Culture, Media, and Constructive Journalism at Politehnica University Timișoara

Mass media is a significant integral part of culture and the primary instrument that facilitates citizens' contact with cultural events happening in the community. That is why, throughout the year 2023, Politehnica University Timișoara (UPT) maintained a close connection with its representatives.

Upon the completion of the project “Timișoara - from European Capital of Culture to the city of the future. Design your city's future,” the UPT Library hosted a debate on “Culture, Media, and Constructive Journalism” as a culmination of the good relationship UPT enjoys with mass media and in response to the need for solutions for future joint projects. The project is one of the seven financed through EEA and Norwegian grants under the Timișoara European Capital of Culture call for projects, in which UPT is a promoter.

The event was organized in partnership with Qub TV, a television channel that dedicates 60% of its editorial content to culture and education. For this event, over 75 invitations were sent to members of the press and cultural figures. Additionally, representatives (faculty and students) from the Faculties of Communication Sciences within UPT, and Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Communication Sciences at West University of Timișoara (UVT) were also invited.

Alongside project team representatives, the discussions involved Ilie Sîrbu, president of the Association Salvați Patrimoniul Timișoarei (Association for Saving Timișoara's Heritage), and inventor Remi Rădulescu, president of the Banat Inventors Society, associations actively involved in implementing 6 out of the 7 UPT aforementioned projects. Historian Ioan Haţegan, both a cultural figure and a press figure, graced the event with his presence and delved into the history of Romanian journalism, highlighting the transition from communist media to post-revolution media, marked by the transformation brought about by technological development and the advent of the internet.

Moderating the event was Corina Gluhovschi, from QubTV, who provided support in organizing the event and engaged Dan Mircea Opriș and Cosmin Ţîntă (ecopolitica.ro), Dumitru Liviu (Radio Timișoara), and Ramona Băluţescu (infotimisoara.ro) in intense and productive discussions related to the current state of local mass media, as well as outlining future collaboration solutions among media representatives for promoting cultural projects.

This event is the last one scheduled in the "Timișoara - from European Capital of Culture to the city of the future. Design your city's future" project. Throughout 2023, this project entailed bilateral visits (in Romania and Norway), the exhibition “Design your city's future” (which brought together works created by high school and university students expressing their vision for the city of the future), a course on reevaluating city resources for a sustainable future, a roundtable discussion, a trip to Sibiu (former European Capital of Culture in 2007), and a hackathon. Additionally, the project financed the printing of albums with the content of the Banat cultural exhibition created by the Banat Inventors Associationand displayed at the Politehnica University Timișoara Library.

The project “Timișoara - from European Capital of Culture to the city of the future. Design your city's future” benefits from a grant of 48,368.01 euros from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA and Norwegian Grants.

The EEA and Norwegian Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, and Norway for a green, competitive, and inclusive Europe. They have two general objectives: reducing economic and social disparities in Europe and strengthening bilateral relations between donor states and 15 EU states in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltic States. The three donor states closely cooperate with the EU under the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). Between 1994 and 2014, the donor states contributed €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes. Between 2014-2021, the EEA and Norwegian Grants total €2.8 billion. Further details are available at: www.eeagrants.org and www.eeagrants.ro.

More details regarding project implementation can be obtained from the project director, Lecturer Dr. Eng. Rareș Hălbac Cotoară Zamfir, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Politehnica University Timișoara (rares.halbac-cotoara-zamfir@upt.ro).