédérique Berrod, President of the University; Birte Wassenberg, Vice President for Europe and International Relations; and Irina Simion, Director of International Relations. It continued with discussions with the Faculty of Languages, in the presence of Susanne Marten, Vice Dean, and Ana-Maria Gîrleanu, Associate Professor of Romanian Language and Literature. Finally, the day concluded with discussions with students and researchers.
Discussions focused on the richness of existing cooperation between the University of Strasbourg and Romanian universities, both in terms of education and research. They also highlighted Romania’s deep commitment to the Francophonie, as well as the shared desire to identify strategic themes to further strengthen and structure the partnership.
On this occasion, the Ambassador recalled the strength of the historical ties uniting France and Romania, particularly in the fields of higher education and research. She specifically cited emblematic events, such as the awarding of the first doctorate to Samirza Bilcescu, the first Romanian national to earn a doctorate in law at the Sorbonne, illustrating the depth and long-standing nature of these academic relations.