Ion Visa
‘It has been very important in changing the mindset in our universities’ Home institution: Transylvania University of Braşov, Romania Universitatea Transilvania Braşov, România Field of study/job title: Mechanical Engineering/Rector Year became active in Erasmus: 1997
There was a certain scepticism in Romania when the Erasmus programme was introduced, but Ion Visa was in no doubt as to its benefits. ‘Some people didn’t agree with sending students abroad. They were afraid that they wouldn’t come back to Romania. I told them it was a good opportunity for all of us to open our activity, our minds and our universities; and that we had no other solution.’ The professor of mechanical engineering coordinated – and promoted – student and staff exchanges at the Transylvania University of Braşov from 1997 before becoming Rector of the institution in 2004. He set up numerous partnerships and Erasmus projects, as well as designing degree courses to foster international mobility and research, most notably in the fields of industrial and product design and renewable energy systems. ‘It was thanks to the Erasmus programme and our staff and student exchanges that we developed our own curriculum,’ he says. Over the years, his aim has been to ‘open new collaboration opportunities for our students and staff members’, to enhance teaching, cooperation and research. The international dimension provides crucial training for his students, he says. ‘In our field we now work in complex teams that are geographically spread out. We need to prepare young people to work in this new environment.’ ‘Eight years ago, we received maybe three to five students each year. Now we receive around a hundred. It’s a real pleasure to cooperate and creates a very good dynamic. It has also been very important in changing the mindset in our universities.’
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