Topics & Supervisors

PROF. UNIV. DR. IORDAN BĂRBULESCU – Email address: iordanbarbulescu@snspa.ro

European public policies;
European institutions;
Decision-making process in the European Union;
Foreign relations of the European Union;
Diplomacy and negotiations;
European public policies evaluation;
EU-LAC relationship.

PROF. UNIV. DR. CEZAR BÎRZEA – Email address: cezarbirzea01@gmail.com

European citizenship;
Public policies;
Societal security;
Human migration in Europe;
Minorities’ integration;
Development policies;
Multiculturalism.

PROF. UNIV. DR. DANIEL DĂIANU – Email address: daniel.daianu@bnrro.ro

International financial system: crisis, institutions, reform of the regulatory and supervisory framework;
EU governance: Euro zone crisis; the Banking Union; the new governance system in the EU; implications for new EU members;
Structural trends in the world economy: economic power redistribution; the EU's place in the global economy; demographic pressures;
Robustness and resilience of socio-economic systems: conventional and unconventional shocks (including cyber-attacks);
Climate change and the economic and social environment;
Economy and the pandemic;
Emerging economies and advanced economies;
Joining the Euro area.

PROF. UNIV. DR. MIHAIL IONESCU – Email address: ionescu_mihail@yahoo.com

The First Gulf War – 1990: causes and consequences; topics on the issue of Cold War’s ending and the great US-USSR alliance – the debate on NATO expansion, the Western orientation of the USSR/ Russia and its abandonment;
Crisis of the breakup of Yugoslavia – 1992-1999: causes, consequences; the current situation, today’s solutions in the Western Balkans; issues from the 1999 NATO intervention to the emergence of the state of Kosovo or the Dayton Agreement;
September 2001 – the outbreak of the war against terrorism: the beginning of the liberal interventionism era (topics on PKeeping missions in various countries, from Afghanistan to Congo and Mali or Ukraine – special case – under various auspices – NATO, UN, OSCE);
US invasion of Iraq – 2003 – and the Great Middle East: hegemonic trends and involved actors (diverse perspectives on this topic);
“Arab Spring": causes, consequences, involved actors, results, waiting horizons of the great powers: topics from the outbreak of the movement in 2010-2011 to the events in Libya, Egypt, Syria and Russia's re-entry in the Mideast in 2015 amid Ukraine's annexation;
Syria – a crisis with multiple files (great power conflicts, Shiite-Sunni clashes, Iran and the Mediterranean, Russia and its search for a global role through the extended presence in the Mediterranean, the US and the Great Middle East, the Arab caliphate versus the war against terrorism, etc.) and historical roots (colonialism, religious clashes, etc.);
EU sovereign debt crisis and the global financial crisis of 2008-2010 – geopolitical dimensions, realignments and the occurrence of power policy; various topics;
The exponential growth of China and the “Thucydides trap": is the hegemonic war possible?
Brexit and the EU's internal crisis – from neoliberalism to illiberalism/ sovereignism, populism and extremism – various topics;
The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, geopolitical influences, realignments and systemic resettlement – issues from the EU strategic autonomy to the reiteration of Russia's proposal for Greater Europe;
The unipolar moment of the USA and the opposition of multipolarism: the systemic structure and great power strategies (1993-2015) – various topics – new geopolitical ‘cuts’ (the Great Middle East, Western Balkans, the Shiite Crescent, etc.); alignments and realignments and new international institutions and the role of the old ones, etc.

PROF. UNIV. DR. TEODOR MELEŞCANU – Email address: tmelescanu@yahoo.com

The change of the international relations’ nature and of the use of force in the global context;
International developments in the Asia-Pacific region;
Regional conflicts and their impact on international security;
The role of nation states and ensuring international security;
International hegemony and its role in the global balance;
Ensuring the security of the NATO and the European Union member states;
Prospects for the Western Balkans in the relations with the EU.

PROF. UNIV. DR. ADRIAN MIROIU – Email address: ad_miroiu@yahoo.com

Social choice theory;
Political philosophy;
Institutional theories applications;
Public policies;
Scientometric research;
Public policies for higher education;
Theories of authoritarian, dictatorial or totalitarian systems.

PROF. UNIV. DR. IOAN MIRCEA PAŞCU – Email address: impascu@snspa.ro

The impact of structural crises on the international system. Case study: the COVID-19 pandemic and the acceleration of the main trends of global transformation;
Redistribution of power in the international system. From unipolarism to multiple centers of power or a new bipolar system;
The European Union as an international player – from normative power to strategic autonomy;
The decision-making process in foreign and security policies, respectively the common security and defense policy of the EU. Case studies;
Perspectives on the future of the common security and defense policy;
Reconsideration of the European Union's strategic partnerships: challenges and priorities;
Continuity and change in transatlantic relations;
Global competition between the United States and China. Is the “Thucydides' trap" inevitable?
China's relations with the European Union and the European Union member states;
The Eastern Partnership and the EU-Russian Federation relationship;
“Strategic reinsurance" and NATO's role in European and global security;
The political and strategic situation in the Black Sea after the illegal annexation of Crimea. NATO’s and EU’s roles and responsibilities;
The impact of artificial intelligence and digitalization on foreign policy and defense policy;
Vulnerabilities, risks and threats to national security;
Conflicts of the 21st century. Typology and case studies.

PROF. UNIV. DR. GEORGE MAIOR

Knowledge systems and processes in the informational era;
Paradigms and perceptions in the study and practice of international relations;
Diplomatic tools and approaches for the 21st century;
Geostrategic faults and bridges: security from regionalism to globalism;
Sources and types of conflict and cooperation in the age of uncertainty;
Digitalizing security: between connectivity, adversity and artificial intelligence;
Energy and the environment in the new global security architecture.

CONF. UNIV. DR. MIRUNA BUTNARU-TRONCOTĂ – Email address: miruna.troncota@dri.snspa.ro

Postmodernism and globalization;
Discursive practices of legitimizing political decisions on the international stage;
Analysis of humanitarian interventionism;
Post-conflict reconstruction;
Postcolonialism in international relations;
Theories of European integration;
European policies – especially EU enlargement and foreign policies;
Critical geopolitical theories;
Europeanization from interdisciplinary perspectives;
Discursive communities in the EU and the EU's strategic neighborhood (Eastern Partnership, Western Balkans).

PROF. UNIV. DR. ANDREI ȚĂRANU – ataranu@politice.ro

History of European Populism;
Contemporary populism and its impact on democracy;
Culture and Politics: The Influence of literature, art and music on the formation of political ideologies and behaviors;
Political Symbolics. The space of the political imaginary;
Political Mythology. Political language and semantics;
History of Political Doctrines and Ideologies.

PROF. UNIV. DR. ADRIAN POP – pop@politice.ro

Undemocratic political regimes, dissent, opposition and geopolitical imperatives in Central and Eastern Europe;
The end of the Cold War, the collapse of communist regimes and the political transition in Central and Eastern Europe;
Long economic and politico-military cycles in international relations;
Continuity and metamorphosis in the geopolitics of the 21st century;
The new regionalism. Regional cooperation in the wider Black Sea region after the Cold War;
The transition of power in the 21st century;
The dynamics and prospects of EU-Russia relations in the context of the common neighborhood;
Evolutions of regional security complexes and supercomplexes: Case studies;
Adaptation and resilience of the international system in the age of complexity, uncertainty, imbalance, fragmentation and challenge;
The impact of emerging powers on global and regional power distribution and governance.

PROF. UNIV. DR. LILIANA POPESCU – Email address: liliana.popescu@politice.ro

The relationship between the European Union and the post-Soviet space;
The relationship between the European Union and the Russian Federation;
Foreign policies and relations in Eastern Europe;
Interdisciplinary topics in international relations – political theory;
Interdisciplinary topics in international relations – gender studies;
Contemporary processes of democratization and erosion of democracy;
Feminist perspectives in international relations.

PROF. UNIV. DR. MIHAI PĂUNESCU – Email address: mihai.paunescu@politice.ro

Public policies;
Institutionalism in organizational analysis;
Educational policies;
Higher education policies;
Science policy and scientometry;
Electoral systems and political systems;
Public management.

CONF. UNIV. DR. TODOR ARPAD – Email address: todor.arpad@politice.ro

Environmental policies at national and European Union level;
Sustainable development policies at national and EU level;
Varieties of capitalism;
Taxation policies, environmental taxation;
Constitutional reform and political systems;
Social policies, austerity policies at EU level;
Regional development and decentralization policies;
National systems for the coordination of European affairs;
European Union foreign policy, in particular in the field of combating climate change, gender equality, human rights and peacekeeping;
Implementation and impact analysis of European funds projects.

CONF. UNIV. Dr. LAURENTIU ȘTEFAN – Email address: laur_stefan@yahoo.com

Romanian politics after 1989

Political parties

Electoral alliances and political alliances

Governing coalitions

The formation, operation and termination of governments

Selection, political and non-political profile of prime ministers

Selection and composition of political elites

Parliamentary elites, government elites, local elites

Political institutions

Political participation

PROF. UNIV. DR. ALINA BÂRGĂOANU – Email address: alina.bargaoanu@comunicare.ro

The European public sphere;
European identity;
Media coverage of European issues;
Media and the public sphere;
Communication in the European Union;
The role of the media in the Europeanization process;
Media and the European economic crisis.

PROF. UNIV. DR. NICOLETA CORBU – Email address: nicoleta.corbu@comunicare.ro
Theories of mass communication (agenda setting, uses and rewards, the spiral of silence, the flow of two-step communication, etc.);
Media diet in the new information system;
Political communication in the new media landscape;
From news consumption to digital behavior;
New directions of analysis in the theories of communication in the age of social media;
Misinformation in the digital age;
Effects of media use in the age of social media.

 PROF. UNIV. DR. PAUL DOBRESCU – Email address: paul.dobrescu@comunicare.ro

East-West, the new fracture that adds to the one between Northern and Southern Europe;
The rise of the emerging world and the challenges it raises for stability and cooperation;
New spaces of communication and cultural practices at European level;
Euroscepticism as dominant of the European public space;
The crises that are announced in the post-crisis period;
Economic powers, media powers. The role of technology giants in the communication revolution;
The fall of globalization and the rise of smart connectivity;
Emerging technologies and their role in the new global power structure;
Particularities of communication in the “post-truth" era.

 PROF. UNIV. DR. GRIGORE GEORGIU – Email address: grigore.georgiu@comunicare.ro – Final Year

Culture and communication. Current theories on the influence of new media on the cultural universe;
The change of cultural paradigms in the postmodern world (applications of science, art, religion, education, communication);
Theories about media culture. Manipulation and symbolic violence;
The relationship between written culture and media culture (audiovisual) in contemporary education;
Image and language in artistic communication. The process of artistic reception. The relationship between art and the public. Cultural industries and the problem of kitsch. Applied analysis and applications on particular fields (film, literature, fine arts, urbanism, design, etc.);
Globalization and culture. The issue of cultural identities in the context of globalization and the process of European integration. The role of the media system in redefining cultural identities;
Intercultural communication. Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Competences and barriers in intercultural communication. Applications;
Cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. Cultural interferences and hybridizations. Theories of differences between cultures; factors, dimensions and indicators. Cultural identities as syntheses between global and local;
Religions and identity conflicts. Theories of “clash of civilizations" in today’s world;
Debates on the European Union crisis. Re-issues on the relationship between national and European, between national cultural identities and emerging European identity. Euroscepticism, the immigrant crisis and the issue of Europe’s cultural identity;
Country brand issue. Romania’s image in Europe; problems, approaches, projects.

 PROF. UNIV. DR. CONSTANTIN SCHIFIRNEŢ – Email address: constantin.schifirnet@comunicare.ro

The image of Romanian public institutions in the online environment;
The media construction of the Europeanization of the Romanian society;
Social gender in social media;
Online communication and user age;
Online communication behaviors;
The local community and the local press;
The role of new media in the development of virtual culture;
Ethnic differences in online social media;
Online communication in crisis situations;
Public and private space in online social networks.

 PROF. UNIV. DR. TUDOR VLAD – Email address: tvlad@uga.edu

Criteria for assessing the freedom of press;
The impact of new technologies on the mass media and on the status of communicators;
Assessment of journalism academic programs in Romania;
The role of the press in the democratization process;
Central and Eastern European mass media markets;
The relationship between journalism education;
The media industry in the digital age.

PROF. UNIV. DR. DIANA-MARIA CISMARU – Email address: diana.cismaru@comunicare.ro

The impact of social media development on organizational communication;
Transformations of organizations and management in the network society;
The role of social media in generating innovation in organizations and society;
Organizational reputation management in the digital society;
The transformation of public relations in the hyper-connected society;
Communication and promoting strategies in the digital society;
Public relations practices in the global environment;
Mass self-communication and identity alteration in social media;
Psycho-social phenomena and characteristics of online communication;
Negative effects of the development of the digital environment at the social level;
Communication and education in the postmodern era;
Applications of digital communication in modern education.

 CONF. UNIV. DR. LOREDANA RADU – Email address: loredana.vladu@comunicare.ro

Communication and governance;
Communicating and substantiating public policies;
Public communication and sustainable development;
Opinions and attitudes on the European Union;
Analysis of the Europeanization processes;
Pathologies of online communication: the “fake news" phenomenon;
The confidence crisis in the government systems.

 CONF. UNIV. DR. LOREDANA IVAN – Email address: loredana.ivan@comunicare.ro

Visual ageism: visual representation of the elderly in the media contents;
Age-friendly city: perceptions and expectations of citizens of different generations;
The elderly and the use of new communication and information technologies;
Solidarity between generations in the digital age;
Digital-care: helpful practices in a formal and informal context;
Social practices and attitudes towards the elderly and aging process;
Conflicts within the family and the use of new communication and information technologies.

 CONF. UNIV. DR. VALERIU FRUNZARU – Email address: valeriu.frunzaru@comunicare.ro
Online identity management;
Online social networks and social values;
Advertising in the digital society;
Communication between university, students and employers;
Communication between pupils, teachers and parents;
Anti-intellectualism in political discourse;
Social dialogue in the context of social, political and technological change.

CONF. UNIV. DR. MĂLINA CIOCEA – Email address: malina.ciocea@comunicare.ro

The construction of public issues in the current communication landscape;
Mediated communication and mediatization;
Public arenas, actors and deliberative practices;
Emerging cultural practices;
Media discourse on migration;
Cultural memory;
Politics of memory.

CONF. UNIV. DR. CORINA DABA-BUZOIANU – Email address: corina.buzoianu@comunicare.ro

Measurement in crisis communication;
The role of technology in anticipating and preventing crises;
Crisis communication in the online environment;
The role of social media in the escalation of crises;
New models of crisis response.

PROF. UNIV. DR. ANI MATEI – Email address: amatei@snspa.ro

Contemporary paradigms of public management;
“Smart administration" and its adjacent processes;
Integrated systemic approaches to public management and economics;
Social innovation and its impact on public sector development;
Specialization and coordination in public sector organizations in terms of asserting collaborative governance. The role of market or network mechanisms;
Adaptive management in the context of increasing administrative complexity. Models and strategies in public administration systems;
Modeling and optimization of administrative structures and decisions.

PROF. UNIV. DR. IRINA ZLĂTESCU – Email address: irina.zlatescu@administratiepublica.eu

Public administration and its role in fulfilling each of the objectives of the 2030 UN Agenda;
The art of crisis governance. Human rights. Public administration and crisis management;
Globalization. Public administration and human rights;
Global governance and the impact of artificial intelligence on human rights;
Culture and the public administration;
Migration. Emigration. Immigration. Immigrant integration;
The state. The society. Religious freedoms;
The role of local communities in promoting and protecting human rights;
The role of the administration in preventing multiple discrimination at national, European and international level;
Environmental management in the service of society.

PROF. UNIV. DR. EMIL BĂLAN – Email address: emil_balan2005@yahoo.fr

Constitutionalization of public administration. Systematization and codification of public administration norms;
Budgetary process and administrative-fiscal litigation;
Public services and domain policies;
Alternative dispute resolution methods in administration;
Administrative capacity of the public organization (elements; standards; compliance). Consolidation; development;
Quality of regulation. Insurance standards and tools;
Global administrative law and standards of good administration. Bureaucracy and administrative procedure;
Democratic governance and the administrative action of local communities;
Administrative relationships and liability for the act of public power;
Ethics and integrity in the exercise of public positions and dignities. Consolidation of anti-corruption institutions.

PROF. UNIV. DR. VLADIMIR PASTI – Email address: vpasti@yahoo.com

Characteristics of the communist regime and of the Romanian socialist society;
Particularities of capitalism and democracy in post-communist Romania;
Characteristics, tendencies, evolutions of the post-communist transition in Romania (1989-2007);
New trends in Romanian politics and society after 2007;
The elites of communism and post-communism and social mobility;
Latent social conflicts and manifestos in Romania before and after 1989;
Changes in the political, economic and social behaviors of the population in post-communism;
Social sciences and scientific research of society in Romania after 1990;
Post-communism ideologies and ideologies of the Western world (Western Europe and the EU);
Social processes in modern and contemporary Romanian society.

PROF. UNIV. DR. ALFRED BULAI – Email address: alfbulai@yahoo.com
Electoral sociology and political and governmental marketing;
Social and political communication;
Public sociology;
Sociology of government; Social issues and public policies in post-communist Romania;
Artistic creation and society;
The epistemology of the social sciences and the sociology of knowledge;
The methodological foundations of the social sciences;
Sociology of Emotions: Emotion and social action, cultural creation and emotion, empathy as a methodological tool in the social sciences, emotion and social change, etc.

CONF. UNIV. DR. ANDREI GHEORGHIȚĂ – Email address: andrei.gheorghita@ulbsibiu.ro
Electoral studies: electoral participation; political cleavages and electoral alignments; explanations of the voting decision; personalization of electoral policy; populism; electoral clientelism; election campaign;
Political sociology: social and political cleavages; socialization and political culture; political participation; political parties and interest groups; political elites; social movements; democratization and democratic consolidation;
Social solidarity, social values and capitalism: types of solidarity and mechanisms of solidarity; solidarity and economic crises; social inequalities; labor relations; welfare state; solidarity in the context of the European Union;
Social solidarity and social values: mechanisms of solidarity; solidarity in the context of the European Union; solidarity in crisis situations;
Social movements: globalization and social movements; new social movements; new technologies and social movements; political participation in protest;
Politics, government and the state from the perspective of political sociology: democratization and democratic consolidation; political culture; political organizations.

PROF. UNIV. DR. REMUS GABRIEL ANGHEL – Email address: remusgabriel@yahoo.com
Migration and integration – theories, applications, case studies;
Transnationalism and globalization – social processes and societal ties. Case studies in Eastern Europe;
Societal transformations in Eastern Europe;
Ethnic minorities in transition: diversity, rights, ethnic inequalities;
International development: actors, policies, contexts;
Contemporary global challenges: migration, nature, inequalities;
Return migration, transnationalism and development;
Romanian village in transition: property, social trust, social transformation;
Anthropology of Eastern Europe.

PROF.UNIV.DR. AUGUSTIN STOICA – Email address: astoica@politice.ro 

Stratification, mobility and social inequalities – quantitative and qualitative, macro and micro, comparative approaches to phenomena such as class structure, educational and occupational mobility, poverty, social exclusion, inequalities based on gender, ethnicity, unequal opportunities, etc.;
The study of public opinion – quantitative approaches, comparative or focused only on the Romanian case of phenomena such as trust in institutions, voting intentions, value orientations, inter-personal trust, religiosity, reactions/attitudes towards current economic and political changes, etc.;
Sociology of economic life/economic anthropology – sociological/anthropological approaches to economic phenomena;
Sociological approaches to conspiracy theories/conspiracy thinking; its effects on issues such as health (see the case of anti-vaccineists), negative stereotypes about various minority groups, populism, voting, trust in institutions, etc.;
Sociology of post-socialist transformations: quantitative and qualitative, comparative, macro or micro approaches to the transition, with direct reference to topics such as income inequality, elites, winners and losers of the transition, changes in institutional-legal frameworks and their effects;
Historical sociology – with emphasis on recent history (communism) and part of the modern one (18th-19th century), looking in particular at themes such as backwardness, “modernization", the evolution of demographic, social and economic structures, elites, people ordinary people, everyday life, etc.

PROF. UNIV. DR. CONSTANTIN BRĂTIANU  – Email address: constantin.bratianu@gmail.com

Knowledge management in emerging economies;
Management of the organizational knowledge dynamics;
Universities as learning organizations;
Organizational learning and learning organizations;
Integrating knowledge strategies into corporate strategies;
Risks associated with knowledge management;
Change management and crisis management.

PROF. UNIV. DR. HABIL. FLORINA PÎNZARU (CV) – Email address: florina.pinzaru@facultateademanagement.ro
The impact of digitalization on managerial practice;
Innovation and technology management: research and development, strategies and new business models;
Resource management and development strategies;
Managerial and marketing strategies for value creation;
Organizational agility management;
Leadership and management of digital native teams;
Management of complex development programs.

PROF. UNIV. DR. HABIL. ELENA-MĂDĂLINA VĂTĂMĂNESCU (CV) – Email address: madalina.vatamanescu@facultateademanagement.ro
The role of intellectual capital in organizational development;
Intangible resources and organizational competitiveness;
The role of intellectual capital in the internationalization of businesses;
Integrative managerial models and sustainability of organizations;
Organizational behavior and diagnosis in competitive organizations;
The impact of professional social networks on managerial competitiveness;
B2B management strategies and practices;
Multidimensional models for analyzing organizational and managerial practices.

PROF. UNIV. DR. ADRIANA GRIGORESCU (CV) – Email address: adriana.grigorescu@snspa.ro
Public/ private comparative management studies and sustainable development;
Managerial and marketing strategies in public and/or private business;
Performant management and business ethics;
Strategic management and innovation in SMEs/public organizations;
Integrated management between education – business environment – public sector;
Human capital – the relationship between education and the labor market;
Global Economy and Governance – inter- and trans-disciplinary studies and analysis;
International comparative management;
Globalization – Policies and strategies for institutional connection;
Management of European funds in institutional development.

PROF. UNIV. DR. ALEXANDRA ZBUCHEA – Email address: alexandra.zbuchea@facultateademanagement.ro
Business models in the nonprofit sector;
Knowledge management in non-profit organizations;
The role of culture in sustainable development;
Sustainable management of cultural organizations;
Cultural entrepreneurship;
Cultural consumption patterns;
Management models in responsible organizations;
Corporate social responsibility strategies.

PROF.UNIV.DR. ADRIAN CURAJ (CV)- Email address: adrian.curaj@gmail.com

Strategic Design – in strategic forward-looking exercises (foresight) – for better public policies and more effective governance – to anticipate the future(s) – in an ‘Anticipatory Innovation Governance’ approach (Strategic Design – in strategic forward-looking exercises ( foresight) – for better policies and effective governance – in the face of uncertain future(s) – in an Anticipatory Innovation Govnernace approach)

Transforming research culture through open science and new research assessment approaches, metrics and methods (Transforming research culture through open science and new research assessment approaches, metrics and methods)

The new Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) for Smart Specialisation: addressing sustainable development (and new regional contexts) (S4), diversifying specialization activities, with citizen participation (The new Entrepreneurial Discovery Process for Smart Specialisation: addressing sustainable development (and new regional contexts) (S4), diversifying the activities for specialization, engaging citizens).

PROF.UNIV.DR. LUCIAN CLAUDIU ANGHEL – Email address: lucian.anghel@facultateademanagement.ro 

Optimizing management remuneration of listed companies
New trends in corporate governance of listed companies;
The added value generated by the efficient management of the relationship with investors;
Implementation of sustainable development principles by listed companies;
The added value ensured by the improvement of the ESG scoring for the listed companies;
The advantages and the choice of the optimal moment for the promotion of a company from the Aero market to the main market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange;
The impact and influence of private pension funds on the stock exchange;
Stock Option Plan – the form of stimulating the management of listed companies;
Mergers and acquisitions – the form of accelerated development of private companies;
Listing a private company on the stock exchange – moving to the next level of development;
The influence of macroeconomic factors on the evolution of stock market indices and implications on the management of financial investments.