Celebrating Success: The 2nd Edition of the REC Program Concludes

As the second edition of the REC Program officially comes to a close, the Romanian-American University (RAU), together with the “Angela Hondru” Romanian-Japanese Studies Center (CSRJ-AH), the program’s main partner in Romania, proudly reflects on another impactful and memorable edition.

Heartfelt congratulations to the visionaries and organizers who made this journey possible: Akane Mizuno (Maruyama), Chisato Tateno, the Embassy of Romania in Japan, H.E. Ambassador Ovidiu Raețchi, and Mr. Șerban Georgescu, Director of the Department of Asian Studies at RAU.

Meaningful Encounters & Academic Bridges

While the program showcased Romania’s beautiful sights, its true essence lay in the extraordinary connections forged across academia, diplomacy, administration, and culture:

• Higher Education: Essential dialogue took place with leaders such as Prof. PhD Costel Negricea, Rector of the Romanian-American University, and Prof. PhD Florin Drăgan, Rector of the Polytechnic University of Timișoara.

• Diplomacy & Public Administration: Deepening bilateral ties through engagements with H.E. Ambassador Takashi Katae, Embassy of Japan in Romania, Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, and Paula-Ana Romocean, Vice-Mayor of Timișoara.

• Business & Innovation: Industry perspectives shared by Mr. Mihai Drăghici, Brand Campaign Manager, Bitdefender, and Mr. Radu Magdin, CEO, Smartlink Communications.

• Culture & Arts: Inspiring exchanges with Mr. Vlad Drăgulescu, Artistic Director of the National Theater in Craiova, artist Alexandra Baranyi, and a memorable meeting with Prof. PhD. Camelia Nakagawara at the Japanese Garden.

Student Engagement at the Core

The heartbeat of the REC Program was the vibrant interaction between visiting Japanese students and Romania’s bright young minds, notably the dedicated CSRJ-AH (RAU) volunteers and the talented SoftHoarders robotics team from ”Frații Buzești” National College in Craiova.

Expressing Our Gratitude

This achievement would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors and partners for the 2026 edition:

Sponsors and Partners: Takeda • JUJI • Free Spirit Travel and Japan By Myself • Vilt Industries • Pescariu Sports and Spa & Mr. Matei Georgescu • Romanian Parliament • Cluj-Napoca City Hall (special thanks to Ms. Emilia Botezan) • Timișoara City Hall (special thanks to Ms. Anca Dobai and Ms. Diana Donawell) • Mr. Counselor Hiroshi Kudo (Embassy of Japan in Romania) • Bitdefender (special thanks to Mr. Ciprian Istrate, Senior Vice President) • Clubul Sportiv SamSho (special thanks to Mr. Florin Ianăș sensei) • The Gallery • Oyabun Japanese Fine Dining • National Theater Craiova & Craiova International Shakespeare Festival • SoftHoarders • Mr. Horațiu Buzatu • Politehnica University Timișoara (special thanks to Director Claudiu Albulescu) • Education Cluster Association • Issa Resort • WENS Travel • Romania-Japan Cooperation Center • Nobori Japanese Restaurant • NTT Data • Shinro Abroad • Trident GMC • Buongiorno Italian Victoriei • Ms. Andreea Mihaela Teodorescu • National Museum of Art of Romania.

We express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to building lasting bridges between Romania and Japan!