The Danube Rectors’ Conference held its 2025 Annual Conference at the University of Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing together university leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in contemporary education systems. One of the key participants was Prof. univ. dr. psych. Daniel David, DRC President, who attended the event in his new role as Romania’s Minister of Education and Research.

In his keynote, Minister Daniel David underlined the importance of the knowledge-based society and the challenges it faces, including risks posed by pseudoscience. He also reiterated Romania’s strategic involvement in Danubius-ERIC, one of Europe’s major research infrastructures dedicated to the Danube macro-region. He emphasized that artificial intelligence is here to stay, and universities must actively participate in this technological revolution. He also underlined that prioritizing human safety, efficiency, social acceptability, and ethical standards are crucial in this rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Minister Daniel David steps back from his DRC role due to his ministerial appointment. Upon his proposal for the new Presidency, the General Assembly voted on the leadership transition. Prof. Stefan Koch, Rector of the University of Linz, will assume the Presidency of the DRC from January 2026 and prof. Marilen Pirtea, Rector of the West University of Timișoara, and Prof. Dr. Ivo Čolak, Rector of the University of Mostar will join the leadership team as Vice-Presidents. 

Later during the conference, Professor David also took part in the Danubius Awards 2025 Ceremony, co-organized with the Austrian Ministry of Science and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM). 

The DRC Secretariat hereby would like to thank for the engagement and efforts of the outgoing Presidency!

For more information about Daniel David's role, please visit the Romanian Ministry of Education website.

This year's DRC Summer School on Regional Cooperation took place in Vienna, Austria under the theme"Navigating the Future of EU Enlargement". The event was hosted by the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM). The event brought together participants for a dynamic week of expert talks, interactive workshops, and engaging group discussions. In addition to meeting distinguished guests, participants had the opportunity to present their own research and exchange ideas on the future of Europe.

Find out more about key moments and topics here

The DRC wishes to congratulate  Rector Ivanka Popović, who was reelected as the member of the European University Association board. The ceremony took place on the 10th of April 2025. Her term spreads over 2025-2029. She is also currently acting Honorary President of the Danube Rectors Conference. 

The European University Association (EUA) is the representative organisation for universities in 48 European countries, bringing together more than 850 institutions. The EUA plays a major role in the Bologna Process and in the definition of the European Union's policies on higher education, research and innovation.

Professor Ivanka Popović has served as Rector of the University of Belgrade. She is Honorary President of the Danube Rectors’ Conference and former President of both the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans and the Serbian Rectors’ Conference. 

You can find more information on Rector Ivanka Popović here.

DRC Honorary President, Ivanka Popovic discusses the remarkable resilience of Ukraine's higher education and research sector amid extreme circumstances on the EUA webpage, highlighting the dedication of its staff. She emphasizes the critical importance of preserving and nurturing this invaluable resource – Ukraine's people – with increased European support for the future of the country.

For more details, read the full article here.

Following the elections of the new presidency during the DRC General Assembly on 14 November 2024, we gladly announce the new DRC Presidency for the period 2025-2026. 

Beginning with 1 January 2025, Dr. Daniel David, Rector of the Babeş-Bolyai University, takes over the position of DRC President. The role of the new Vice-Presidents will be assumed by Prof. Nermina Hadžigrahić, Rector of the University of Tuzla, and Rector Dr. Stefan Koch, Rector of the Johannes Kepler University Linz. 

We would like to congratulate the newly elected Presidency and are looking forward to the cooperation during the upcoming two years. We are confident the members of the new Presidency will continue DRC’s mission to strengthen the ties among its members and through the continuation of various initiatives to further increase DRC‘s presence in the Danube Region and beyond. 

The Danube Rector's Conference met the DRC representatives of all its member universities for the DRC Annual Conference 2023, from 19 to 20 October 2023, at the West University of Timișoara in Romania. This year, the discussions of the conference focused on the current and future developments of higher education in the EU and especially in the Danube Region. The main topic was 'Forty years of overcoming academic divisions: importance of higher education for democracy and culture"' as the DRC celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was an opportunity for DRC members to celebrate and connect with experts and scholars from the Danube Region.

The 2023 Annual Meeting of the Danube Rectors' Conference was hosted at the West University of Timisoara, Romania, from October 19 to 20, 2023. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Danube Rectors’ Conference in 1983, the DRC Permanent Secretariat presented the 40th DRC Anniversary Publication.

The Danube Rectors’ Conference held its 2025 Annual Conference at the University of Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing together university leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in contemporary education systems. One of the key participants was Prof. univ. dr. psych. Daniel David, DRC President, who attended the event in his new role as Romania’s Minister of Education and Research.

In his keynote, Minister Daniel David underlined the importance of the knowledge-based society and the challenges it faces, including risks posed by pseudoscience. He also reiterated Romania’s strategic involvement in Danubius-ERIC, one of Europe’s major research infrastructures dedicated to the Danube macro-region. He emphasized that artificial intelligence is here to stay, and universities must actively participate in this technological revolution. He also underlined that prioritizing human safety, efficiency, social acceptability, and ethical standards are crucial in this rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Minister Daniel David steps back from his DRC role due to his ministerial appointment. Upon his proposal for the new Presidency, the General Assembly voted on the leadership transition. Prof. Stefan Koch, Rector of the University of Linz, will assume the Presidency of the DRC from January 2026 and prof. Marilen Pirtea, Rector of the West University of Timișoara, and Prof. Dr. Ivo Čolak, Rector of the University of Mostar will join the leadership team as Vice-Presidents. 

Later during the conference, Professor David also took part in the Danubius Awards 2025 Ceremony, co-organized with the Austrian Ministry of Science and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM). 

The DRC Secretariat hereby would like to thank for the engagement and efforts of the outgoing Presidency!

For more information about Daniel David's role, please visit the Romanian Ministry of Education website.

This year's DRC Summer School on Regional Cooperation took place in Vienna, Austria under the theme"Navigating the Future of EU Enlargement". The event was hosted by the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM). The event brought together participants for a dynamic week of expert talks, interactive workshops, and engaging group discussions. In addition to meeting distinguished guests, participants had the opportunity to present their own research and exchange ideas on the future of Europe.

Find out more about key moments and topics here

The DRC wishes to congratulate  Rector Ivanka Popović, who was reelected as the member of the European University Association board. The ceremony took place on the 10th of April 2025. Her term spreads over 2025-2029. She is also currently acting Honorary President of the Danube Rectors Conference. 

The European University Association (EUA) is the representative organisation for universities in 48 European countries, bringing together more than 850 institutions. The EUA plays a major role in the Bologna Process and in the definition of the European Union's policies on higher education, research and innovation.

Professor Ivanka Popović has served as Rector of the University of Belgrade. She is Honorary President of the Danube Rectors’ Conference and former President of both the Rectors’ Forum of Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans and the Serbian Rectors’ Conference. 

You can find more information on Rector Ivanka Popović here.

DRC Honorary President, Ivanka Popovic discusses the remarkable resilience of Ukraine's higher education and research sector amid extreme circumstances on the EUA webpage, highlighting the dedication of its staff. She emphasizes the critical importance of preserving and nurturing this invaluable resource – Ukraine's people – with increased European support for the future of the country.

For more details, read the full article here.

Following the elections of the new presidency during the DRC General Assembly on 14 November 2024, we gladly announce the new DRC Presidency for the period 2025-2026. 

Beginning with 1 January 2025, Dr. Daniel David, Rector of the Babeş-Bolyai University, takes over the position of DRC President. The role of the new Vice-Presidents will be assumed by Prof. Nermina Hadžigrahić, Rector of the University of Tuzla, and Rector Dr. Stefan Koch, Rector of the Johannes Kepler University Linz. 

We would like to congratulate the newly elected Presidency and are looking forward to the cooperation during the upcoming two years. We are confident the members of the new Presidency will continue DRC’s mission to strengthen the ties among its members and through the continuation of various initiatives to further increase DRC‘s presence in the Danube Region and beyond. 

The Danube Rector's Conference met the DRC representatives of all its member universities for the DRC Annual Conference 2023, from 19 to 20 October 2023, at the West University of Timișoara in Romania. This year, the discussions of the conference focused on the current and future developments of higher education in the EU and especially in the Danube Region. The main topic was 'Forty years of overcoming academic divisions: importance of higher education for democracy and culture"' as the DRC celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was an opportunity for DRC members to celebrate and connect with experts and scholars from the Danube Region.

The 2023 Annual Meeting of the Danube Rectors' Conference was hosted at the West University of Timisoara, Romania, from October 19 to 20, 2023. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Danube Rectors’ Conference in 1983, the DRC Permanent Secretariat presented the 40th DRC Anniversary Publication.