Embassy Press Release

Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman on the Occasion of " Return to Romania " meeting with the Romanian Student Association in New York

Organized by Romanian Cultural Institute
New York, NY, USA, February 4, 2008

I am delighted to be with you here today, along with Ambassador Adrian Vierita, to celebrate your achievements in studying in the United States. I know that studying abroad poses some unique challenges – a different educational system, in a foreign language, in an unfamiliar place, away from the support of your family and friends back home. I want to commend you for your courage and perseverance. I am confident that you will be well rewarded in the future for your hard work today. As Romanians, you have a bright future, and the opportunities for smart, hard-working, internationally trained leaders are limitless.

Each year, the United States welcomes over half a million foreign students into our higher education system. They return home to share their experiences and new perspectives, and develop careers that build on the skills, insights and knowledge gained here. You are part of a long, distinguished tradition of people coming to our shores to study, then returning to make valuable contributions at home and in the world. This has included important Romanians in both the public and private sectors, such as Mr. Cristian Popa, Vice Governor of the National Bank of Romania; Dr. Dumitru Oprea, Rector of the Ioan Cuza University of Iasi and recently elected to the European Parliament; well-known commentator Sorin Ionita from the Romanian Academic Society; and many others, including several Romanian country managers for prominent international corporations. Student exchange programs are at the core of the strong relationship between the U.S. and Romania, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the New York-Romanian Student Association and the Romanian Cultural Institute for their support.

I have the great fortune of serving as the U.S. Ambassador to one of the most dynamic and beautiful countries in the world. During my time there, I have been struck by how Romania is in many ways both a very old country and a very new country. Each time I travel through the lovely Romanian countryside I am reminded that Romania is a country steeped in rich and ancient tradition, where the marvelous cultural heritage of the past is proudly preserved and cherished.

On the other hand, with new buildings going up in Bucharest overnight, and the rapid political and economic developments Romania has gone through recently, Romania seems like a very new country. I have seen tremendous changes in my time as Ambassador. Romania has emerged from the long, dark night of communism and has made incredible progress in the last few years. Romania's recent achievements, including NATO and EU membership and eight years of solid economic growth, are historic and have refashioned the country into a modern democracy and market economy. In a few short weeks, Romania will be in the world spotlight as dozens of foreign leaders, including President George Bush, converge on Bucharest for the NATO Summit. For this, the people and leaders of Romania have good reasons to be proud.

I'll tell you what I tell American businesspeople interested in investing in Romania. Romania is a country of enormous promise and potential. It is rich in agricultural lands, energy and mineral resources, and human capital, with a well-educated and productive labor force. Leading U.S. companies – Microsoft, General Electric, Citigroup, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, and Ford, just to name a few – have moved eagerly into the Romanian market. Some of them are represented here with us today on behalf of the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania. In fact, Foreign Direct Investment from the U.S. and Europe is up over 600% since 2000. The talent, skill, and ambition I have witnessed among the youth are already turning Romania into a key player in the region and beyond.

Of course, you are asking yourselves how all of this is relevant to you in your current circumstances. Each of you will have your own interests and goals, and I'm sure that you are already considering carefully which path to take once your studies here are complete. But if there is one goal that you all share, I'm sure that it is to find personal happiness, professional satisfaction, and financial success in whatever career field you choose. And that is why I sincerely hope that your plans will include taking the excellent skills and knowledge you've acquired here in the U.S. back to Romania.

You will return to a Romania rich with opportunities and possibilities. Skilled and educated Romanians no longer have to go abroad to seek their fortunes, their fortunes are looking for them at home. Rather than leaving the country to find well-paid, challenging positions in multi-national companies, these companies are now in Romania, closer to your homes and families. Business leaders in Romania repeatedly tell me that they simply can't get enough educated, skilled employees, and for the very best workers there is already fierce competition. I have been impressed with how the Romanian private and public sectors alike entrust young people with positions of responsibility and authority, positions that elsewhere might typically go only to more senior employees. From what I see and hear, these young people are performing admirably.

There are, however, more important challenges lying ahead for you than just finding a good job. While Romania has come a long way, the transition from the past is not fully complete and there is important work to be done. Your generation has a rare opportunity to really make Romania the kind of country you want it to be for yourselves and your children.

If you have imagined a prosperous Romania where all sectors of society benefit from the success of the economy, you can make it happen. If you have ever wished for Romania to be a model of justice and transparency, you can help make it a reality. But none of this is possible if you are far away, observing Romania from the international sidelines.

We're actively seeking ways to help you identify job and training opportunities back in Romania. For instance, the U.S. Embassy is participating in an initiative, led by the Romanian Government and including many embassies and chambers of commerce, to set up a summer internship program for Romanian college students with foreign multinational companies operating in Romania. As envisioned, the program will offer students, at least one year before they graduate from college, the opportunity to do meaningful work in a real business environment and to earn money for their studies and living expenses. The program will allow the companies themselves to identify, early on, promising candidates for full-time employment after graduation. We hope to test a pilot version of this internship program over the next several months, starting with a job fair in early May. I hope you will consider participating.

I know that Ambassador Vierita, and our partners here from Amcham, will have much more to say about how you can take advantage of the tremendous opportunities being generated in Romania today. Thank you for your attention.

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