On 3 October 2022, Dr Ligia Deca was appointed as Minister of Education in Romania, following the resignation of former minister, Sorin Cimpeanu. Ligia Deca is a known and respected figure in the international higher education community, having coordinated the Secretariat of the Bologna Process between 2010-2012, as well as the organisation of the Bucharest Ministerial Conference, resulting in the Bucharest Communiqué. A graduate of the University of Luxembourg, with a PhD in political sciences (focus on internationalisation of education) (2016) and with a postgraduate degree from the New Europe College, Ligia Deca has been serving, since 2015 as State Adviser for education, and since 2019, as Presidential Adviser at the Department of Education and Research. In the latter capacity she led, inter alia, the large-scale project “Educated Romania”. Her appointment was warmly welcomed by the higher education community in Romania, as well as from abroad, including by student organisations (she also served as Chairperson of the European Students Union – ESU – between 2008 and 2010 and as president of one of the leading student organisations in Romania – ANOSR, in 2006-2007).

Photo from Libertatea News, Ringier Romania