Between 8th and 10th of July 2010, BSCSIF participated, in the international conference and workshop on “21st Century Higher Education, Leadership, Innovation and Human Capital Development – Euro-Atlantic, Black Sea and Caspian Sea Area Studies”, held in Bucharest, ROMANIA.
Bucharest hosted the international conference dedicated to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea area studies, on July 8-10, 2010, organized by George Washington University (USA) in cooperation with the Executive Agency for Higher Education and Research Funding (Romania).
Representatives of civil society and academics from Romania, Republic of Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Italy, France and USA were invited to this event which is a part of a project co-financed through European Social Fund by Regional Operational Program Human Resources Development 2007-2013.
Prof. Eliot Sorel from School of Medicine and School of Public Health, George Washington University, and Prof. Adrian Curaj, international and national project coordinator from the Executive Agency for Higher Education and Research Funding, Romania, chaired the debates. Mr. Iulian Fota, the BSCSIF president, delivered a speech during the opening session, underlining the importance of such an initiative in the region and the interest of our organization to bring a substantial contribution to this extended project.
Natalia Ciobanu, Luiza Popa and young people who collaborate with BSCSIF on projects took part at this event on behalf of our organization.
The participants made presentations of their institutions and main projects which they intend to develop in the future.
The discussions pointed out the fact that the Black Sea and Caspian Sea region has an abundant diversity of cultures and traditions, natural and human resources, as well as one of the main energy sources and corridors of energy transport to the European Union, USA, and to Asia’s new emerging economic powers.
Given the fact that knowledge of the dynamic Black Sea and Caspian Sea region is limited in the EU and the United States, both in professional and political circles, and especially among general public, the Black Sea & Caspian Sea Area Studies multidisciplinary project, initiated by a group of European, American, Black Sea and Caspian Sea public/private universities partners, will stimulate knowledge of generation, innovation, research and human capital development.