Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca (UBB – https://www.ubbcluj.ro/ro/) is entering the 2024-2025 academic year as the largest, longest-standing, most complex and most successful academic community in Romania, according to international rankings, with significant European presence and international visibility.
- Community:Approximately 16,800 new undergraduate and master’s level students were selected during this year’s admissions, as well as around 400 new doctoral students – an overall increase from last year – bringing the academic community to about 55,000 people, with academic units in 15 locations in 12 counties. An estimated 750 international students have also applied at UBB (another increase over the previous year). In this context, the UBB rector, professor psych. Daniel David, PhD, stated that “as a public institution, UBB is fulfilling its national duty as an inclusive university. As a historic university, it is also committed to academic excellence thus assimilating the European model of ‘inclusive excellence’. In order to implement this model effectively, however, we are looking forward to a more substantial support from the authorities in terms of infrastructure (especially student accommodation) and academic funding!”
- History:To honour the beginnings of the university as Academia/Universitas Claudiopolitana (1581), a group of researchers led by academician Ioan Bucur, distinguished professor at UBB, gave the name “Claudiopolitana” to a new species of calcareous algae, a work recently published in Micropaleontology (vol.70, no. 5, from 2024). The UBB Rector, professor psych. Daniel David, PhD, explains: “Claudiopolis was the medieval name of the city of Cluj, probably derived from the Latinisation of the old German name of Klausenburg, which was associated with the academic institution in the city, the first university establishment in the current territory of the country. I am happy that UBB scholars have also emphasized this aspect in a version specifically linked to certain UBB scientific disciplines!”
- Complexity:UBB’s multicultural profile (with three official academic languages: Romanian/ Hungarian/ German) and multi-denominational profile (with four faculties of Christian theology, a complex institute of Jewish studies, along with institutes/centres where cultural aspects of the other major world religions are also studied) makes it the most complex European university in terms of this indicator, as pointed out by the European Commissioners visiting UBB. In addition, taking into account multiple academic levels, UBB is today a deeply comprehensive university, covering through the new science/academic schools (https://www.ubbcluj.ro/ro/facultati/) all major fields related to arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, life and biomedical (health) sciences, as well as engineering-technology. The UBB Rector, professor psych. Daniel David, PhD, pointed out that “maintaining UBB’s traditional academic fields and developing new areas of study in these fields (i.e. artificial intelligence, cognitive sciences) or in collaboration with them (i.e. the new music specialisation), whilst developing the engineering-technology component (by establishing a new engineering faculty and new degree programmes) and adding a biomedical component (https://ubbmed.ubbcluj.ro/) have been the benchmarks of my terms as Rector of UBB, which have shaped UBB into a comprehensive university modelled on international best practices.”
- Performance: UBB has been reconfirmed by the relevant ministry as the country’s first university in the 2024 metaranking, with the best positioning in the British (781-790 – QS) and American (755 – US News) rankings, ranking 14th in Eastern Europe. Right from its establishment, UBB has been one of Romania’s leading and most prestigious universities, and for the past nine years now it has been ranked first in the country in the University/National Metaranking, which summarizes the major international university rankings. UBB is a member of the GUILD(https://www.the-guild.eu/), an association of some of the most representative European world-class/research-intensive advanced research universities, and a member of the European university EUTOPIA (https://eutopia-university.eu/). Furthermore, UBB is actively involved in several organisations of international universities (EUA, S-Group, AUF, etc.), Danube Rector Conference (https://www.drc-danube.org/) being a strategic one if we consider the role the Danube plays in the ecosystem for our country and for Europe.
- In 2024, Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) celebrates the centenary of the first systematic archaeological researches of the “Dacian burgs” in the Orăștiei Mountains and of the Roman relics from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa. D. M. Teodorescu, professor of the newly founded Romanian University, carried out in 1924 a series of excavations at Grădiștea de Munte (Sarmizegetusa Regia) and at Costești-Cetățuie, and Constantin Daicoviciu – at Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa. For a century, their work continued, and the research carried out by archaeologists from Cluj, representatives of the Babeș-Bolyai University, the National Museum of Transylvanian History, the Institute of Archaeology and Art History played a decisive role in the discovery and protection of some of the most important relics of European antiquity: The Dacian fortresses of the Orăștiei Mountains (Grădiștea de Munte – Sarmizegetusa Regia, Costești-Cetățuie, Costești-Blidaru, Luncani – Piatra Roșie, Bănița, Căpâlna), respectively Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa. Due to the significant contribution of the University, the Dacian Fortresses were included, in 1999, on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 2024, the Dacian Limes of the Roman province of Dacia was officially declared a World Heritage Site. The UBB Rector, professor psych. Daniel David, PhD, emphasized that “UBB is the only university in Romania that is the academic coordinator of two archaeological sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which are of paramount importance for the history of Romanians and of the Eastern European region. Had these two archaeological sites and their related discoveries been the only academic contribution of UBB historically – Sarmizegetusa Regia and Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa – it would have been enough to justify its academic relevance for the country!”
The opening ceremony of the 2024-2025 academic year will be held on 30 September 2024, at 2.00 p.m., in the Aula Magna at UBB, with the following agenda:
- Singing the national anthem and the academic anthem (Gaudeamus Igitur)
- Address by the Rector of UBB, prof. psych. Daniel David, PhD
- Address of the students’ prefect
- Message of the major international organisations where UBB is a member (GUILD/EUTOPIA/DRC)
- Address by the special guest, the Paralympic gold medalist Mr. Alexandru Bologa (UBB graduate invited to the ceremony with his coach)
- Commemorative event (speech) – through the University Cultural Heritage Directorate of UBB, in collaboration with the National Museum of Transylvanian History, UBB will also organise a temporary exhibition with two components: indoor (in the premises of the UBB main building, in front of the Aula Magna) and outdoor (on the pedestrian area in front of the UBB main building), marking the 100th anniversary of the initiation of systematic archaeological researches of the “Dacian burgs” in the Orăștiei Mountains and of the Roman relics from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa.
- UBB Rector’s final thoughts
- Screening of the UBB movie
- Talks and Protocol Cocktail – Casa Universitarilor (UBB Pyramid)
Looking forward to Gaudeamus Igitur, let’s gear up for the new academic year at UBB by enjoying the fall in Cluj with De Juventute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpZZGIOQmyM.
Tradition and Excellence with Culture-Science-Innovation since 1581
Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca (UBB) is the university with the most complex academic profile in the country (by its number of programmes and multicultural profile featuring three official academic languages: Romanian, Hungarian, and German), and with the oldest academic tradition in Romania (established 443 years ago – 1581), accounting for the largest academic community in the country (with a staff of more than 55,000 people, from 15 cities and 12 counties). Since its foundation, UBB has counted among the top universities in Romania, and for the past seven years it has been ranked first in the country in the University Metaranking, which indexes all major international university rankings. For several years now, UBB has consistently ranked among the top 5% of the world’s universities (out of approximately 30,000), with an advanced academic infrastructure (e.g. RDI units integrated into European networks, up-to-date teaching laboratories integrating virtual/augmented/mixed reality through the UBB-EON-XR Centre, etc.). Recently (2021), following the international QS STAR audit, UBB was officially ranked as the first world-class university (QS*****) in Romania, and in 2020 UBB was included in the GUILD, the organisation of the most prestigious European world-class/research-intensive universities, it was awarded the European HR Award for Excellence, and as of 2021/2022 it is a member of the EUTOPIA alliance of European universities.
