Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

Alexandru Ioan Cuza University
Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza
Established	1860
Type	Public
Endowment	US $ 120 million[1]
Rector	Vasile Ișan
Academic staff	838
Students	38,140[2]
Undergraduates	27,601
Postgraduates	10,539
Location	Iași, Romania
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	Universitaria Consortium Coimbra Group Utrecht Network EUA IAU AUF RUFAC
Website	http://www.uaic.ro/

The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (Romanian: Universitatea "Alexandru Ioan Cuza") is a public university located in Iaşi, Romania. The University of Iaşi, as it was named at first, is the oldest higher education institution in Romania, founded one year after the establishment of the Romanian state, by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, under whom the former Academia Mihăileană was converted to a university.

Its coat of arms with the Y shaped heraldic crotch simbolizes the three initiatives which led to the foundation of the University: the Trei Ierarhi Collegium, the Academia Mihăileană, the University of Iași. The central element is the Bible, the classic emblem of higher education. The three shiny stars stand for the three faculties of the University at its foundation moment, Philosophy, Law and Theology, on blue and argent background, the same colors used on the Cuza family shield.

In 2008, for the third year in a row, the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University was placed first in the national research ranking compiled on the basis of Shanghai criteria.^[2][3] The University is a member of some of the most important university networks and associations: the Coimbra Group (CG), Utrecht Network, European University Association (EUA), International Association of Universities (IAU), University Agency of Francophony (AUF), the Network of Francophone Universities (RUFAC) and also of the Universitaria Consortium (the group of elite Romanian universities).

History

The University Square

Iași has a long tradition in higher education, the first institute that functioned on the territory of Romania was Academia Vasiliană founded in 1640 by the Moldavian Prince Vasile Lupu,^[4] followed, in 1707, by Princely Academy of Iaşi. The Princely Academy (renamed, in 1812, The Academy of Filology and Science) matched up to the standards of the other European Academies of the time and the Romanian language gained importance over the Greek language.

The foundation, in 1835, of the Academia Mihăileană is considered a landmark in the history of Romanian higher education. The Academia Mihăileană was created under the auspices of Prince Mihail Sturdza (hence its name), striving for progress and for “meeting the standards of the enlightened Europe”. Three faculties were set up: the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Theology and the curriculum resembled to a great extent that of Austrian and German academies.

After Unification of the Romanian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia by the Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the inauguration, at 26th October 1860, of the University of Iași, the first Romanian modern university, was to be a stepping stone to modern higher education in Romania.

Grounds

The Hall of the Lost Footsteps

The university grounds lie on Copou Hill in the northern part of the city.

The main university building was built between 1893 and 1897 on the site of the Iaşi National Theater which had burned down. The Hall of the University, known as The Hall of the Lost Footsteps, served as a parliamentary debating chamber between 1917 and 1918 when, during the Great War, Iaşi was the capital of Romania. In 1967, the painter Sabin Bălaşa started creating a series of strongly romanticized frescoes for the arcades.

Academics

Today the university is made up of 15 faculties (History, School of Law, School of Business and Administration, Philosophy, Letters, Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, School of Pedagogy, Geography, Orthodox Theology, Catholic Theology, and Sport) with more than 38,000 students.

Library

Founded in 1835 as Library of the Academia Mihăileană, Mihai Eminescu Central University Library of Iaşi holds about 2.5 million volumes that form the main collection and an old and rare collection, from the 15th to the 19th centuries, of over 100,000 Romanian and foreign documents, manuscripts, books, albums, maps, stamps, archive items.

The building that houses the main collection is located at the base of Copou Hill, and it was built between 1930 and 1935 to serve as the headquarters of King Ferdinand's Cultural Foundation. The triangular building with Doric columns and cupola is decorated with Carrara marble and Venetian mosaics. By 1945, the Foundation library had become one of the biggest in the country. Today, the library is the largest in Moldavia, with a great number of manuscripts and old books.

Research

Alexandru Ioan Cuza University is involved in over 400 national and international research projects, with the logistic support of 24 research centres.

Gallery

• 

  The Main Building (Corp A) of the Al.I.Cuza University

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  Building A, front view

• 

  Front side view

• 

  Patria Labor Fides

• 

  Evening at the University

• 

  Al.I.Cuza University, building B

• 

  Building B, front view

• 

  Building C, Faculty of Computer Science

• 

  Al.I.Cuza University, building D

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  The Mihai Eminescu Central University Library

Notable faculty and alumni

Notable past and present faculty

• Petre Andrei
• Vasile Arvinte
• Viorel Barbu
• Simion Bărnuţiu
• Traian Bratu
• Dimitrie Brândză
• Ioan Cantacuzino
• A. C. Cuza
• Nicolae Daşcovici
• Emil Dumea
• Tahsin Gemil
• Dimitrie Gusti
• Dragomir Hurmuzescu
• Iorgu Iordan
• Nicolae Iorga
• Gheorghe Ivănescu
• Titu Maiorescu
• Grigore Moisil
• Dumitru Oprea
• Constantin Ion Parhon
• Ion Petrovici
• Alexandru Philippide
• Luca Piţu
• Alexandru-Florin Platon
• Dimitrie Pompeiu
• Constantin Stere
• Simion Stoilow
• Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu
• Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol
• Alexandru Zub

Notable alumni

• Sorin Antohi
• Teoctist Arăpaşu
• Corneliu Zelea Codreanu
• Gabriela Creţu
• Benjamin Fondane
• Dimitrie Gusti
• Horia Hulubei
• Nicolae Iorga
• Traian Lalescu
• Nicolae Malaxa
• Cristian Mungiu
• Gheorghe Nichita
• Alina Mungiu-Pippidi
• George Pruteanu
• Isaac Jacob Schoenberg
• Marin Sorescu
• Constantin Stere
• Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu
• Gheorghe Vrânceanu
• Alexandru Zub

See also

• Academia Mihăileană
• List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)

References

1. ^ http://www.ziaruldeiasi.ro/local/universitatea-cuza-va-avea-in-2007-un-buget-egal-cu-cel-al-orasului~ni470a Buget] (Romanian)
2. ^ ^{a b} Presentation
3. ^ Ad-Astra Project
4. ^ History of education in Romania

External links

• "Al. I. Cuza" University of Iaşi Website
• Utrecht Network