In addition...

In addition, on the Foundation’s initiative the Black Sea Universities Network, linking more than 80 universities, was set up. The Black Sea University Foundation Blvd. Primaverii 50, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania Tel./Fax: 0040-1-222-4118 & 0040-1-222-7001, E- mail: bseau@rnc.ro or The Black Sea University Foundation, Casa Academiei Calea 13 Septembrie, Sector 5, Bucharest, Romania Tel./Fax: 0040-1-411-2601 2.2.

The UNESCO Prospective Chair Babes-Bolyai University and Black Sea University Foundation of Romania have set up since October 1999 a UNESCO Chair Program for education and research in “social prospective studies, integration of Central and East-European countries in the European Community, regional resource use and labour force employment, and education prospective”. Chaired by Prof. Dr.

Traian Rotariu , the Program aims to create a center of excellence in prospective studies and to establish a network of institutions involved in long-term futures studies in the Black Sea area and the developed countries. The Chair was created following a proposal submitted by the BSUF and approved by Federico Mayor in 1997. Since 1999 it is hosted by the Cluj-Napoca University, which has a European Studies Department.

During its two first years of existence the Chair had not met with a favourable environment at the Academy of Economic Studies from Bucharest where it had been initially located. The Chair’s teaching staff consists of three professors, three lecturers, one reader, three assistants and one researcher. They have a management headquarters equipped with computers, printers and xerox copiers and a library of more than 100 volumes and 300 specialty reviews.

The Chair was represented at the XVI WFSF World Conference at Bacolod, the Philippines, 5-8 December 1999 by Professor Traian Rotariu , when it adhered to WFSF. They started prospective research activities through the projects: “Romanian Teenagers and Axiologic Changes Associated to Globalization and Cultures” and “Romania’s Integration into the E.U. Attitudes, Expectations and Fears of the Population”.

Other activities planned for the year 2000 included: Setting up a Social Statistics School (organized by the Chair for Prospective Studies in cooperation with the Sociology Chair and the Chair of s, financed by the Foundation for an Open Society) for students of Social Sciences of the 3rd and 4th years, May 3-13, 2000.