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.
Interdisciplinary Lectures in Bucharest and Brașov
Professor Irene Chan, currently a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Arts and Design in Cluj-Napoca, was a guest lecturer during Fulbright Researcher Raluca Alexandrescu’s three-day workshop series titled “Innovation Through an Interdisciplinary Lens” at the Romanian-American University in Bucharest. On the initial day, Irene demonstrated to the students three different book structures, each crafted from a single sheet of paper. Raluca addressed the class, discussing how imagination and entrepreneurship can emerge from simple beginnings. On the second day, the students reconvened and presented their innovative structures, which were developed from the foundational designs along with their personal concepts for filling the books. Subsequently, Irene delivered a lecture on her approach to utilizing innovation in storytelling within her visual arts practice. On the third day, Raluca taught the students ideation strategies for entrepreneurship.
Irene was then present in Brașov and guest-lectured on “Various Approaches to Visual Storytelling” at Transilvania University, an event organized by Fulbright Scholar Jennifer Gauthier. The students from the Department of Letters had the opportunity to see and hear Irene present diverse methods for narrating the stories of historical figures that have been neglected, in addition to sharing Irene’s own personal stories.