The Interdisciplinary Doctoral School at Transilvania University of Brașov, in collaboration with the UNITA Alliance doctoral network, hosts the
International Doctoral Conference, DoCo2025
to be held at the Sergiu T. Chiriacescu Aula on June 12-13, 2025.
The second edition of the doctoral conference opens up for national and international particpants as a scientific forum for doctoral students to present their ongoing research, discuss their research questions, goals, methods, and results with their fellow doctoral students and with academics.
The invitation addresses all doctoral students, irrespective of the stages of their doctoral work. The participants can opt for one of the following presentation types:
- a research paper (published or prepared for publication);
- a scientific report (as part of their doctoral programme);
- their doctoral research plan (for first-year PhD students).
The fields integrated in the conference panels are to be selected in the registration form.
The language of the conference is English, but presentations in Romanian can be accepted where relevant.
The conference includes plenary and keynote speeches offered by reputed scholars, as well as workshops. During the presentation sessions, constructive discussions will be encouraged for doctoral students to gain new insights and receive feedback on their research. At the same time, the conference aims at stimulating the exchange of ideas and experiences by enabling networking with peers, professors and researchers. Beyond the academic environment, the festive dinner is thought to be an opportunity to communicate informally and meet other doctoral students.
All presenters will receive certificates of participation and will have the opportunity to publish the presented research paper (if not already published) in one of the IDB-indexed journal series of Bulletin of Transilvania University of Brașov.
https://webbut.unitbv.ro/index.php/bulletin
No fee is required for any of the conference events (including lunches, coffee breaks and festive dinner).
Registration closing date: 10 May 2025
1.Plenary speech: Ethics in Publishing
presented by Dr. Henrik Rudolph, Editor-in-Chief, Applied Surface Science (Elsevier)
Dr. Henrik Rudolph (Frederiksberg, Denmark 1958) received a BA in Chemistry and a MSc in Physics from the University of Copenhagen and subsequently obtained a PhD from California Institute of Technology (USA). In 1990 he joined Utrecht University (the Netherlands) as an associate professor of physics and in 2001 he became full professor in atomic and molecular physics. Since 2012 he is employed by the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands. His research interests include plasma surface interactions, functionalization of surfaces as well as detailed chemical reactions at surfaces.
2. Plenary speech: Crossing disciplinary boundaries to address long-term environmental change
presented by Dr. Cătălina Munteanu, University of Freiburg, Germany & Transilvania University of Brașov Visiting Professor
Dr. Cătălina Munteanu is a senior researcher in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Management at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Freiburg and holds a Transilvania Fellowship for Visiting Professors with the Chair of Silviculture, Transilvania University of Brasov. Her research explores the ecological and social drivers and effects of long-term environmental change. Her work crosses disciplinary boundaries addressing questions relevant to remote sensing, forestry, conservation science, landscape ecology and environmental psychology. In her most recent position, she works on synthesizing research output within a large graduate school on Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple-Use Landscapes of Central Europe in Freiburg, Germany.
3. Kenynote speech: Translation as a window to the world (Traducerea ca fereastră către lume),
presented by Dr. Luisa Valmarin, La Sapienza Università di Roma
Born in Bolzano in 1941, Dr. Luisa Valmarin graduated in Modern Letters in 1966, with a study on Romanian linguistics dedicated to the study of the verb in Laurian’s and Massim’s Dictionary (1871). Since 1982, she has been teaching Romanian language and literature in the Department of Romanian Studies of “La Sapienza” University in Rome, becoming a full professor in 2000. From 2001 to 2006, she coordinated the didactic section of the Modern Languages and Literatures Studies Courses and the Linguistic-Cultural Mediation Courses. From 2006 to 2010 she was head of the Department of Romanian Studies, where she was a member of the teaching council of the PhD in Romance Philology and Literature. She was a member of the teaching council of the Advanced Translation Course, established by the Department of Foreign Languages in 1996. In 1988, she founded and was editor-in-chief of the journal Romània Orientale (property of the “Sapienza” University), which has reached its 36th year of existence. In 2010, the Institute of the Romanian Language awarded the Diploma of Excellence to the department and to her personally. In 2014, “1 Decembrie 1918” University in Alba Iulia awarded her the HC Diploma in Philology. She was president of the Italian Association of Southeast European Studies (AISSEE); founding member of the Italian Association of Romance Studies (AIR), of which she was also president. She is a curently a member of the Italian Society of Romance Philology (SIFR).
4. Author Workshop,
offerd by Dr. Marta M. Alves, Technical University of Lisbon
Dr. Marta M. Alves completed her course on Chemistry in 2003 at the Universidade de Lisboa Instituto Superior Técnico and earned her PhD in Biochemistry in 2010 at Universidade Nova de Lisboa Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica. She currently works as a researcher at Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, supervised numerous MSc and PhD theses, and supported several short-term fellowships. Her primary research area is functional materials, which involves exploring the interaction between metallic materials and biological systems to promote the development of biocompatible and eco-conscious solutions to facilitate greener societal transitions.
Besides her active research work, Marta M. Alves has also acted in other areas. She has served as a reviewer of international scientific articles and projects, as an Editor of a high-impact journal in the field, and as an organiser of scientific meetings. Additionally, she is a member of the executive committee of her research center, Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE).
5. Telling the story of your research: A workshop for engaging presentations,
offered by the Academic Writing Centre of UNITBV
The University’s Academic Writing Center offers an interactive workshop designed for PhD students who want to enhance their oral presentation skills. This workshop focuses on structuring and organizing ideas effectively, as well as communicating them clearly to an audience. Topics such as crafting a concise summary, designing impactful visual materials, and mastering body language, tone, and emotional control will be explored, ensuring that you can deliver presentations that are both clear and compelling.
12 -13 June 2025, Transilvania University of Brașov, Interdisciplinary Doctoral School , Sergiu T. Chiriacescu Aula, Address: 41A, Iuliu Maniu St., Brașov
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
Day 1 – 12 June 2025
08:30 Registration
09:00-09:30 Welcome session
09:30-10:30 Plenary Speech 1
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-13:00 Concurrent sessions
13:00-14:30 Lunch break
14:30-16:30 Concurrent sessions
16:30-17:00 Coffee break
17:00-18:00 Concurrent keynote speeches
17:00-19:30 Author Workshop
Day 2 –13 June 2025
09:00-11:00 Concurrent sessions
11:00-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:30 Plenary Speech 2
12:30-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-16:00 Concurrent sessions
16:00-16:30 Coffee break
16:30-19:30 Concurrent workshops:
- Academic Writing (EN)
- Scriere academică (RO)
16:30-18:30 Doctoral studies: Info session for Master’s Students
20:00 Festive dinner
Arrival by plane
Romania has several international airports, the closest to Brașov are and Otopeni Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) in Bucharest (124.82 km) and Sibiu International Airport (SBZ) (117.21 km). We recommend flying to Otopeni Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) in Bucharest since it is the one that has many transfer options to Brașov.
Since 2023, Brașov has its airport close to the city, Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport (GHV) (3,87 km). Even though few flight connections are available at the moment, the list keeps on growing, so when booking your flight, we suggest you check if any airport near your largest cities is connected to GHV and can be a better option than OTP.
How to get from Bucharest airport to Brașov?
There are many options to travel from Bucharest to Brașov.
The best options are by shuttle transfer, train, or rent a car.
1.We recommend taking the shuttle transfer, especially if your flight arrives any hour during the nighttime when trains have no connections.
Furthermore, they can pick you up from the airport (so you won’t need to go to Bucharest North Railway Station) and take you straight to Brașov’s city center or any indicated address.
Available for individual travelers or groups of up to 8 passengers, these transfer services can be booked in a private or shared vehicle. Prices go between 25-30 euros/person.
Many private companies offer these services, among which we recommend the following:
https://www.direct-aeroport.ro/
https://jetcab.ro
https://www.brasov-aeroport.ro/
https://transferairport.ro/ro/
2.Bucharest to Brașov by train
Train from Otopeni Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) to Bucharest North Railway Station
The train provides a fast connection between Henri Coandă Airport, and Bucharest North Railway Station (Gara de Nord).
Trains run 24 hours a day, every 40 minutes. The duration of the trip is approx. 20 minutes. You can purchase your ticket online or pay by card on the train. The ticket costs around 1.2 euros.
See train schedules here: https://mersultrenurilor.infofer.ro/en-GB/Itineraries
OR you can also take a taxi to/from the airport. However, to ensure that you, as a foreigner, will not be overcharged for your trip with the local taxi company, we recommend booking your ride using the UBER or BOLT apps. When you call for a car in the ride-sharing application, you will immediately see the price of the trip, otherwise, the taxi driver may establish his price and overcharge you.
All the trains from Bucharest to Brașov depart from the Bucharest North Railway Station (Gara de Nord).
There are around 30 connections each day so you can easily choose the train that works the best for you, but keep in mind that there are no connections to Brașov during the night. The journey time varies depending on the connection, the fastest trains take a bit less than 2.5 hours between Bucharest and Brașov. When planning your trip, check the journey time too so you can choose the best connection.
There are a few train companies that serve this route, the official Romanian railway – CFR Calatori but also other private companies.
You can use this website for the schedules of all the Bucharest to Brașov trains: https://mersultrenurilor.infofer.ro/en- GB/Itineraries
We recommend buying your train ticket for the Bucharest to Brașov (or Brașov to Bucharest) trip online. Tickets cost may vary between 15–25 euros.
If you come by train from Western Europe, you will arrive at the Central Station in Brașov. International trains from Paris, Berlin, Munich, or Vienna to Bucharest stop in Brașov.
3.Bucharest to Brașov by car
You can also drive yourself from Bucharest/Otopeni Airport to Brașov. The trip should take around 2.5 - 3 hours but keep in mind that in the mountainous part, the road narrows on a single lane and therefore usually gets blocked withtraffic easily, especially between Sinaia and Brașov, so that could lead to a delay of several hours for the whole trip.
If you plan to rent a car for your trip to Romania, you can check here the best options:
www.rentalcars.com
Where to stay in Brașov?
There are many options for accommodation in Brașov.
To catch the real historical and architectural beauty of Brașov we recommend searching for accommodation in Brașov’s Old Town.
More accurately, the area around the Council Square (Piața Sfatului) or near the conference venue (Aula Universității Transilvania).
Since Brașov is a very sought-after tourist city, there are hundreds of beautiful properties to choose from, covering all budget ranges.
So, most accommodations we recommend are in that area or within walking distance from Council Square and the conference venue:
Aro Palace Hotel (5*) – close to the Council Square https://aro-palace.ro/
Villa Prato (4*)- close to the Council Square https://www.villaprato.ro/lang/ro.html
Hotel Ambient (4*) - close to the conference venue https://www.hotelambient.ro/ro/
Residence Ambient (3*) - close to the conference venue https://www.residenceambient.ro/ro/
Conference Venue
All the conference evnts will be held at Aula Universității Transilvania (Sergiu Chiriacescu). Location: No. 41A, Iuliu Maniu St., Brașov.
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