11 September
Wednesday
Activities from the Education Network
Congress starts late afternoon
Keynote speakers
Evening reception
12 September
Thursday
Paper presentations
Panels
EUPRERA project collaboration proposals
Gala dinner
13 September
Friday
Paper presentation
EUPRERA Hour (awards)
EUPRERA 2025 Congress presentation
Activities from EUNES European Network of Emerging Scholars
EUPRERA General Assembly
Congress ends late afternoon
14 September
Saturday
Social programme
Welcome Address
Keynote speakers
Doina Lemny, Ph.D., curator and researcher, Musée National d’Art Moderne Paris, Centre Pompidou
Dr. Doina Lemny, probaly the most important worldwide specialist in the art of Constantin Brâncuși, is curator and researcher at the National Museum of Modern Art, Centre Pompidou in Paris.
In 2023, Doina has curated the acclaimed “Brâncuși: Romanian Sources and Universal Perspectives” exhibition in Timișoara, part of the European Capital of Culture programme. The exhibition gathered over 130.000 of visitors.
In 2019-2020 she curated at Bozar in Brussels the exhibition “Brâncuși. Sublimating Form” within the EUROPALIA Festival with over 110.000 visitors from all over the world.
In March-July 2024, Centre Pompidou in Paris paid a tribute to Constantin Brâncuși, “the father of modern sculpture”, dispalying around 400 works in an exhibition curated by Doina Lemny.
As one of the founding figures of Modernism, Brâncuși radically simplified figurative forms, composing works in bronze, marble, stone, and wood. His elegant geometric volumes reexamine representation, often employing ovoid and elliptical shapes to evoke movement, repose, or spiritual reflection. Immersed in avant-garde circles in Paris, Brâncuși maintained friendships with Louise Bourgeois, Pablo Picasso, and Marcel Duchamp.
Dr. Doina Lemny will talk about “Brâncuși’s Personal Exhibitions: Artistic Scenario and Communication”
Anne Gregory Ph.D, Professor Emeritus Huddersfield Business School
Anne Gregory is Professor Emeritus of Corporate Communication at the University of Huddersfield. She teaches on Executive Education programmes for the UK Government, is an Adjunct Professor at RMIT Australia and LSPR Indonesia and Visiting Professor at the Universities of Navarra in Spain, Johannesburg in South Africa and UTS in Australia. Anne is an international researcher most recently directing the Global Capability Framework which has been adopted by professional associations worldwide.
Dr Gregory is a Board member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. She runs her own consultancy and training company, Practix, which has clients in the UK, Europe and Asia.
The ‘AI and Big Data Readiness Report – Assessing the Public Relations Profession’s Preparedness for an AI Future’ was recently co-authored by Ann Gregory. It provides an overview of current AI understanding and preparedness within public relations and outlines how the profession should equip itself to exploit this potential, as well as guard itself against the possible dangers of AI.
Dr. Anne Gregory will talk about: “Artificial Intelligence – ethical by design?”
Paper Development Workshop
We will again offer the PAPER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP (PDW) as an engaged environment to discuss and develop research papers. The PDW is structured as a workshop with a highly interactive format, focused on developing papers towards publication in top academic journals. Selected papers will be discussed with peers as well as with especially invited senior discussants (advanced scholars with very strong expertise in the focus area of the respective papers) who provide feedback based on their experience and with a particular emphasis towards publishing in highly competitive journals. All scholars can apply. In case of high demand, preference is given to full-paper submissions from main authors who are currently aiming for promotion to tenured faculty positions (esp. mid-career researchers).
Wednesday, 11 September 2024, 11:00 – 14:00
More details: www.euprera.org/pdw
Education Café
A two-hour professional development and knowledge exchange workshop will be offered to EUPRERA members and Congress participants to explore challenges in their teaching activities. This programme is an adaptation of the World Café for exchanging ideas and emphasizing the importance of conversation. Participants will come together, discuss their own personal and professional challenges with teaching and learn from their international colleagues. The session is organised by the EUPRERA Education Network and will take place on the first day of the Congress.
Some of the challenges that will be discussed, exploring the educators’ perspective and experience, are:
- 21st century skills
- AI and critical thinking
- AI and ethics
- Intercultural group work
- Mental health of educators
- Social worker and/or teacher?
- Student engagement with class activities
- Workload and burnout
Wednesday, 11 September 2024, 11:00 – 13:00
No additional fee or prior submission and preparation required. Register through the registration form. If you did not select this session initially, add it by sending an e-mail to congress2024@euprera.org.
Watch the #EUPRERAtalk webinar presenting the insights from the 2023 edition of the Education Café in Prague!
EACD Professional Panel
Location: UB Rectorate, Senate Room, ground floor
Thursday, 12 September 2024, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Panelists:
- Valentina Vesler – Aqua Carpatica
- Loredana Samoila – Kaufland
- Gilda Lazăr – JTI
- Elena Petrescu – Nuclearelectrica
- Ana Diceanu – Brain4Strategy
Moderated by Dennis Larsen – EACD
Dennis Larsen
Moderator
Dennis Larsen is an on the executive committee and board of the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD). He is also Practice Fellow at the Nordic Alliance for Communication & Management and visiting scholar at BI Norwegian School of Management and Rotterdam School of Management.
He advises leaders and companies worldwide as founding partner of the niche advisory firm, Reputation Inc.
Valentina Vesler – Aqua Carpatica
Head of PR & Communication
Valentina embarked on her career nearly 25 years ago at Valvis Holding, where she played a role in developing brands—Dorna and LaDorna—that are no longer part of the holding’s portfolio.
She has amassed extensive expertise in communication, public relations, and advertising, leveraging it for AQUA Carpatica and Domeniile Sâmburesti, overseeing all communication channels and implementing comprehensive promotional strategies. Together with her team, she crafts intricate campaigns for ambitious brand initiatives, consistently employing cross-channel advertising.
She is perpetually in pursuit of innovation, integrity, and ethical considerations in all aspects of the communication message, endeavoring to strike a harmonious balance between core communication principles and the distinct requirements of unconventional brands.
Her most recent endeavor involves pursuing a doctorate at the Doctoral School of the University of Bucharest (3rd year) while also holding a position as an associate professor for the communication department’s master’s students and serving as an advertising expert at the same university.
Loredana Samoila – Kaufland
With over 15 years of experience in the field of communication and public relations, Loredana Samoilă, as PR manager, actively promotes the sustainability and CSR projects of the Kaufland Romania.
Throughout his career, she has consolidated his expertise in crisis communication, brand communication, media relations, social media and internal communication. PhD in Communication Sciences, at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences of the University of Bucharest and graduated the Faculty of Letters at the Bachelor and Master level, she believes that the future of brand communication and the key to authentic PR will go hand in hand with sustainability and social responsibility of the companies.
She holds a CIPR certificate, and one in Business Sustainability Management, at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Gilda Lazăr – JTI
Gilda Lazar is The Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications for JTI Romania, Moldova and Bulgaria. She is also Associate Professor at the Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest, lecturing Corporate Affairs and CSR, as part of the Communication and PR Master’s Program.
She has an impressive background in journalism and communication. Gilda Lazar worked for “Dreptatea” and “Romania libera” dailies, “Radio Free Europe”, “Tele 7 abc” and Public TV, ”Lumea Libera” daily in New York, ”Curentul” daily.
She also acted as a representative of “National Forum Foundation” for CEE countries and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Gilda Lazar graduated Faculty of Letters at the University of Bucharest. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Law at the Romanian America University and a Certificate in Corporate Community Relations from Boston College. She has graduated numerous business and communication courses at the London School of Economics, INSEAD, IMD, MCE, Ashridge, etc.
Elena Petrescu – Nuclearelectrica
Luciana-Elena Petrescu is a seasoned communications leader with extensive experience across corporate communications, reputation management, and crisis communication.
As Director of Communication, Sustainability, and Investor Relations at Nuclearelectrica, Romania’s sole nuclear energy company, she plays a pivotal role in driving strategic communication initiatives and fostering transparent relationships with stakeholders. Additionally, Elena serves as the Country Lead for the Romania Chapter of the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD).
Previously, she served as Head of Public Relations for RoPower Nuclear, advancing Romania’s small modular reactor (SMR) project at Doicești. With a career spanning sectors such as wood processing, energy, real estate, health insurance, and mining, Elena has built a reputation for managing complex communications landscapes, particularly in regulated and high-impact industries.
Her leadership and expertise continue to shape public and investor perceptions in Romania’s critical energy sector, while her role at EACD further contributes to strengthening the communications profession both locally and internationally.
Ana Diceanu – Brain4Strategy
Ana-Maria has an experience of over 22 years in corporate communication, reputation management and crisis communication working with companies in challenging industries such as banking, retail, pharma, IT&C and oil & gas. Her exceptional skill set, true passion and strategic thinking lie at the heart of this agency.
Co-founder and President of Global Women in PR Romania, Ana-Maria values high PR standards in every piece of agency work, this is why she is the first Romanian PR person certified AMEC.
Collaborative Projects Session (CPS)
This is the newest addition to the EUPRERA Congress special sessions and is dedicated to comparative research and publication opportunities. Members are invited to share their project proposals with the EUPRERA community if they are looking to expand their research projects to new countries or new institutions. Similarly, call for papers for special issues can be presented as a way to attract new perspectives and approaches.
During this session, Congress participants can:
- Deliver an elevator-pitch style presentation of their proposal (3-5 minutes, ppt),
- Deliver a short presentation of a special issue they guest edit (3-5 minutes, ppt),
- Just attend in order to explore new research and publication opportunities.
EUPRERA Congress participants that want to present should get in touch with Anca Anton (dpra@euprera.org) by the end of the Registration period (August 31st).
Thursday, 12 September 2024, 17:30 – 18:30
EUNES Research Escalator
EUNES Research Escalator
The EUNES Research Escalator session is a valuable opportunity for early- and mid-career researchers to present and discuss their work with peers. This dynamic 1 1/2-hour session allows accepted authors to present and discuss their ideas with other current and prospective EUNES members.
We look forward to welcoming accepted contributors and current and prospective EUNES members to this year’s venue, the Botanical Garden in Bucharest, close to the main EUPRERA congress venue!
Friday, 13 September 2024, 16:30 – 18:00
For more details about EUNES, please visit www.euprera.org/eunes.
Social Programme
Saturday morning: Guided city walk
After the end of the conference, we would like to invite participants to stay in Bucharest for the weekend to get to know the city even better, in a guided city walk on Saturday.
There will be two themes to choose from:
- Bucharest Highlights Tour through the city center. The experience will allow you to understand the way in which the city evolved in the last centuries and will help you find out how the historical context changed it during different regimes, all these through stories about the monarchy, from the communist period and up to present times. The tour includes a walk on Calea Victoriei, where you will have the chance to discover the stories behind some of Bucharest’s most important buildings, as well as a walk through the Old Town;
- Darkside Walking Tour, a tour that will take you through the dark stories of our past. With a pinch of supernatural, some bloody stories or terribly crushed loved ones, the tour gives you the opportunity to discover Bellu Cemetery, our local Père-Lachaise and learn the stories behind one of the most interesting graves. The tour ends up in the Revolution Square with some real stories from 1989 and the communist genocide.
Discover Bucharest
Bucharest, the vibrant capital of Romania, attracts visitors from all over the world with its rich history, diverse architecture, and friendly atmosphere. You can visit:
- The Palace of the Parliament. One of the largest buildings in the world, this colossal structure is a trace of the Romania’s communist past and a must-see for its sheer size and grandeur.
- Old Town: A lively area with narrow, winding streets, historic churches, and many cafes, bars, and restaurants. It’s the perfect place to experience the city’s vibrant nightlife and charming atmosphere.
- Victory Avenue (also known as Calea Victoriei), one of Bucharest’s most famous streets, offers a blend of history, culture, and architecture. It becomes a pedestrian area during weekends, closed to the traffic. As you stroll along this iconic avenue, you can visit several notable landmarks:
- Romanian Atheneum: An architectural and cultural symbol of Bucharest, the Atheneum is renowned for its stunning neoclassical design and rich history. It serves as the home of the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra and hosts numerous concerts and events.
- National History Museum of Romania: This museum provides a comprehensive overview of Romania’s past, showcasing artifacts ranging from prehistoric times to contemporary history. Highlights include the Romanian Crown Jewels and a detailed replica of Trajan’s Column.
- National Museum of Art of Romania: Housed in the former Royal Palace, this museum boasts an impressive collection of Romanian medieval and modern art, as well as European art. It features works by famous Romanian artists like Constantin Brâncuși and Nicolae Grigorescu, alongside masterpieces by international artists such as El Greco and Rembrandt.
- Village Museum (Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum): An open-air museum showcasing traditional Romanian village life, with authentic houses, farms, and churches from different regions of the country.
- Herastrau Park: A nice park offering boating, beautiful gardens, and scenic walkways. It’s a great spot for relaxation and outdoor activities.
- Unirii Fountains: A spectacular display of synchronized water jets and lights, especially enchanting in the evening. The fountains are one of the largest systems of choreographed fountains in the world, providing a mesmerizing show set to music. A glimpse into the show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1tGXiVqDoE
Bucharest’s blend of historic charm and modern vibrancy makes it an exciting destination for all visitors, offering a unique experience.