Adrian Curaj

Adrian Curaj (born October 14, 1958) is a Romanian electrical engineer.

In 1983, Curaj graduated from the electronics and telecommunications faculty of the Politehnica University of Bucharest.^[1]

He holds a Ph.D. in Automatic Systems from the Politehnica University of Bucharest and a Master of Business Administration from ASEBUSS Bucharest and University of Washington in Seattle. He was granted a certificate in Business Administration - Global Management Program, from the Institute of Business and Public Administration of Bucharest, in partnership with the Kennesaw State University.^[2]

In November 2015, Curaj was named Education Minister in the new government of Dacian Cioloș.^[3] He was removed during a cabinet reshuffle the following July.^[4]

He was the head of the Romanian research (ie the president of the National Authority for Scientific Research, with the rank of State Secretary) in 2009-2010. He was the advisor to Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tăriceanu in the field of Science and Innovation, during 2007-2008.^[5]

In 2010, Curaj became director of the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI).

At Politehnica, he teaches in the research management department and directs the university's Center for Strategic Management and Quality Assurance in Higher Education.^[1]

He is Head of The Department of UNESCO for Policies in Science and Innovation at the National School of Political Studies and Public Administration – SNSPA.

Adrian Curaj has been working as a consultant with World Bank, UNESCO, UNIDO, ETF and EC for studies in Tertiary Education, Science and Innovation, and Foresight. He has been actively involved as project leader or expert in many research projects, most of them in research management, higher education management and foresight, areas where he also published scientific articles and books.^[6]

He was a member of the board of European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (2005-2006); a member of the PAG-PEOPLE Advisory Group - European Commission (2007-2012), an expert in the Task Force - Fostering and Building Human Capital of the Regional Cooperation Council (since 2008); a member of the BFUG - Bologna Followup Group (2010-2012) and a Bologna Expert (since 2011); a member of the EFFLA - European Forum of Forward Looking Activities of the European Commission (2012-2014); a member of RISE - Research, Innovation and Science Policy Experts - High Level Expert Group of the European Commission; and a member of the PEOPLE Advisory Group (2007-2012) of the European Commission.^[7]

He is also a member of prestigious committees/ associations/ foundations/ professional bodies such as:

• Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation - Board Member (since 2013);^[8]

• The Romanian Association for the Club of Rome - ARCoR (since 2013);

• Romanian National Commission for UNESCO (since 2008);^[9]

• Black Sea University Foundation - Board Member (since 2010);^[10]

• Romanian Society of Automation and Technical Informatics (since 2009);

• The Romanian Association of Managers and Research Administrators (since 2004);

• European Association of Researchers - EuroScience (since 2004);

• European Association of Research and Technology Organisations – EARTO (since 2004);^[11]

In 2000, Adrian Curaj was awarded the National Order for Merit as Officer for contributions to the development of science and innovation. In 2009 and 2013 he won gold medals at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva and in 2014 he was included by Foreign Policy Romania in the Top 100 people who move the country forward – the innovation section.^[12]

Adrian Curaj is one of the initiators and supporters of the ELI-NP project (Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics) at Măgurele^[13], the world's largest laser^[14] with a major impact on the Romanian and European RDI system, on higher education as well as on the economic and social environment of south Bucharest area.^[15]

Adrian Curaj is also the artisan and promoter of the "Laser Valley - Land of Lights" project^[16], which involves the development of a smart city and a dynamic, innovative and entrepreneurial community around Măgurele.^[17] It is an integrated regional development project, unique to Romania, that aims to transform a large territory between Henri Coandă Airport and the future 1 December Harbor, in a space where science and technology contribute to the development of high-tech business, job creation and raising living standards for locals in the area.^[18]

In 2016, Adrian Curaj was named High Representative of the Prime Minister for the development of ecosystem based on science, innovation and entrepreneurship associated with the pan-European infrastructure of ELI-NP.^[19]

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