Professor of the Month - February

Alina Beatrice Cheșcă is an Associate Professor PhD at “Danubius” University of Galaţi, tenured at the Faculty of Communication and International Relations and teaches English at almost all faculties and specializations within the university. She is also a translator and interpreter for the Media Department within  ”Danubius” University.

Alina has a PhD in Philological Sciences (with the distinction Summa cum laude), degree obtained in December 2008, at “Ovidius” University of Constanţa, with a thesis on psychoanalytic literary criticism.

She published 7 poetry books, won 6 prizes at national poetry competitions, she is a contributing editor of several culture magazines, she published poetry in numerous literary magazines in the country and abroad, she is present in 16 poetry anthologies and books of literary criticism and translated 7 poetry books into English.

Alina says that she has always considered that the teacher's mission is to be a light in the world, to offer the young generations not only information, but also to open paths to spirituality, to teach them the love for knowledge and everything that shapes them as human beings. She strongly believes that the teacher should be, besides parents, the first role model for a child. This is how it happened to her and maybe that is why she has wanted to be a teacher ever since she was little.

She has been a member of ”Danubius” community since 1997 and has had the great joy and honor of meeting all generations of scholars. Her colleagues have always been her second family, some of them becoming true friends for her. Alina also tells us that, in ”Danubius” family, there has always been not only collegiality and collaboration, but friendship, appreciation and inspiration.

The relationship between Alina and her students is a special one, based on human warmth, respect, inspiration and valorization. She believes that a problem of Romanian education (and not only) is that it offers a lot of information, but less knowledge. "In this confusing world, with so many social, political and economic problems, young people must be taught how to be wise, to have a strong heart, they must be taught how to overcome the life’s hardships with inner balance, without losing their morality, their path and meaning. That is why I believe that we, teachers, must stand by them as partners of spiritual evolution, not only of intellectual one."

The areas of interest for Associate Professor Alina Beatrice Cheșcă, PhD are: literature, cultural studies, oriental culture and civilization, imagology, ESP (English for specific purposes).

In her 24 -year academic career, she has participated in about 50 national and international conferences (in Europe and Asia), published numerous courses and specialized articles, she was the leader of the Romanian team in two projects initiated within “Youth in Action” international program, she was a tutor and training expert in POSDRU and POCU projects.

Between October 2009 and December 2010, she was the producer and presenter of the education and culture talk show "Learning in Europe", broadcast on TV Galaţi, a show where she had as guests professors from ”Danubius” University.

Moreover, she is also a member of the scientific and editorial boards of several scientific journals, but also an editor of Lyvre de Lyon International Publishing House.

"All these experiences have shaped me, inspired me, raised me up, made me happy... I confess that going to international conferences and projects is one of the biggest pleasures of my life. I love combining travel with study, with reading, with intellectual satisfaction!”

About the projects she is working on, Mrs. Alina Beatrice Cheșcă is telling us: "Some time ago I started working on a monograph on my great love - the greatest mystical poet of all time, Rumi Mawlana."

I also continue my work as a poetry translator. I have just finished translating into English a poetry book written by a well-known and appreciated poet from Bucharest. I will also have a book of postmodernist texts published, that I wrote in collaboration with 2 poetesses and friends.

Some time ago, Alina was invited as a keynote speaker at an international conference in Izmir, where she presented a paper on cultural studies.

Alina Beatrice Cheșcă confesses to us about the way she is as a human being: “Ever since childhood I have been extremely empathetic to the sufferings and joys of my fellow human beings. I have the ability to listen to them and understand them, I am a true friend, I have an enormous compassion for people, animals and, generally, for the nature so sorely hit by those who should love and respect it. I love culture, I am creative and, I hope, wise.

I trully wish that our Danubian community could always remain a real family, with genuine friendship relationships and an inspiring environment for an  ongoing intellectual and spiritual growth for both scholars and students.”