Embassy Press Release

Remarks of Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman at the Meeting with Students from Universitatea Politehnica, Timisoara

(as prepared for delivery)

During his one-day visit in Timisoara, U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Taubman met with students from Polytechnic University in Timisoara and discussed about educational programs carried by the U.S. Embassy, Fulbright scholarships offered to those who want to study in U.S. and internship opportunities at major companies who have offices in Timisoara, part of the Start Internship Program.

Afterwards, Ambassador Taubman visited the Engineering Laboratory, which has been outfitted with equipment donated by a U.S. firm, HAAS Automation.

Polytechnic University, Timisoara
Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Mr. Rector,
Dear Students,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here again in this lovely city. This is a special privilege for me to visit your university. I thank Rector Robu for agreeing to host my visit today at the Polytechnic University of Timisoara.

I particular enjoy visiting Romanian universities and meeting with the students. Education is one of the most important investments one can make in the future, and it is vital that all of us support a strong educational system in our respective countries.

As a close friend and ally of Romania, the United States Embassy in Bucharest has made several commitments to supporting education in Romania.

We support the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission, which is funded jointly by the U.S. and Romanian governments. This program sends Romanian scholars to the U.S. and brings American scholars here for academic exchange.

I hope that those of you who are interested in graduate study in the U.S. will consider applying for a Fulbright scholarship at some point your academic career.

For those of you interested in other opportunities to study in the U.S., the Fulbright Commission also operates a Student Advising Center. Information on these programs are available at www.fulbright.ro

The U.S. announced another important educational initiative earlier this year. During his visit to Romania in April, President Bush announced the creation of the Romanian American Foundation, which will have a special focus on education, as a gift from the people of the United States to the people of Romania.

One of the foundation’s key goals is to develop a program that will offer student loans at reasonable rates to Romanian students, making it easier for them to finance their studies.

The U.S. Embassy has also been active in supporting training for Romanian students. Last month, with the support of the American Chamber of Commerce, we launched the START Internship Program in Bucharest.

This is a public/private partnership, with active participation from the Government of Romania, embassies, chambers of commerce, major corporations, NGOs, universities, and student associations.

This year, we began a pilot program for 64 companies based in Bucharest. The program offers paid summer internships in Bucharest and a few other locations in Romania. Next year, the program will be expanded at the national level.

Among the 64 companies participating in this year’s program are several companies with offices in Timisoara: BCR, Coca-Cola Hellenic, PricewaterhouseCoopers, P&G, IBM, and Citibank.

More information on this program is available at www.STARTInternship.ro

We have a long history of internships in the United States. They are as important a part of our education system as textbooks and lectures.

Internships offer students a chance to gain valuable experience, network with new people, and focus on what kind of career they would like to pursue.

I'll share with you what I told Romanian students studying in New York when I met with them earlier this year: young Romanians no longer need to go abroad to seek their fortunes, their fortunes are looking for them right here at home. Rewarding positions in multi-national companies are now in ample supply here in Romania.

The common goal of the programs I have mentioned today is a commitment to invest in Romania’s future by investing first and foremost in its people. This is the right thing to do at this important moment in Romania’s transition.

Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to your questions.

back to top ^