Romania took hold of my heart in 2015 and since then has consumed my mind and soul. As with any genuine commitment, my relationship with this beautiful, complex country has grown and deepened over time as I have learned of its many tragedies, as well as its many triumphs. I have surrendered myself to Romania. [...] As I continue my Romanian journey, I marvel over the resiliency and fortitude of the people. I am fortunate to have developed close relationships, familial in many ways, with many Romanians. And I am eternally grateful to have been granted a Fulbright and honored to become part of this amazing community.
Final meeting of the 2022-2023 U.S. Fulbrighters
On June 8 & 9, we had a wonderful final meeting with the 2022-2023 American Fulbright grantees in Romania, hosted by “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu.
The U.S. Fulbright Scholars, Student Researchers and ETAs, as well as their accompanying dependents, traveled to Sibiu from Baia-Mare, Brașov, Bucharest, Constanța, Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Galați, Iași, Oradea, Suceava, and Timișoara. The group was welcomed by Prof. Eva Burdușel, Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs, Research and International Relations at “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Dr. Ovidiu Matiu, Head of the Anglo-American and German Studies Department at “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, and Prof. Mircea Dumitru, the Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission.
The Fulbrighters presented on their main teaching and research activities, as well as an impressive number of academic, artistic and cultural projects & events in which they participated, such as conferences, exhibitions, public lectures, poetry readings, theatre festivals, and volunteering work. All in all, an absolutely impressive amount of good work and added experience for the U.S. participants in the program and invaluable benefits for their Romanian colleagues, students, and friends.
In the evening, U.S. Fulbrighter Zoë Aqua together with an all-Cluj group of musicians and special guests from the UK and Canada performed a Klezmer and Transylvanian music concert at the University’s Theater Studio of the Center of Advanced Research in Performing Arts. Zoë and the band performed songs from In Vald Arayn, her first solo album of original compositions, recorded with Eastern European musicians.
On the second day of the meeting, the group visited the ASTRA Museum of Folkloric Traditional Civilization. Spread over 96 hectares in Dumbrava Sibiului Natural Park, ASTRA is one of the largest open-air museums in Europe and has over 400 traditional houses, household annexes and technical installations from all over Romania, all celebrating the country’s traditional folklore and way of life.
A big THANK YOU to all the grantees for their work and enthusiasm, and to the representatives of “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu for their warm welcome!
More photos are available on the Commission’s Facebook page.