Dr. Margareta M. Thomson, an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at NC State University and currently a Fulbright Scholar at Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, started her outreach and research engagements with education faculty, K-12 teachers and educators in Romania.

Dr. Thomson has recently presented her research project at the 4th International Nonformal Education Conference (INEC) held on October 6-7, 2018 in Sancraiu de Mures, Romania. Additionally, she was one of the key-note speakers and a scientific board member for INEC.

This October the European Center for the Rights of Children with Disabilities (CEDCD) has launched the first Guide for the Implementation of the Right to Education for the Children with Disabilities in Romania (Rentrop & Straton Publishing House, Bucharest, 2018).

The book launch, held on October 11, was hosted by the National Institute for Magistrates and conducted by Madalina Turza, the author of the guide. Madalina is also President of CEDCD and a Hubert H. Humphrey Alumna, University of Minnesota. Designed as an intense active dialogue, the event addressed current important topics such as the discrimination in education affecting children with disabilities, landmarks concerning the implementation of the rights to inclusive education for children with disabilities in Romania, and the access to education of children and young people with disabilities in the special protection system.

We congratulate Madalina on the excellent achievement in this field facing numerous challenges and wish her and CEDCD many more achievements in safeguarding the rights of children with disabilities in Romania. Last but not least, we would like to signal the presence at the event of Georgiana Pascu, an active human rights supporter, in her quality of Project Manager within the Center of Juridical Resources/CRJ, and a Hubert Humphrey Alumna at the American University, Washington DC.

Professor Paula Zimbrean, Yale University, currently a Fulbright Scholar at Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj, participated in the National Symposium on Psychosomatic Medicine organised at Transilvania University in Brasov, October 5-6, 2018. Professor Zimbrean presented to an academic public a study on Mental Health Issues of Chronic Renal Failure Patients.

The beginning of every new academic year in Romania coincides with the arrival of the new group of American Scholars, Researchers and ETA Student grantees. In their honor, the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission organizes every October the Orientation Seminar aimed at introducing them to the new environment and helping them adapt, meeting each other and Romanian academics, colleagues and alumni of the program. The current group of American Fulbright grantees consists of professors and students who teach and do research in the fields of American Studies, Public Administration, Engineering, Social Sciences & Social Work, Law, Public Health & Medical Sciences, Business Administration, Geology, American Studies, Theater, Physics, Political Science and English Teaching Assistantships at universities and institutions in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Brasov, Constanta, Timisoara, Suceava, Bacau, Arad, Sibiu and Galati.

After the official part of the program on October 3, attended by U.S. and Romanian high officials, the U.S. grantees participated in this year’s edition of the biennial RAAS – Fulbright Conference entitled "Ideology, Identity, and the US: Crossroads, Freeways, Collisions", October 4-6, 2018. The Conference program included the Fulbright Roundtable titled "Sharing the Fulbright Experience".

More photos are available on the Commission's Facebook page.