Preparing students to bridge cultural differences
and forge beneficial and democratic exchanges throughout the region

The mission of the Central European Collaborative is to focus on Romania's cultural identity and to foster a mutually beneficial dialogue between ASU faculty and students, and Romanian dignitaries, universities, and artist groups of both countries by creating a bridge of mutual understanding and cooperation between American and Romanian universities and communities.


Prof. Ileana Orlich, the Honorary General Consul of Romania in Arizona has been promoted to ASU's President's Professor on April 17, 2012. For more information please visit: https://asunews.asu.edu/20120418_presidents_professors


President Traian Basescu of Romania (center with blue tie) visits with the delegates of the Romanian diaspora in the US: San Francisco, 2005 (Professor Orlich front row, far left)

The Collaborative achieves this mission by facilitating numerous cultural, artistic, and scholarly exchanges between U.S. faculty and students, and faculty at Romanian academic institutions and all other cultural and academic organizations from East-Central Europe. For the past 13 years, U.S. students have experienced Romania’s art and culture by participating in the Summer Program to Romania and Central Europe. The information exchange is expanded and offered to the larger American audience by bringing visiting scholars, artists and dignitaries from Romania to the Arizona campus. For the past 10 years, the ASU Romanian program has also developed a collaboration between ASU and the National Theatre in Cluj, using performing arts as a vehicle for integrating shared cultural values, while at the same time recognizing the unique identities of both countries.