President Iohannis calls digitisation challenge, opportunity to overcome time, space barriers

Digitisation is a challenge and also an opportunity to overcome the barriers of time and space, President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday at the Conference of Ministers for Higher Education in Francophone Countries hosted by Parliament Palace in Bucharest. 

The president's message was read out by the presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor. 

"Collaboration among French universities must be anchored in the challenges of the contemporary world. Digitisation is such a challenge, but, at the same time, it is an unprecedented opportunity that allows us to overcome the barriers of time and space, that democratise the academe. Digitisation transforms the way in which universities operate and the very nature of education and research activities," reads the presidential message. 

According to Iohannis, in recent years Europe has become aware of the importance of these transformations and has begun to invest increasingly in the development of digital instruments, in facilitating collaboration among universities and under international research projects. 

"At the same time, it is clear that we have only to gain from consolidating partnerships with partners from all continents. The Francophone area, in the light of old cultural ties and shared values, is a natural direction to strengthen inter-university partnerships. Intensifying the efforts for the internationalisation of Romanian universities must take into account the Francophone area as a priority option for collaboration," Iohannis said. 

The event was designed to enhance co-operation in the field of education in the Francophone university space, the president's message shows. 

"I have extended my high aegis to the event to show Romania's attachment to the values and guidelines of the Francophonie once again, which aims to strengthen co-operation in the field of education in the Francophone university space. To Romanians, this is a historic co-operation. Underpinning today's Romania are also young people who have had the opportunity to study at prestigious Parisian universities and come back home with the innovative ideas that facilitated the emergence of the modern Romanian state. The first Romanian universities looked toward the Francophone area when they embarked on their educational mission, while the free circulation of ideas between Romania and the Francophone world led to the emergence of a very fruitful period of intellectual and cultural life in Romania."