Undeterred by the sudden political riots that engulfed several cities in Republic of Pakistan, Prof. Dr. Steve O. Michael, Rector and CEO of Danubius University, proceeded with the travel arrangements to meet with the higher education leaders in Islamabad from May 11-16, 2023.  The meeting with the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission of Republic of Pakistan was described as the first of its kind between Romania and Republic of Pakistan.  Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission, along with his senior officials including Prof. Dr. Arshad Ali, Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission, welcomed Rector Michael to the HEC office.  Rector Michael was accompanied by Georgeta Topciu and Stefan Vrabie of IDLC—Danubius Representative to Republic of Pakistan. 

Providing a brief history of the Commission, Prof. Ahmed stated that “a new and ambitious journey to comprehensively reform Higher Education in Republic of Pakistan started with the establishment of [the] Higher Education Commission (HEC) in 2002.” He noted that the mission of the Commission was to propel the engine and socio-economic development of the country.  The Commission serves as the executive arm of the government to coordinate and manage the affairs of the tertiary education.  The Commission overseas quality assurance, higher education policy, as well as funding under the leadership of the Chairman who operates almost like the minister of education. 

Professor Michael provided a brief history of Danubius University and the intention of the University to become a model of internationalized institution in Eastern Europe.  “With my extensive international background, I could afford to retire early from the US where I had my training and university leadership experience, to lead Danubius University at this time toward its global vision.”  Rector Michael further noted that his visit to Republic of Pakistan was to explore opportunities for collaboration with higher education institutions and leaders. 

“I am interested also in how countries organize their higher education systems and especially how they are responding to an increasingly globalized environment,” stated Rector Michael.  He said his travels across the globe provide opportunities for him to learn from higher education leaders.  Professor Ahmed noted that the higher education system in Republic of Pakistan is expanding rapidly. “For example, we have 59 universities with enrollment of 276,274 students in 2002 and by 2014-15, the number has increased to 178 with enrollment of 1.3 million,” said Professor Ahmed. 

The meeting ended with a pledge from Professor Ahmed to help Danubius connect with any university of interest in Republic of Pakistan. 

The Sustainability Conference, organized by the Association for Sustainable Fuels, in collaboration with Linde Gaz Romania, Libery Galați and the Danubius University, values local industries in regions of strategic interest and debates key elements for the modernization of economic activity in the guidelines of sustainable development and sustainability.

 The edition of the Conference in the region of  Galati, Brăila and Buzău is intended to highlight examples of pioneering - the production of green steel at Liberty and the production of hydrogen by electrolysis in the Linde Gaz Romania complex being the starting point for expanding the use of clean hydrogen in everything that means production, services and transport at local level.

"We particularly appreciate hosting events that generate new perspectives for students of the university environment. The debate is structured around an innovative theme, which with the promise of implementation will develop the region of Galați, Brăila and Buzău into a true model cluster in sustainable development. These result in new jobs, which will require new academic specializations, in order to be able to continue to innovate , to develop. We were motivated to respond to the call of the Association for Sustainable Fuels, in the idea of conceptually consolidating a region of strategic interest from an economic perspective, engaging the entire business environment and public decision-makers in a regional report, correlated with the other reports that come to draw up a national strategic plan of the sustainable economy. We want to continue the collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and with ACS to create this map of strategic investments for the continental corporate environment, as well as Romania's strategic partners," said Dr. Steve O. Michael, Rector & CEO, Danubius University and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andy Pușca, President of the Administrative Board, Danubius University.

The event had as its objective the coagulation of the common interest of the business environment and the public administration, in order to develop the concept of Hydrogen Valley. In the context in which the entire continental economy is developing around hydrogen as a critical component in the supply of industries and transports, ACS inventories the strategic alignment of the public and private environment, in order to study through the academic prism the needs of regions of strategic interest to dynamically contribute to the national economy, according to the requirements and rigors of economic partners.

At the beginning of May,  Dr. Andy Pusca, President of the Administrative Board had 2 working meetings at the University of Texas at Arlington and at Jarvis Christian University, Texas, on which occasion he met again with professors and managers from these two important higher education institutions. During these working meetings, various educational projects were proposed for Danubius students and faculties, research partnerships organized by the American universities, courses and trainings  for DU students, specialized trainings for faculties and administrative staff of our university, too.

The partnerships with the University of Texas at Arlington and Jarvis Christian University, Texas represent extremely important steps for Danubius University in its way to internationalization, but also for the educational policy initiated by the Rector and CEO of DU,  Dr. Steve O. Michael.

Dr. Andy Pusca expressed his confidence that these partnerships will bring important benefits to our university and stated: "Thank you, Jarvis Christian University, Texas, especially to the President and Provost, for the warm welcome and for the project ideas we discussed,  based on our partnership! Special greetings to Dr. Kenoye Eke, from Jarvis Christian University, Texas who was the facilitator and contact person at Jarvis Christian University, Texas and Dr. William Harvey and Dr. Steve O. Michael who lead the partnership from Danubius University. 

Thank you, dear friends from University of Texas at Arlington, for the wonderful meetings we have had, based on our partnership! We are especially grateful to our international advisor, dr. Gabriela Mustata Wilson, who is the soul of our collaboration and our advisor for student activities, Ioana Dumitrescu, tennis player and UTA and Psychology student. I am grateful to  Dr. William Harvey,  special advisor in Romanian-Americans Affairs, and Dr. Steve O. Michael, American Rector and CEO of our university who made all of this possible. 

It was a great pleasure for me to meet all our friends from UTA and  Jarvis Christian University, and to start working together for our future projects!"

The 2023 promotion of Danubius University invites you to participate in the Festive Course on July 1^st, at 6:00 p.m., in Amphitheater 1!

The graduates of all the schools and the college will gather in a common ceremony, to celebrate the student life lived within the Danubius University, together with the President and the Rector of the UDG, along with their professors and colleagues.

The event is organized by the Student Services Department, together with the MEDIA and Logistics Departments.