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.

On October 19, 2023, the IDM, together with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, awarded exceptional scientists, whose work contributed to the Danube Region.

The Danubius Awards 2023 Ceremony took place in a hybrid setting. You can find the recording of the ceremony on the IDM Youtube channel.

FORTY YEARS OF OVERCOMING ACADEMIC DIVISIONS: IMPORTANCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRACY AND CULTURE

The Danube Rectors' Conference meets this year to discuss the current and future developments of higher education in EU and especially in the Danube Region. The speeches and debates with international experts and scholars will focus on the European cohesion through higher education, as well as its condition in times of war.  Plans to foster research possibility for youth will be discussed with the recipients of the DRC Initiative Fund, and the participants will attend to the Ceremony for the Danubius Awards 2023. 

More information on the Annual Meeting can be found here:  2023 Annual Conference of the Danube Rectors' Conference

We are delighted to announce the successful culmination of the 18th DRC Summer School, held in the picturesque city of Cluj-Napoca and hosted by three esteemed Romanian universities. This year's event saw the convergence of 13 young scientists, university students, and emerging researchers hailing from 10 countries across the Danube Region and Central Europe. The week-long 18th DRC Summer School, themed "Transformation of post-war Europe: Challenging universities and research in the Danube Region?," took place in Cluj-Napoca from 16 to 22 July 2023.

Babeș-Bolyai University, the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, and the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine hosted this year's edition. Amidst the charming backdrop of Cluj-Napoca, participants engaged not only in insightful dialogues with experts on the designated theme but also in the exchange of their expertise from diverse research domains.

The core theme of the Summer School was rigorously explored through four focal points, namely democracy, inclusivity, digitalization, and European strategies during periods of conflict. These topics provided an enriched platform for comprehensive discussions and intellectual exploration.

The Summer School involved cultural aspects, allowing participants to engage in local traditions through group activities. This created a friendly atmosphere, deepening connections among attendees and offering a taste of Transylvanian life and cuisine. Guided city and botanical garden tours, alongside traditional dinners, enriched the week. A highlight was a field trip to Salina Turda, highlighting Romania's natural beauty. The experience concluded with a meaningful final gathering.

Friedrich Faulhammer (*1963) studied law at the University of Vienna. He worked there from 1985 to 1990 at the Institute for Legal History as well as in the legal department of the University Directorate and moved to the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research in 1990. In 2005, he became Section Head of the Higher Education Section in the Federal Ministry of Science and Research and served as its Secretary General from 2009. During his more than two decades as a civil servant of the Republic of Austria, Faulhammer has been instrumental in shaping Austrian and European higher education policy, including the implementation of the Universities Act 2002.

Following the elections of the new presidency during the DRC General Assembly on 11 November 2022, we gladly announce the new DRC Presidency for the period 2023-2024. 

Beginning with 1 January 2023, Mag. Friedrich Faulhammer, Rector of the University for Continuing Education Krems, takes over the position of DRC President. The role of the new Vice-Presidents will be assumed by former DRC President Prof. Dr. Zdravko Kačič, Rector of the University of Maribor, and Prof. Dr. Daniel David, Rector of the Babeş-Bolyai University.