The new academic year, students, invited to respect the law

Students have entered the new academic year with the same baggage of hopes and high expectations. Authorities once again had "bouquets" of encouragement and promises. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Cătălin Predoiu, conveyed to the students on the occasion of the beginning of the academic year that respect for the law and for fellow human beings are values that define a just and prosperous society: "This is the moment when our young people, you, the students, have the opportunity to develop not only your knowledge but also your character. Serious education, ethics, and responsibility are fundamental principles that we must promote and cultivate within ourselves. Respect for the law and for fellow human beings are values that define a just and prosperous society. I strongly encourage each of you to be an active part of the community, to get involved in social projects, and to take responsibility for the common good." According to Predoiu, the prosperity and freedom of a nation depend significantly on the quality of education, and higher education is the pinnacle of the entire education system, the domain of excellence and performance: "I hope that all those who are stepping into university for the first time today or continuing their studies, their teachers, and their mentors will gain an awareness of the crucial importance that education holds for their careers and for society as a whole. The present is full of challenges; the world is undergoing rapid and profound changes on multiple fronts, and education plays a fundamental role in finding solutions and ensuring a better future. This mission obliges twice as much, not only in technical-professional terms but also in ethical and moral terms because those who ensure the enforcement of the law must be impeccable in their professional and moral conduct. The law cannot be correctly applied and will not earn the due respect of others if those who apply it do so incorrectly or, even worse, violate it." According to him, this year, a series of reforms are being launched in the Ministry of Internal Affairs structures to address the most urgent problems and vulnerabilities: "One such measure is the militarization of the Police Academy, which will contribute to increasing discipline and accountability among students, educating them with severity and rigor to become professionals of tomorrow's system. The entire Ministry of Internal Affairs system needs to undergo analysis and modernization to adapt to the challenges of a society that has changed significantly in recent years, and these changes will continue rapidly, both in technological terms and in terms of mentalities, behaviors, and challenges to legality. This objective can only be achieved under conditions of complete integrity and correctness in the education, evaluation, and promotion process, for which the teaching staff and the leadership of the Academy are responsible. I have confidence that these challenges and objectives will be properly addressed and embraced by the students, teachers, and leadership of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza Police Academy."

The Deputy Secretary-General of NATO, Mircea Geoană, conveyed to students at the Petroleum-Gas University (UPG) Ploieşti that, at this moment, the security of our country is ensured by the most powerful alliance in the world, and they have the "necessary peace" to learn: "Let's talk a little about the current situation. As the rector also mentioned, we have no reason to worry in Romania; the security of our country is covered by the most powerful alliance in the world. You have the necessary peace to build, you have the necessary peace to learn. We all have the chance of a long historical period that Romania has never had. For the first time in the country's history, we have security covered by the most powerful alliance, but we will have decades to build predictably, to improve what doesn't work, to transform this country into what it can represent. The frustration that many of our fellow Romanians, both in the country and abroad, feel is that they believe this country has potential and that we are somehow playing below our league. You will unlock the potential of this nation. I rely on you, I am proud to be with you, and I hope that these words will be a bit of encouragement, confidence, and courage." Referring to the university's specificity, NATO's Deputy Secretary-General emphasized the importance of energy, especially in the current geopolitical context: "Energy has been and will remain an essential factor of the economy, society, and geopolitical competition, more fierce than ever. Dependence on Russian gas has made Europe vulnerable and blackmailed. This lesson will not only have to be recognized but also internalized and operationalized at the level of NATO member states and the European Union." He also mentioned that his first profession was as an engineer.

The State Secretary in the Ministry of National Defense for Relations with Parliament and the Quality of Life of Personnel, Eduard Bachide, participated in the opening ceremony of the new academic year at the "Ferdinand I" Military Technical Academy, on which occasion he urged students to remain "motivated and energetic and enthusiastic," emphasizing that the Romanian Army needs officer engineers with high professional competence in the fields they study.