Marilen Gabriel Pirtea 

Marilen Gabriel Pirtea is the Rector of the West University of Timișoara and a member of the Romanian Parliament. He was Honorary Advisor to the PM of Romania (later to the Deputy PM), responsible for the integration of Romanian universities into the European education and research area. Now, he is Honorary Advisor to the PM of Romania for education and research. He supported the formation of the European University Alliance UNITA Montium and initiated the RO-European Universities Alliance. Professor Pirtea promotes science and organised at Timisoara, the Diaspora in Scientific Research and Higher Education Conference (2016, 2023). He is a professor and PhD coordinator in finance, involved in research projects, scientific and professional bodies and boards of journals and conferences; he offers lectures (in Romania or abroad) and promotes the importance of entrepreneurial knowledge and social involvement. Currently, he is president of the Universitaria Consortium and vice president of the National Council of Rectors.