Team

Vasile SECĂREŞ is the Founding Rector of National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) and Professor within the Department of International Relations and European Integration specialized in international relations theory. He chairs the NATO Partnerships Studies Center and is the coordinator of the Bucharest Security Conference. He is also Chairman of the Board of EximBank since 2015 and Chairman of the Board of the Romanian Banking Institute since 2009. He helds a Ph.D. in Philosophy and a bachelor in sociology from The University of Bucharest. He was resident fellow at the Institute for East – West Security Studies in New York, USA and the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, Norway. On July 1, 1990, Vasile Secăreş was appointed presidential adviser, Chief of Staff of the Romanian Presidency, with the rank of minister. He served in this position until 1992. He was founding member of the National Salvation Front, then of the Group “A Future for Romania” (GUVR) and other positions in the high administration. Between 1992- 2001 he was Vice President of EximBank. He is also member of an important number of scientific organizations and was awarded the National Order “For Merit” in 2004.

Viorel Ardeleanu is Director General for strategic affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ardeleanu is a career diplomat with the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary. During 2012-1016, he was the Ambassador of Romania to Denmark and Iceland and held, in the past, the position of Special envoy/Director general for EU Strategy for Danube region and National Coordinator for the EU Danube Strategy and permanent representative to Political and Security Committee in Brussels.

General Mihail Ionescu, was born on 14th January 1948 in Ploiesti, Romania. He is professor within the Department of International Relations, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), since 1992. Since 2004, he is major general in reserve. He was Head of The Integration Direction of Integration NATO/UEO of the Ministry of National Defense and since  2000, he is director of the Institute of Political Sciences of Defense and Military History. In 2005 he received the title of co-chair of the Working Group For the Extended Region of the Black Sea of the Partnership Consortium for Peace of Academicians and Institute for Security Studies.

Teodor Viorel Meleşcanu is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, politician, career diplomat and jurist. Mr. Meleşcanu graduated Law and post graduate studies in International Relations at the University of Bucharest and continued with doctoral studies at the University of Geneva. His diplomatic career started in 1966, when he entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, obtaining the rank of ambassador in 1992. Between 1978 and 1985, Mr. Meleşcanu held the position of Secretary at the Romanian Permanent Mission to the United Nations and in 1990 was appointed the Chief of the Department for Latin America, Asia and America. Afterwards, he held different leading positions, as Minister of Foreign Affairs (1992-1996), Minister of Defence (2007-2008), Minister of Justice ad interim (2008), and Director of the Romanian Foreign Intelligence Service (2012-2014). Regarding his parliamentary activity, Mr. Meleşcanu was elected three times in the Senate. He is a professor and a PhD Coordinator at National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA).

Ioan Mircea Pașcu is Vice President of the European Parliament since 2014 and he is also Vice President of the Commission for Foreign Affairs. He is former Minister of Defense between 2000-2004. He is member of the Social Democratic Party, part of the Party of European Socialists, and became a MEP on 1 January 2007. He had also an important number of political and governmental positions, as Presidential Adviser in 1990-1992, State Secretary of Ministry of Defense in 1993-1996, Vice President of the National Salvation Front, Member of Parliament in 1996-2000, and other positions. He was also the first dean of the Department of International Relations from National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), where he teaches Foreign Relations of EU, Global politics, etc.

Professor Iordan Gheorghe Bărbulescu is a Romanian diplomat and expert on International Relations and European Studies. He is the President of the Senate of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) and Dean of the Department of International Relations and European Integration of SNSPA. Professor Bărbulescu completed his education by taking courses on European integration in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Denmark and Spain. He obtained his doctoral degree in Political Science and Sociology at the Universitad Complutense from Madrid. Professor Bărbulescu served as a diplomat within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he held different positions, as Deputy Head of the European Union Department, Head of the Latin America Department, Adviser on European Integration for Embassies and Minister Counsellor. He also activated as a member in the Comission for Preparing the Admission Negotiations of Romania to the EU between 2003 and 2004. He received important distinctions, such as the Order of Faithful Service, in 2002, for his contributions to the Romanian foreign policy promotion. In 2007 was awarded the “Personality of the Year for an European Romania”. In 2016 he was awarded the European Citizen of the Year by the European Parliament. At SNSPA Professor Bărbulescu teaches courses related to diplomacy, European Union and Latin America.

Professor Remus Pricopie, Ph.D., Rector, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), Romania. Remus Pricopie graduated at the Chemistry faculty of the University of Bucharest in 1995. He also holds a Ph.D. in Political Science, granted by the University of Bucharest and by the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA). He began teaching at SNSPA in 1998. He was dean of the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations from 2005 to 2007 and from 2008 to March 2012, when he became rector. He had an important number of government positions starting with the Minister of Education and Research of Romania between 2012-2014, State Secretary of Higher Education and Research between 2007-2008, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Education and Research between December 2001 – June 2003 and January – October 2009. He was also Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Research in 2001 and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Education and Research in 1997 and 2001. He is also involved in professional organisations and management activities in international affairs. He is Vice-President and Treasurer, International Association of Universities (IAU) since April 2017 and Member of the Board since 2012, Member of the International Association of the University Presidents since 2015, Member of Atlantis Group (20 former ministers of education around the world) associated with the Club of Madrid since March 2017, President of the Board of Directors of the Romanian – US Fulbright Commission 2009 – 2012; 2015 – present, Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science since 2013, Member of the Romanian Chapter of the Club of Rome since 2002.

Mr. Boyko Noev was member and deputy-head of the Bulgarian delegations to the CSCE and CFE Vienna negotiations and head of the European Organizations Department, during his diplomatic career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1981 – 1993).  In 1993 Mr. Noev was appointed Director of the Center for National Security Studies at the Ministry of Defense. He was Deputy Minister of Defense (1994) and Minister of Defense in the Interim Government (1994-1995). Mr. Noev has been Ambassador to NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg for three years (1996-1999) and was appointed Minister of Defense for a second time in 1999-2001.

Harlan K. Ullman (born March 15, 1941), is Chairman of the Killowen Group that advises leaders of government and business; He is also Chairman of CNIGuard Ltd and CNIGuard Inc, being engaged in protection of critical infrastructure; Mr Ullman is Senior Advisor of the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC and active member on a number of private boards. A former naval officer, he has commanded destroyers as well as Swift Boats in Vietnam in over 150 combat patrols and actions. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1963. He holds MA, MALD, and Ph.D. from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Dr. Sorin Ducaru, Assistant Secretary General, NATO. He is a Romanian diplomat who served as Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations (UN) – New York (2000-2001), ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the United States of America (2001-2006) and permanent representative of Romania to NATO (2006). In May 2013, he was appointed, through competition, as Assistant to the general secretary of NATO and head of the Division for Emerging Security Risks NATO.