Forumurile Volvo Dilema Veche New Europe College

Board editorial:
Coordonator proiect editorial: Andreea Buic`

Texte:
Traducere:
Fotografii:
Grafic`: Corina Gabriela Duma
Bucure[ti, Spandugino, 2008
Cartea apare cu sprijinul
FORUMURILE
Volvo Dilema Veche

forums
2005-2007
LA COLEGIUL NOUA EUROP~
Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Na]ionale a Romniei
Editat de Spandugino
str. xxxx nr. ??, cod ?????, sector X, Bucure[ti
www.spandugino.ro
Tip`rit la XXXXXXXXXX
Special thanks to our partners Dilema Veche,

New Europe College and to all the speakers who
attended the forums:
Mul]umim partenerilor no[tri New Europe College [i Dilema

Veche [i tuturor participan]ilor la dezbateri:
Paula Apreutesei Business Strategy Manager,

Microsoft Romania
C`t`lin Avramescu Lecturer, National School of
Political and Administrative Studies
Corneliu B`lan Professor, Polytechnic
University, Bucharest
Tudor Blni Managing Partner, BAC,
Romania
Costin Borc Senior Manager, Lafarge, Romania
Arlette Bouzon Professor, Toulouse
University, France
Bogdan Cre]u Director of division Large
Corporations&Multinationals, Raiffeisen Bank
Andrew Costin Lawyer, Member of California
bar association
Adrian Dafinei Lecturer, Faculty of Physics,
University of Bucharest
Daniel Dìanu Professor, Economic Sciences
Academy
{tefania Ferchedù Executive Director,
ECUMEST Association
C`t`lin Gheorghe Communication Director,
Community Relations Association
Radu Gologan Professor, Polytechnic
University, Bucharest
Lavinia Huidan President/ CEO, EIT Auto
Forum, Founder and President of Life for Life
Association
Vasile Iuga Senior Partner,
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Gabriel Istrate Researcher, Los Alamos
National Laboratory, United States of America
Gzegoz Kolotko Professor, former Minister of
Finances in Poland
Gabriel Kreindler student of Princeton
University, gold medal at the International
Mathematics Olympiad, 2005
Gilda Laz`r Corporate Affairs Director, JTI,
Romania
Andi L`zescu Journalist
Gabriel Liiceanu Director, Humanitas
Publishing House
Solomon Marcus Professor, Faculty of
Mathematics, University of Bucharest
Radu Mateescu Executive President, Concept
Foundation
Monica Mocanu President, Romanian
Association for Debate, Elocution and Rethoric
Mihai Neam]u Theologian
Andrei Negu] Student of Princeton
University, gold medal at the International
Paula Apreutesei Business Strategy Manager, Microsoft

Romnia
C`t`lin Avramescu Conferen]iar universitar, {coala
Na]ional` de Studii Politice [i Administrative, Bucureflti
Corneliu B`lan Profesor universitar, Universitatea
Politehnic`, Bucure[ti
Tudor Blni Managing Partener, BAC, Romnia
Costin Borc Senior Manager, Lafarge, Romnia
Arlette Bouzon Profesor universitar, Universitatea din
Toulouse, Fran]a
Bogdan Cre]u Director, Divizia Large
Corporations&Multinationals, Raiffeisen Bank
Andrew Costin Avocat, membru al baroului din California
Adrian Dafinei Conferen]iar universitar, Facultatea de
Fizic`, Universitatea Bucure[ti
Daniel Dìanu Profesor universitar, Academia de {tiin]e
Economice
{tefania Ferchedù Director executiv, Asocia]ia ECUMEST
C`t`lin Gheorghe Director comunicare, Asocia]ia pentru
Rela]ii Comunitare
Radu Gologan Profesor universitar, Universitatea
Politehnic`, Bucure[ti
Lavinia Huidan Pre[edinte/ CEO, EIT Forum Auto, fondator
[i pre[edinte al funda]iei Life for Life
Vasile Iuga Senior Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Gabriel Istrate Cercet`tor, Los Alamos National Laboratory,
Statele Unite ale Americii
Gzegoz Kolotko Profesor universitar, fost ministru de
finan]e al Poloniei
Gabriel Kreindler student la Universitatea Princeton, medaliat cu aur la Olimpiada Interna]ional` de Matematic`, 2005
Gilda Laz`r Corporate Affairs Director, JTI, Romnia
Andi L`zescu Jurnalist
Gabriel Liiceanu Director, Editura Humanitas
Solomon Marcus Profesor universitar, Facultatea de
Matematic`, Universitatea Bucure[ti
Radu Mateescu Pre[edinte executiv, Funda]ia Concept
Monica Mocanu Pre[edinte, Asocia]ia Romn` de
Dezbateri, Oratorie [i Retoric`
Mihai Neam]u Teolog
Andrei Negu] Student la Universitatea Princeton, medaliat
cu aur la Olimpiada Interna]ional` de Matematic`, 2004
6l
James Niblett Director executiv, Hospice of Hope, Romnia

Mihai Oroveanu Director, Muzeul Na]ional de Art`
Contemporan`
Liviu Papadima Decan, Facultatea de Litere, Universitatea
Bucure[ti
Dan Pascariu Pre[edinte, HVB, Romnia
Horia-Roman Patapievici Pre[edinte, Institutul Cultural
Romn
Ioan Pnzaru Rector, Universitatea Bucure[ti
Cristian Prvan Secretar general, Asocia]ia Oamenilor de
Afaceri din Romnia
Drago[ Pslaru Director executiv, Grupul de Economie
Aplicat`
R`zvan Penescu Redactor, LiterNet.ro
Andrei Ple[u Rector [i fondator, Colegiul Noua Europ`
Florin Pogonaru Pre[edinte, Asocia]ia Oamenilor de Afaceri
Georgiana Pogonaru General Manager, Romcolor
Voica Pop Coordonator proiecte, UNICEF
Pierre Poupard Reprezentant UNICEF n Romnia
Liliana Preoteasa Director general, Ministerul Educa]iei [i
Cercet`rii
Cristian Proistosescu Student Universitatea Princeton,
medaliat cu aur la Olimpiada Interna]ional` de Fizic`, 2005
Emilian Radu Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Lavinia Ra[ca Director Departament de Formare Continu`,
ASEBUSS
Adela Rogojinaru Conferen]iar universitar, Facultatea de
Litere, Universitatea Bucure[ti
Dumitru Sandu Profesor universitar, Facultatea de
Sociologie, Universitatea Bucure[ti
Jonathan Scheele {ef, Delega]ia Comisiei Europene la
Bucure[ti
Dan Schwartz Director, {coala Normal` Superioar`,
Bucure[ti
Heinz-Rudi Spiegel Director de programe, Stifterverband
fr Deutsche Wissenchaft, Essen
M`riuca Talpe[ Director, Softwin
Robert Turcescu Jurnalist
Jean Valvis Pre[edinte, Grup LaDorna
Adrian Vasilescu Consilier al Guvernatorului B`ncii
Na]ionale a Romniei
Mircea Vasilescu Conferen]iar universitar, Facultatea de
Litere, Universitatea Bucure[ti
Liviu Voinea Economist, Grupul de Economie Aplicat`
Jon White Consultant management [i PR, Marea Britanie
Sue Wolstenholme Consultant public relations, European
Public Relations Education and Research Association
Nicolae Zamfir Director, Institutul de Fizic` Atomic`
Mathematics Olympiad, 2004

James Niblett Executive Director, Hospice of
Hope, Romania
Mihai Oroveanu Director, National Museum of
Contemporary Art
Liviu Papadima Dean, Faculty of Letters,
Dan Pascariu President, HVB, Romania
Horia-Roman Patapievici President,
Romanian Cultural Institute, Bucharest
Ioan Pnzaru Rector, University of Bucharest
Cristian Prvan General Secretary, Romanian
Business Men Association
Drago[ Pslaru Executive Director, Group of
Applied Economy
R`zvan Penescu Redactor, LiterNet.ro
Andrei Ple[u Rector and Founder, New Europe
College
Florin Pogonaru President, Romanian Business
Men Association
Georgiana Pogonaru General Manager,
Romcolor
Voica Pop Project coordinator, UNICEF
Pierre Poupard UNICEF representative in
Romania
Liliana Preoteasa General Director, Ministry of
Research and Education
Cristian Proistosescu Student of Princeton
University, gold medal at International Phisics
Olimpyad, 2005
Emilian Radu Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Lavinia Ra[ca Director of Continuous
Formation Department, ASEBUSS
Adela Rogojinaru Lecturer, Faculty of Letters,
Dumitru Sandu Professor, Faculty of Sociology,
Jonathan Scheele Chief of European
Commission Delegation, Bucharest
Dan Schwartz Director, Superior Normal
School, Bucharest
Heinz-Rudi Spiegel Programs Director,
Stifterverband fr Deutsche Wissenchaft, Essen
M`riuca Talpe[ Director, Softwin
Robert Turcescu Journalist
Jean Valvis President, LaDorna Group
Adrian Vasilescu Counselor of the Romania
National Bank Governor
Mircea Vasilescu lecturer, Faculty of Letters,
Liviu Voinea Economist, Group for Applied
Economy
Jon White Management and PR Consultant,
Great Britain
Sue Wolstenholme Public Relations
Consultant, European Public Relations Education
and Research Association
Nicolae Zamfir Director, Atomic Physics
Institute
CUPRINS
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LEGENDELE OLIMPICILOR
Olympics Legends
Colegiul Noua Europ`, 31 august 2005

New Europe College, August 31st 2005
De la Dilema veche la Volvo [i napoi...
12 l
Mica istorie a acestui dosar tematic ncepe n suplimentul Exodul inteligen]ei, ap`rut
n nr. 73 al revistei Dilema Veche care a fost coordonat de Cristian Ghinea. Doamna
Lavinia Huidan, pre[edinta firmei Forum Auto, importator Volvo n Romnia, inspirat` de
suplimentul nostru, a creat programul Volvo partener al inteligen]ei, dedicat loturilor
olimpice de matematic` [i fizic`. Nu este vorba despre o simpl` sponsorizare, ci de ncercarea de a fi permanent al`turi de ace[ti elevi, n procesul de preg`tire [i n participarea la
concursuri. Printre altele, programul a inclus o dezbatere la care au participat premian]ii
la Olimpiadele Interna]ionale de Fizic` [i Matematic`, profesorii lor, reprezentan]i ai elitei
culturale, ai mediului de afaceri [i ai mass-media. Pornind de la dilema a pleca n
strìn`tate sau a r`mne n ]ar`, dezbaterea a cuprins probleme complexe, ncercnd s`
descrie statutul acestor elevi de excep]ie n societatea noastr`, rela]ia lor cu sistemul
[colar, cu propriile succese, cu ceilal]i. Aceast` dezbatere constituie nucleul paginilor
urm`toare [i o prelungire, n al]i termeni, a suplimentului Exodul inteligen]ei. De la
Dilema veche la Volvo [i napoi...
Olimpicii Romniei reprezint`, o dat` pe an, cnd se ntorc cu premii din strìn`tate,
subiect de prim` m`rime pentru ziare [i pentru televiziuni. n rest, societatea nu pare s`-i
ia prea mult n seam`: nu sunt (din p`cate) modele de succes, iar felul n care noi,
ceilal]i, ne raport`m la ei ]ine mai degrab` de o afectivitate conjunctural`: datorit` lor, ne
sim]im cteva zile pe an mndri c` suntem romni [i bucuro[i c` reprezentan]i ai [colii
romne[ti sunt capabili de asemenea performan]e. Cnd termin` liceul, cei mai mul]i
pleac` la studii n universit`]i americane, ceea ce ne provoac` teama c` ne fug
creierele. De la pre[edin]i pn` la cet`]eni, cu to]ii p`rem a avea o opinie deja format`
despre aceast` problem`. Dar nu prea suntem dispu[i s` discut`m lucid, cu argumente,
ce facem noi pentru ei, ce loc le poate asigura societatea romneasc`, a c`rei precaritate
material` [i organizatoric` nu pare a favoriza performan]ele de vrf, nici inser]ia unor
tineri att de nzestra]i n comunit`]i academice solide [i totodat` deschise c`tre inova]ie.
Nici nu suntem prea dispu[i s` reflect`m la normalitatea plec`rii la studii n ]`ri unde
asemenea vrfuri intelectuale pot cu adev`rat s` se formeze.
Ei pleac`. Noi r`mnem s` dezbatem [i s` ne gndim la legendele olimpicilor, cu aerul
c` am spus totul: ni[te elevi nzestra]i, produse ale [colii romne[ti, care demonstreaz`
nivelul nv`]`mntului nostru etc. etc. De fapt a[a cum se va vedea [i din paginile
urm`toare ei [i privesc performan]ele cu un aer ct se poate de firesc, ]in foarte mult la
profesorii lor, vor s` studieze mai departe [i [tiu c` aici nu o pot face. Dar nu privesc plecarea cu dramatism, nici n-o consider` definitiv`. Pur [i simplu, se nscriu cu naturale]e
n tendin]ele lumii de azi. Ar merita s`-i ascult`m mai des [i s` ne intereseze felul lor de a
fi [i de a gndi nu doar cteva zile pe an, cnd iau premii prestigioase. Reproducem n
paginile urm`toare cele mai importante fragmente ale discu]iei [i editorialele pe aceast`
tem` ap`rute n num`rul 88, an II, al revistei Dilema Veche.
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From the Dilema Veche to Volvo and back...
nv`]`tur`, performan]`, pl`cere
The small history of this Thematic file begins with the Intelligence Exodus supplement published in the Dilema Veche magazine no 73 and coordinated by Cristian Ghinea. Mrs. Lavinia
Huidan, president of the Forum Auto firm, Volvo importer in Romania, inspired by our supplement,
has created the Volvo intelligence partner" program, dedicated to the Mathematics and Physics
Olympic teams. It is not about a simple sponsorship, but about the attempt to be beside these students permanently in the preparation process and contests.
Among other things, the program has included a debate that included the award winners of the
International Olympiads in Physics and Mathematics, their teachers, representatives of the cultural
elite, business world and mass-media. Starting with the dilemma of "going abroad or staying in",
the debate embraced complex problems, trying to describe these students status in our society,
their relationship with the school system, with their own achievements, with the other people. This
debate represents the nucleus of the following pages and it is a continuation, in other terms, of the
Intelligence Exodus supplement. From the Dilema Veche to Volvo and back...
"Romanias Olympics" represents, once a year, when they return with prizes from abroad, the main
subject for newspapers and television channels. Aside from this, society doesnt seem to care too
much: they are not (unfortunately) "success models", and the way that we, the other people, report
ourselves to them, is about a situational affectivity: thanks to them, we can feel for a few days a
year, "proud to be Romanians" and happy that the representatives of the Romanian school are
capable of such performances. When they graduate, most of them go to study in American universities, a fact that causes the fear that "our brains run away". From presidents to simple citizens, we
all seem to have an already definite opinion about this problem. But we are not willing to discuss
about what can be done for them, what place can the Romanian society give them, taking into
account that the material and organizational precariousness doesnt seem to be in favor of top performances, nor does the participation of some young gifted students to the solid academic community opened to innovation. We are not really willing to think about the normality of going to study
in other countries where such gifted students can become real intellectuals.
They leave. We stay here to debate and to think about the Olympics legends, believing that we
have said it all: some gifted students, products of the Romanian school, who can demonstrate the
level of our educational system, etc., etc. Actually as it will be shown in the following pages they
take their performances very naturally, they care about their teachers and they want to study but
they know they cant do it here. They dont look at their departure with drama, and they dont consider it "definite". They simply go with the new tendencies. They deserve to be listened to more
often and our interest in their way of thinking not for only a couple days a year, when they win
impressive prizes...
In the next pages we reproduce the most important fragments of discussion and the related editorials published in the 88th number, second year, of Dilema Veche magazine.
Education,
performance, pleasure
Andrei Ple[u: Over ten years ago, when I set

up the "New Generation" College, the idea
was to create a research and working area
where a certain culture of scientific dialogue,
freedom, seriousness to become plausible in
Romania; to have a place which would make
possible a normal standards closest possible
working and life environment in human
research sector, stopping this way the phenomenon so called by a trendy term, as brain
drain,. Meanwhile I changed my opinions: I
believe that the brains do very good by leaving once in a while, under the condition of
not loosing contact. But the melodrama, the
soap-opera of the brains leaving the country
is, from my point of view, controversy, especially when the country is not showing any
broken loose love. Anywhere you go, you are
steel what you are, you must go where you
can reach the maximum, therefore bringing
large benefits also to your country. If Enescu,
Ionescu, Brncu[i, Eliade, Cioran and others
were too patriot and staid in Tecuci, they
wouldn't have done for Romania everything
they did by leaving.
Lavinia Huidan: Why Volvo in this forum, why
Volvo together with the Olympics? Because
Volvo is more than a premium car; Volvo
means a set of fundamental values, based on
safety, stability, intelligence, creativity, dialogue. First of all, it means substance.
Discretion and decency is shown in everything
that we do. This is Volvo philosophy. Starting
from the idea of dialogue towards which
Volvo encourages for over 90 years, we tried
to create a larger area in order to answer to
the questions we are all asking ourselves and
exceeding our economic or microsystems.
Within this dialogue we were intrigued by
the "Brains exode" supplement published in
Old Dilemma no 73 from June. We thought
then at Romanian elites, at the fever of elite
loosing in favor of the Occident because
Romania is not able to offer them enough for
their personal fulfillment; we thought of
what might be done for solving this dilemma.
And we wanted to transmit the Olympics
how important they are for us.
Dan Pascariu: By structure and profession, I
think that people should have the right to
options. We are leaving in a society where
options start to exist. I have a market
approach: who offers more and better can
Andrei Ple[u: n urm` cu mai bine de zece ani, cnd am nfiin]at Colegiul Noua Europ`, ideea era s` facem un spa]iu de
cercetare [i de lucru n care o anumit` cultur` a dialogului, a
libert`]ii, a seriozit`]ii [tiin]ifice s` devin` plauzibil` [i n
Romnia; s` existe [i n Romnia un loc care s` fac` posibil un
mod de lucru [i de via]` n domeniul cercet`rii umaniste ct mai
apropiat de standardele normale, poate n acest fel se mai
opre[te ceva din fenomenul numit, cu un termen la mod`,
brain drain, plecarea inteligen]elor. ntre timp mi-am mai
schimbat opiniile: cred c` inteligen]ele fac foarte bine s` mai [i
plece, cu condi]ia s` nu piard` contactele. Dar melodrama,
telenovela inteligen]elor care p`r`sesc patria este, din punctul
meu de vedere, discutabil`, mai ales cnd patria nu d` semne
de amor dezl`n]uit. Oriunde te-ai duce, r`mi tot ce e[ti, trebuie s` te duci acolo unde te po]i mplini maximal, aducnd astfel beneficii de anvergur` [i ]`rii tale. Dac` Enescu, Ionescu,
Brncu[i, Eliade, Cioran [i alì c]iva erau prea patrio]i [i
r`mneau la Tecuci, n-ar fi f`cut pentru Romnia tot ceea ce au
f`cut plecnd.
Lavinia Huidan: De ce Volvo n acest forum, de ce Volvo
mpreun` cu olimpicii? Pentru c` Volvo este mai mult dect o
ma[in` premium; Volvo nseamn` un set de valori fundamentale, care se bazeaz` pe siguran]`, stabilitate, inteligen]`, creativitate, dialog. nseamn` substan]`, nainte de toate. n tot ce
facem este discre]ie [i decen]`. Aceasta este filozofia Volvo.
Pornind de la ideea de dialog, la care Volvo ndeamn` de 90 de
ani, am ncercat s` construim un spa]iu mai larg pentru a
r`spunde la ntreb`ri pe care ni le punem cu to]ii [i care dep`[esc sfera economicului sau a microsistemelor noastre. n cadrul
acestui dialog am fost incita]i de suplimentul Exodul inteligen]elor, ap`rut n Dilema veche nr. 73 din luna iunie. Ne-am
gndit atunci la elitele romne[ti, la febra pierderii elitelor n
favoarea Occidentului pentru c` Romnia nu le poate oferi
destul pentru realizarea lor personal`; ne-am gndit ce s-ar
putea face pentru a rezolva aceast` dilem`. Iar olimpicilor am
vrut s` le transmitem ct sunt de importan]i pentru noi.
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Dan Pascariu: Prin structur` [i prin forma]ie, consider c`

oamenii trebuie s` aib` dreptul la op]iuni. Trìm ntr-o societate
n care ncep s` existe op]iuni. Eu am o abordare de pia]`: cine
ofer` mai mult [i mai bine poate s` c[tige mai mult n ceea
ce-l prive[te pe consumator. Olimpicilor no[tri li se ofer` [anse
n diverse p`r]i ale lumii. Trìm ntr-o lume globalizat`, n care
exist` diverse op]iuni, diverse oferte, iar dac` unele dintre ele
sunt considerate mai bune dect celelalte, nu n]eleg de ce s`
nu fie acceptate [i fructificate. Sunt convins c` foarte mul]i dintre tinerii de ast`zi, care aleg s` mearg` la studii n strìn`tate,
se vor ntoarce n Romnia. Sunt convins din experien]`: am
mul]i colegi tineri pe care i-am angajat dup` ce au studiat [i au
lucrat n strìn`tate [i au ales s` se ntoarc`.
De ce s-au ntors? Pentru c` n Romnia, n acest moment, se
ntmpl` ceva, se ntmpl` mult mai interesant dect acolo. Am
o coleg` care a lucrat la JP Morgan la New York [i, de cnd s-a
ntors n Romnia, mi spune c` e fericit` [i vine cu pl`cere la
serviciu: pentru c` aici se ntmpl` ceva, se construie[te o pia]`.
Nu trebuie, cred, s` ne temem de faptul c` olimpicii no[tri
primesc burse la Stanford, la Harvard ori la Princeton [i pleac`
acolo la studii. Din ceea ce vor acumula, vor putea face mai
multe pentru Romnia peste c]iva ani, dect dac` ar r`mne
acum aici [i s-ar duce la facult`]i care, din p`cate, nu le ofer`
ceea ce le-ar trebui. Stau de vorb` cu tinerii care vin s` se angajeze [i constat c` s-au schimbat etichetele cursurilor, dar nu [i
con]inutul lor. Or, n condi]iile n care nu avem o ofert` consistent` [i interesant` din punctul de vedere al calit`]ii nv`]`mntului, trebuie s`-i l`s`m s` plece pe cei buni, s` nve]e ca lumea
acolo [i, cnd se vor ntoarce, ne vor fi de folos tuturor ntr-o
m`sur` mult mai mare.
Ioan Pnzaru: Guvernul Romniei aloc`, de anul trecut, ni[te
sume considerabile pentru burse la Stanford [i Princeton, a[a
nct, pe lng` cei care ob]in burse la aceste mari universit`]i
prin eforturi proprii, pot fi [i unii care le ob]in prin bugetul
Romniei. Sunt, n acest an, vreo 40 de bursieri ai Statului romn care pleac` n Marea Britanie [i n Statele Unite, sunt circa
1.000 de bursieri prin Oficiul Na]ional pentru Burse [i, n plus,
exist` numeroase funda]ii care ofer`, [i ele, posibilitatea de a
studia la universit`]i din strìn`tate. Funda]iile germane, de
pild`, se plng c` nu sunt suficien]i candida]i pentru a forma o
competitivitate de nivel nalt, pentru c` nu exist` o suficient`
cunoa[tere a limbii germane. Exist` o pia]` imens` pentru a
earn more regarding the customer. Our

Olympics are offered chances in different
parts of the world. We live in a globalized
world, where different options, different
offers exist, and while some of them are considered better than others, I don't see why
not be accepted and capitalized. I am convinced that many of the young today, who
choose to study abroad, will return to
Romania. I am convinced from my experience:
I have many young colleagues whom I hired
after studying and working abroad and chosen to return.
Why did they return? Because in Romania, at
this point, something is happening, something much more interesting than there is
happening. I have a colleague who worked at
JP Morgan in New York and, since she
returned to Romania, she tells me she is
happy and comes to work with pleasure:
because here something is happening, a market is emerging. I don't think we should fear
from the fact that our Olympics receive scholarships in Stanford, Harvard or Princeton and
go there for studying. From what they are
about to accumulate, they shall be able to do
more for Romania over a few years than they
might do if they stayed here and went to faculties that unfortunately do not offer them
what they were supposed to. I am talking to
the young people that come for being
recruited and I can see that the labels of the
courses have changed but not also their content. Or, if we do not have a consistent and
interesting offer so as to correspond to the
teaching quality we must let the best to
leave, to study properly in there as, once they
are back we can all use their knowledge to
an even larger extent.
Ioan Pnzaru: The Romanian Government
grants, since last year, considerable amounts
of money for scholarships in Stanford and
Princeton, thus, among the ones that receive
scholarships for these important universities
by their own effort, there may others that
obtain them from the Romanian
Government. There are, this year, about 40
grant holders of the Romanian State that
leave to the Great Britain and in the United
States, due to National Scholarships Office
there are almost 1,000 grant holders and
besides that, there are numerous foundation
that grant, them too, the possibility of studying at the universities abroad. The German
foundations for instance complain about the
fact that there are not enough candidates to
reach a high standard competitiveness,
because they don't know very well to speak
German. There is huge market allowing earning money of the intellectual training -
through scholarships, post-doctoral studies,

through any international study formulas
that we don't know bear fruits of yet.
Adrian Dafinei: I think that the subject concerning the international Olympics is little
treated in mass-media, as other subjects.
During the entire year people do not talk
about these students, but suddenly, because
they received some international prizes, our
physics becomes the best in the world. This is
not true. A lot of our Olympics study banks,
economics or architecture at top American
universities that took them for their quality
that took them because of the capacity to
learn with such a strength ever since the 6th
grade. I would be very happy as a teacher, if
our media - which of course, must meet the
public's needs, yet it would be good if the
media could educate it too - would write
about how nice is a 6th grade student having
a passion for study, science, physics.
Otherwise, it is certain that sciences produce
"mediocre" and very useful executants - it is
a good thing that a man is "mediocre" and
does his job properly. The Romanian school
must propose precisely this: to produce very
good and hardworking executants. If beyond
that we have the chance to meet also diamantes such as these students, than we
should treat them well: of course we can not
expect to build a diamante industry, but it
would be quite foolish to find a diamante
and not to use it.
Then, I think it is stupid to talk about "exodus" when twenty kids are leaving. We can
talk about exodus when a whole people
leave - it looks more like an exodus the strawberry pickers, than what happens to some of
the top students. The fact that they leave
Romania does not mean that the "Romanian
intelligence" is being lost, but simply that it
goes to work in a place that it can really
show its full extent; for it is one thing to
work in Stanford laboratories with equipments that Romania could not afford even if
it spent al the public budget only for this,
and it is a different thing to work in
Romanian laboratories with the equipments
that are as it can be seen and thinking that
the paycheck won't last till next month if you
buy a specialty book which is expensive
enough. And I don't think that these students
must remain in "Romania" but Romania's:
anywhere they would be, they must feel that
they belong to the "Romanian club". In fact,
the "dilemma of leaving" does not even exist,
because they all left already: at present, all
12th grade graduates that are members of
Romanian physics Olympics are students in
c[tiga bani din preg`tirea intelectual` prin burse, prin studii

post-doctorale, prin tot felul de formule de studii interna]ionale
pe care noi nu reu[im s` le fructific`m.
Adrian Dafinei: Cred c` subiectul olimpicilor interna]ionali
este tratat pu]in isteric n mass-media, ca [i alte subiecte. 360
de zile nu se vorbe[te despre ace[ti elevi, dup` care, pentru c`
ei au luat ni[te premii interna]ionale, brusc fizica noastr` devine
cea mai bun` din lume. Ceea ce este neadev`rat. Mul]i dintre
olimpicii no[tri fac banking, [tiin]e economice ori arhitectur`, la
universit`]i americane de vrf, care i-au luat pentru calitatea lor
de a nv`]a cu o t`rie extraordinar` nc` din clasa a VI-a. Eu a[
fi foarte fericit, ca profesor, dac` presa noastr` care, desigur,
trebuie s` r`spund` cerin]elor publicului, dar ar fi bine s`-l [i
educe pu]in ar scrie despre ct de frumos este c` un copil de
clasa a VI-a e pasionat de nv`]`tur`, de [tiin]`, de fizic`.
Altminteri, sigur c` [tiin]ele produc executan]i mediocri [i
foarte utili e foarte bine ca un om s` fie mediocru [i s`-[i
fac` treaba cu h`rnicie. nv`]`mntul romnesc acest lucru trebuie s` [i-l propun`: s` produc` ni[te foarte buni [i harnici executan]i. Dac` dincolo de asta avem norocul s` mai ntlnim [i
diamante precum ace[ti copii, atunci s` ne ocup`m bine de ei:
nu po]i, desigur, s` faci industrie de diamante, dar ar fi o
prostie s` g`se[ti un diamant [i s` nu-l folose[ti.
Apoi, mi se pare stupid s` vorbe[ti despre exod cnd pleac`
dou`zeci de copii. Despre exod se poate vorbi atunci cnd
pleac` un popor ntreg mai degrab` seam`n` a exod ceea ce
se ntmpl` cu c`p[unarii, dect ce se ntmpl` cu c]iva elevi
de vrf. Faptul c` ei pleac` din Romnia nu nseamn` c`
inteligen]a romneasc` se pierde, ci pur [i simplu ea merge
s` lucreze acolo unde poate s`-[i dea m`sura; c`ci una este s`
lucrezi n laboratoarele de la Stanford, cu dot`ri pe care
Romnia nu [i le-ar permite nici dac` ar cheltui tot bugetul
public numai pentru asta, [i alta este s` lucrezi n laboratoarele
din Romnia, cu aparatele care sunt cum sunt [i gndindu-te c`
poate nu-]i ajunge salariul pn` luna viitoare dac` ]i cumperi o
carte de specialitate foarte scump`. {i nu cred c` ace[ti copii
trebuie s` r`mn` n Romnia, ci ai Romniei: oriunde ar fi,
s` simt` c` apar]in clubului romnilor. De fapt, dilema
plec`rii nici nu exist`, pentru c` au plecat to]i: n acest
moment, to]i absolven]ii clasei a XII-a care sunt membri ai lotului de fizic` al Romniei sunt studen]i n SUA. Iar dac` pleac` [i
se stabilesc n America, nu cred c` i pierdem nici m`car n cali-
l 17
18 l
tate de cet`]eni: ei sunt mai degrab` cet`]eni ai lumii, n cel

mai bun sens al cuvntului sunt americani n America [i
romni n Romnia, dac` Romnia i vrea. Dar am impresia,
dup` cum se poart` n nou` cazuri din zece, c` Romnia nu i
vrea. Sunt profund impresionat c`, n acest an, unele firme private se ocup` de ace[ti copii, le dau aten]ie, i fac s` simt` c`
ei conteaz` ntr-adev`r. {i Ministerul Educa]iei face ceva pentru
ei, binen]eles: a creat ni[te Centre de Excelen]` care exact asta
[i propun s` fac` programe speciale pentru elevii de excep]ie;
aceste Centre lucreaz` dar cu bani de la buget [i cu iner]ia
imens` a institu]iilor de stat. Faptul c` oameni care au avut succes n afaceri, n pres` ori n lumea cultural`, se ocup` de ace[ti
elevi este extraordinar pentru ei este bine s` te sim]i membru
al unei elite. Mai ales c` ei sunt foarte pu]ini de nivelul lor [i
sunt pu]ini cei care i pot n]elege cu adev`rat pe ace[ti copii;
probabil c` pentru foarte mult` lume ei sunt doar ni[te tocilari
ciuda]i care nva]` de mici la toate materiile, n loc s` se joace,
cum fac to]i copiii. Dar cred c`, dac` oamenii de valoare s-ar
aduna, poate c` s-ar schimba mai multe [i n Romnia; ar fi
bine, de pild`, dac` n pres` s-ar scrie mai des, nu despre ace[ti
elevi pentru c` ei nu vor s` fie vedete [i s` dea autografe pe
tricourile domni[oarelor -, ci despre faptul c` e bine [i e util s`
nve]i, despre faptul c` o ]ar` devine cu adev`rat bogat` datorit` inteligen]elor sale, nu datorit` dansatoarelor frumoase [i
fotbali[tilor talenta]i.
Cristian Proistosescu: Eu am avut noroc [i pentru c`, la Baia
Mare, au fost [i al]i olimpici interna]ionali, a[a nct am avut
modele, am avut colegi mai mari care s`-mi spun` ce nseamn`
un concurs [.a.m.d. Cred c` mul]i nu au modele, nu [tiu ce recompense po]i ob]ine dac` nve]i. Sunt de acord cu cei care
spun c` nu trebuie afi[a]i ca modele de succes doar fotbali[tii
[i maneli[tii, pentru c` un copil, dac` asta vede, asta [i dore[te
s` fie. Nu sunt de acord ns` c` sistemul de nv`]`mnt trebuie
s` creeze executan]i; trebuie s` creeze oportunit`]i ca vrfurile
s` apar`. n America, [colile au programe care i ncurajeaz` pe
elevi s` fie ct mai buni. La noi, au ap`rut, ce-i drept, acele
Centre de Excelen]` create de minister, dar numai n unele
jude]e. n rest, nu prea se [tie mare lucru despre ele. Iar pentru
descoperirea [i preg`tirea elevilor performan]i lucreaz` doar
c]iva profesori, nu sistemul n ansamblu.
USA. And if they leave and settle in America,

I don't think that we are losing them as "citizens". for they are rather citizens of the
world, in the best sense of the word - they
are Americans in America and Romanians in
Romania if Romania wants them. But I have
the feeling that, as happens in nine of ten
cases, that Romania does not want them. I
am deeply impressed that, this year, some private companies takes care of these students,
they pay attention making them to feel that
they really matter. Of course the Ministry of
Education also does something for them: it
created some Excellence Centers which are
supposed to do exactly that - special programs for the exceptional students; these
Centers work - but with money received from
the budget and with the huge inertia of the
state institutions. The fact that people that
were successful, in media or the cultural
world, take care of these students is extraordinary for them - it is good to feel that you
are a member of an elite. Especially since
there are few students like that - and only
few people can truly understand these children; probably because for many they are
only some weird nerds that study since childhood at all disciplines instead of playing like
all children do. But I think that if valuable
people would gather, maybe more things
would change in Romania; it would be good
if, for instance, the media would write more
often, not about these students - because
they don' t want to become stars and give
autographs of the ladies' tee-shirts but about
that fact that it is a good and useful thing to
learn, about the fact that a country becomes
really rich due to its intelligent persons, not
only die to its beautiful dancers and gifted
football players.
Cristian Proistosescu: I was lucky also because,
at Baia Mare, there have been other international Olympics also so that we had models,
bigger colleagues to tell me what a competition is all about so on and so forth. I believe
that no many of us have models and not
many know the rewards one might get if one
studies. I agree with all the people saying
that not only the successful football players
and manele players because if that is the
only thing a child can see that is the only
thing he wants to become. I disagree though
with the fact that the Romanian school must
create executants; it must create opportunities so that the top students may appear. In
America, the schools have programs that
encourage students to reach top performances. In Romania, it's true; the Excellence
Centers created by the Ministry appeared, but
only in certain counties. But in fact, we don't
know much about them. And for the discovery and the preparation of the performing
students only a few professors work, in the
system as a whole.
Ioan Pnzaru: With regard to physics, we
have a problem - Romania does not have
physics programmes. The nuclear programmes is no longer valid, we don't really
have top physicians so there are not many
things that we can do. So it is better to keep
at least the other research programmes and
the little that remained from the physics
research. That and solving the problem of this
culture fracture for it can been seen from the
media, is a sort of fuss on the subject of
"don't study too much, it won't help you
much", "school is a catastrophe", "you need
to show up on television if you want to make
money". Or, there is a lot of money that we
don't know yet to pick up form the scientific
research because we have neither the expectation nor the necessary structures to obtain
this money. I see, probably, around one thousand people a year. That means that every
ten years I have the chance of meeting one
exceptional student - and then, only "photographically", in one second time. Having an
over 20 million people we expect to have
only few extremely gifted people. The problem is whether we have or not the structures
necessary to "pick them up" and to increase
their value. It seems to me that the essential
problem is right here: if the culture of the
Romanian people is a culture in which the science and the scientific research have a
chance, a possibility, then we will be able to
keep these young men, we shall have them
on the long term yet the culture of the
Romanian people is a culture of pleasure,
party, conviviality then they shall continue to
leave, it will be like a constant hemorrhage
and the consequences of that will be very
serious because we are a very But we will
never be able to keep them, we will never be
able to keep them. What should we do about
that? Sorry for my remembering in a positive
manner a very horrible period, but in 1957, as
I was a child, I could buy a lot of physics and
mathematics books or books that would popularize the science for 75 bani whereas today
I must think twice before buying Stephen
Hawking: I can not really afford books from
Humanitas Publishing House, though I am a
University Professor and the media writes
about us professors that we have huge
salaries.
We have here a serious issue, and parts of it
can not be solved. I am very sorry and I am
completely sad to say that in physics we do
not have a radical solution. Let us save at
Ioan Pnzaru: Pentru fizic`, avem o problem` Romnia nu

mai are programe de fizic`. Programul nuclear nu mai este
valid, cu fizicienii de elit` nu mai avem, practic, ce s` facem.
A[a c` ar fi bine s` nu pierdem m`car celelalte programe de
cercetare [i att ct a mai r`mas din cercetarea n fizic`. {i s`
rezolv`m problema acestei fracturi n cultur`, c`ci ce se vede n
societate, prin media, este un fel de tapaj pe tema nu serve[te
la nimic s` nve]i mult, nv`]`mntul e o catastrof`, trebuie s` apari la televizor ca s` c[tigi bani. Or, exist` foarte
mul]i bani pe care noi nu reu[im s`-i culegem n cercetarea
[tiin]ific`, pentru c` nu avem a[teptarea [i structurile necesare
pentru a ob]ine ace[ti bani. Eu v`d, probabil, n jur de o mie de
oameni pe an. Asta nseamn` c` n vreo zece ani am [ansa s`
ntlnesc un individ excep]ional [i atunci doar fotografic, la
secund`. ntr-o popula]ie de peste 20 de milioane, ne a[tept`m
s` avem c]iva oameni fenomenal dota]i. Problema este dac`
avem structurile necesare prin care s`-i culegem [i s`-i valorific`m. Mi se pare c` aici e problema fundamental`: dac` cultura poporului romn este o cultur` n care [tiin]a [i cercetarea
[tiin]ific` au o [ans`, au o posibilitate, atunci i vom putea
p`stra pe ace[ti tineri, i vom avea pe termen lung; dac` ns`
cultura poporului romn este una de petreceri, de veselie, de
convivialitate, atunci ei vor continua s` plece, va fi o hemoragie
interminabil`, [i poate nu cu ni[te consecin]e foarte grave, pentru c` suntem o popula]ie numeroas`, n care se presupune c`
se vor na[te al]i copii foarte inteligen]i. Dar nu-i vom putea
p`stra; niciodat` nu-i vom putea p`stra. Ce ar trebui s` facem?
Ierta]i-m` c` mi amintesc ntr-un mod pozitiv de o epoc`
odioas`, dar n 1957, copil fiind, mi puteam cump`ra o mul]ime de c`r]i de fizic` [i matematic` ori de popularizare a [tiin]ei
pe care le cump`ram cu 75 de bani; ast`zi, m` gndesc, de dou` ori dac` l cump`r pe Stephen Hawking: Editura Humanitas
este peste posibilit`]ile mele, de[i sunt profesor universitar, iar
presa scrie c` noi, profesorii, am avea ni[te salarii enorme.
Avem o problem` grav`, iar p`r]i din ea nu pot fi rezolvate. n
domeniul fizicii, mi pare sincer rù [i sunt ntristat, dar nu avem
o solu]ie radical`. S` salv`m m`car acele domenii n care Romnia poate crea ni[te structuri de a[teptare.
Andrei Negu]: Se discut` adesea despre lipsa de bani din sistemul universitar romnesc. Dar motivul pentru care am plecat
la universitate n America nu este c` n Romnia nu sunt bani [i
nu sunt condi]ii; pur [i simplu, acolo este o comunitate aca-
l 19
demic` mai vie [i mai interesant` dect n Romnia. Facult`]ile

din Romnia sunt dominate de mentalit`]i nvechite, foarte
mul]i oameni sunt plictisi]i de acest sistem [i nu mai sim]i
deschiderea pe care n America am sim]it-o de la nceput. Cred
c` ar trebui s` racol`m n diverse moduri oameni tineri, forma]i dincolo, [i s` i introducem n sistemul romnesc.
Gabriel Kreindler: Nu m` intereseaz` s` fim n centrul aten]iei. M` bucur` aten]ia cu care suntem nconjura]i, desigur de
pild`, toat` experien]a cu Volvo a fost extraordinar` [i ne-am
sim]it r`sf`]a]i dar cred c` cel mai important este ceea ce
facem. Am face-o oricum cu pasiune, f`r` s` ne dorim aten]ia
celorlal]i. Apreciez orice form` de aten]ie, cu condi]ia s` fie
potrivit`. Dar atunci cnd ap`rem n pres`, suntem trata]i
superficial, suntem asocia]i cu un fel de simbol, dar mai nimeni
nu ncearc` s` n]eleag` ce facem de fapt [i care sunt preocup`rile noastre.
20 l
Robert Turcescu: Nu vreau s` politizez discu]ia, dar te-ai fi

sim]it bine dac` ai fi primit un telefon de la administra]ia preziden]ial` n care s` ]i se spun` c` pre[edintele te felicit`?
Gabriel Kreindler: N-a[ fi sim]it nimic. Interesul fa]` de noi nu
se arat` n astfel de forme. Singura form` de interes care ar
conta ar fi mbun`t`]irea situa]iei mediului n care vrem s`
ajungem, a mediului academic [i intelectual. Altfel, nu cer ceva
anume, nu am a[tept`ri pe termen scurt, nu cred c` merit ceva.
A[ vrea s` se schimbe n bine sistemele [colare. Pe mine, de
exemplu, [coala ca sistem nu m-a ajutat, n schimb m-au ajutat
foarte mult profesorii. Rezultatele la care am ajuns sunt o combina]ie ntre efortul individual [i ajutorul profesorilor. Nu m`
a[tept ca sistemul [colar s` m` ajute, pentru c` nu este menirea
[colii s` o fac`: [coala nu are cum s`-mi dea un curriculum personalizat.
Dan Schwarz: Dac` i trimitem pe elevii no[tri s` studieze n
strìn`tate [i apoi le cerem s` vin` napoi pentru c` locul lor
este n Romnia, risc`m s` fim cu totul ipocri]i. Mobilitatea [i
globalizarea sunt prezente acum n toate domeniile, nu doar n
[tiin]` [i cultur`. Exist` francezi care sunt pre[edin]i de companii n Statele Unite, nem]i n Suedia etc. Globalizarea face s`
se [tearg` grani]ele na]ionale, a[a nct de ce n-ar exista
romni care fac fizic` n Statele Unite ori matematic` n Anglia?
least that fields that Romania can create some

expectation structures for.
Andrei Negu?: People talk about the lack of
money in the Romanian university system. But
the reason I left to study in America it was
because of the lack of money or conditions to
study in Romania, but simply because in
America there is a more vivid and a more
interesting academic community. The Faculties
in Romania are dominated by old mentalities,
there are many people bored by this system
and I didn't feel here the kind of opening that
I felt in America since day one. I think you
should "tout for" in different manners young
people trained in "there" and to introduce
them afterwards in the Romanian system.
Gabriel Kreindler: I am not interested in us
being focused on. But I am happy with the
attention people around us pay to us - of
course all this experience with Volvo was
extraordinary and I felt like we were spoiled but I think that the most important thing is
what we actually do. Anyway we would gladly do what we do, without waiting for the
others attention. I appreciate people paying
us all this attention, if it is right. But when we
appear in the media, we are treated with
superficiality, we are associated with a sort of
a pattern but nobody tries to really understand what we actually do and what our interests are.
Robert Turcescu: I don't want to politicize this
discussion, but would you feel better if you
received a phone call from the presidential
administration telling you that the president
congratulates you?
Gabriel Kreindler: I would feel nothing. People
don't show their interest for us in such manners. The only form of interest that would
count for the improvement of the environment condition wished to be reached, of the
academic and intellectual environment.
Otherwise I am not asking for something in
particular, I does expect anything on short
term, I don't think that I deserve something. I
wish that the school systems change in a good
way. For instance, the school as a system didn't
help me much; in exchange my teachers
helped me a great deal. The results I achieved
are due to a sort of combination between my
intellectual effort and the help received from
my teachers. I don't expect that the school system to help me, because it's not the school
who is supposed to do that: the school can not
offer me a customized curriculum.
Dan Schwarz: If we send our children to study
abroad and then we ask them to come back

because they belong in Romania, we risk
appearing really hypocrites. The mobility and
the globalization are now present in all
fields, not only in science and culture. There
are French that lead corporation in the
United States, Germans that do so in Sweden
etc. Globalization is able to wipe off the
national boarders so why wouldn't there be
Romanian that study physics in the United
States or mathematics in England?
Some consider that this is a place where
things happen, when things are fully dynamic. We should - in my opinion - not to fool
ourselves: this dynamism make have its results
in business but not in science or culture. The
one that move are the empire builders, the
ones that conquer now their empires and
share the territories. Yet in science and in culture, after a 15-year transition, it doesn't
seem to me that Romania offers anything
spectacular. In the scientific and business field
there are some differences. You can start a
business immediately, if you have ideas,
entrepreneur spirit, and courage. In science,
first you have to learn and for that you must
find a place where you may get accustomed
with the highest level knowledge and then
find a place where you may apply what you
have studied and therefore work at the highest level. I believe that Romania does not
offer neither of there two options.
M?riuca Talpe[: I represent an industry that
contributes to supporting these children. And
I must say that our company, Soft win, benefits of them: we are one of the most attractive companies for the graduates in mathematics, because we work in the IT field, and
the financial observes the highest standards.
We sponsor the olimycs, we created the site
www.olimpiade.ro, we participate in conferences and congresses organized by the
Mathematics Institute of the Romanian
Academy. There are three or four fields in
Romania that won a good reputation over
time: mathematics, physics, informatics and
probably biology. We, as employers, we want
to employ very intelligent people with a very
solid background, because our firm develops
a high standard technology, highly appreciated abroad. That is why, in our company there
are many and very well-prepared young people from other countries - Poland or Japan
for instance. They consider that in Romania
there are job special job opportunities and
that they can work here at a very high standard. I wish that, by means of a very close
collaboration with the universities, the graduates be better prepared for what we, the private companies, expect from them. We are
Unii consider` c` aici este un loc unde lucrurile se mi[c`, sunt

n plin` dinamic`. Ar trebui cred s` nu ne am`gim: acest
dinamism este valabil n business, nu n [tiin]` [i cultur`. Cei
care se mi[c` sunt les btisseurs d'empires, cei care [i cuceresc
acum imperiile [i [i mpart teritoriile. n [tiin]` [i cultur` ns`,
dup` 15 ani de tranzi]ie, nu mi se pare c` Romnia ofer` ceva
spectaculos. ntre domeniul [tiin]ific [i business exist` unele
diferen]e. Po]i s` te lansezi n business imediat, dac` ai idei,
spirit antreprenorial, curaj. n [tiin]`, mai nti trebuie s` nve]i;
iar pentru asta trebuie s` g`se[ti un loc n care s` deprinzi
cuno[tin]e la cel mai nalt nivel, iar apoi s` g`se[ti un loc n care
s` aplici ce ai nv`]at, deci s` lucrezi la cel mai nalt nivel. Cred
c` Romnia nu ofer` nici una, nici alta.
M`riuca Talpe[: Eu reprezint o industrie care contribuie la sprijinul necesar acestor elevi. {i trebuie s` spun c` firma noastr`,
Softwin, beneficiaz` de ei: suntem una dintre companiile atractive pentru absolven]ii de matematic`, pentru c` lucr`m n
domeniul IT, iar recompensa material` este [i ea la un nivel nalt.
i sponsoriz`m pe olimpici, am f`cut site-ul www.olimpiade.ro,
sus]inem conferin]e [i congrese organizate de Institutul de
Matematic` al Academiei Romne. Sunt trei sau patru domenii
n Romnia care [i-au c[tigat o bun` reputa]ie n timp: matematica, fizica, informatica [i, probabil, biologia. Noi, ca angajatori, ne dorim oameni foarte inteligen]i [i cu o forma]ie foarte
solid`, pentru c` n firma noastr` se dezvolt` o tehnologie de
mare valoare, foarte bine apreciat` n strìn`tate. De aceea, n
compania noastr` lucreaz` [i tineri foarte buni din alte ]`ri
polonezi sau japonezi, de exemplu. Ace[tia consider` c` n
Romnia exist` oportunit`]i de lucru deosebite [i se poate lucra
aici la nivel foarte nalt. Am vrea ca, printr-o colaborare mai
strns` cu universit`]ile, absolven]ii de universit`]i s` fie mai
bine preg`ti]i pentru ceea ce ne dorim noi, companiile private.
Noi suntem foarte bucuro[i c` plecarea la studii n strìn`tate
este ncurajat`, pentru c` va veni un moment n care cel pu]in
o parte din cei pleca]i se vor ntoarce n ]ar` [i ne vor fi de mare
folos. Pe de alt` parte ns`, un sondaj arat` c` 20% dintre
studen]i declar` c` doresc c` plece n strìn`tate: ei vor nt`ri
popula]ia tn`r` din alte state (n care popula]ia e n curs de
mb`trnire), iar Romnia va avea de pierdut din acest punct de
vedere. Consider ns` c` sunt lucruri care i vor atrage napoi n
Romnia, cu condi]ia ca [i la noi s` existe o schimbare n bine.
l 21
Liliana Preoteasa: Sistemul nu este att de tic`los pe ct se

spune. Probabil c` ne-am schimbat prea ncet, mai ncet dect
al]ii; dar ne-am schimbat mai mult dect s-a schimbat societatea. Iar ceea ce [i doresc ace[ti tineri este o ]ar` normal`,
ceea ce din p`cate nc` nu suntem. Cnd vom fi o ]ar` normal`, ne vom pre]ui valorile. n fiecare an, cnd ace[ti copii vin de
la olimpiad`, observ cum reprezentan]ii presei le pun tot felul
de ntreb`ri nu foarte inteligente iar ei nu au, practic, ce s`
spun`, dect c` au muncit, au nv`]at [i le-a pl`cut. N-au mare
lucru de comunicat. Pentru ei, este o munc` natural`. Cnd
vom fi o societate normal`, vom pune fiecare lucru la locul sù.
Dar acest proces nu poate veni doar dinspre Ministerul Educa]iei; cred c` [i presa are un rol. {i apoi, nu cred c` este corect
s` discut`m dac` ace[ti copii trebuie s` plece sau s` r`mn`;
dac` un zugrav are dreptul s` plece, de ce un premiant de la
olimpiad` nu ar avea dreptul s` plece n momentul cnd i se
pare necesar? Nu e normal s`-i ntreb`m dac` vor s` plece; e
normal s` ne ntreb`m ce e de f`cut aici, pentru a-i atrage
napoi.
22 l
Andrei Ple[u: La aceast` ntlnire s-au discutat, esen]ialmente,

dou` lucruri: 1) dac` s` pleca]i sau s` r`mne]i; 2) n-avem bani.
V` m`rturisesc c` sunt melancolic pentru c` am discutat att de
ap`sat aceste lucruri chiar cnd am f`cut-o cu bun` credin]`,
cu patos, cu convingere. De fapt, acestea sunt probleme accesorii. Ct` vreme, n Romnia, problemele accesorii vor nlocui
n orice dezbatere problemele esen]iale, nu vom fi normali.
Suntem sufoca]i de probleme accesorii. De aceea spunea Horia
Patapievici c` n Occident ai senza]ia c` ai timp pentru c`
acolo e un dozaj mai corect ntre accesorii [i lucrurile esen]iale;
noi gfim, de diminea]a pn` seara, dup` accesorii, [i asta ne
ia energie mental`, energie fizic`, asta provoac` lehamite, descurajare [.a.m.d.
De ce pretind c` aceste lucruri sunt accesorii? Nu spun c` nu e
bine s` avem bani. Dar to]i tinerii care au vorbit [i cred c` trebuie s`-i lu`m n serios au precizat c` problema lor nu este
esen]ialmente cea a banilor. La fel, problema dac` r`mne]i sau
nu n ]ar` ]ine de accesoriu. n definitiv, e o problem` de destin privat. Nimeni nu v` poate obliga nici s` r`mne]i, nici s`
pleca]i. Discursurile calde despre nevoia de dumneavoastr` aici
nu v` vor convinge s` r`mne]i, [i nici nu vi se poate spune v`
sf`tuim s` pleca]i. Aceasta este o decizie strict individual`,
este o problem` de destin; din fericire, plec`rile din ziua de
glad the departure for studies abroad is

encouraged, because a time will come when
at least a part of the ones that left shall come
back in Romania and they shall be very useful
for us. On the other side though, a survey
shows that 20% of the students declare that
they want to leave abroad: they shall reinforce the young population from other States
(where the population is getting older), and
Romania will have to lose from this point of
view. I consider that that are things that shall
attract them back to Romania if things take a
good turn here too.
Liliana Preoteasa: "The system" is not as bastard as they say. Probably we changed quite
slowly, much too slower than other but we
have changes more than our society did. And
these young people just a normal country,
which unfortunately Romania is not. When
Romania will be such a country, we shall be
able to treasure our values. Every year, when
these children come to the Olympics, I
observe how the press representatives ask
them all kind of questions - not very smart
ones - and they do not have what to really
say, but that they have worked, studied and
loved it. They do not too many things to communicate. For them, all this represent a normal work. When our society will be a normal
one, each thing shall be put at his place. But
this process cannot be generated only by the
Ministry of Education; I think media plays a
role too. And then, I don't think it normal to
discuss about whether these children must
leave or must stay; if a house painter has the
right to leave, why a student that was awarded an Olympics prize doesn't have the right
to leave if he/she finds it necessary? It is not
normal to ask them if they want to leave; it is
normal to ask ourselves what there is to be
done in order to bring them back.
Andrei Ple[u: During this meeting, two essentials things were discussed: 1) whether to
leave or to stay; 2) our lack of money. I confess that I am melancholic because we have
stressed so much upon these things - even
when we had the best intentions, with
pathos and conviction. In fact, these are
accessory problems. As long as in Romania,
accessory problems shall replace in any
debate the essential problems, we won't be
normal. We are being suffocated by accessory
problems. That is why Horia Roman
Patapievici used to say that in West you feel
like you have time - because there is a more
fair dosage between the accessories and the
essential things; we puff from morning till
evening after accessories and that takes all
mental energy that provokes disgust, discour-
agement so on and so forth.

Why do I say that all these things are mere
accessories? I do not say that it's a bad thing
to have money. But all these young people
that talked previously - and I believe we must
take them seriously - stated that their problem is not necessary a money problem. At the
same time, the question whether you remain
in the country or you don't it's an accessory
matter. Eventually, this is a private matter.
Nobody can force you to remain or to stay.
These warm discussion about your being
needed here can not convince you to stay but
also nobody can say "we advise you to
leave". This is a strictly individual decision to
make, it is a destiny matter; fortunately, the
fact the today departures are no longer fatal,
as they used to be 15 years ago. You are free
people and it is good thing to take advantage of your freedom, to train wherever you
believe you can fully train. In 1975 I was lucky
- not many people were very lucky then - to
win a Humboldt scholarship. And I went to
an old man at that time, Mr. Petre ?u?ea,
whom I don't know if you heard about, to
ask him what to do. I was amazed by the fact
I had the opportunity to leave for a year in
Germany. He asked me: "How long will you
stay?" "A year", I said. "You have nothing to
do, so better go and drink beer or do something else. A year is little time. I would send
all the grants awarded students for 15 years
in the West. They will be, let's say, 5,000 persons; maybe a thousand of them shall start to
use drugs, a thousand shall end up married
marriage; a thousand shall prove that they
were awarded on points and that they did
not deserved to be sent; a thousand may not
come back finding something to do there etc.
But if fifty come back, they will put Romania
in motion. But only after 10-15 year of
absorption of the things in the West". This is
the kind of project that might work.
Otherwise, they all would be mere "filching",
scholarships, trips etc. - these are not the kind
of things that may give results.
Otherwise, you are right, the atmosphere
inside the country is not quite alright. I no
longer have devastating desires, but I don't
like Romania. I don't like when I get out in
streets, I don't like the way people drive their
luxurious or commonplace cars (there is no
difference for they all are hysterical and
badly raised), I don't like the pits, I don't like
people spitting on the ground or people
shouting in everywhere as if they were in a
market's place, I don't like what I see at television or what I hear at the radio. There is
nothing I like. When I hear, on occasions like
this, speeches on the "little country" I feel
like I'm going crazy because the "little coun-
ast`zi nu mai sunt fatale, ca acum 15 ani. Sunte]i oameni liberi,

[i e bine s` profita]i de libertatea dumneavoastr`, s` v` forma]i
acolo unde crede]i c` o pute]i face n sens deplin. n 1975, am
avut norocul pe vremea aceea rarisim s` c[tig o burs`
Humboldt. {i m-am dus la un b`trn de pe atunci, domnul
Petre }u]ea, de care nu [tiu dac` a]i auzit, s`-l ntreb ce s` fac.
Eram nùcit de faptul c` am ocazia s` plec un an n Germania.
M-a ntrebat: Ct stai?. Un an, am zis. N-ai nimic de f`cut, mai bine te duci s` bei bere sau s` faci altceva. Un an e
pu]in. Eu a[ trimite to]i premian]ii din Romnia 15 ani n Occident. Vor fi, s` zicem, 5.000 de in[i; dintre ei, poate c` o mie
se vor apuca de droguri; o mie vor adormi ntr-o c`s`torie; o
mie se va dovedi c` au fost premian]i pe puncte [i nu meritau
s` fie trimi[i; o mie nu se vor mai ntoarce, [i vor g`si altceva
de f`cut pe acolo [.a.m.d.. Dac` se ntorc ns` cincizeci, cu `[tia
pun Romnia pe picioare. Dar numai dup` 10-15 ani de
absorb]ie a lucrurilor de acolo, din Occident. Acesta da, acesta e un tip de proiect. Altminteri, mici ciupeli, burse, excursii
etc. acestea nu sunt lucruri care s` dea rezultate.
n rest, ave]i dreptate, atmosfera din ]ar` nu e n regul`. Eu nu
mai am apetituri devastatoare, dar nu-mi place n Romnia.
Nu-mi place cnd ies pe strad`, nu-mi place cnd v`d cum conduc oamenii ma[ini luxoase sau banale (e totuna, sunt la fel de
isterici [i de prost crescu]i), nu-mi plac gropile, nu-mi place c`
se scuip` pe jos, nu-mi place c` se vorbe[te tare, ca la pia]`, n
orice loc, nu-mi place ce v`d la televizor [i ce aud la radio.
Nu-mi place nimic. Cnd aud, pe acest fond, discursuri despre
]`ri[oar`, simt c` nnebunesc, pentru c` ]`ri[oara nu se
poate reface cu acest tip de materie prim`. n]eleg foarte bine
cnd oamenii tineri, care sunt plini de energie, de apetituri, de
dorin]` de realizare, de competen]`, vor s` plece ntr-un loc n
care strada e curat`, n care se poate vorbi normal, n care
atmosfera e civilizat`, [i nu ntr-un loc n care m` confrunt zilnic cu un bazar prost. Ceva nu e n regul` la noi, nici dac` avem
bani nu e n regul`... Problema este o schimbare de fond, care
cere un timp ndelungat [i care, nainte de toate, are nevoie de
un diagnostic. Dac` vrem s` schimb`m ceva, trebuie s` citim de
dou`zeci de ori diagnosticul. Noi nu citim, n general, acest
diagnostic, credem c` suntem n regul`. Titu Maiorescu, n
prefa]a unei c`r]i ap`rute la nceputul veacului trecut, spune, la
un moment dat, ceva de genul: n aceste vremuri de tranzi]ie.... Va s` zic` suntem n tranzi]ie dintotdeauna, suntem o
]ar` de tranzi]ie...
l 23
n aceast` ]ar` v` sf`tuiesc s` reveni]i, dup` ncheierea studiilor,

[i s` schimba]i ce e de schimbat. Dar pentru asta s-ar putea s`
ave]i nevoie de planuri mai complicate...
5 ntreb`ri pentru Andrei Negu]

Andrei Negu] a fost membru al lotului olimpic de matematic`
[i a c[tigat medalia de aur la Olimpiada Interna]ional` 2004.
n prezent este student la Universitatea Princeton [i a c[tigat
un premiu la Concursul Putnam, cel mai important concurs
de matematic` din SUA. Interviul a fost consemnat de Mircea
Vasilescu.
24 l
Cum ]i se pare toat` aceast` discu]ie (sus]inut` de pres`,

de televiziuni) pe tema ne fug inteligen]ele de acas`? E
justificat`? E o fals` problem`?...
Simt c` presa, [i implicit societatea, au c`p`tat un complex n
leg`tur` cu problema asta. Suntem complexa]i de vecinii no[tri
mai importan]i, mai ales de SUA [i UE, care au posibilit`]i considerabil mai mari ca ale noastre. De fapt, simt c` romnul [i-a
creat o viziune utopic` a Vestului, care a generat o frustrare ce
se resimte [i n aceast` team`, c` valoarea se scurge din
Romnia. De fapt, asta e departe de adev`r, fiindc` inteligen]a
este o tr`s`tur` a ntregului popor [i a culturii noastre, [i de
aceea nu depinde att de crucial de c]iva indivizi. {i apoi, de
ce am ]ine aceste creiere aici dac` e clar c` nu-[i pot realiza
ntregul poten]ial (din evidente lipsuri materiale)? Simt c` e o
not` de s` moar` capra vecinului n reticen]a asta de a l`sa
creierele s` se duc` la vecinii mai nst`ri]i. Dar, dup` mine,
importan]a acestui fenomen a fost escaladat` prea mult, [i nu
este o problem` att de mare precum pare.
E[ti una dintre inteligen]ele fugite, stai de c]iva ani la
studii n SUA. Cum sim]i [i cum gnde[ti aceast` plecare?
n primul rnd, nu sunt o inteligen]` fugit`, cel mult plecat`
temporar. N-am nici o idee despre cum [i unde mi voi petrece
via]a, [i foarte probabil c` n-o voi petrece pe toat` ntr-un singur loc. Totu[i, prima plecare n-a fost tocmai u[oar`, fiindc`
sunt destule lucruri care m` leag` de Romnia, de la familie [i
prieteni, pn` la amintiri [i felul cum se simte via]a n Romnia.
Trebuie s` m`rturisesc c` ]ara noastr` are un farmec pe care nu
l-am perceput n SUA.
try" can not be repaired with this kind of raw

material. I perfectly understand when young
people, that full of energy, of wishes and
desire to accomplish something in life or
want competence choose to go to a place
where the streets are clean, where people
can talk normally, where there is a civilized
atmosphere and not a place where they
would constantly have to deal with a stupid
bazaar. Something is wrong with us, even
money can not change that ... The problem is
a background change that asks a lot of time
and which, before everything, needs a diagnostic. If we want to change something, we
must read twenty times before the diagnostic. We usually do not read this diagnostic; we
believe that we are alright. Titu Maiorescu, in
the preface of a book appeared at the beginning of the past century, says at a certain
point something like: "During these transition periods... Well, this means that we have
always been in transition; we are a transition
country...
Well I advise you all, after you finish your
studies, to come to this precise country and
to change whatever there is to be changed.
But for this you might need more complicated plans...
5 Questions for Andrei NEGU}
Andrei Negu? was a member of the Olympic
math team and he won the golden medal at
the International Olympiad 2004. Presently he
studies at Princeton University and won an
important prize at "Putnam Contest, the
most important contest in USA. The interview was taken by Mircea Vasilescu.
Mircea Vasilescu: How do you see all this discussion (lead by the media and TV channels)
about "our intelligence runs away from
home"? Is it justified? Is it a false problem?...
Andrei Negu?: I think that the media and
society had gained a complex related to this
problem. We have complexes about our bigger neighbors, especially USA and EU, who
have grater possibilities than us. In fact, I
think that Romanians had created an utopist
vision of the West, that generated a frustration reflected in this theme that the values flow out of Romania. In fact, this is far
from the truth, because intelligence is a feature of our people and culture, and that does
not depend on a few individuals. And then,
why would we keep these brains here if its
very clear that they cannot use their entire
potential (because of obvious material problems)? I think that its about the old saying of
"let the neighbors goat die" when it comes
to leaving the "brains" to go to wealthier
neighbors. But, for me, the importance of this
phenomenon had surmounted too much and

it doesnt represent such a big problem as it
first appears.
M. V.: You are one of the run-away intelligence", you have been studying for a few
years in USA already. How did you feel and
think after departing?
A. N.: First of all, Im not a run-away intelligence", I left for just a while. I dont even
know how and where I will live my life but
Im sure I will not stay in one place. Even
though the first departure was not quite
easy, because there are a lot of things that I
have left in Romania, family, friends, memories and the way you can live in Romania. I
have to confess that our country gives a special feeling that I didnt get in USA.
M. V.: What is that feeling? And how did you
get through the cultural shock" of adapting
to the American way?
A. N.: I cant quite put my finger on this
feeling. But I think it is about the fact that
in Romania everything is uncertain and
changing, whilst in USA the system has been
functioning in the same manner for decades.
In US, the school exams change at least once
every 20 years and there is no major change
once every 2 years like in Romania; the
biggest problems of society are the sex
inequality and gay marriage, not famine or
poverty like in Romania. So, America seems
too organized for me, while the Romanian
chaos is much more interesting. And the
strongest aspect of the cultural shock is the
people that are more superficial and fake
than Romanians. Also, they are a homogeneous mass of people and the proportion of
the ones that are outside the patterns is
smaller than in Romania.
M.V.: In the Internet and globalization era,
such departures (for studies, doctorate
degrees, work) can be taken as dramatic as
the final departures during communism?
A.N.: No way. We dont have to take these
"travels" as exiles. I can jump on an airplane
at any time and come back home, if I want
and I feel that I have the financial and psychological freedom to do that. So I look at
any departure with optimism and hope.
M.V.: How do you feel (you all, "Romanias
olympics) as "characters" that attract all the
attention for only a few days a year?
A. N.: Honestly. I dont even feel those "few
days a year" when we have the societys
attention. These things are not important for
me and the Olympiads have a more self purpose and not a way of getting attention. Im
not interested about being in a newspaper
(nor I mind, obviously, but I wouldnt spend
too much time on that), because math is to
me more important than these little glories.
n ce const` acest farmec? {i cum ai trìt [ocul cultural

al adapt`rii la modul de via]` american?
Nici mie nu mi-e prea clar ce este acest farmec. Dar cred c`
este produs de faptul c` n Romnia totul este nesigur [i n
schimbare, pe cnd n SUA sistemul func]ioneaz`, ca n prezent, de zeci de ani. Aici examenele [colare se schimb` cel mult
o dat` la 20 de ani, [i nu apare cte o schimbare de fond o dat`
la 2 ani, ca la noi; aici marile probleme ale societ`]ii lor sunt inegalitatea ntre sexe [i c`s`toria ntre homosexuali, nu foametea
[i s`r`cia, ca la noi. A[adar, America mi se pare prea ordonat` pentru gustul meu, pe cnd haosul din Romnia este
mult mai pitoresc [i interesant. Iar cel mai puternic aspect al
[ocului cultural sunt oamenii, care mi s-au p`rut mai superficiali
[i mai artificiali dect romnii. De asemenea, ei sunt o mas`
foarte omogen` de oameni, iar propor]ia celor care ies din
tipare de la ei este considerabil mai mic` dect n Romnia.
n era Internetului [i a globaliz`rii, asemenea plec`ri (la
studii, la doctorat, pentru a lucra c]iva ani n alt` ]ar`)
mai pot fi privite dramatic, a[a cum erau plec`rile definitive pe vremea comunismului?
n nici un caz nu trebuie s` percepem aceste c`l`torii ca pe
ni[te exiluri. Eu pot oricnd s` sar ntr-un avion [i s` vin pn` n
]ar`, dac` mi doresc, [i simt c` nc` am libertatea material` [i
psihic` pentru a face acest lucru. A[adar, privesc orice plecare
cu optimism [i cu suficient` speran]`.
Cum te sim]i ([i cum v` sim]i]i voi, olimpicii Romniei)
ca personaje c`rora toat` lumea le d` aten]ie cteva
zile pe an?
Sincer, eu nu prea simt nici acele cteva zile pe an n care
suntem b`ga]i n seam` de societate. Aceste lucruri conteaz`
destul de pu]in pentru mine, iar olimpiadele au devenit de mult
un scop n sine, [i nu un mijloc de a atrage aten]ia altora. Nu
m` intereseaz` s` apar n ziare (nici nu m` deranjeaz`, evident,
dar nu mi-a[ bate capul pentru asta), deoarece pentru mine
matematica este ceva mult mai important dect aceste mici
glorii.
l 25
LAVINIA HUIDAN
Spre normalitate
26 l
n fiecare an se ntorc cu medalii de la concursurile

interna]ionale. n fiecare an suntem mndri atunci cnd tinerii
no[tri sunt printre cei mai buni din lume. n fiecare an vorbim
despre performan]ele elevilor care particip` la concursuri interna]ionale de fizic`, matematic`, chimie sau informatic`.
Olimpicii Romniei. n fiecare an, cnd afl`m num`rul de
medalii pe care le c[tig`, ne aducem brusc aminte c` suntem
romni. Vorbim cu mndrie despre sistemul nostru de
nv`]`mnt care produce premian]i interna]ionali, dar ne
gndim c` ace[ti tineri vor pleca la studii n strìn`tate, pentru
c` universit`]ile din Occident le ofer` condi]ii mai bune.
Scena se repet` aproape invariabil an de an, la toate telejurnalele: un grup de tineri timizi, sosirea la aeroport, ziari[ti, interviuri [i dou` zile n care se vorbe[te despre performan]ele de
excep]ie ale olimpicilor: sunt pe primele locuri n lume.
Relat`rile se ncheie cu prezentarea ofertelor de continuare a
studiilor pe care premian]ii le-au primit deja de la universit`]i
din Statele Unite sau din ]`ri europene; apoi, editoriali[tii scriu
despre racolarea lor de c`tre marile corpora]ii occidentale [i
despre cum nu [tim noi s` ne p`str`m inteligen]ele acas`. Este
una dintre temele obsedante ale societ`]ii romne[ti de dup`
1989: teama c` valuri de tineri vor p`r`si ]ara atra[i de ofertele
din Occident [i vor r`mne definitiv acolo.
Romnia are nevoie de tineri care s` c[tige Olimpiade interna]ionale, dar [i de companii puternice care s` le ofere posturi
bine pl`tite, dar [i satisfacìi profesionale. A fi bine preg`tit nu
nseamn` neap`rat s` cucere[ti o medalie la o Olimpiad` interna]ional`. Olimpicii trebuie s` fie vrfurile unui sistem care are
la baz` o mas` critic` de oameni bine preg`ti]i. Iar pentru cei
care fac performan]` trebuie s` existe programe clare [i sistematice de preg`tire.
Din p`cate, pn` n acest moment, n jurul olimpicilor care
nregistreaz` succese n fiecare an, nu s-a construit nimic.
Pentru ca lucrurile s` se schimbe este nevoie de un program
coerent, aplicat cu metod`, de selectare [i de preg`tire a
elevilor de excep]ie. Iar pentru punerea n practic` a unui
asemenea program, este nevoie de dezbatere public` [i de
implicarea tuturor: autorit`]i, societate civil`, mediu de afaceri.
Aceasta este normalitatea spre care trebuie s` tindem.
Lavinia Huidan
Towards Normality
Every year they come back with medals from
international contests. Every year we are
proud that our young students are among
the best ones in the world. We talk every
year about the performances of the students
that take part in physics, mathematics, chemistry and computer science international contests. "Romanias olympics". Every year, when
we hear about the number of medals they
won, we sudden remember we are
Romanians. We speak with pride about our
educational system that produces international award winners, but we think that these
young students will go abroad for studying
because the Western universities offer them
better conditions.
This situation repeats itself almost every year,
on all the news: a group of shy young students, their arrival at the airport, reporters,
interviews and two days of talking about the
exceptional performances of the olympics:
they take the first places in the world. The
narrations end up with the presentation of
the offers for studies continuation the prizewinning students had received already from
American or European universities; after all
that, our leading article writers tell about
their "approach" by the Western corporations and about the way we cannot keep our
intelligent people in the country. This is one
of the obsessing themes of the Romanian
society after 1989: the fear that big groups of
young people will leave the country being
attracted by the Western offers and will stay
there for good.
Romania needs these young students to win
the International Olympiads and powerful
companies to offer them well paid jobs and
professional satisfactions. To be well prepared
does not mean to win a medal at an
International Olympiad. Our olympics have to
be the top people in a system that is based
on a critical mass of well prepared people.
And there has to be systematic and clear
preparation programs for the ones that
achieve a level of performance.
Unfortunately, up to this moment, nothing
has been done for the olympics that are successful every year. In order to make things
change, we need a coherent program,
applied by methods of selection and preparation of the exceptional students. And, in
order to apply such a program, we need a
public debate and the direct implication of
everyone: authorities, civil society, and busi-
ness environment. This is the normality

towards which we have to go.
Is the intelligence exodus a national problem? Is it true that Romania loses millions of
dollars because it doesnt know how to keep
in the country the valuable young people?
Why do researchers leave? Has Romania
something to offer them? Isnt it better for
them to go to Western countries where they
have better offers and to come back home
with a great experience in order to help our
country rise to its feet? Is it, in the end, the
Romanian educational system so performing
so that it can produce every year such students that dominate the international contests? Are we taking for granted the individual success of some young people and forgetting in the same time the real problems of
the Romanian system? These are questions
that we ask every year for a few days, when
the olympics come back with medals.
We forget that year by year we also give convincing answers.
After initiating the Volvo partner for intelligence program, through which it was supporting the preparation of the olympic
groups in mathematics and physics, Forum
Auto tried to find answers to all these questions. But only an extensive debate will generate the solutions we all are looking for. We
hope that this forum, hosted by the New
Europe College", will represent the beginning
of a new debate series between the business
and cultural elites. Maybe is too early to say,
but I think we have to start asking ourselves
in what way the business and cultural elites
can build a common identity and propagate
values into society? How will the communication between the two elites be more efficient, so that their common values can
become bench-marks for the entire Romanian
society? I think we have to build an identity
of the current elites: the cultural elites had
strengthen in the past 14 years and the business ones had grown, so that I think it is time
to ask ourselves which are their common values.
Este exodul inteligen]ei o problem` na]ional`? Este adev`rat c`

Romnia pierde milioane de dolari din cauza faptului c` nu [tie
cum s` [i ]in` acas` tinerii de valoare? De ce pleac` cercet`torii? Are Romnia ce le oferi? Nu cumva este mai bine s`
mearg` n Occident, unde ofertele sunt mai bune, [i s` se
ntoarc` apoi n ]ar` cu o experien]` acumulat`, pentru a pune
aici lucrurile pe picioare? Este, pn` la urm`, sistemul de
nv`]`mnt romnesc att de performant, nct scoate anual,
pe band` rulant`, astfel de copii care domin` concursurile interna]ionale? Nu cumva ne mb`t`m cu succesul individual al
ctorva tineri [i uit`m adev`ratele probleme ale sistemului
romnesc? Sunt ntreb`ri pe care ni le punem n fiecare an,
timp de cteva zile, atunci cnd olimpicii se ntorc nc`rca]i de
medalii. Uit`m ns`, an de an, s` d`m [i r`spunsuri conving`toare.
Dup` ce a ini]iat programul Volvo partener al inteligen]ei,
prin care sus]ine preg`tirea loturilor olimpice de matematic` [i
de fizic` ale Romniei, Forum Auto [i-a propus s` ncerce s`
g`seasc` r`spunsuri la toate aceste ntreb`ri. Dar numai o
ampl` dezbatere public` poate genera solu]iile pe care le
cùt`m. Sper`m ca acest forum, g`zduit de Colegiul Noua
Europ`, s` fie doar nceputul unei serii de dezbateri ntre
elitele din afaceri [i elitele culturale. Poate c` este prematur, dar
cred c` ar trebui s` ncepem s` ne ntreb`m n ce m`sur` elitele
culturale [i elitele din business pot s` construiasc` o identitate
comun`, pot s` r`spndeasc` anumite valori n societate. Cum
poate deveni mai eficient` comunicarea ntre cele dou` elite,
astfel nct valorile lor comune s` devin` repere pentru ansamblul societ`]ii romne[ti? Cred c` trebuie s` edific`m o identitate a elitelor actuale: elitele culturale s-au consolidat n ultimii
15 ani, elitele din business s-au construit n ultimii 15 ani, a[a
nct cred c` a venit momentul s` ne ntreb`m care sunt valorile lor comune.
l 27
RADU GOLOGAN
Olimpicii, fuga creierelor

[i [coala romneasc`
28 l
Fost olimpic interna]ional la matematic` la nceputul anilor 70,

m-am ocupat nc` din studen]ie de preg`tirea copiilor dota]i, n
vederea concursurilor [colare de matematic` numite, dup` o
terminologie mprumutat` din Rusia sovietic` a anilor 50,
olimpiade de matematic`. n treac`t fie spus, Romnia a ini]iat
olimpiadele interna]ionale de matematic` n 1959, dup` care
s-au inspirat [i celelalte discipline, iar termenul olympiads a fost
inventat, dintr-o gre[eal` de traducere, de c`tre organizatorii
romni de atunci; el este azi acceptat unanim (n limba englez`
termenul corect este olympics). Din 2001, sunt coordonator al
olimpiadei na]ionale de matematic` [i responsabil cu alegerea
[i preg`tirea loturilor pentru olimpiadele interna]ionale. Particip
ca membru al juriului [i conduc`tor al delega]iei Romniei la
olimpiadele interna]ionale. Este o activitate neretribuit`, f`cut`
cu pasiunea atmosferei intelectuale fantastice din preajma copiilor excep]ionali [i probabil cu nostalgia anilor n care eram
elev [i-i admiram pe cei ce ne ndrumau.
Mul]i dintre ace[ti copii ne devin, dup` ani de studii, colegi [i
colaboratori n cercetarea matematic`; aceasta chiar n situa]iile
n care activitatea lor se petrece pe alte meleaguri. Colectivul de
profesori (inclusiv studen]i) cu care lucr`m este profesionist [i
pasionat. Este mic numeric, provine din multe ora[e ale ]`rii,
fiind rareori retribuit pentru aceast` munc`. Pot spune chiar c`
au fost multe situa]ii n care noi, profesorii, am devenit sponsori. Despre olimpici, [coala romneasc` [i fuga creierelor,
mass-media relateaz` adeseori prin cli[ee, prejudec`]i sau prin
interpret`ri [ablon. De aceea, voi ncerca s` prezint un punct de
vedere personal, dar, din cte [tiu, acceptat de marea majoritate a colegilor mei. Cu toate c` lucrurile nu difer` mult n alte
domenii (informatic`, fizic` [i poate chimie), m` voi referi strict
la aspecte legate de matematic`.
ncep cu o precizare esen]ial`: matematica de la concursurile
[colare este a[a-numita matematic` elementar`, deci care nu
face apel la no]iuni [i rezultate de nivel universitar superior.
Cuprinde de fapt cultura [i deprinderile matematice presupuse
a fi cunoscute la nivel de liceu [i cteva cuno[tin]e de nivelul
anilor I [i al II-lea al Facult`]ilor de Matematic`. Cu toate acestea, multe dintre faptele matematice ce fac obiectul acestor
Radu Gologan
The Olympics, the Brains Flee and the
Romanian School
As an international math olympic in the early
70s, Ive been preoccupied since college with
the preparation of gifted children for school
math contests called after a Russian borrowed terminology form the 50s mathematics Olympics. Aside from that, Romania
has initiated the international math Olympics
in 1959, that was an inspiration for the other
subjects; the term Olympiads is an invention,
took from a mistranslation, by the Romanian
organizers; it is unanimously accepted today
(in English the correct term is Olympics).
Starting with 2001, Ive been the coordinator
of the national mathematics olympics and
responsible with the selection and preparation of the Olympic teams for the international contests. I take part, as a member of
the jury and leader of the Romanian delegation at the international Olympics. It is an
unpaid activity, done with the passion of the
fantastic intellectual environment around
exceptional children and probably with the
nostalgia of the years when I used to be a
student and I was admiring the ones guiding
us.
Most of these children become after many
years of study our colleagues and collaborators in mathematics research; and this happens even when their activity takes place in
other countries. The teachers group (including students) with which we are working is
very professional and passionate.
It is a small group, coming from many towns
of the country and it is rarely paid for this
job. I can say that there have been situations
when the teachers had become sponsors.
About the olympics, the Romanian school and
the brains flee, the mass-media speaks in
clichs, preconceptions or patterned interpretation. Thats why I try to present a personal
point of view that is, to the best of my
knowledge, accepted by the great majority of
my colleagues. Although things are not too
different from other subjects (computer science, physics and chemistry), I will talk strictly
about aspects related to math.
I will start with an essential determination:
the school contests math is the so-called elementary math, so it doesnt include notions
and results of university level. It comprises
actually the culture and mathematic training
that are supposed to be known at a high
school level and some knowledge of first and
second math faculty level. Even though, most
of the math facts that are objects of these

contests contain elements and techniques for
research math and generate the same intellectual sublime perfume. The access to nonelementary math, the research object of this
science needs years of top university studies.
Thats why it is accessible to only gifted children. We have to mention that the Olympics
offer a limited time for solving the problems,
which implies a sports-like preparation and
an important psychological and physiological
strength.
In fact, many important mathematicians had
not been in the top at Olympics, because
their way of thinking was not adapted to
quick reasoning. More so, there is no rule
that says that the olympics will become
researchers; starting with the 90s, approximately 40% had chosen different careers:
economics, computer science, banking, even
medicine.
Secondly, a leitmotif of the media presentations about the international results is the
idea that populism adept politicians embrace,
about the fact that we train exceptional children that leave the country with the capacity
and knowledge of top specialists, being used
by other countries. I cannot deny the fact
that this is partly true, and the young peoples exodus following the revolution has
reached worrying percentage. I can say that
the phenomenon it is in normal limits, even
less than the one from France to USA. More
important is the fact that the 15 year-experience shows the necessity of other perceptions
of the phenomenon. First, the exceptional
children, at least in math, they are not desperate to leave after graduating high school.
Generally they leave only when they obtain a
complete scholarship in a top American university, like Harvard, Princeton, Stanford,
where the undergraduate education does not
offer more knowledge than the Romanian
schools, but a degree will have the value of a
"select club membership" for their entire
career. Besides, almost all the former olympics
and Im talking about the ones that attended top universities made themselves known
in an exceptional way, which contributes to
another perception about Romania, other
than the one given by the 90s. Here is a true
story: in the Princeton campus, after telling
the nationality the response of a person on
the street is: "You are Romanian? That means
you are studying for a doctorate level in
math "; then: "why are you, Romanians, so
good in math?".
More so, the Romanian researchers that take
concursuri, con]in elemente [i tehnici ale matematicii de cercetare [i provoac` deseori acela[i parfum de sublim intelectual.
Accesul la matematica neelementar`, obiectul cercet`rii acestei
[tiin]e, necesit` ani buni de [coal` universitar` de vrf. Este de
aceea extrem de accesibil` acestor copii dota]i cu antrenament
[i talent n ra]ionamentul matematic. Mai trebuie poate amintit
c` olimpiadele presupun rezolvarea n timp limitat a unor probleme, ceea ce implic` [i o preg`tire de tip sportiv, cu o important` component` psihologic` [i de rezisten]` fizic`. De fapt,
mul]i matematicieni importan]i nu au fost olimpici de vrf,
modul lor de gndire nefiind adaptat unor ra]ionamente rapide. Mai mult, nu e o regul` c` olimpicii devin matematicieni
cercet`tori; dup` anii 90, aproximativ 40% au ales alte cariere:
economie, computer science, banking, chiar medicin`.
n al doilea rnd, un leit-motiv al prezent`rilor media despre
rezultatele interna]ionale ale olimpicilor este ideea mbr`]i[at`
cu entuziasm de politicienii adep]i ai populismului debordant c`
preg`tim copii excep]ionali care apoi p`r`sesc ]ara, capacitatea
[i bagajul lor de speciali[ti de vrf fiind folosit de al]ii. Nu pot
nega c` nu exist` o parte de adev`r n aceste afirma]ii, iar exodul tinerilor supradota]i, n anii imediat urm`tori revolu]iei, a
atins procente ngrijor`toare. Pot s` afirm ns` c` fenomenul
are acum limite normale, n propor]ii chiar mai mici dect cel
dinspre Fran]a spre SUA. Mai important este c` experien]a celor
15 ani arat` necesitatea altor percep]ii ale fenomenului. n
primul rnd, copiii excep]ionali, cel pu]in la matematic`, nu mai
sunt dispera]i s` plece de cum absolv` liceul. n general nu mai
fac asta dect n situa]ia ob]inerii unei burse complete la o universitate american` de top, adic` de tipul Harvard, Princeton,
Stanford, universit`]i n care, pentru nv`]`mntul din primii ani
(under-graduate), nu se ofer` neap`rat mai mult` [tiin]` dect
la [coli romne[ti cu tradi]ie n domeniu, dar o licen]` ob]inut`
acolo are valoarea unei legitima]ii de club select pentru
ntreaga carier`. n plus, aproape to]i fo[tii olimpici vorbesc
despre cei care frecventeaz` sau au frecventat universit`]i de
top s-au remarcat n mod excep]ional, ceea ce contribuie puternic la o alt` percep]ie despre Romnia dect stigmatul dat
de anii 90. Iat` [i o poveste real`: n campusul din Princeton,
dup` declinarea na]ionalit`]ii la ntrebarea unei persoane ntlnite pe strad`, reac]ia vine rapid: e[ti romn? deci faci un doctorat n matematic`; apoi: de ce sunte]i voi, romnii, att de
buni la matematic`?.
Mai mult, cercet`tori romni cu pozi]ii universitare selecte n
l 29
30 l
strìn`tate contribuie substan]ial [i uneori involuntar nu numai

la genul de lobby romnesc de care vorbeam, dar [i la cercetarea derulat` n centre din Romnia. Este un fapt dovedit c`,
prin programe ini]iate n comun, cu sprijinul matematicienilor
stabili]i n afar`, cercetarea matematic` romneasc`, f`cut` n
]ar`, a avut ultimii 10 ani cei mai prolifici din istoria ei. Un
exemplu sprijin` cele tocmai afirmate. Concursul pentru ocuparea unor posturi de cercet`tori, organizat n vara acestui an
la Institutul de Matematic`, a dus la o concuren]` nemaintlnit` ntre tineri cu doctorate la universit`]i de prestigiu [i cu
lucr`ri publicate n reviste de top ale cercet`rii matematice
mondiale. Aceasta dovede[te c`, dac` s-ar nfiin]a, pentru
fiecare domeniu important al [tiin]ei [i culturii, pozi]ii universitare speciale pentru tineri cu rezultate excep]ionale, decent
retribuite (nu pentru vechime!) [i oferite dup` concursuri
serioase (eventual cu comisii interna]ionale) a[a cum multe
]`ri fac vom asista la un nceput al exodului creierelor spre
cas`.
Un al treilea aspect, ndeob[te subiect de atac la structuri
guvernamentale, cnd se vorbe[te despre performan]ele
olimpicilor, este discu]ia asupra discrepan]ei ntre calitatea
nv`]`mntului romnesc actual [i preg`tirea excep]ional` a
acestor copii; altfel spus, sunt ace[tia produsul reprezentativ al
[colii romne[ti? R`spund Da cu hot`rre, completnd c`
situa]ia nv`]`mntului romnesc nu este att de dezastruoas`
[i ireparabil` cum este uneori catalogat` chiar prin generalizare. Nu voi insista asupra acestui aspect, cu toate c` am suficiente argumente ce sprijin` afirma]ia. Iar vrfuri vom avea
oricum suficiente [i n continuare, pentru c` talentul nativ
exist`, p`rin]ii care s`-i ajute [i s`-i ndrume la primele semne
de talent sunt un dat natural, iar dasc`lii de gimnaziu pasiona]i,
prin ndrumarea c`rora copiii descoper` primele satisfac]ii ale
inteligen]ei, vor exista oricum. Societatea va trebui doar s` le
faciliteze accesul n comunit`]i de copii cu acela[i nivel [i cu
ndrumare f`cut` cu pasiune [i profesionalism. Mass-media trebuie s`-i fac` s` simt` c` societatea acord` aten]ia cuvenit`
muncii [i talentului lor [i nu s` aduc` la rang de modele succese
facile, false talente sau imagini ale unor atrac]ii distructive pentru societate. Scopul final al educa]iei de mas` n [coal` trebuie
s` fie minimul necesar [i decent teoretic, maximul realizabil de
preg`tire practic` [i deprinderi suficiente pentru totala
adaptare la societatea informa]ional`. Sper c` nu voi fi acuzat
de elitism, dar sunt convins c` era informatic` va schimba so-
university positions abroad contribute in a

substantial way to the Romanian lobby I was
talking about and to the research in the
Romanian centers. It is, in fact, proven that,
through commonly initiated programs, with
the help of mathematicians that live abroad,
the Romanian mathematic research, developed here, had the best 10 years in history.
An example will sustain all the above. The
contest for research jobs, organized this summer at the Mathematics Institute, brought to
an incredible competition two young doctorate graduates from prestigious universities
and with published papers in important magazines. This proves that if there would be
founded special university positions for each
science and culture field, that would be well
paid (not only taking into account the seniority!) and offered following a serious contest
(with international commissions) as many
countries do we could see the beginning of
the brains exodus back home.
A third aspect, which is subject to governmental structures attack when it is about the
olympics performances, is the discussion
about the discrepancy between the quality of
the current educational system and the
exceptional preparation of these children;
that is, are they the representative product of
the Romanian school? I answer "Yes", also
mentioning that the Romanian educational
system is not as disastrous and irreparable as
it is sometimes defined. I will not insist upon
this aspect, even though I have enough arguments that can boost my affirmation. We will
keep having top olympics because we have
the native talent, the parents who will help
them and guide them upon the first signs of
a talent, and the secondary school teachers
with the help of whom the children discover
the first satisfactions of intelligence.
Society should facilitate their access to communities of children with the same level of
training. Mass-media should make them feel
that society gives them the attention they
deserve following their work and talent and
not to eulogize easy successes, false talents or
images of destructive attractions for society.
The final purpose of mass education is to give
the minimum necessary knowledge and the
maximum achievable practice preparation for
a total adaptation to the informational society.
I hope I will not be accused of elitism, but I
am convinced that the information era will
change society more than we expect. So
many forms of the intellectual beauty had
dominated the world for thousands of years
but, unfortunately, the progress roller had

decimated the intelligent machine and
Romania will find a new place in the new
form of civilization only if the great majority
of society will be formed of "decent educated
people and responsible executives". The top
intellectuals will come out in schools and society will have to guide them towards cultural
and scientific excellence. And even if they
leave their country on professional and financial reasons, we have to make them feel
extremely important and belonging to the
Romanian culture and science.
cietatea mai mult dect ne a[teptam. Attea forme ale frumosului intelectual au dominat mii de ani lumea, dar din p`cate
t`v`lugul progresului a decantat ma[ina inteligent`, iar
Romnia [i va g`si locul n noua form` de civiliza]ie doar dac`
marea majoritate a societ`]ii va fi format` din decen]i educa]i
[i responsabili executan]i. Vrfurile intelectuale vor ap`rea
oricum pe parcursul anilor de [coal`, iar societatea va trebui s`
le ndrume spre excelen]a cultural` [i [tiin]ific`. {i chiar dac`
p`r`sesc ]ara din motive profesionale sau materiale, avem
datoria s`-i facem s` simt` c` sunt extrem de importan]i [i c`
apar]in culturii [i [tiin]ei romne[ti.
HORIA-ROMAN PATAPIEVICI
Generozitatea
32 l
Un mare economist austriac, emigrat n Statele Unite dup` catastrofa venirii la putere a nazismului, Ludwig von Mises, a spus
c` Europa a fost distrus` de intelectuali, pentru c` intelectualii
au adoptat idei economice gre[ite, au tras concluzii de extrem`
dreapt` sau de extrem` stng` gre[ite, [i ei au influen]at opinia
public` [i au reu[it s` distrug` Europa. Cred c` trebuie s`
re]inem de aici c` este ceva critic n rela]ia dintre intelectualitate/cultur` [i oamenii de afaceri/economie. Dac` exist` o
antipatie a intelectualit`]ii fa]` de lumea economiei, nu ne
putem a[tepta dect la un dezastru; dac` ne ntlnim ns`,
lumea intelectual` cu lumea afacerilor [i economia cu idei
s`n`toase despre mersul economic al lumii (iar acesta nu poate
fi dect capitalismul), atunci ne putem a[tepta la un viitor
rezonabil. Dl Andrei Negu] spunea c` n Statele Unite este un
alt fel de comunitate academic`. i confirm observa]ia. Cnd
am lucrat n strìn`tate, am constatat c` acolo exist` un anume
fel ordonat de a te insera n societate care face s` ai timp. n
ciuda faptului c` e[ti ocupat, c` ai multe de f`cut, lucrurile nu
se aglomereaz`, nu dau buzna peste tine: po]i func]iona bine.
Este o problem` n lumea noastr` romneasc`, aceea c` aici
toate lucrurile func]ioneaz` ntr-un chip bezmetic. Aici lucrurile
merg anapoda. De ce? Vina ne apar]ine nou`. n loc s` d`m
vina pe sistem, care este o entitate abstract`, cred c` trebuie
s` pornim de la s`n`tosul principiu liberal al individualismului
metodologic [i s` accept`m c` lucrurile se fac prin indivizi [i
prin deciziile lor, chiar dac` ceea ce se ntmpl` nu decurge n
mod logic din aceste decizii. n judecata care se face pornind de
la opozi]ia m` duc acolo ca s` c[tig mai mul]i bani vs.
r`mn aici ca s`-mi fac datoria fa]` de ]ar`, cred c` trebuie
s` ]inem seama de un exemplu istoric. Romnia modern` a fost
f`cut` de trei genera]ii de oameni: grosso modo, genera]ia de
la 1830, genera]ia de la 1848 [i genera]ia de la 1866. Exist` o
scrisoare a lui Vasile Alecsandri c`tre Mihail Kog`lniceanu n
care acesta i scria: coane Mi[ule, dac` te gnde[ti cum ar`ta
lumea n tinere]ile noastre [i cum arat` ea acum, ]i vine s` cn]i
la b`trne]e: evohe, am izbutit!. Romnia modern` a fost
f`cut` de foarte multe lucruri, dar foarte important` a fost generozitatea acestor oameni.
Horia-Roman Patapievici
Generosity
A great Austrian economist, who immigrated
to United States, after Nazis came in power,
Ludwig von Mises, said that Europe has been
destroyed by intellectuals because they
adopted wrong economic ideas, they had
drawn wrong conclusions of extreme right or
left, and they influenced the public opinion
that destroyed Europe. I think we have to
learn that there is something critical in the
relationship between intellectuality/culture
and business people/economics. If there is an
antipathy of intellectuality towards economics, we cannot wait anything else but a disaster; if we meet in between, meaning the
intellectual world with the business world
and economics, having sane ideas about the
economic way of the world (and by that I
mean only capitalism), then we can hope for
a reasonable future.
Mr. Andrei Negu? said that in the States there
is such an academic community. I confirm his
observation. When I worked abroad, I noticed
that there is in that country a certain orderly
way of inserting yourself into society that
gives you spare time. Even if you are busy,
you have a lot to do, things dont gather,
dont overwhelm you: you can function very
well. We have a problem in our Romanian
world, that of chaotic functioning. Everything
goes wrong here. Why? We hold the blame
for that. Instead of blaming the system,
which is an abstract entity, I think we should
start with the sane liberal principle of
methodological individualism and to accept
that things are made through individuals and
through their decisions, even if what happens
does not come logically from these decisions.
By the way of thinking that "I go there to
make a lot of money" vs. "I stay here because
I owe it to my country ", I think we should
take into account a historical example.
Modern Romania has been made by three
generations: grosso modo, the 1830 generation, the 1848 and 1866 generations. Vasile
Alecsandris letter to Mihail Kog?lniceanu
said: "well Mi[ule, if you think about the way
the world was in our times and how it is now,
you want to start singing: evohe, we made
it!". Modern Romania has been made by
many things, but the most important is the
generosity of such people who stay here to
pay their duties to the country.
CULTURA {I AFACERILE:
INTERESE DIFERITE
SAU VALORI COMUNE?
Culture and Business: Different
Interests or Common Values?
l 33
Colegiul Noua Europ`, 10 noiembrie 2005

New Europe College, November 10th 2005
Leg`turile dintre afaceri [i cultur`

The relations between business and culture
34 l
Forum Auto Volvo importer in Romania and

Dilema Veche had organized, on November
10th, at "New Europe College", a debate on
"Culture and Business - Different Interests
and Common Values?
Against all odds, such a discussion comprises a
lot of dilemmas and questions. Business people and the cultural elites have different
interests? Some of them "make money", the
other ones "ask for money" for the creation
process? Beyond the simple sponsorship, what
values could be brought together by the two
communities the business and the culture
one? A society that is based on contractual
rules and relations? Creativity, intellectual
opening? Institutional culture? Social responsibility? How do these communities see each
other? What are the preconceptions and the
current stereotypes? Both in business and culture, the initiative and performance are in
the first place individual. How do the two
communities report themselves to society and
State? How can they get a better communication? How can they contribute to the dissemination of stable values within the Romanian
society and to the conceptions modification?
As we know, this is the first systematic
attempt, in Romania, to gather the representatives of the business world and the cultural
elites. Beside of simple patronage, this two
worlds, apparently distant, are related by
common values. First of all, the Romanians
tomorrow identity is created, through performance, inside the two worlds. For this values to be transmitted to the society and to
become cardinal points for public life activity,
it is necessary a better mutual understanding
of the two elite groups. The initiators are
convinced that these debates will contribute
to the reinforcement of the Romanian elites
and to create a value-favorable and long lasting success opinion in the Romanian societies.
In the next pages we reproduce the most
important fragments of discussion and the
related editorials published in the 95th number, second year, of Dilema Veche magazine.
Forum Auto, importator Volvo n Romnia [i Dilema veche au

organizat, pe 10 noiembrie, la Colegiul Noua Europ`, o
dezbatere cu tema Cultura [i afacerile interese diferite sau
valori comune?.
n ciuda aparen]elor, un astfel de dialog este plin de dileme [i
de ntreb`ri. Oamenii de afaceri [i elitele culturale au interese
diferite? Unii fac bani, ceilal]i cer bani pentru crea]ie?
Dincolo de simpla sponsorizare, ce valori pot pune n leg`tur`
cele dou` comunit`]i a afacerilor [i a culturii? O societate
bazat` pe reguli [i rela]ii contractuale? Creativitatea,
deschiderea intelectual`? Cultura institu]ional`?
Responsabilitatea social`? Cum se percep reciproc cele dou`
comunit`]i? Care sunt prejudec`]ile [i stereotipiile curente? {i
n afaceri, [i n cultur`, ini]iativa [i performan]a sunt n primul
rnd individuale. Cum se raporteaz` cele dou` comunit`]i la
societate [i la Stat? Cum pot comunica mai bine? Cum pot
contribui la diseminarea unor valori stabile n ansamblul societ`]ii romne[ti [i la modificarea mentalit`]ilor?
Din cte [tim, este prima ncercare sistematic`, n Romnia,
de a pune n dialog reprezentan]ii mediului de afaceri [i
reprezentan]ii elitelor culturale. Dincolo de simpla sponsorizare, cele dou` lumi, aparent foarte ndep`rtate, sunt
legate de valori comune. n primul rnd, n ambele medii se
creeaz`, prin performan]`, identitatea Romniei de mine.
Dar, pentru ca valorile s` fie transmise c`tre restul societ`]ii [i
s` devin` repere ale vie]ii publice, este necesar` n primul
rnd o mai bun` cunoa[tere reciproc` a celor dou` elite.
Ini]iatorii [i exprim` convingerea c` aceste dezbateri vor contribui la consolidarea elitelor din Romnia [i la crearea, n cercuri tot mai largi ale societ`]ii romne[ti, a unui curent de
opinie favorabil valorilor sigure, succesului de durat`. Paginile
de fa]` cuprind transcrierea celor mai semnificative fragmente
ale dezbaterii [i a editorialelor ap`rute pe aceast` tem` n
num`rul 95, anul II, al revistei Dilema Veche.
l 35
Etic` [i prejudec`]i, profit [i responsabilitate social`

Ethics and preconceived ideas, profit and social responsibility
36 l
Andrei Ple[u: n general, se socote[te c` lumea afacerilor este

o lume pragmatic`, eficient`, lucrativ` [i util`, n vreme ce
lumea culturii este un ornament, o anex`, un lucru care trebuie
avut n cas` la rubrica decor, care trebuie frecventat` din
cnd n cnd, dar care n general cere bani, n loc s`-i produc`.
Exist` o prejudecat` din ce n ce mai solid`, [i anume c` un om
de cultur`, care arat` [i unele deprinderi manageriale, e suspect: dac` ncepe s` se priceap` ct de ct la afaceri nseamn`
c` activitatea cultural` i s-a terminat [i acum se mut` ntr-un
domeniu n care [i schimb` valorile, accentele, preocup`rile.
Ideea curent` este c` un om de cultur` adev`rat trebuie s` fie,
din punct de vedere managerial, idiot: trebuie s` fie inapt s`
gndeasc` pragmatic o tem` sau alta. De asemenea, exist`
prejudecata c` un om de afaceri trebuie s` fie culturalmente
precar. Eu cred c` aceste lucruri nu sunt adev`rate. {tiu ct
sufer` prietenul meu Gabriel Liiceanu cnd este tratat ca un
simplu editor sau ca un om de afaceri, cnd el are totu[i unele
contacte [i cu lumea cultural`... {tiu, de asemenea, c` sunt
mul]i oameni de afaceri care nu au doar un interes pentru cultur` c`ci nimeni nu ndr`zne[te s` spun` c` n-are ci au o
deschidere autentic` [i competent` spre aceast` zon`. Dar asta
nu nseamn` c` totul este rezolvat: de aceea facem aceste dezbateri. Unii oameni de afaceri nc` n-au aflat n ce m`sur`
poate fi cultura rentabil`, iar oamenii de cultur` n-au aflat nc`
n ce m`sur` poate fi cultura administrat`.
Problematica acestei dezbateri este enorm`: de la dezordinile din lumea breslelor culturale [i eventualele solu]ii pentru
rezolvarea lor, pn` la educarea unui anumit gust pentru art`
n societatea romneasc` [i pn` la detaliile tehnice: am putea
vorbi despre legea sponsoriz`rii, care este prost f`cut` [i nu i
ncurajeaz` pe oamenii cu bani s` investeasc` n obiectul de
art`; am putea vorbi despre mentalitatea general` a finan]atorilor ce prefer` s` finan]eze [i ce nu sau despre diferen]ele
de mentalitate dintre Est [i Vest, pentru c` n Vest exist` uneori
cu totul alt tip de criterii, dect la noi, pentru a decide utilitatea
unei finan]`ri; am putea vorbi despre ce nseamn` o investi]ie
sigur` [i o investi]ie riscant` [i despre faptul c`, oricum ar fi
sigur` sau riscant` , n general investi]ia n cultur` este ieftin`.
{i e cu att mai trist c` ea r`mne precar`. n general, exist`
Andrei Ple[u: Generally, the business environment is conceived to be a pragmatic, efficient,

lucrative and useful environment, while the
cultural environment is an ornament, an
appendix, a thing to be kept around the house
in the "decoration" section, which must be
attended from time to time, but which generally needs money, instead of producing it.
There is a stronger and stronger preconceived
idea according to which a literate, who shows
to have certain managing abilities is regarded
as suspicious: if he starts to understand business a little bit it means that his cultural activity is finished and he moves on to another field
and changes his values, accents, interests. The
current idea is that a real literate must be,
from the management perspective, an idiot: he
must be incapable to think pragmatically
about a subject or another. Also, there is the
preconceived idea that a business man is precarious from the cultural point of view. I think
that these things are not true. I know how
much my friend Gabriel Liiceanu suffers when
he is treated as a simple editor or business
man, when in fact he is somehow familiar with
the cultural environment as well... I also know
that there are many business men that not
only do they have a strong interest for culture
because no one dares to say that he doesn't
but they have a real and competent turn
towards this field. But this does not mean that
everything is solved: that is why we participate
at these debates. Some business men have not
yet discovered to what extent culture can be
profitable, and literates have not yet discovered to what extent culture can be managed.
The problems of this debate are enormous:
from the "disorders" in the world of the cultural groups and the eventual solutions for
their resolving, to the education of a certain
taste for art in the Romanian society and to
the technical details: we could talk about the
sponsorship law, which has been badly drafted
and does not encourage people with money to
invest in art objects; we could talk about the
general mentality of creditors what they
prefer to finance and what they do not or
about the differences of mentality between
East and West, because in the West, there is
sometimes a totally different type of criteria,
as compared to our area, in order to decide on
the usefulness of a financing; we could talk
about the meaning of a safe investment and a
risky investment and about the fact that, either
way safe or risky -, cultural investment is generally cheap. And what makes it even sadder is
that the fact that it remains unstable.

Generally, the mentality is that education and
culture are the business of the State and, consequently, we would have no reason to work
on them: this is a problem that we face everyday.
Gabriel Liiceanu: If the name of our meeting
today is named "Culture and Business", I think
that the first thing that should be taken into
discussion is business ethics. I think this subject
is related to business culture and that is why I
insisted on talking about it. I have not read a
rich bibliography in order to talk in front of
you today; what I want to say is part of my
own experience, from the problems I confronted while making my way in the business
environment from the perspective of a literate
that has built a cultural business.
In the West, the discussions regarding business
ethics go in the following direction: can ethical behavior be reduced to economic rationality? In 1970, an article of the famous Milton
Friedman was published, entitled The Social
Responsibility of Business is Increase Its
Profits. Milton Friedman, who had a huge
authority, tried to convince the world that,
spontaneously, any business man, that is interested in his profit, acts in favor of the society,
and that the simple pursuit of his own profit
is considered, in the business environment, a
global social success. Can this sentence of
Friedman the profit is ethical be taken as
such nowadays? Can common good be
achieved by the simple pursuit of profit by an
undertaker? And things are discussed at
length, examples are given, corrected, we ask
the question if a tobacco company, in pursuit
of its profit, has a benefit for the society, and
these discussions are extremely subtle. As it
seems, we will get to discussing in this scope.
What I have kept in mind, for now, during a
meditation moment on this subject, reflecting
on what happened to me in the last 15 years,
are just a few thoughts. The first by theoretical deformation would be: where does
ethics start, or better said, where does the
legal framework in business stop? There is a
business framework, which is created by the
State ministries, competition office etc. -,
and this legal framework created by the State
institutions becomes an obligatory behavior
rule for everybody taking part to the business.
In other words, we speak about a macromanagement that creates the game rules for
all the players. The ethics does not intervene
at this level we are in a strictly legal space,
strictly juridical, which provides the behavior
obligations for all the players and also the
sanctions in case these obligations are not
observed. Business ethics intervenes when the
players decide the way the game is going to
mentalitatea c` educa]ia [i cultura sunt treburi ale Statului [i c`,

prin urmare, noi n-am avea de ce s` ne ocup`m de ele: este
una dintre problemele cu care ne confrunt`m zilnic.
Gabriel Liiceanu: Dac` ntlnirea noastr` de ast`zi se nume[te
Cultura [i afacerile, cred c` primul lucru care ar trebui discutat este etica afacerilor. Cred c` acest subiect ]ine de cultura
afacerilor [i de aceea am ]inut s` vorbesc despre a[a ceva. Nu
am citit o bibliografie bogat` pentru a v` vorbi ast`zi; ceea ce
vreau s` spun provine din experien]a mea, din durerile pe care
le-am sim]it str`b`tnd climatul afacerilor de la nivelul unui om
de cultur` care a pus pe picioare o afacere cultural`.
Discu]iile privind etica afacerilor se poart`, ast`zi, n Occident,
n direc]ia urm`toare: se poate reduce comportamentul etic la
ra]ionalitatea economic`? n 1970, a ap`rut un articol celebru
al lui Milton Friedman, care se numea The Social Responsibility
of Business is Increase Its Profits (Responsabilitatea social` a
afacerilor este s`-[i sporeasc` profiturile). Milton Friedman,
care avea o autoritate uria[`, a ncercat s` conving` lumea c`,
n mod spontan, orice om de afaceri, care [i urm`re[te profitul, ac]ioneaz` spre binele societ`]ii, [i c` simpla urm`rire a
profitului propriu se confund`, n cazul afacerilor, cu o reu[it`
social` global`. Poate fi aceast` propozi]ie a lui Friedman the
profit is ethical luat` ca atare n prezent? Poate fi realizat
binele comun prin simpla urm`rire de c`tre un ntreprinz`tor a
profitului sù? Iar lucrurile se discut` pe larg, se dau exemple,
se corijeaz`, se pune ntrebarea dac` o ntreprindere de tutun,
urm`rindu-[i profitul, realizeaz` un bine pentru societate, [i
discu]iile sunt extrem de subtile. Pesemne, vom ajunge [i noi
cndva s` discut`m n aceast` sfer`. Eu ns` mi-am notat, deocamdat`, ntr-un moment de medita]ie pe aceast` tem`, reflectnd la ceea ce mi s-a ntmplat n ultimii 15 ani, cteva gnduri. Primul prin deforma]ie teoretic` ar fi: de unde ncepe
etica sau, mai bine zis, unde nceteaz` cadrul juridic n afaceri?
Exist` un cadru al afacerilor, care este creat de Stat de ministere, de oficiul concuren]ei [.a.m.d. , iar acest cadru legal creat
de institu]iile statale devine o regul` obligatorie de comportament pentru to]i participan]ii la afaceri. Cu alte cuvinte, este
vorba despre un macro-management care creeaz` regulile
de joc pentru absolut to]i juc`torii. Etica nu apare la acest nivel
suntem ntr-un spa]iu strict legislativ, strict juridic, care
prevede obliga]iile comportamentale pentru to]i juc`torii [i
sanc]iunile n eventualitatea n care aceste obliga]ii nu sunt
l 37
38 l
respectate. Etica afacerilor survine din clipa n care juc`torii

decid asupra felului n care vor juca jocul; n spe]`, din clipa n
care ei se raporteaz`, ntr-un fel sau altul, la regulile impuse de
Stat pentru joc. Dac` juc`torii joac` acela[i joc, dar ignor` regulile sau creeaz` altele pentru ei, atunci avem de-a face cu
lipsa unei economii liber-concuren]iale. Prima mea senza]ie
cel pu]in pn` acum a fost c` n Romnia nu exist` cu adev`rat o economie liber-concuren]ial`, atta timp ct o parte din
juc`torii domeniului n care m` mi[c eu respect` aceste reguli
(fiscale, n principal), iar alt` parte nu le respect`. Din acest
motiv, nu se na[te o economie liber-concuren]ial`, iar la rampa
societ`]ii c[tig`torii sunt cei fraudulo[i, iar perdan]ii sunt cei
mai nzestra]i [i mai cinsti]i dintre juc`tori. Atta timp ct i
scoate la suprafa]` pe cei care ncalc` regulile, o ntreag`
economie se bazeaz` pe fraud`.
Etica afacerilor la noi nu prive[te numai felul n care juc`torii se
raporteaz` la regulile de joc. Lucrurile se complic` n momentul
n care Statul devine un agent fraudulos, intervine ca arbitru n
joc, p`gubindu-i pe unii [i favorizndu-i pe al]ii. Un stat care
face asta este un stat mafiot: se identific` cu unii juc`tori pentru c` interesele lor sunt [i interesele celor care reprezint`
Statul. n acest caz, nu doar juc`torii ncalc` regulile, ci [i arbitrul, care i sanc]ioneaz` foarte sever pe unii, invocnd regulamentul, [i nchide ochii fa]` de al]ii. Statul corupt este principalul agent al comportamentului ne-etic.
nc`lcarea eticii afacerilor apare [i datorit` unui factor psihologic, care presupune o anumit` evaluare a segmentelor de timp.
Dac` cel care intr` n lumea afacerilor merge pe ideea c` o
afacere trebuie s` dea rezultate spectaculoase rapid, dac` etica
sa ]inte[te termenul scurt, rezultatul va fi, automat, un comportament ne-etic: asta se nume[te, n general, a da un tun, a da
o lovitur`. Agen]ii economici de la noi cel pu]in n primii ani
de dup` 1990 au pornit de la ideea c` lucrurile trebuie f`cute
rapid, eficace [i cu rezultate spectaculoase pe termen scurt; or,
o adev`rat` etic` a afacerilor presupune o construc]ie care
merge pe termene lungi.
Se pune ntrebarea dac` e rentabil s` fii ne-etic. A[ spune c`,
pe termen lung, este total nerentabil. Momentul meu de revela]ie a fost cnd mi-am pus problema dac` eu pot continua
ntr-o logic` a afacerilor n care eu joc conform regulilor, iar unii
colegi de breasl` le ncalc`. {i mi-am spus c` energia pe care o
investe[te un concurent n a fura este mai mare [i, pe termen
lung, cu rezultate mai proaste deci nerentabil` dect ener-
be played; in particular, from the moment they

begin to take into consideration, in one way or
another, the rules imposed by the State for the
game. If the players play the same game, but
ignore the rules or create rules of their own,
then we are facing the absence of a free competition economy. My first feeling at least
until now was that Romania does not have a
real free competition economy, as long as a
part of the players in the field I activate in
observes these rules (fiscal, mainly), and the
other part does not. That is why, there is no
free competition economy emerging, and at
the base of society the winners are the ones
that commit frauds, and the losers are the
most gifted and honest players. As long as the
ones that break the rules are brought forward,
an entire economy is based on fraud.
Business ethics in our country does not regard
only the players that respect the rules of the
game. Things become a little more complicated
when the State becomes a fraudulent agent,
intervenes as an arbitrator in the game, creating damages to some and favoring the others.
A State that does such a thing becomes part of
a mafia organization: it identifies itself with
some of the players because their interests are
also the interests of the ones that represent
the State. In this case, the players are not the
only ones who break the rules, but the arbitrator does it as well, as it is the one that severely
punishes some of the players, by invoking the
regulation, and forgives the others. The corrupt State is the main agent of unethical
behavior.
The breaking of business ethics is also due to a
psychological factor that presupposes a certain
evaluation of time segments. If the one entering the business environment thinks that a
business must have fast spectacular results, if
his ethics aims to a short term, the result will
be automatically, an unethical behavior: generally, this is called to bring home the bacon, to
work the oracle. The economic agents in our
country at least in the first years after 1990
started from the idea that things must be
made fast, efficiently and with fast spectacular
results; or, a real business ethics presupposes a
construction based on long terms.
The question that must be asked is if it is profitable to be unethical. I would say that, on a
long term, it is totally unprofitable. My revelation moment was when I questioned myself if I
could continue in business logic where I play
by the rules, and other colleagues break them.
And I said to myself that the energy invested
by a competitor in stealing is bigger and, on a
long term, with fewer results therefore
unprofitable than the one that I have to
invest in the creativity of the construction. In
other words, it is better to use the energy lost
in stealing in building ways of development.
The moment I discovered this, I told myself

that on a long term the others will lose, even
though on a short term I will be playing the
naive. And after all, in such a State, which is
functioning as a corrupt agent and, in arbitrating the business environment, favors some
of the players and depresses the others, which
way do I turn in order to reestablish the rules?
And I imagined that it could be possible to
create an ethics of the guilds, in particular an
observance of the behavior standards for businessmen by the professional associations. The
way the medieval guilds did not allow to the
honest that played the same game on the
same field to follow different rules, in our
case, maybe it would be interesting, in order
to recreate business ethics, to constitute business associations that can be able to track the
unfair games of the ones who are part of the
guild in question. In other words, a sort of
micro-management, in which things could
be improved. As the president of the
Publishers' Association, I invited my colleagues
to say which are the most important numbers
of copies they have published. Apart from
Humanitas no one disclaimed publicly the
number of copies of an author. Recently, one
of the publishers asked on television, that if I
committed this imprudence, I should bear the
consequences: it would be good to receive a
visit from the Financial Guard in order to
determine what happened to the taxes that
should have been paid for such large number
of copies. In other words, this lack of transparency of the world I am a part of always
asks the same question: is there a business
ethics in Romania? From my perspective, the
answer is no.
Mihai Oroveanu: When Mr. Gabriel Liiceanu
was talking about the ethics of the guilds, I
was thinking about what happens to a guild
in our case, the Association of Plastic Artists,
which is obligatory if you want to keep your
professional status: professionals have been
gathered into it by others rather then of their
own will. Now it represents the most conservatory and reactionary organism, which by its
pyramidal structure and the desperate way it
fights against an art market, by its obstinate
way of fighting against the individual rights
of the artists, made it so that art professions
are practically avoided as a social situation.
The Association of Plastic Artists does not recognize the art market, it only recognizes the
revaluation of the work of art, it does not recognize the market value of a work of art, but
it is rather interested in the cultural activity, it
has no interest in personalizing the galleries,
in order to a obtain a minimum competition,
but it is rather interested in keeping the
superstitions and the hierarchy established 40-
gia pe care trebuie s` o investesc eu n creativitatea

construc]iei. Cu alte cuvinte, este mai bine ca energia pierdut`
n furt s` fie investit` n cì de dezvoltare. n clipa n care am
descoperit acest lucru, mi-am spus c` ceilal]i vor pierde pe termen lung, chiar dac` n imediat eu voi face figur` de naiv. {i
apoi, ntr-un asemenea stat, care func]ioneaz` ca un agent
corupt [i, arbitrnd lumea afacerilor, i avantajeaz` pe unii [i i
deprim` pe al]ii, unde mai am eu recurs pentru a putea restabili regulile? {i mi-am imaginat c` se poate crea o etic` a breslelor, n spe]` o urm`rire a standardelor de comportament al
oamenilor de afaceri, de c`tre asocia]iile profesionale. A[a cum
breslele medievale nu le ng`duiau celor care jucau pe acela[i
teren acela[i joc s` aplice reguli diferite, n cazul nostru poate
ar fi interesant, pentru a re-crea etica afacerilor, s` constituim
asocia]ii profesionale care s` poat` urm`ri jocurile necinstite ale
celor care fac parte din breasla respectiv`. Adic` un fel de
micro-management, n care lucrurile s-ar putea ndrepta. Ca
pre[edinte al Asocia]iei Editorilor, mi-am invitat colegii s` spun`
care sunt cele mai importante tiraje ale c`r]ilor pe care le-au
publicat. n afar` de Humanitas, nimeni nu a f`cut public tirajul vreunui autor. Recent, unul dintre editori a cerut la televizor
ca, dac` am f`cut aceast` impruden]`, s` suport [i consecin]ele: ar fi bine ca Garda Financiar` s` m` viziteze pentru a constata ce s-a ntmplat cu impozitele care trebuiau pl`tite pe tiraje att de mari. Cu alte cuvinte, aceast` lips` de transparen]` a
lumii n care m` mi[c pune mereu aceast` ntrebare: exist` o
etic` a afacerilor n Romnia? Din perspectiva mea, r`spunsul
este nu.
Mihai Oroveanu: Cnd dl Gabriel Liiceanu vorbea despre etica
breslelor, m` gndeam la ce se ntmpl` la noi cu o breasl`,
Uniunea Arti[tilor Plastici, obligatorie pentru a-[i putea men]ine
statutul profesional: n ea, profesioni[tii mai degrab` au fost
aduna]i, dect s-au adunat. Acum reprezint` cel mai conservator [i cel mai reac]ionar organism, care prin structura piramidal` [i prin dezn`dejdea cu care se lupt` mpotriva unei pie]e
de art`, prin obstina]ia cu care se lupt` mpotriva drepturilor
individuale ale arti[tilor, a f`cut ca meseriile de art` s` fie de-a
dreptul evitate ca situa]ie social`. UAP nu recunoa[te pia]a de
art`, recunoa[te doar valorificarea operei de art`, nu recunoa[te obiectul de art` ca avnd o valoare de pia]`, ci o intereseaz`
mai mult activitatea cultural`, nu o intereseaz` s` personalizeze
galeriile, astfel nct s` existe o minim` concuren]`, ci o intere-
l 39
40 l
seaz` s` p`streze supersti]iile [i ierarhiile stabilite de 40-50 de

ani. Intra]i ntr-o libr`rie de art` din Bucure[ti [i intra]i n orice
libr`rie de muzeu din strìn`tate: la noi nu ve]i g`si nici 1% din
c`r]ile [i albumele de art` contemporan` care circul` acum n
Occident. Nimic din acest fenomen extraordinar de interesant
care s-a ntmplat dup` apari]ia computerului, cu consecin]ele
care au decurs de aici evolu]ia edit`rii de albume, de fotografie, de grafic` cu totul [i cu totul deosebit`, de tehnicitate
maxim` n prezentarea c`r]ii-obiect nu apare n preocup`rile
editorilor, dar nici ale importatorilor de carte din Romnia. {i
atunci, de ce s` ne mai mir`m c` intelectualul romn este format de slova scris` [i nu de imagine, de ce s` ne mir`m c` din
punctul de vedere al artelor vizuale ne g`sim ntr-un dezastru
de nenumit?
Ast`zi, cu toate ncerc`rile noastre de a induce obiectul de art`
ca valoare comercial`, ajungem la concluzii foarte stranii. A fost
imposibil s` ob]inem de la Ministerul Finan]elor ca drepturile de
succesiune s` poat` fi pl`tite n opere de art`. n alte ]`ri s-au
f`cut muzee ntregi n acest fel. Achizi]iile sunt rezervate, prin
amploarea lor [i printr-o anumit` succesiune n timp, Ministerului Culturii, ceea ce este aberant. Ministerul Culturii a propus
ini]iative legislative care, de fapt, interzic orice comer] de art`:
prin lege, acesta este monopolul Uniunii Arti[tilor Plastici. Un
galerist strìn nu poate s` cumpere direct o oper` de art` din
Romnia [i nu poate s` o scoat` din ]ar` dect pl`tind o tax`
Uniunii Arti[tilor Plastici; nu cred c` mai exist` n Europa o astfel de impunere. La fel, cea mai mare tax` de intrare a operelor
de art` n ]ar` este n Romnia: 42%. Toate aceste abera]ii se
men]in pentru c` intelectualul romn este educat de slova
scris` [i nu pare a-i fi necesar` imaginea. Educa]ia prin imagine
este mai mult dect sumar`.
50 years ago. Step into an art shop in

Bucharest, and then go into any museum shop
abroad: you will not find in our country not
even 1% of the books and art albums that are
circulating at the moment in the West.
Nothing of this extraordinarily interesting phenomenon which happened after the invention
of the computer, with the consequences deriving from it - the outstanding evolution in editing albums, photos, graphics, of maximum
technicality in presenting the book-object does not appear among the interests of the
editors or the interest of book importers in
Romania. And as such, why should we still be
amazed that the Romanian intellectual is guided by written text and not by images, why
should we still be amazed that concerning
visual arts we find ourselves in a disaster which
can not be named?
Today, in spite of all our efforts of inducing the
image of the art object as having a commercial
value, we come to very strange conclusions. It
was impossible for us to obtain from the
Ministry of Finance to allow the payment of
succession rights with works of art. In other
countries, a lot of museums were constituted
this way. The acquisitions are reserved, by their
importance and by a certain period of time, for
the Ministry of Culture, which is aberrant. The
Ministry of Culture suggested some legal initiatives which, in fact, interdict any kind of art
trade: according to the law, this is the monopole of the Association of Plastic Artists. A foreign gallery owner can not directly buy a work
of art from Romania and cannot take it out of
the country without paying a tax to the
Association of Plastic Artists; I do not think
that there still is such an imposition in Europe.
As well, the highest tax for the importation of
works of art can be found in Romania: 42%.
All these aberrations are still in place because
the Romanian intellectual is educated by written text and he does not seem to need the
image. Education through images is more than
sketchy.
Costin Borc: A[ vrea s` readuc n discu]ie afirma]ia lui Milton

Friedman c` datoria unui om de afaceri este s` fac` profit.
Dezbaterea despre rela]ia dintre corporate social responsibility
[i profitul n afaceri a continuat dou`zeci-treizeci de ani dup`
articolul pe care l-a citat dl Liiceanu. Milton Friedman contrazice ideea de corporate social responsibility, spunnd c` nu este
dect un cinism al oamenilor de afaceri: cnd o companie
spune 5% din veniturile noastre sunt donate n cutare scop
cultural sau social, [i face de fapt reclam` [i, astfel, [i
spore[te profitul. Este un demers calculat, care le aduce foarte
mult oamenilor de afaceri. Sincer, eu nu [tiu s` dau un r`spuns
Costin Borc: I would like to go back, to the discussion about the affirmation of Milton
Friedman that the duty of a businessman is to
make profit. The debate about the relation
between the corporate social responsibility and
the business profit continued for twenty-thirty
years after the publication of the article quoted by Mr. Liiceanu. Milton Friedman contradicts the idea of corporate social responsibility,
by saying that it is only a cynic proof from the
part of businessmen: when a company says
that 5% of our incomes are donated for this
or that cultural or social purpose, what it
actually does is advertising, and thus, increasing its profit. It is a very well calculated action
that brings a lot of advantages to business-
men. To be honest, I do not know the answer

to this problem: the companies supporting
cultural and social projects do this without
any interest or out of an enormous cynism? I
think it is a question to which we must
answer in complete lucidity: cultural support is
given by a disinterested desire of acting as
good citizens and of supporting the State on
a long term (and do not forget about what
Keynes said, that on a long term we are all
dead...) or is just a way of promoting immediate interests?
H.-R. Patapievici: The problem is not if we are
disinterested or cynical, but if we have an
interest. Milton Friedman's remark the only
ethics is profit is a late echo to a thesis that
produced a great scandal at that time: it is a
book that appeared in 1790, whose author is
Bernard De Mandelville, the Fable of the Bees,
that argues the fact that private vices can be
converted, with the condition of having freedom that is on the free market , in public
benefits. Consequently, a doctor does not
open a health clinic out of altruism, but
because he wants to live, and he does that on
the expense of the ones that come to be
examined. When he makes the examination
he is not an altruist, but he is not cynical
either: if you try to satisfy your own interest it
does not mean you are cynical. Volvo, for
example, is a company with a very important
social involvement, but above everything it
pursues its private interest. The private interest it pursues, according to a business ethics,
brings public benefits. Gabriel Liiceanu made
a very good point when he used the
metaphor of the arbitrator and the players.
The problem of ethics, from the moment an
arbitrator is present, is the fact that the rules
he establishes must not punish the honest and
award the dishonest. From this point of view,
inflation is something profoundly immoral,
because it punishes the one who saves and
awards the one who wastes. The problem in
our case is that it is profitable to commit
fraud: an ethical system would be one were
fraud would be unprofitable. How do we
obtain that? Where there is freedom, there is
a possibility of gradual improvement. I think
about the fact that, at the beginning of the
'90, when competition in the publishing field
appeared, books had an appearance which
today would make them undesirable: on
paper of low quality, bad printing, etc. In the
mean time Humanitas imposed some quality
standards that subsequently have also been
adopted by others (some of them, maybe, by
fraud). The publishing environment today is
not only the result of the fact that some
observed the rules and others adopted them,
but also of free competition. This way, the
la aceast` problem`: firmele care sus]in proiecte culturale sau

sociale o fac dezinteresat sau dintr-un enorm cinism? Cred c`
este o ntrebare la care trebuie s` r`spundem cu foarte mult`
luciditate: sprijinul culturii se face dintr-o dorin]` dezinteresat`
de a fi buni cet`]eni [i de a sus]ine Statul pe termen lung ([i, nu
uita]i, ce spune Keynes c` pe termen lung suntem to]i
mor]i...) sau este doar o promovare a intereselor imediate?
H.-R. Patapievici: Problema nu este s` fii dezinteresat sau
cinic, ci dac` ai un interes. Remarca lui Milton Friedman singura etic` este profitul este un ecou trziu la o tez` care a
strnit scandal la vremea respectiv`: este vorba despre o carte
ap`rut` pe la 1790 a lui Bernard De Mandelville, Fabula
albinelor, care argumenteaz` faptul c` viciile private pot fi
convertite, n condi]ii de libertate adic` de pia]` liber` , n
beneficii publice. Prin urmare, un medic nu deschide un cabinet
medical din altruism, ci pentru c` dore[te s` trìasc`, [i face
asta pe seama celor care vin la consulta]ie. El nu e altruist cnd
consult`, dar nu este nici cinic: dac` ]i urm`re[ti interesul propriu nu nseamn` c` e[ti cinic. Volvo, de pild`, este o companie
cu o mare implicare social`, ns` nainte de toate [i urm`re[te
interesul privat. Dar interesul privat pe care [i-l urm`re[te,
potrivit unei etici a afacerilor, are beneficii publice. Gabriel
Liiceanu a ridicat o problem` important` folosind metafora
arbitrului [i a juc`torilor. Problema eticii, n momentul cnd
exist` un arbitru, este c` regulile pe care le stabile[te nu trebuie
s`-l penalizeze pe cel care este cinstit [i s`-l premieze pe cel
care este necinstit. Din acest punct de vedere, infla]ia este ceva
profund imoral, pentru c` l penalizeaz` pe cel care economise[te [i l premiaz` pe cel care risipe[te. Problema la noi este
c` e profitabil s` fraudezi: un sistem etic ar fi acela n care s` fie
neprofitabil s` fraudezi. Cum se ajunge la asta? Acolo unde
exist` libertate, exist` [i o posibilitate de mbun`t`]ire gradual`.
M` gndesc la faptul c`, la nceputul anilor '90, cnd a ap`rut
competi]ia n domeniul editorial, c`r]ile ap`reau ntr-o form`
care le face ast`zi nefrecventabile: pe hrtie proast`, cu tipar
prost [.a.m.d. ntre timp, Humanitas a impus ni[te standarde de
calitate pe care le-au adoptat ulterior [i al]ii (unii dintre ei, poate,
fraudulo[i). Peisajul editorial de ast`zi nu este doar rezultatul
faptului c` unii au respectat regulile [i al]ii le-au adoptat, dar [i
al concuren]ei libere. n acest fel, [i arbitrul a fost constrns s`
fie mai pu]in fraudulos dect era la nceputul anilor '90.
Am o scurt` interven]ie [i n leg`tur` cu arta contemporan`.
l 41
Cred c` mediul de afaceri ar finan]a mai degrab` artele vizuale

dect cultura scris` de[i admit, mpreun` cu Mihai Oroveanu,
c` n Romnia cultura scris` are o anumit` preeminen]` [i cineva care [i dovede[te excelen]a n scris ajunge cunoscut mai
degrab` dect cineva care [i dovede[te excelen]a n zona
vizualului. ns` eu am o problem` cu arta contemporan`: nu
[tiu ce cump`r. Ce nseamn` art` contemporan`? O
instala]ie video? }eapa din Pia]a Revolu]iei?...
Mihai Oroveanu: Aceea nu e art` contemporan?. G`se[ti a[a
ceva pe drumul spre Paris, la km 30, Marne-la-Valle, ca semn
pentru Carrefour. Tot ce ofer` cadou pre[edin]ii Romniei ca
obiect de sticl` se g`se[te cu 10 yuani n China, pe la trguri.
42 l
H.-R. Patapievici: Oamenii de afaceri sunt n mod natural

interesa]i de finan]area zonei culturale, pentru c` n acest fel [i
promoveaz` afacerea. Este ceva cu totul legitim, nu e nimic
imoral n asta. ns` am o mic` rezerv` cu privire la educa]ia
vizual`: eu nu vreau s` m` educ vizual cu instala]ii video
nu-mi plac, pur [i simplu. Nu vreau s` m` educ vizual cu cineva care face un happening n care se preface c` e umbra mea,
m` nso]e[te peste tot [i crede c` a f`cut ceva grozav. Iar uneori astfel de activit`]i sunt finan]ate masiv, n timp ce oameni
care lucreaz` la [evalet nu primesc comenzi. Dar dac` este
finan]at un pavilion gol, asta nu este educa]ie vizual`.
Daniel Dìanu: A[ vrea s` ncerc s` r`spund la o ntrebare care
mi se pare tulbur`toare: de ce reputa]ia nu conteaz`? n fond,
reputa]ia este o problem` de capital individual, care trebuie s`
se [i socializeze n m`sura n care o presta]ie notabil` include n
ea repere care pot fi valabile [i pentru ceilal]i. De ce nu se
ntmpl` ca n societate reputa]ia s` se impun`? De ce po]i s`
mori cu cinstea [i corectitudinea de gt, n timp ce to]i ceilal]i
[i v`d de via]a lor? Cred c`, din p`cate, standardele de reputa]ie difer` foarte mult ntr-o geografie global` avem standarde
generale, despre care vorbim, n timp ce standardele reale,
locale sunt altele. Asta explic` [i de ce corup]ia poate deveni
endemic`, [i de ce marea mas` a oamenilor de afaceri este certat` cu legea, de[i cadrul normativ exist`. Lucrurile nu se
schimb` pentru c` totul func]ioneaz` conform unei coali]ii
informale oamenii nu se adun` [i nu decid n urma unei conven]ii, ci exist` o textur` social`, exist` complicit`]i [i interese
care conduc la perpetuarea acestui comportament. A[a nct
arbitrator was also constrained to be less

fraudulent then he was at the beginning of
the '90.
I have a short comment on contemporary art
also. I think that the business environment
would rather finance visual arts than written
culture - although I admit, together with Mihai
Oroveanu, that in Romania written culture has
a certain pre-eminence and someone who
proves his talent in writing becomes more
famous than someone who proves his talent in
the visual area. But I have a problem regarding
contemporary art: I do not know what I am
buying. What is "contemporary art"? A video
system? The "spike" in Piata Revolutiei?
Mihai Oroveanu: That is not contemporary art.
You can find one of these things on the route
to Paris, at km 30, Marne-la-Valle, as an indicator for Carrefour. Everything the Romanian
presidents give as a gift in the form of a glass
object can be found in the fairs in China at a
price of 10 Yuan.
H.-R. Patapievici: Businessmen are naturally
interested in financing the cultural area,
because it is a way of promoting their business.
It is something totally legitimate; there is nothing immoral about it. But I have some reserves
regarding visual education: I do not want to be
visually educated by video systems - I just do
not like them. I do not want to be visually educated by someone who organizes a happening
where he acts as my shadow, follows me everywhere and thinks he made something extraordinary. And sometimes these kinds of activities
are massively financed, while people who work
with the easel do not receive orders. If we
finance an empty pavilion, that does not mean
we make visual education.
Daniel Dìanu: I would like to answer to a
question that seems stirring to me: why doesn't reputation matter? Basically, reputation is a
matter of individual capital, that must also be
socialized to the extent to which a notable act
includes in it marks that can also be valid for
others. Why isn't reputation imposed in the
society? Why is it possible to die with honesty
and correctness tied to your neck, while all the
others move on with their lives?
Unfortunately, I think that reputation standards are very different in a global geography
- we have general standards, of which we talk
about, while the real, local standards are different. This also explains why corruption can
become endemically, and why the great number of businessmen has legal problems,
although the regulatory framework exists.
Things do not change because everything
works according to an informal coalition - people do not gather and do not make decisions
according to a convention, instead there is a

social structure, there are complicities and
interests that lead to the perpetuation of this
behavior. So, our society needs some external
impulses in order to return to a correct and
normal behavior. Our integration in the
European Union represents such an impulse.
And there is another thing coming in
between: I think that a big part of the ones
that have a condemnable behavior sleep very
well at night. What some researchers call
shame and guilty does not exist, does not
manifest. I know a case in which somebody
was unduly condemned for literary theft and
ended up in killing himself. But in the business environment - and generally at the social
level - feelings of shame and guilt do not
function; and if they do not function it means
we have a big problem, it means that people
can consent to anything: neither does the law
condemn them, nor do they have feelings to
censor their blamable behaviors.
I think that, as much as we praise our culture
and our European affiliation, we live in fact in
an underdeveloped society. And in such a
society, the State can do a lot less for the culture than it really wants to. But we do not
have to wait for everything to come from the
State, the support of the local communities is
also important, especially in case of decentralization or devolution of the attributions and
the prerogatives towards the local administration. And it is also a matter of people's
appetite for culture: how many are willing to
direct a part of their personal budget towards
cultural consumption? This distribution of the
budget depends of course, on the income, but
there are people with high incomes for whom
the cultural expenses are null, as well as people with low incomes that consume a lot of
culture. The private sector is culturally primitive and I do not think we should expect a
radical change of attitude.
Friedman said a very simple thing: he is an
adept of the "invisible hand" which must lead
to sales maximization. The reading that leads
to the oversimplification of this theory transforms the society into a series of interactions
between individuals that are providers and
consumers of goods and services. But such a
reading does not take into account the fact
that people's lives contain many external factors which, if they are not internalized, can
lead to a very precarious reality. And then,
Friedman's thesis omits the fact that society
has a certain level of self-conscience, which in
business is expressed by the difference
between share holders and stake holders: it is
one thing to be a share holder who is exclusively interested in profit maximization, and
another thing to be interested in the fact that
the locality where the head office of your
societatea noastr` are nevoie de ni[te impulsuri din afar` pentru a reveni la un comportament corect [i normal. Intrarea
noastr` n Uniunea European` reprezint` un astfel de impuls.
Mai intervine ceva: mul]i dintre cei care au un comportament
condamnabil nu cred c` au nop]i nedormite. Ceea ce unii
cercet`tori numesc shame and guilty nu exist`, nu se manifest`. {tiu un caz n care cineva a fost condamnat pe nedrept
de plagiat [i a sfr[it prin a-[i lua zilele. Dar n afaceri [i, n
general, la nivelul societ`]ii sentimentele de ru[ine [i vinov`]ie
nu opereaz`; iar dac` nu opereaz` nseamn` c` avem o mare
problem`, nseamn` c` oamenii se pot preta la orice: nici legea
nu-i condamn`, nici nu au sentimente care s` le cenzureze
comportamentele reprobabile.
Cred c`, orict am lùda cultura noastr` [i europenitatea noastr`, de fapt trìm ntr-o societate subdezvoltat`. Iar ntr-o astfel
de societate, Statul poate face mult mai pu]in pentru cultur`,
dect [i dore[te. Dar nu trebuie s` a[tept`m totul de la Stat, e
necesar [i sprijinul comunit`]ilor locale, mai ales cnd se produce o descentralizare, o devolu]iune a atribu]iilor [i a prerogativelor c`tre administra]ia local`. {i mai este vorba [i
despre apetitul oamenilor pentru cultur`: c]i sunt dispu[i s`-[i
orienteze o parte a bugetului personal c`tre consumurile culturale? Aceast` distribu]ie a bugetului depinde, desigur, de
venituri, dar exist` oameni cu venituri mari pentru care cheltuielile culturale sunt zero, dup` cum exist` [i oameni cu venituri
mici care consum` mult` cultur`. Sectorul privat este primitiv
din punct de vedere cultural [i nu cred c` trebuie s` ne
a[tept`m la o schimbare radical` de atitudine.
Friedman a spus un lucru foarte simplu: el este un adept al
minii invizibile care s` conduc` la maximizarea vnz`rilor.
Varianta dus` la extrema simplificare a acestei teorii transform`
societatea ntr-o serie de interac]iuni ntre indivizi care sunt produc`tori [i consumatori de bunuri [i servicii. Dar o asemenea
viziune nu ]ine cont c` n via]a oamenilor exist` foarte multe
externalit`]i care, dac` nu sunt internalizate, pot conduce la o
realitate foarte precar`. Apoi, teza lui Friedman face abstrac]ie
de faptul c` societatea are un anumit nivel al con[tiin]ei de
sine, ceea ce n afaceri se exprim` prin diferen]a dintre share
holders [i stake holders: una este s` fii un ac]ionar preocupat
exclusiv de maximizarea profitului, [i alta este s` te intereseze
ca localitatea n care firma ta [i are sediul s` aib` str`zi curate,
s` aib` [coli bune, un teatru sau o sal` de oper` [.a.m.d. Via]a
omului nu poate fi redus` la c]i bani are n buzunar este o
l 43
viziune foarte primitiv` a economiei. Din acest punct de vedere,

Friedman nu trebuie luat ca reper.
44 l
Florin Pogonaru: Mediul de afaceri din Romnia e ntr-un proces de schimbare. Exist` un vrf al aisbergului care a nceput s`
gndeasc` pe termen mediu [i lung [i dore[te s` mizeze pe
reputa]ie: unii ncearc` s`-[i construiasc` reputa]ia, al]ii s-o
cumpere, al]ii s-o transfere. Din acest punct de vedere, cred c`
omul de cultur` are datoria de a fi foarte atent la transferul de
reputa]ie care se poate face rapid [i n sens invers, c`tre
cump`r`torii de reputa]ie: a transfera reputa]ia este un lucru
bun, dar oamenii de cultur` trebuie s` fie aten]i cu cine negociaz`.
n al doilea rnd a[ vrea s` m` refer la Friedman [i Romnia. n
context romnesc, cred c` Friedman are foarte mult` dreptate:
trìm ntr-o societate derutat`, care are deja ideea leg`rii
minii invizibile la spate, o societate n care firmele [i ntreprinderile sunt percepute mai ales ca o form` de asisten]`
social`, iar dac` vii pe acest fundal [i amesteci criteriile, suprapunnd competitivitatea [i eficien]a peste un mediu plin de
confuzii, este destul de riscant. n acest context, ar trebui s` fim
tenta]i s`-i d`m dreptate lui Friedman.
Nu cred ns` c` membrii mediului de afaceri trebuie privi]i nediferen]iat, a[a cum au fost privi]i pn` acum, n lipsa unor criterii morale. Dup` p`rerea mea, cel mai mare salt n mediul de
afaceri romnesc este trecerea de la tipul de ntreprindere one
man show la ntreprinderea care [i angajeaz` manageri profesioni[ti, l`snd proprietarului sau ac]ionarului rolul de a construi viziunea pe termen lung. Probabil c` mediul de afaceri
vorbesc despre cel bun, care vrea s` se mbibe de o anume reputa]ie ar avea nevoie de manageri culturali care s` le ofere
garan]iile c` eventualele investi]ii n cultur` chiar merg acolo
unde trebuie [i au urm`ri pozitive.
Adrian Vasilescu: Cnd am primit invita]ia [i am aflat tema
dezbaterii (Cultura [i afacerile), mi s-a p`rut foarte interesant`. Acum cteva minute ns`, m-am gndit dac` nu cumva
ini]iatorii temei au f`cut o leg`tur` imposibil`. S-ar putea s` fie
imposibil`, deocamdat`, dar cu siguran]` este o leg`tur` necesar`. Pentru c` s-a discutat despre Friedman, a[ aminti [i eu
cteva considera]ii de ale sale. Friedman spunea c` niciodat`
schimbul liber, singur, nu aduce bog`]ie; el enumer` cteva
elemente care sunt aduc`toare de bog`]ie: spiritul de ini]iativ`,
company is located has clean streets, good

schools, a theatre or an opera, etc. Life can not
be reduced to the amount of money in his
pocket - it is a very primitive reading of economy. From this point of view, Friedman should
not be taken as a point of reference.
Florin Pogonaru: The business environment of
Romania is in full change process. There is an
iceberg top beginning to think on long and
medium term and wishing to bet on reputation: some people are trying to build their reputation, other people, to buy it or to transfer
it. From this point of view, I think that the man
of culture has the duty to be very careful when
transferring reputation because the transfer
can act also on the opposite sense, toward the
reputation "buyers". Transferring reputation is
a good thing, but men of culture must take
care with whom they are negotiating.
Secondly, I wish to refer to Friedman and
Romania. Within Romanian context, I think
that Friedman are very write: we are living
within a confused society, already convinced by
the theory of tiding up to the back "the invisible hand", where the firms and enterprises are
perceived almost as a form of state aid, therefore, if you mixed the criteria on this background, overlapping the competitiveness and
effectiveness on a very confusing environment,
you could reach to a very risky result. Within
such a context, we should be tempted to agree
with Friedman.
I do not think that the members of the business environment must be further equally
treated, as they were until now, taking into
consideration that the moral criteria are missing. By my opinion, the greatest step forward
of the Romanian business environment is the
transition from the one man show type of
enterprise to the enterprise employing professional managers, the owner or shareholdership
keeping for itself only the role to build the
long term strategy of the enterprise. The business environment - I am talking about the
good one, which wants saturating of a certain
reputation - might need cultural managers,
offering it, the guarantee that the potential
culture investments are really directed to the
right places and with positive consequences.
Adrian Vasilescu: When I received the invitation and I found out the debate theme
("Culture and business"), I thought it will be a
very interesting session. But few minutes ago,
it come in my mind that, maybe, the debate
organizers could make an impossible link
between culture and business. But I answered
to myself that this link, even almost impossible,
certainly is necessary. Because Friedman has
been already discussed, I want to remind you
some considerations of him. Friedman told that
never the free exchange does bring alone the

richness; he enumerates certain elements able
to bring richness: enterprising nature, law,
order and hard work. All are valid, but I think
that something is missing from this "Friedman
table" - culture. From this point, things
become more complex, because it is difficult
to emplace culture near to the other four elements. During the years of '70, I heard
Grigore Moisil telling a very important thing.
He based his rationale on the idea that, long
time ago, when talking about culture it was
necessary to talk about Latin Language.
Starting from this idea, Moisil extrapolated
and showed that probably the "Latin language of the future" will be mathematics.
The future of Moisil has already become past.
I would paraphrase Moisil, saying that the
Latin of the future - or even of the present - is
the bank. Nowadays, we can not speak about
culture without speaking about credit, interest, money and business culture. If the things
are in this manner, I do not know where
emplacing the culture within this equation,
but the first lesson about credits I learnt in
1994, at Tokyo, from a driver of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Japan. He told me the
following: - When credits began to be granted, we felt alive. In other places from this
world, it was considered as necessary changing the life philosophy. Before, the mentality
was that a young couple started life by "having only a spoon", and reached to have a
house and everything else necessary until they
got retired. Now, a young family starts the
couple life by having everything - a house, a
car, furniture, etc. -, but possessing nothing,
because everything is the bank property,
being purchased on credit. Therefore, everything in life is connected to the existence of a
job and a regular income, which must be as
great as possible, in order to enable the
installment payments. Because, as a proverb
says, the banker gives you an umbrella when
sun shone, but takes it back from you, when
raining, which means, loosing your job.
I think that these problems might need a
more active presence of the civil society, which
in Romania, unfortunately is more preoccupied by politics. I understand that we need a
fairer Parliament, but we need also a fair
economy. And for this, culture also is necessary. But I do not know which the precise location of culture within this equation is.
R`zvan Penescu: I am a sort of dr. Jekyll and
Mr. Hyde, because during the day I work within a financial consultancy firm, and during the
evening, I administrate the site liternet.ro, so,
I could tell you about the two worlds within I
live. I think that the people of culture are a
little sad, and businessmen are a little tired.
legea, ordinea [i munca. Toate sunt valabile, dar cred c` lipse[te

ceva din acest tabel al lui Friedman: cultura. De aici, lucrurile
se complic`, pentru c` e greu s` plasezi cultura al`turi de celelalte patru elemente. n anii '70, l-am auzit pe Grigore Moisil
spunnd un lucru foarte important. El pleca de la ideea c`,
demult, cndva, nu se putea vorbi despre cultur` f`r` a vorbi
despre limba latin`. Iar Moisil credea c` limba latin` a viitorului va fi matematica. Viitorul acesta a devenit deja trecut. L-a[
parafraza pe Moisil, spunnd c` latina viitorului sau chiar a
prezentului este banca. Acum, nu mai putem vorbi despre
cultur` f`r` a vorbi despre cultura creditului, a dobnzilor,
despre o cultur` a banilor [i a afacerilor. Dac` lucrurile stau a[a,
nu [tiu cum s` plasez cultura n aceast` ecua]ie, dar prima
lec]ie despre credite am luat-o n 1994, la Tokio, de la un [ofer
al Ministerului de Externe al Japoniei. El mi-a spus cam a[a:
cnd s-a dat drumul la credite, am sim]it c` trìm. n alte
locuri ale planetei, s-a considerat c` trebuie schimbat` filozofia
de via]`. nainte se pleca de la ideea c` o tn`r` familie pornea
de la lingur`, ajungnd pn` la pensie s`-[i fac` o cas` [i ce-i
mai trebuia. Acum, o tn`r` familie porne[te de la tot cas`,
ma[in`, mobil` etc. , dar nimic nu e al familiei, totul e al
b`ncii, pentru c` e luat pe credit. Deci totul este legat de o
slujb` [i de un venit, care trebuie s` fie ct mai mare, pentru a
putea pl`ti ratele. C`ci, cum se spune, bancherul ]i d` umbrela
cnd e soare [i ]i-o ia cnd plou` adic` atunci cnd ]i-ai pierdut slujba.
M` gndesc dac` nu cumva n aceste probleme ar fi nevoie de
o prezen]a mai activ` a societ`]ii civile, care n Romnia este
prea mult preocupat` de politic`. Eu n]eleg c` e nevoie de un
Parlament curat, dar e nevoie [i de o economie curat`. Pentru
asta, e nevoie [i de cultur`. Dar nu [tiu exact unde ar trebui
plasat` n aceast` ecua]ie.
R`zvan Penescu: Eu sunt un fel de dr. Jekyll [i Mr. Hyde, pentru c` ziua lucrez la o firm` de consultan]` financiar`, iar seara
m` ocup de site-ul liternet.ro, a[a nct a[ putea s` comentez
cele dou` lumi ntre care m` mi[c. Cred c` oamenii de cultur`
sunt un pic cam tri[ti, iar oamenii de afaceri sunt un pic cam
obosi]i. Cnd oamenii de cultur` [i plaseaz` triste]ea peste
oboseala oamenilor de afaceri, apare o reac]ie de respingere.
Problema este c` oamenii de cultur` ar trebui s`-[i n]eleag`
mai bine consumatorii, s` se deschid` c`tre ei, s` le n]eleag`
nevoile [i timpul, s` nu propun` opere care s` fie prezentate
l 45
doar n cerc restrns sau cu u[ile nchise [i, n principiu, s`

ncerce s` comunice mai bine att cu publicul, ct [i cu oamenii
de afaceri care ar putea finan]a proiectele culturale. Experien]a
dobndit` la LiterNet.ro mi-a ar`tat c` trebuie ca oamenii de
cultur` s` fie interesa]i de ceea ce vrea consumatorul, s` nu-l
victimizeze pentru c` nu le cump`r` produsul, s` nu-l invadeze
cu triste]ea lor. {i apoi, dac` oamenii de cultur` le pretind celor
din mediul de afaceri s` fie preocupa]i de zona cultural`,
atunci [i ei, la rndul lor, ar trebui s` ncerce s` n]eleag` limbajul [i preocup`rile oamenilor de afaceri, astfel nct, atunci cnd
le solicit` colaborarea sau finan]area, s` poat` comunica mai
eficient.
46 l
Andrei Ple[u: Am observat, n ultimii 15 ani, c` tot ce nu

func]ioneaz` se transfer` societ`]ii civile. Dar s` nu uit`m c` [i
societatea civil` are toate p`catele societ`]ii necivile n care
trìm. Mi se pare important [i acesta este scopul forumurilor
noastre s` facem contacte, s` ncerc`m s` vedem pe ce pozi]ii
ne afl`m. Ast`zi s-au spus lucruri foarte interesante, chiar dac`
e greu s` ob]ii rezultate imediate adunnd la un loc obosi]i
[i tri[ti, f`cnd un melanj din aceste dou` categorii melancolice. Cred totu[i c` e important ca fiecare dintre noi s` cread`
c` cel`lalt exist`, c` e un partener posibil, c` e o valoare util`.
Dac` facem, de ambele p`r]i, acest pas, vom putea ncepe un
tip de evolu]ie care s` fie n beneficiul tuturor. A[ avea, n final,
o observa]ie despre rela]ia dintre ru[ine [i vinov`]ie. Dac` ar fi
s` facem un colocviu pe aceast` tem` n ambian]a cultural`
curent` am afla, printre altele, c` acestea sunt dou` concepte
masiv marcate cultural: sunt lucruri care au fost s`dite n atmosfera dezbaterii interioare a fiec`ruia dintre noi printr-o anumit`
evolu]ie cultural`.
Despre ru[ine [i vinov`]ie afli, citind Dostoievski, ceva la fel de
interesant ca atunci cnd cite[ti Friedman, care a fost vedeta
discret` a acestei dezbateri. Experien]a mea concret` n
Romnia arat` c` ceea ce lipse[te deocamdat` este ini]iativa
generoas`, disponibil`, prompt`, a lumii de afaceri c`tre lumea
culturii. Mai curnd se ntmpl` ca lumea culturii s` cear`,
dect lumea afacerilor s` ofere. Am vrea s` primim [i f`r` s`
cerem. Acesta ar fi rezultatul optim.
When men of culture put their sadness upon

the tiredness of businessmen, a rejection reaction appeared. The issue is that men of culture
should better understand their "consumers",
open to them in order to understand their
needs and time, not proposing works to be
presented only in front of a closed society or
behind closed doors, and mainly, communicate
better with the public and businessmen able to
finance their cultural projects. My expertise,
got at liternet.ro, showed me that the men of
culture must be concerned by the consumer's
requirement rather than by victimizing him
because the so called incapacity of him to buy
their products and invading him with their sadness. Moreover, if the men of culture requested to the businessmen to be concerned by the
cultural sector, in this case they would have
tried to understand the businessmen language
and concerns, so that, when asking their
financing or collaboration, to ask it, more efficiently, in a collective language.
Andrei Ple[u: I saw, during the last 15 years,
that everything inoperative is transferred to
the civil society. But we must not forget that
also the civil society has all the sins of the
"uncivil" society within we live. It seems to me
important - and this is the scope of our forums
- to undertake contacts, to try to see on which
positions we are. Today very interesting thins
were said, even it is difficult to obtain immediate outcomes by gathering in same place the
"tired people" and "the sad people", making a
mix of these two wistful categories. However, I
think that it is important that each of us
believed in the existence and useful value of
the other one, who may be a potential partner.
If we thought in this manner, of both sides of
the barrier, we will be able to start a type of
relationship in the benefit of all of us. In the
end, I whish to present you, some of my
remarks regarding the relationship between
shame and guilt. If we organized a colloquy
with this theme within the current cultural
environment, we should find out, among other
things that shame and guilt are two concepts
significantly culturally marked: there are things
bedded in us by a certain cultural evolvement.
About shame and guilt one can finds out reading Dostoievski, as interesting as Friedman, the
star of this debate. My concrete expertise in
Romania shows that, until now, the profuse,
available and readily motion of the business
world to the culture world is missing. The culture world asks for something rather than
business world offers something. We are wishing to receive something without necessarily
asking for. This will be the optimum.
ntreb`ri pentru manageri

Questions for Managers
1. What common values have/can have the
business and cultural elites?
2. In what degree is the Romanian business
community involved in the "corporative
culture"?
1. Ce valori comune au/pot avea elitele din afaceri [i elitele

culturale?
2. n ce m`sur` este preocupat` comunitatea oamenilor de
afaceri din Romnia de cultura corporatist`?
Gilda Laz`r
GILDA LAZ~R
1. I think there are specific common values.

One of these common values would be excellence. Then its exactingness and self - exactingness. Quality, the search for synergies,
implication, empathy, and generosity is also
common values of the elites, whether cultural
or business. What the cultural elites shouldnt
do is elitism, a form of snobbism. They say
that snobbism comes out when culture surpasses intelligence. In my opinion, the definition is also about wealth.
2. I cant talk for an entire community, but I
can talk in the name of the company I represent, JTI, that is among the pioneers of promoting the concept of corporative social
responsibility in Romania. There is a set of
ethical values in JTI, a vision on business and
Japanese originated philosophy, as mother
company.
According to this philosophy, "to do business
is to have a series of encounters: with people,
with nature, with art". Starting with this concept, we created in 2000 the "JTI
Encounters", an annual event sponsored by
the company, where Romanian spectators can
meet the elites of dance and classical music.
We started with Bjart Ballet Lausanne, and
this year we will invite the elites at Cullberg
Ballet.
Emilian Radu
1. Evidently, every community represents a
market for another community. The survival
and development of culture people community aside from satisfying their minimal needs,vulgar needs is almost impossible. In the
same time, the starving of business peoples
soul and spirit means blocking the access to
culture and it can only have evil effects on
the individual, no matter of his abilities in
business.
1. Cred c` exist` valori specifice [i valori comune. Una dintre

aceste valori comune ar trebui s` fie excelen]a. Ar mai fi apoi
exigen]a sau, mai degrab`, autoexigen]a. Calitatea, cùtarea
sinergiilor, implicarea, empatia, generozitatea sunt, de asemenea sau ar trebui s` fie valori comune elitelor, fie ele culturale sau de afaceri. Ceea ce n-ar trebui s` cultive elitele este
tocmai elitismul, ca form` a snobismului. Se spune c` snobismul apare cnd cultura dep`[e[te inteligen]a. Dup` p`rerea
mea, defini]ia e valabil` [i n cazul averii.
2. Nu pot vorbi n numele unei comunit`]i, ci doar n numele
companiei pe care o reprezint JTI [i care se num`r` printre
pionierii promov`rii conceptului de responsabilitate social` corporatist` n Romnia. La JTI exist` un set de valori etice, o viziune asupra afacerii [i o filozofie de sorginte japonez`, ca [i
compania-mam`. Conform acestei filozofii, a face afaceri
nseamn` a avea o serie de ntlniri: cu oamenii, cu natura, cu
arta. De la acest concept am pornit cnd, n 2000, am creat
ntlnirile JTI (JTI Encounters), un eveniment anual sponsorizat de companie, n cadrul c`ruia spectatorii romni se pot
ntlni cu elitele dansului [i ale muzicii clasice. Am nceput cu
Bjart Ballet Lausanne, iar anul acesta invit`m elitele, [i nu
numai, la Cullberg Ballet.
EMILIAN RADU
1. n mod evident, ntr-o m`sur` mai mare sau mai mic` fiecare
individ, fiecare comunitate reprezint` o pia]` pentru cealalt`
comunitate. Supravie]uirea [i dezvoltarea comunit`]ii oame-
l 47
48 l
nilor de cultur` n afara satisfacerii unor nevoi minime materiale vulgare, cum poate ar spune ei este aproape imposibil`.
n aceea[i m`sur`, condamnarea la foamete a sufletului [i a
spiritului oamenilor de afaceri, prin blocarea accesului la cultur`, nu poate dect s` aib` efecte nefaste asupra individului,
indiferent de abilit`]ile sale n ale business-ului.
Respectul reciproc, onestitatea, integritatea [i calitatea produselor sau serviciilor pe care [i le ofer` reciproc sunt un factor
esen]ial al succesului unei societ`]i economico-culturale.
2. Supravie]uirea unei corpora]ii, fie ea mare sau mic`, pe termen lung, este, a[ zice, imposibil` n lipsa asum`rii unei anumite culturi corporatiste specifice. Ea, cultura corporatist`,
poate fi con[tientizat` sau nu de management sau ac]ionari,
dar ntr-un fel sau altul exist`, fiind rezultatul unei experien]e
istorice, al calit`]ii oamenilor care decid destinele corpora]iei,
The mutual respect, honesty, integrity and

products quality they offer are an essential
factor for the success of an economic-cultural
society.
2. The survival of a corporation, be it small or
big, on a long term is impossible if there is no
specific corporative culture. The corporative
culture could be recognized or not by the
managers or shareholder but, in a way or
another it exists, being the result of an historic experience, of the peoples quality that
decides the corporations destinies, and also
the level of cultural and corporative development of society. The corporative culture is
becoming more and more a certain field of
competition between corporations, being the
mean to potentate the human energies of
corporation, offering trust and attracting the
clients respect.
dar [i al nivelului de dezvoltare cultural` [i corporatist` al societ`]ii, al pie]ei n care ac]ioneaz`.

Un domeniu clar de competi]ie ntre corpora]ii devine din ce n
ce mai mult cultura corporatist`, m`sura n care ea poten]eaz`
energiile umane ale corpora]iei, ofer` ncredere [i atrage respectul clien]ilor.
Dan Pascariu
DAN PASCARIU
1. n primul rnd, excelen]a. Ar trebui s` mai aib` ca valori
comune bunul-sim], educa]ia, onestitatea, moralitatea. Asta nu
nseamn` c` le [i au.
2. Preocuparea pentru cultura corporatist` depinde de tipul de
om de afaceri [i cui i este el afiliat. Pentru multina]ionale,
apartenen]a omului de afaceri la cultura corporatist` este evident`. Pentru ceilal]i, nu neap`rat. Unii ncearc` ns` s` construiasc` o cultur` corporatist`, al]ii r`mn la profitabilitate ca
unic obiectiv.
1. First of all, the excellence. They should

have in common reason, education, honesty,
morality. That doesnt mean they have it.
2. The preoccupation for the corporative culture depends on the business peoples type
and to whom it is affiliated. In multinational
companies, the corporative culture is obvious.
Not necessarily for others. Some are trying to
build a corporative culture; others stick to
profitability, as a single objective.
LAVINIA HUIDAN
Despre valori / About values

The initiative a of this forum had as starting
point the Volvo philosophy, the Volvo values
safety, quality and care for the environment. These are the values of a brand that
built a 90-year old tradition.
In these 15 years of transition we stepped up
with caution in a social space full of dissonances. But now we thought that it is time to
try a dialogue, a debate club through which
the business and cultural elites can impose
certain values into society and participate,
together, to the definition of a new identity
of the Romanian society.
I am happy to notice that it wasnt just one of
my utopias to try to promote what I feel it is
happening. I think that the business and cultural elites had been too long in different
sides, looking at each other with discredit
and focusing on the differences, and not on
what they should have in common. The
Romanian society had gained a maturity level
enough to enable an efficient communication
between the two elites. But in order to make
it happen, we need first a change of attitude.
Philip Kottler was talking since the 70s about
social responsibility and social marketing.
Why wouldnt we talk about it today, about
the social responsibilities of the Romanian
corporations? Even Europe makes us discuss
on such themes, and the integration in EU
will find us unprepared to participate to a
public debate in the entire European space.
In 15 years I went from ownership to the
petty feeling of property, to the corporative
culture. Today, we have to prepare for knowledge economy, for knowledge-based economy. I dont think that, in these conditions, we
have to talk about different values hierarchies in the business and cultural environment, because both of them lead us to the
same concept: culture. Im convinced that,
inaugurating these debates along with the
Old Dilemma and New Europe College, we
will manage to build not only a space of dialogue between the business and cultural
elites, but also a series of durable benchmarks for the Romanian society.
Ini]iativa acestui forum a avut ca punct de plecare filozofia

Volvo, valorile Volvo siguran]a, calitatea [i grija pentru mediul
nconjur`tor. Sunt valorile unei m`rci care a construit o tradi]ie
de 90 de ani.
n ace[ti 15 ani de tranzi]ie, am naintat cu destul` pruden]`
ntr-un spa]iu social plin de striden]e, de discrepan]e. Dar acum
ne-am gndit c` este momentul s` ncerc`m un dialog, un club
de dezbateri prin intermediul c`ruia elitele din afaceri [i elitele
culturale s` impun` n societate anumite valori [i s` participe,
mpreun`, la definirea unei noi identit`]i a societ`]ii romne[ti.
Este o bucurie s` constat c` nu a fost doar o utopie a mea s`
ncerc s` promovez ceea ce simt c` se petrece totu[i ca o respira]ie numit` coeziune social`. Cred c` elitele din afaceri [i
elitele culturale au stat prea mult n tabere diferite, privindu-se
adesea mai degrab` cu nencredere [i punnd accentul pe
diferen]e , [i nu pe ceea ce ar putea avea n comun. Societatea
romneasc` a dobndit un grad de maturitate suficient pentru
a favoriza o comunicare eficient` ntre cele dou` elite. Dar pentru a o face posibil`, este necesar` n primul rnd o schimbare
de atitudine. Philip Kottler vorbea nc` din anii 70 despre
responsabilitate social` [i despre social marketing. De ce nu am
discuta [i noi, ast`zi, despre responsabilitatea social` a corpora]iilor romne[ti? Chiar Europa ne oblig` s` discut`m astfel de
teme, iar integrarea n Uniunea European` va trebui s` ne
g`seasc` preg`ti]i pentru a participa la dezbaterea public` din
ntregul spa]iu european.
n 15 ani, am trecut de la ownership, de la sim]ul m`runt al propriet`]ii, la cultura corporatist`. Ast`zi, trebuie s` ne preg`tim
pentru knowledge economy, pentru economia bazat` pe cunoa[tere. Nu cred c`, n aceste condi]ii, mai are rost s` vorbim
despre ierarhii diferite de valori n mediul de afaceri [i n mediul cultural, pentru c` amndou` ne conduc spre acela[i concept: cultura. Sunt convins` c`, inaugurnd aceste dezbateri
mpreun` cu Dilema veche [i Colegiul Noua Europ`, vom
reu[i s` construim nu numai un spa]iu al dialogului ntre elitele
din afaceri [i elitele culturale, dar [i o serie de repere durabile
pentru societatea romneasc`.
l 49
HEINZ-RUDI SPIEGEL
Uniunea Funda]iilor pentru {tiin]a German` /

German Science Foundations Union
50 l
Este o deosebit` bucurie [i onoare s` particip la aceast` conferin]`, s` aflu mai multe despre programele private de cercetare [i educa]ie desf`[urate de Colegiul Noua Europ` n
context interna]ional [i s` v` prezint Uniunea Funda]iilor pentru {tiin]a German` [i modul ei de administrare n contextul
actualelor discu]ii din Germania despre corporate social responsibility.
Institu]ia a luat fiin]` n urm` cu 85 de ani pentru a sprijini
[tiin]a [i educa]ia n Germania. Ea este sus]inut` prin dona]iile
voluntare a peste 3.000 de ntreprinderi [i uniuni economice
germane. Prin aceasta, mediul economic german n ansamblu
semnaleaz` asumarea unei r`spunderi comune pentru performan]a cercet`rii, a studiilor superioare [i a educa]iei din ]ara
noastr`. Independent de sus]inerea Uniunii, economia se implic` suplimentar [i prin nenum`rate contacte individuale cu institu]ii de cercetare, universit`]i sau al]i sus]in`tori ai ini]iativelor
educa]ionale.
Sub acoperi[ul Uniunii Funda]iilor se ad`postesc peste 360 de
funda]ii mai mici sau medii. Acestea se angajeaz` n mod voluntar pentru cercetare [i nv`]`mnt, pentru formare [i
educa]ie, pentru art` [i cultur`. Ele au fost nfiin]ate de ntreprinderi a[ enumera aici Deutsche Bank, DaimlerChrysler AG,
Dresdner Bank, Commerzbank, E.ON [i E.ON Ruhrgas, IBM [i
multe altele sau din averi private, precum Funda]ia Marga
und Kurt Moellgaard, un alt sus]in`tor al NEC.
Toate aceste funda]ii din cadrul Uniunii nsumeaz` 1,8 miliarde
de euro. n total, Uniunea poate pune la dispozi]ia beneficiarilor ei sume de 120 milioane de euro provenite din dona]iile
membrilor [i sus]in`torilor, din beneficii provenite din administrarea averilor proprii, completate de subven]ii publice pentru
[tiin]` [i cercetare, [i de finan]`rile economiei pentru cercet`ri
de ntreprindere.
Aceasta se ntmpl` astfel nct finan]atorii ntreprinderi [i
funda]ii s` nu a[tepte n mod nemijlocit nici un return of
investment, ele ac]ioneaz` n beneficiul comunitar, deci ca
agen]i non profit, care se bucur` de anumite privilegii la
impozitare.
It is an honor and joy to participate to this

conference to find out more about the private research and education programs developed by "New Europe College" in an international context and to present to you the
German Science Foundations Union and its
administrative way in the context of the current discussions in Germany about Corporate
Social Responsibility.
The institution was founded 85 years ago in
order to support science and education in
Germany. It is supported through the volunteer donations of over 3.000 enterprises and
economic unions. Through this, the German
economic environment shows that they took
a common responsibility in order to support
research and education. Aside from the
Unions support, the economy gets involved
in various individual contracts with research
institutions, universities or other educational
initiatives supporters.
Under Foundation Unions roof there are
other 360 smaller or medium foundations.
These engage voluntarily in research, education, art and culture. They have been founded by enterprises I would mention Deutsche
Bank, DaimlerChrysler AG, Dresdner Bank,
Commerzbank, E.ON and E.ON Ruhrgas, IBM
and many more or from private sponsorships, like Marga Foundation und Kurt
Moellgaard, another supporter of NEC.
All these foundations within the Union gather 1, 8 billions Euros. Overall, the Union can
offer the beneficiaries 120 millions Euro that
come from the donations of members and
supporters, benefits raised from private
wealth administration, completed by public
subsidies for science and research.
All this happens so that the financers enterprises and foundations shouldnt wait for a
"return of investment", they act for the community benefit, as "non-profit" agents that
enjoy different tax privileges. We organized
in Germany an ample debate on the theme
that was initiated by the Old Dilemma:
"Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)". The
most enterprises from Germany, understand
the idea that they have a certain responsibility towards society a responsibility that goes
beyond the one of the shareholders.
Obviously, the enterprises purpose is the eco-
nomic success. But enterprises dont exist in

their own world. They exist in the society
they address to. Through their existence,
through production means and end items
that they sell, they form and modify the environment and the world we live in. The companies had admitted that in order to be economically successful on a long term, they
have to cohabit in this society.
"Being a Good Citizen", "Corporate
Citizenship" or "Corporate Volunteering" are
in most of the enterprises, current terms.
They are a proof of the fact that taking
responsibility should be a serious matter.
There are also other economic considerations
for the enterprises involvement. Josef
Ackermann, the Deutsche Bank representative, said that: "on my companys rating,
social responsibility has a very important role.
So this is very relevant economically speaking
". The social commitment and economic
action are antonyms.
In order to finance NEC, a consortium of
foundations from Switzerland, Austria and
Germany had gathered in Bucharest. This will
support Romanias coming back to Europe on
private means. This shows that the social
responsibility goes beyond our door or
national borders. The modern foundations
think in international terms and finance on
long term. The fact that, regarding NEC, the
financing includes also public funds from
Austria, Switzerland and Germany; its a good
example of public/private partnership. It
shows that the state along with the private
sector has common responsibilities, they want
to take them and they are doing it.
It would be very interesting for the discussion
about "Culture and business that includes
the question about private participation to
society development, to become an international dialogue.
n Germania organiz`m o dezbatere ampl` exact pe tema celei

ini]iate de Dilema veche: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
La mai toate ntreprinderile din Germania, ideea c` ele au o
anumit` responsabilitate fa]` de societatea n care activeaz`, o
responsabilitate care merge dincolo de responsabilitatea
ac]ionarilor, este prezent`. Evident, scopul ntreprinderilor este
succesul economic. Dar ntreprinderile nu trìesc doar n propria lor lume. Ele trìesc n mijlocul societ`]ii c`rora li se
adreseaz`. Prin existen]a lor, prin mijloacele de produc]ie [i prin
produsele finite pe care le pun n circula]ie, ele formeaz` [i
modific` mediul [i lumea n care trìm. Companiile au recunoscut c` pentru a avea succes economic pe termen lung ele trebuie s` convie]uiasc` n aceast` societate.
Beeing a Good Citizen, Corporate Citizenship sau Corporate Volunteering sunt, n multe ntreprinderi, termeni
foarte actuali. Ei sunt o m`rturie a faptului c` asumarea responsabilit`]ii este luat` foarte n serios.
Exist` ns` [i ra]iuni economice pentru implicarea ntreprinderilor. Josef Ackermann, purt`torul de cuvnt al Deutsche Bank, a
spus-o foarte clar: la cotarea companiei mele de c`tre agen]iile de rating, responsabilitatea social` joac` un rol important.
Deci ea este relevant` din punct de vedere economic. Angajamentul social [i ac]iunea economic` nu sunt, prin urmare,
antonime.
Pentru finan]area NEC s-a ntrunit la Bucure[ti un consor]iu de
funda]ii din Elve]ia, Austria [i din Germania. Acesta va sus]ine
ntoarcerea Romniei n Europa cu mijloace private. Asta arat`
c` responsabilitatea social` merge dincolo de u[a casei sau de
grani]ele na]ionale. Funda]iile moderne gndesc n termeni
interna]ionali [i finan]eaz` pe termen lung.
Faptul c`, n ceea ce prive[te NEC, finan]area include [i fonduri
publice din Austria, Elve]ia [i Germania este un bun exemplu de
parteneriat public-privat. El arat` c` statul [i priva]ii au responsabilit`]i comune, c` vor s` [i asume n mod comun aceast`
responsabilitate [i chiar o fac.
Ar fi foarte interesant ca discu]ia despre Cultur` [i afaceri,
care include ntrebarea despre participarea priva]ilor la dezvoltarea societ`]ii, s` devin` un dialog interna]ional, [i aceasta, n
cadrul l`rgirii Europei.
l 51
MIRCEA VASILESCU
Capitalism, Stat [i cultur` / Capitalism, State and Culture
52 l
S-o recunoa[tem: n 1990, ideea c` vreo manifestare de cultur` na]ional` ar putea fi sponsorizat` de o firm` strìn` ar fi
generat ample strig`te de tr`dare! n cel pu]in jum`tate din
presa romn` liber`. Cu pleoapele nc` mpleticite n amintirea
imaginilor de pe stadioanele unde Cntarea Romniei
aducea omagii Conduc`torului, cei mai mul]i dintre noi eram
incapabili s` ne nchipuim, de exemplu, c` un festival na]ional
de teatru ori de film, un trg de carte ori m`car un spectacol
pentru copii ar putea fi sponsorizate de Coca-Cola sau de
McDonald's. Cnd George Soros a deschis n Romnia (ca [i n
celelalte ]`ri din Est) Funda]ia pentru o Societate Deschis`, iar
una dintre primele sale activit`]i a fost finan]area c`l`toriilor n
Occident ale unor arti[ti, scriitori sau universitari romni, nu
numai c` finan]atorul a avut parte de reac]ii publice ostile (pentru curentul na]ional de opinie dominant atunci, el era cum
nu se poate mai prost plasat: [i maghiar, [i evreu, [i american, [i capitalist...), dar nici beneficiarii sponsoriz`rii n-au
sc`pat: cine lua burs` Soros devenea instantaneu, n presa
patriotic`, vndut Occidentului, mason, tr`d`tor de ]ar` [i
de neam.
De aici am plecat. Ast`zi, ideea de sponsorizare a p`truns
adnc n reflexele mai tuturor celor care se ocup` de educa]ie,
cultur`, [tiin]` ori proiecte sociale. E banal ca un spectacol, o
expozi]ie, un concert sau o carte s` aib` un sponsor. Pn` [i o
serbare [colar` de Mo[ Cr`ciun are drept fundal bannere ale
marilor companii de dulciuri, de past` de din]i ori de electronice. Sau m`car ale unor firme locale, patronate de p`rin]i care
deh! au [i ei copii la [coal`. S-ar zice c` romnul s-a n`scut
poet, dar de la o vreme n-a mai avut ncotro [i a trebuit s`-[i
caute un sponsor...
Cam pe-aici am ajuns. E o distan]` enorm`, fa]` de acum 15
ani, dar drumul adev`rat de-abia acum ncepe. Aparent, cultura
[i afacerile ]in de dou` lumi cu totul diferite. n opinia curent`,
oamenii de cultur` sunt asocia]i creativit`]ii pure, actului gratuit, contempl`rii [i eventual spiritului boem. n schimb,
oamenii de afaceri sunt v`zu]i ca un fel de fabrici de bani, uneori dubio[i, care n-au mam`, n-au tat`, vor doar profitul, pe
care l bag` apoi n ma[ini scumpe, iahturi, vacan]e n insule
Lets admit it: in 1990, the idea that a manifestation of a "national culture" could be
sponsored by a foreign firm would have generated hoots of "treason!" in at least half of
the free Romanian media. Still having in
memory the big stadiums where "Romanias
Singing" was bringing homage to the Leader,
most of us were incapable to imagine that a
national theatre and film festival, a book fair
or even a childrens show could be sponsored
by Coca-Cola or McDonald's. When George
Soros started in Romania (and in other
Eastern countries) the Foundation for an
Open Society, and one of the first activities
was to finance Western travels of some
Romanian artists, writers or university teachers, he encountered a lot of adverse public
reactions (for the momentary "national"
opinion current, he was very badly seen: he
was a Hungarian, a Jew, an American and a
capitalist...), and also the beneficiaries of the
program were in the same situation: the ones
who were obtaining a "Soros scholarship"
were considered, in the patriotic press "sold
to the West", a mason, a traitor.
This is where we started. Today, "the idea of
sponsorship" has got deep into the thoughts
of the ones that deal with education, culture,
science or social programs. It is as common as
a show or exhibition, a concert or a book.
Even a school Christmas show has banners of
sweets, toothpaste or electronics companies.
Or at least of some of the local companies,
belonging to the parent who well! sent
their children at that school. You would say
that Romanians were born poets, but in the
last years they had to get a sponsor...
This is where we got. It is an enormous distance weve covered for the past 15 years,
but the struggle is just starting. Apparently,
culture and business belong to two different
worlds. In the current opinion, culture people
are connected to pure creativity, to free
act, to contemplation and to beatnik spirit.
On the other hand, the business people are
seen as money factories, sometimes dubious,
who have no mother or father, who only
want profit that they will spend on expensive
cars, yachts, vacations on tropical islands,
whims and futile luxury. Both images are
based on primitive stereotypes that are well
imbedded in the public conscience.

In fact, if we want a healthy society, we
should accept that, beyond characterizations
like savage or old friendship, the
Romanian capitalism had created a managerial class, companies that deserve respect and
are concerned about the future. The cultural
environments, against the lamentations
about the death of culture, had evolved and
re-laid the hierarchies, had adapted to the
market economy. In business, as in culture,
the elites are building; it is right time to let
them know each other and to overcome the
current stereotypes. More so, as long as both
need a middle class not only for consumption, but also because it will assume and preserve the essential values that give balance to
society. Probably the best was is to put up to
debate the business and culture environments
about the true values, capable of imposing
new mentalities, long term thinking and
social responsibility.
When its about the fate of education, science, culture, the intellectual looks towards
the State. They look at the potential private
sponsors as generous people who, from a
simple whim or a passion they give a little
money to culture. Generosity is admirable but
not enough: a solid construction needs a stable and coherent system that will spend the
money plus with projects useful to the entire
society. On their turn, the autochthon capitalism representatives need a social legitimating
by associating the social and cultural projects,
so that the general public opinion will not
perceive them as rich individualists,
exploiters of the transition. The foreign
companies came to Romania with a complete package: not only investments, technology and know-how, but also a certain corporative culture. By their example, there are
enough Romanian companies that started to
have their own vision on necessity to involve
into society. But in order to make things
work, we need a better view of the interests.
And, also, a better acceptance of the idea
that interests are not something impure: they
are part of the social cohabitation normality.
In any case, the public funds are not enough
to support education and culture, and the
State had proven the weak administrative
capacity. It is very clear that the private funds
are more necessary and more efficient. One
thousand Euro, paid as tax to the State by a
company is more inefficient on a cultural and
social level than the same thousand donated
directly, as sponsorship, to a cultural and educational institution. In order to allocate the
tropicale, mofturi [i lux inutil, dar invidiabil. Ambele imagini

sunt bazate pe stereotipii primitive, dar destul de puternic fixate n con[tiin]a public`.
n fapt, dac` ne dorim o societate s`n`toas`, ar trebui s`
accept`m c`, dincolo de caracteriz`ri precum s`lbatic sau
de cumetrie, capitalismul romnesc a creat totu[i o clas`
managerial`, companii care se respect` [i care sunt preocupate
de viitor. Mediile culturale, n ciuda ve[nicelor lament`ri privind
moartea culturii, au evoluat, [i-au rea[ezat ierarhiile, s-au adaptat ntr-o oarecare m`sur` la economia de pia]`. {i n afaceri, [i
n cultur` se construiesc elite; ar fi momentul ca acestea s` se
cunoasc` mai bine [i s` dep`[easc` stereotipiile curente. Cu
att mai mult, cu ct amndou` au nevoie de clasa de mijloc
nu doar pentru consumuri, ci [i pentru c` membrii clasei de
mijloc [i asum` [i conserv` valorile esen]iale care asigur` echilibrul n societate. Probabil c` terenul cel mai bun de dialog ntre
mediile de afaceri [i cultur` l constituie valorile sigure, capabile
s` impun` mentalit`]i noi, gndire pe termen lung, responsabilitate social`.
Cnd vine vorba despre soarta educa]iei, a [tiin]ei [i culturii,
intelectualii au reflexul de a privi mai nti c`tre Stat. Pe poten]ialii sponsori priva]i i v`d doar ca pe ni[te oameni genero[i,
care, dintr-un capriciu ori dintr-o pasiune a vreunui manager ori
patron, dau din cnd n cnd bani pentru cultur`. Or, generozitatea este admirabil`, dar insuficient`: o construc]ie solid` [i
rezistent` are nevoie de un sistem stabil [i coerent prin care surplusul de bani s` fie cheltuit cu folos n proiecte cu efecte
benefice pentru ansamblul societ`]ii. La rndul lor, reprezentan]ii capitalismului autohton au nevoie, dac` vor s` construiasc` durabil, de o legitimare social` prin asocierea cu proiecte
culturale [i sociale, astfel nct opinia public` general` s` nu-i
mai perceap` doar ca pe ni[te individuali[ti plini de bani,
exploatatori ai conjuncturilor tranzi]iei. Companiile strìne
au venit n Romnia cu pachetul complet: nu doar investi]ii,
tehnologie [i know-how, dar [i o anume cultur` corporatist`.
Dup` exemplul lor, destule companii romne[ti au nceput s`-[i
formeze o viziune proprie asupra necesit`]ii de a se implica n
societate. Dar pentru ca lucrurile s` nceap` s` func]ioneze, e
nevoie de o mai bun` cunoa[tere a intereselor. {i, mai ales, de
o acceptare ceva mai senin` a ideii c` interesele nu sunt, n
sine, ceva impur: fac parte din firescul convie]uirii sociale.
n orice caz, fondurile publice nu sunt suficiente pentru sus]inerea educa]iei [i a culturii, iar Statul [i-a dovedit adesea slaba
l 53
54 l
capacitate administrativ`. E limpede c` fondurile private sunt

mai mult dect necesare. {i mult mai eficiente. O mie de euro
s` zicem pl`tit` ca impozit la Stat de c`tre un ntreprinz`tor
e mult mai ineficient` n plan cultural ori social dect aceea[i
mie de euro donat` direct, ca sponsorizare, unei institu]ii culturale sau educa]ionale. Pentru a repartiza mia de euro, Statul
cheltuie[te (pe salariile func]ionarilor care se ocup` de asta), iar
drumul banilor spre beneficiar e mult mai lung, pres`rat cu hrtii, avize, aprob`ri etc. Deci mia se sub]iaz` pe parcurs. n
rela]ia direct`, timpul e mai scurt, controlul asupra cheltuirii eficiente a banilor e mai sigur. Dar pentru ca acest mecanism s`
func]ioneze e nevoie de un sistem social bazat pe ncredere. Or,
legea sponsoriz`rii e proast` [i nefavorabil` investi]iilor private
n cultur` tocmai pentru c` este ntemeiat` pe nencrederea
Statului post-totalitar, cu reflexe nc` autoritare, n bunacredin]` [i bunele inten]ii ale cet`]enilor sì, care vor s` contribuie financiar la binele comun: autorit`]ile vor s` controleze
ct mai mult din circuitul banilor n societate. E adev`rat c`
la ad`postul sponsoriz`rii se pot ascunde [i mi[c`ri financiare
dubioase, dar nu e cazul ca, de teama lor, s` descuraj`m
ini]iativele cinstite.
Desigur, nu nseamn` c` Statul trebuie s` se retrag` de tot din
finan]area culturii: a[a ceva este imposibil. Modelul american
n care muzee, biblioteci ori centre culturale ntregi sunt sus]inute exclusiv de funda]ii private e prea ndep`rtat de mentalitatea noastr`. Dar ar trebui g`site propor]iile corecte ntre
finan]area public` [i cea privat`, n folosul societ`]ii. n Europa
exist` suficiente modele care se pot aplica [i la noi: Germania
aloc` [i importante fonduri publice, federale sau locale, pentru
finan]area culturii, dar se bazeaz` [i pe puternice funda]ii private de veche tradi]ie. Ideea de responsabilitate social` a companiilor dincolo de diferitele perspective asupra ei, expuse n
dezbaterea din paginile urm`toare este o tr`s`tur` a societ`]ilor moderne. La acest capitol, Romnia se afl` nc` ntr-un stadiu de submodernizare: a copiat superficial cteva modele
strìne, dar f`r` s` le asimileze [i f`r` s` le extind` organic la
nivelul ntregii societ`]i.
Dar pentru ca toate acestea [i multe altele s` func]ioneze
este nevoie, nainte de toate, de o evaluare a necesit`]ilor [i a
resurselor. Iar acest proces nu are doar un aspect tehnic sau
contabil: nu este suficient simplul calcul al fondurilor.
Dezvoltarea [tiin]ei, a culturii [i a educa]iei presupune gndire
pe termen lung. Or, aceasta nu este posibil` dect dac` cei
money, the State spends (on the clerks

salaries), and the way is much longer, scattered with papers, approvals, etc. So the
thousand will become much less. In a direct
relationship, time is much shorter; the
expenses control is more efficient. Buy in
order to make this mechanism work; we need
a social system based on trust. Or the law of
sponsorship is bad and unfavorable to private
investment in culture just because its based
on the mistrust of the State that still has
authority reflexes towards the good intentions of their citizens who want to contribute
financially to the common welfare: the
authorities want to control much more the
"money circuit in society". Its true that at the
sponsorships shelter you can hide a lot of
financial movements but that doesnt mean
we dont have to encourage the honest initiatives.
Of course, that doesnt mean that the State
will draw back the culture finance: this would
be impossible. The American model where
museums, libraries, cultural centers are supported by private donations is too far from
our mentality. But, in order to find the right
proportions between the public and private
financing for the use of the entire society.
There are enough models in Europe that can
apply to our case: Germany allots important
public, federal or local funds for the financing of culture and it is also based on powerful private foundations. The idea of social
responsibility of the companies beyond the
different perspectives exposed in the following debate is a characteristic of the modern
societies. At this chapter, Romania is still in a
sub-modernization level: it has copied
some of the foreign models without assimilating them and expanding them to the
entire society.
If we want all these and many more to
work, we need a necessities and resources
evaluation. And this process doesnt have
only a technical or accounting aspect: its not
enough to compute the funds. The development of science, culture and education is a
long term process. But this is possible only if
the ones involved in it the cultural and business elites, the middle class, state administration agree on essential values on which the
Romanian society can be based. And, not in
the least, in order to overcome the preconceptions and stereotypes we need a positive
thinking that will limit the fatalist rhetoric
effects that dominate the Romanian transition ("culture is dying!"...).
Europe talks about "knowledge-based econo-
my" and fetching up the gap between

Europe and USA. We still have to fight with
our "sub-modernity". In the end, everything
is about an identity problem: we should
know more clear who we are and what we
want. And we cannot clarify this unless we
get out of provincialism, of stereotypes and
rhetoric narcissism that impedes us to identify
and understand our interlocutors.
implica]i elitele culturale [i de afaceri, clasa de mijloc, administra]ia statal` cad de acord asupra unor valori esen]iale pe
care poate fi construit` societatea romneasc`. {i, nu n ultimul
rnd, pentru a dep`[i prejudec`]ile [i stereotipiile curente este
nevoie de o gndire pozitiv` care s` limiteze efectele retoricii
fataliste care domin` n tranzi]ia romneasc` (moare cultura!...).
n Europa se vorbe[te despre economia bazat` pe cunoa[tere [i de recuperarea decalajului fa]` de SUA. Noi nc` mai
avem de luptat cu submodernitatea noastr`. Pn` la urm`,
totul devine o problem` identitar`: ar trebui s` ne fie mai clar
cine suntem [i ce vrem. {i nu ne putem clarifica pn` nu
ie[im din provincialism, din stereotipii [i din narcisismul retoric
care ne mpiedic`, adesea, s` ne identific`m [i s` ne n]elegem
interlocutorii.
RADU GOLOGAN
Reconstruc]ia / Reconstruction
From the moment I heard about the theme
of this debate, the idea of a systematization
of the business - culture relationship had kept
me busy for days. I cannot build a relational
model interesting enough, and I cannot
understand how an ideal society from all
points of view would manage such a wonderful and apparently abnormal relationship. I
succeeded to gather some thoughts about a
theoretical beginning and to rephrase a
proposition that has chances to be applied
into the Romanian society.
If we had to characterize the extant connections between the business and culture
world, we would probably answer scholastically first: there are two types. The first type
is the institutional one, from business to culture, indirectly, through the national or local
budgets. A second way, more direct and flexible, that leads to more valuable finalities
than in the first case, and feasible through
the relations between institutions and individuals that represent the two parties. The
first type of connection can have sometimes
strong political connotations. The relative
independence of the second type is the first
argument to giving it more attention. There
are no intermediates, and the projects that
the both parties agree on, can be clenched. In
societies with financial traditions, very often
the representatives of the both parties have
l 55
Din momentul n care am aflat tema acestei dezbateri, ideea
unei sistematiz`ri a rela]iei afaceri-cultur` m-a preocupat
aproape zilnic. Nu reu[esc s` construiesc un model rela]ional
suficient de interesant, dar nici m`car s` n]eleg cum o societate ideal` din toate punctele de vedere ar gestiona o astfel de
minunat`, dar aparent nefireasc` rela]ie.
Am reu[it doar s` adun cteva gnduri n ideea unui nceput
teoretic [i s` formulez cu justific`ri o propunere cu [anse de
realizare n societatea romneasc`.
Dac` ar fi s` caracteriz`m leg`turile existente ntre lumea afacerilor [i cultur`, putem probabil r`spunde mai nti [col`re[te:
acestea sunt de dou` feluri. Primul tip este cel institu]ional, de
la afaceri spre cultur`, indirect, prin bugetele na]ionale sau
locale. A doua cale, direct`, mai flexibil` [i de multe ori ducnd
la finalit`]i mai valoroase dect n primul caz, este realizat` prin
rela]iile dintre institu]iile sau indivizii reprezentnd cele dou`
p`r]i. Primul tip de leg`tur` poate avea deseori puternice conota]ii politice. Relativa independen]` a celei de-a doua cì este
un prim argument pentru a-i acorda mai mult` aten]ie. Aici dispar intermediarii [i se pot finaliza exact proiectele cu care cele
dou` p`r]i cad de acord. n societ`]ile cu tradi]ii financiare se
ntmpl` adesea ca reprezentan]i ai ambelor p`r]i s` aib` se-
56 l
rioase afinit`]i [i chiar leg`turi n partea cealalt`. Desigur c` legisla]ia [i pune amprenta asupra ponderii acestei ac]iuni dinspre afaceri spre cultur`, deci [i n acest caz factorul politic
poate fi influent.
Pe de alt` parte, istoria a dovedit c` acest tip de implicare a
p`r]ii din societate, ce de]ine valorile materiale, n sus]inerea
crea]iei culturale de orice natur`, a l`sat valori probabil la fel de
mari ca [i implicarea institu]ional`. F`r` a face un exces de
memorie asupra timpurilor antice sau ale Rena[terii italiene n
cet`]ile peninsulei, m` gndesc imediat la geniul matematic al
lui Euler ca mentor la Academia de {tiin]e de la Sankt Petersburg, adus pe o pozi]ie fondat` de Ecaterina I spre a dovedi
Europei totala implicare a Imperiului Rus n modernizarea generat` de mi[c`rile iluministe. mi trec prin memorie originea premiului Nobel sau valorile de art` cuprinse ntr-unul dintre cele
mai nsemnate muzee ale lumii Art Institute din Chicago, o
funda]ie sus]inut` de aproape un secol de familii americane
bogate. Premiile Institutului Clay din SUA, o funda]ie caritabil` cu fonduri imense ndreptate n ntregime spre [tiin]`, vor
fi oferite pentru rezolvarea oric`reia dintre cele [apte mari conjecturi ale matematicii (a[a-numitele Millenium Problems).
Acestea valoreaz` fiecare un milion de dolari. Lista poate continua, c`ci fiecare domeniu al culturii poate aduce multe alte
exemple de acest fel.
Ar fi minunat dac` n mediul financiar-economic autohton ar
ap`rea un astfel de curent de implicare n cultur`, ca totalitatea
exprim`rilor intelectuale ce aduc nou autentic, ideal sau material. Totul de fapt nseamn` oameni, oameni cu bani, laolalt`?
cu o legisla]ie ncurajatoare a fenomenului.
Nu v`d ca n viitorul apropiat a[a ceva s` poat` deveni realitate
n Romnia. Spa]iul nostru este incipient capitalist, cu forme
adesea rapace de acumul`ri [i cu reprezentan]i pentru care
ideea de cultur`, dac` eventual dep`[e[te nivelul muzicii cu
conota]ii de mahala oriental`, este la nivelul mecenatului de tip
Surprize... De fapt, cu unele excep]ii, celebrele clasamente ale
averilor romne[ti nu con]in numele unor persoane interesate
m`car de un singur domeniu al culturii na]ionale serioase, chiar
dac` la concertele importante de la Ateneu e greu s` mai
g`se[ti un loc printre toaletele de mii de dolari. n fapt, nu v`d
nici pentru viitorul mai ndep`rtat o func]ionare ct de ct normal` a sprijinului financiar al culturii de c`tre de]in`torii valorilor lichide.
Exist` ns` forme mai u[or de realizat [i care au avantajul c`
common points and even connections. Of

course, the legislation will influence every
action about business towards culture and, in
this case the political factor could be very
powerful.
On the other hand, history has proven that
this type of involvement of the part within
society that holds the material values, in supporting the cultural creation, has given values
as great as the institutional involvement.
Without any memory excess on the antiquity
or Italian Renaissance, I think right away to
the mathematic genius of Euler as a mentor
at the Science Academy in Sankt Petersburg,
who was brought on a position founded by
Ekaterina the First in order to prove to
Europe the total implication of the Russian
Empire in the Enlightenment movement generated modernization. I think about the
origins of the Nobel Prize and the art values
from one of the most important museums in
the world - Art Institute from Chicago, a
foundation that has been supported for
almost one century by rich American families.
The "Clay" Institute prizes in USA, a charitable foundation with huge funds for science,
will be offered for the solving of the seven
big conjectured of mathematics (the so-called
"Millennium Problems"). These value a million dollars each. And the list could go on,
because each culture field can bring other
examples.
It would be wonderful if in the inland financial-economic environment would come up
such a culture implication. Everything is actually about people, rich people and an encouraging legislation.
I dont see in the near future that this could
happen in Romania. We are at the beginning
of capitalism, with different forms of accumulations and with representatives for whom
the idea of culture, if it passes the bad music
level, it is at the level of Surprise type support... In fact, with some exceptions, the
famous ranging of Romanian wealth does
not contain the name of persons who are
interested at least in one serious field of
national culture, even if at the important
concert at the Athenaeum its very hard to
find a place among the thousands of dollars
garments. In fact, I dont see even in the
remote future a more normal functioning of
the financial support of culture by rich people.
There are forms easier to accomplish, that
also have the advantage already known in
Romanian history: for a long time they repre-
sented the main form of a cultural elite.

Many of the creating intellectuals of the second part of the 19th century were coming
from simple families, peasant mostly, discovered when they were children, with special
gifts, by their teacher or priest. The rich families in the area understood the role of supporter and sustained them financially in their
studies, sometimes even abroad. The communist regime itself, a great destroyer of culture,
could have a little leniency because it produced intellectuals, sometimes very authentic
that were coming from under-privileged environments.
The Romanian business world can be rendered sensitive in order to take this tradition,
and to contribute to the refreshment of the
Romanian intellectuality and culture.
Statistically, an important source of top intellectual potential will get lost in forgotten
places and in the need to survive. I have the
feeling that a society without a first generation of intellectuals doesnt have the chance
to create something new in culture; there are
many examples that can sustain this thesis. I
sometimes want to give a pure biological
explanation: the possibility of original neuronal connection can come up in the unaltered grey matter throughout generations.
So, dear potential financial supporters, we
always talk about reconstruction: it is at least
as important to reconstruct exceptional
human values.
sunt deja cunoscute n istoria romneasc`: mult` vreme au constituit sursa principal` de formare a unei elite culturale. Mul]i
dintre intelectualii creatori ai celei de-a doua p`r]i a secolului al
XIX-lea proveneau din familii simple, ]`rani n majoritate, descoperi]i n copil`rie cu aptitudini deosebite, de c`tre nv`]`tor
sau preot. Familiile potentate cu propriet`]i n zon` au n]eles
rolul de mecena [i i-au sprijinit financiar n studii, uneori [i n
strìn`tate. nsu[i regimul comunist, distrug`tor n mare parte
al culturii, poate avea parte de un semn de indulgen]` c` n
nebunia unor lozinci ieftine a produs intelectuali, uneori autentici, proveni]i din medii defavorizate.
Lumea afacerilor romne[ti poate fi sensibilizat` spre a relua
aceast` tradi]ie, spre a contribui la mprosp`tarea intelectualit`]ii romne[ti [i, implicit, a culturii. Statistic, o surs` mare de
poten]ial intelectual de vrf se pierde n s`r`cia locurilor uitate
[i n nevoile imediate de supravie]uire. Am sentimentul c` o
societate f`r` intelectuali la prima genera]ie nu are [anse s`
creeze nou n cultur`; sunt multe exemple n sprijinul acestei
teze. Uneori m` hazardez spre o explica]ie de natur` biologic`:
posibilitatea unor originale conexiuni neuronale apare ndeob[te n materiile cenu[ii nealterate prin genera]ii. A[adar,
stima]i potenta]i financiari, vorbim mereu de reconstruc]ie: e
cel pu]in la fel de important de a reconstrui valori umane
excep]ionale.
l 57
CULTURA CORPORATIST~
EXAMENUL DE MATURITATE AL
CAPITALISMULUI ROMNESC
Corporative Culture The
Maturity Exam of the Romanian
Capitalism
Colegiul Noua Europ`, 1 martie 2006

New Europe College, March 1st 2006
ntreb`ri decisive
Nu are traducerea!!!!
On March 1st 2006, the third Volvo Dilema

Veche Forum took place at the New Europe
College, on "The Corporative Culture the
Maturity Exam of the Romanian Capitalism".
Among the participants were representatives
of the business, academic and cultural world,
and also, non-governmental organizations.
The discussion started from the attempt to
find a common set of values and interests of
the business organizations. In a world in
which the organizations need to adjust to the
business environment, it is necessary to drop
out the narrow economic objectives and to
find complementary objectives related to
social responsibility. The modern organization
is no more rated from an economic point of
view, but from its degree of involvement in
communitys social life.
From this point of view, the participants
debated the problem of corporate social
responsibility rising up the following questions: Have the Romanian corporate organizations an ethical code? Can we talk about a
corporate culture and how this culture is
influenced by Romanian capitalism? Which is
the role of corporations in the societys development?
On this debate had attended representatives
of business, academic and cultural environments. In the next pages we reproduce the
most important fragments of discussion and
the related editorials published in the 112th
number, third year, of Dilema Veche magazine.
Pe 1 martie 2006, a avut loc la Colegiul Noua Europ` al

treilea Forum Volvo-Dilema veche, cu tema Cultura corporatist` examenul de maturitate al capitalismului romnesc.
discu]ia a avut ca punct de plecare ncercarea de a g`si un set
de valori [i interese comune ale organiza]iilor din mediul de
afaceri. ntr-o lume n care organiza]iile trebuie s` se adapteze
la mediul n care [i desf`[oar` activitatea, ele trebuie s`
renun]e la asumarea unor scopuri strict economice [i s` caute
s` identifice [i alte scopuri care ]in de responsabilitatea
social`. organiza]ia modern` nu mai este evaluat` doar din
perspectiva economic`, ci [i n func]ie de gradul sù de implicare n via]a social` a comunit`]ii.
n acest context, elitele prezente la discu]ie au dezb`tut problema responsabilit`]ii corporatiste ncercnd s` g`seasc`
r`spunsuri de la urm`toarele ntreb`ri: n ce m`sur` exist` n
Romnia un cod etic adoptat de organiza]iile din mediul
privat? Exist` o cultur` corporatist` [i cum este influen]at`
aceasta de capitalismul romnesc` Care este rolul corpora]iilor
n dezvoltarea societ`]ii?
La acest forum au participat reprezentan]i ai mediilor de
afaceri, ai lumii academice [i culturale, ai organiza]iilor
non-guvernamentale.
n paginile urm`toare, public`m a sintez` a dezbaterii [i alte
cteva contribu]ii care ncearc` s` r`spund` n ce m`sur`
capitalismul romnesc e capabil s`-[i dea examenul de maturitate. Acestea au ap`rut n num`rul 112, anul III, al revistei
Dilema Veche.
l 61
Examenul de maturitate al capitalismului romnesc

The Maturity Exam of Romanian Capitalism
Andrei Ple[u: n aceste zile, subiectul nostru pare a avea un
aer provocator: capitalismul romnesc d` tot felul de examene
de maturitate, le pic` [i se prezint` euforic la sesiunea urm`toare, ca [i cum totul ar putea fi reluat. Problema culturii corporatiste este abordat` tot mai ap`sat [i de Comisia European`, n ultima vreme. Dac` n]eleg bine despre ce este vorba,
ea se refer` la cteva ntreb`ri decisive pentru o atmosfer`
s`n`toas` de afaceri: avem valori comune? Diversele firme [i
institu]ii prezente n lumea afacerilor au interese comune, dincolo de ceea ce este limbajul specific al fiec`reia? n ce m`sur`
se poate dep`[i, n mod ra]ional, aspectul de Babilon pe care,
n prima ei etap`, lumea afacerilor o aduce ntr-o ]ar` nc`
nepreg`tit` s` asume aceast` diversitate? Ce tip de responsabilitate se poate na[te ntr-o asemenea lume?
62 l
Lavinia Huidan: Cred c` ar fi bine s` ncerc`m s` r`spundem

la ntrebarea dac` po]i face afaceri n Romnia respectnd principiile etice. Eu provin dintr-o lume n care am aflat c` o promisiune trebuie respectat`, n care valoarea mea nseamn` respectul pentru calitate, pentru diversitatea oamenilor din jur. Sunt
valori cu care eram echipat` nc` din 1990, cnd am avut curajul s` ncep o activitate pe cont propriu. Avusesem ocazia s`
cunosc [i alte lumi, ceea ce a fost fundamental pentru mine. Nu
mi-am schimbat profesiunea dup` Revolu]ie, n-am f`cut dect
s` calibrez ceea ce [tiam pe un management adaptat tranzi]iei
noastre, dar [i evolu]iei europene n general. Am nv`]at [i
m-am adaptat n fiecare zi. Avnd aceste valori n care cred [i
care m-au ajutat s` supravie]uiesc, m` aflu acum ntr-o companie care reprezint` Volvo n Romnia. Valorile Volvo, care vin
dintr-o tradi]ie de 90 de ani, sunt valori cu care m` identific. De
aici, succesul afacerii Volvo n Romnia.
S` ncerc`m s` ne d`m seama dac` n Romnia s-au decantat
ni[te valori [i dac` este posibil un cod etic pe baza c`ruia s`
putem merge mai departe [i s` ne sim]im mai bine preg`ti]i
pentru integrarea n Europa. Vorbind de cultura corporatist`, n
ce m`sur` este ea important` pentru comunicarea acestor valori n interior [i pentru adaptarea la un mediu exterior tot mai
complex [i competitiv? Definirea culturii corporatiste n acest
Andrei Plesu: These days our subject seems to

have a provocative accent: Romanian capitalism takes different kinds of maturity exams; it
fails them and will go in for the next session,
as if everything could be taken again. The
corporative culture problem is more and
more approached by the European
Commission lately. If I understand what is
about, I see that it bears on a few decisive
questions for a healthy business atmosphere:
do we have common values? The diverse
firms and institutions present in the business
world have common interest, beyond what
the specific language is? To what extent can
it exceed the Babylon aspect which, in its first
phase, the business world brings into a country that is unprepared to take on such diversity? What type of responsibility can it bring in
such a world?
Lavinia Huidan: I think that wed better try to
answer the question if you can have business
in Romania respecting the ethical principles. I
come from a world where I found out that a
promise has to be respected, where my value
is respect for quality, for the peoples diversity. There are values Ive had since 1990, when
I had the courage to start my own activity. I
had the chance to get to know other worlds,
which was fundamental for me. I didnt
change my profession after the Revolution;
all I did was to calibrate what I knew about a
management adapted to our transition, but
also to the European evolution in general. I
have learnt and adapted every day. Having
these values that I believe in and help me survive, I find myself in a company that represents Volvo in Romania. The Volvo values,
which come from a 90 year-tradition, are values I identify with. From here the business
success took off in Romania.
Lets try to realize if in Romania some values
settled down and if it is possible to have an
ethic code that can help us move forward
and feel better prepared for the integration
in Europe. Talking about the corporative culture and how important is the communication of such values inside and for the adaptation to an exterior environment that is more
complex and competitive? Defining the corporative culture in this way as a values set
can keep people together in order to have
better performances can it become a success
factor? Whats the business purpose? Only
profit or we can also count the responsibility
towards society? We can identify today, in

Romania, such a purpose, when we ask ourselves whats the business mans status?
Jonathan Scheele: The European Commission
talks about the "European values": they dont
concern only the citizen, but also the corporations because there is a "corporative citizenship". Why a governmental organism like the
European Commission is concerned about the
social responsibility of corporations? This concept is not easy to define, there are books
that try to do it, but I think that, before all
this, there is a series of good practice that can
be extended and applied. At the European
Commission we are using a work definition,
which means a concept through which companies integrate social and ecological preoccupations in their commercial activity and in
the interactions with the factors involved, on
a voluntary basis". It is about a sort of "corporative volunteering", and not something
imposed by the authorities at European and
national level. It is not a concept that applies
only to companies, but also to the public segment administration, especially when its
about the relations within the institutions
and the outside environment.
There is, for example, a language problem. In
Romanian we dont have a formula like civil
servant. This is a person that serves the civil
society. "The magistrate" is another type of
subordination: to the State. I think certain
values have to be assimilated by the public
segment, and the private sector could be an
example.
The European Commission is dealing with
these things because, through the European
authorities vision, the social responsibility
concept helps companies become more competitive. So, it is not a selfless action for companies, but a competitive element. And if we
talk about a durable development, social
responsibility becomes even more important.
What can we do? Not too much because its
about a voluntary process; the authorities
European or national cannot recommend,
but they can encourage the dissemination of
the best practices. But the main responsibility
belongs to the companies: if they see an
interest in becoming corporative citizens, if
its in their interest to evolve and to act as an
individual element within the civil society. We
can encourage such manifestations through
international meetings or through creating a
debate Forum. But, in the end, the individual
corporations have to choose the values and
to adopt the good practices, because its in
their interest and thus their competitiveness
grows.
mod ca set de valori care poate ]ine oamenii al`turi pentru a

avea performan]e tot mai mari poate deveni un factor de succes? Care este scopul afacerilor? Numai acela de a produce
profit sau [i acela al unei responsabilit`]i fa]` de societate?
Putem identifica ast`zi, n Romnia, un asemenea scop, cnd
nc` ne mai ntreb`m care este statutul omului de afaceri?
Jonathan Scheele: La nivelul Comisiei Europene se vorbe[te
foarte mult despre valorile europene: ele nu i privesc doar pe
cet`]eni, privesc [i corpora]iile, c`ci exist` [i o cet`]enie corporatist`. De ce un organism de tip guvernamental cum este
Comisia European` se ocup` de responsabilitatea social` a corpora]iilor? Acest concept nu este foarte u[or de definit, exist`
c`r]i ntregi care ncearc` s` o fac`, dar cred c`, nainte de
toate, reprezint` o serie de bune practici care pot fi extinse [i
aplicate. Noi, la Comisia European`, folosim o defini]ie de
lucru, care nseamn` un concept prin care companiile integreaz` preocup`ri sociale [i ecologice n activitatea lor comercial` [i n interac]iunile cu factorii implica]i, pe o baz` voluntar`. Este vorba despre un fel de voluntariat corporatist, nu
de ceva impus de c`tre autorit`]i la nivel european sau na]ional.
Nu este un concept care se aplic` doar firmelor, dar [i administra]iei din sectorul public, mai ales cnd este vorba despre
rela]iile din interiorul institu]iilor [i de rela]iile cu mediul exterior. Exist`, de exemplu, o problem` de limbaj. n limba romn`
nu exist` o formul` de genul civil servant. Civil servant nseamn` o persoan` aflat` n serviciul societ`]ii civile. Func]ionar
public sugereaz` un alt tip de subordonare: fa]` de Stat. Cred
c` anumite valori trebuie asimilate [i de sectorul public, iar sectorul privat poate fi un exemplu n acest sens.
Comisia European` se preocup` de aceste lucruri pentru c`, n
viziunea autorit`]ilor europene, conceptul de responsabilitate
social` ajut` companiile s` devin` mai competitive. A[adar, nu
este o ac]iune dezinteresat` pentru companii, ci un element de
competitivitate. Iar dac` vorbim despre o dezvoltare durabil`,
elementele de responsabilitate social` devin [i mai importante.
Ce putem face? Nu prea mult pentru c` este vorba despre un
proces voluntar; autorit`]ile fie ele europene sau na]ionale
nu pot face dect recomand`ri, pot ncuraja diseminarea celor
mai bune practici. Dar responsabilitatea principal` le revine
companiilor: dac` ele v`d un interes n a deveni cet`]eni corporati[ti, dac` este n interesul firmelor de a evolua [i de a ac]iona
ca un element individual n cadrul societ`]ii civile. Noi putem
l 63
ncuraja asemenea manifest`ri prin ntlniri la nivel interna]ional ori prin crearea unui Forum de dezbatere. Dar, n final, le
revine corpora]iilor individuale alegerea valorilor [i adoptarea
bunelor practici, pentru c` este n interesul lor [i astfel le cre[te
competitivitatea.
Andrei Ple[u: M-a tulburat s` constat c`, ntr-adev`r, nu avem
un echivalent tehnic pentru civil servant...
Jonathan Scheele: ...nici limba francez` nu l are...
Andrei Ple[u: La noi situa]ia este r`sturnat`: cet`]eanul este
un civil servant al func]ionarului public, cet`]eanul este cel care
trebuie s` se poarte atent cu func]ionarul...
64 l
Vasile Iuga: Pentru o firm` de consultan]` ca Pricewaterhouse

Coopers, problema eticii [i a responsabilit`]ii corporatiste este
extrem de important` pentru c` o firm` de consultan]`
opereaz` simultan n dou` pie]e: o pia]` a clien]ilor [i o pia]` a
talentelor. O firm` de consultan]` este att de bun` pe ct de
buni sunt salaria]ii ei. {i atunci, elementar [i obligatoriu este
s`-]i dezvol]i foarte bine oamenii; dar nu numai profesional.
ntr-o firm` de consultan]` trebuie s` existe un cod etic [i o cultur` corporatist` de foarte bun` calitate, care s`-i conving` pe
salaria]i c` trebuie s` lucreze, n primul rnd, n interesul clientului (cnd e[ti consultant independent [i ai dreptul [i obliga]ia
de a exprima opinii independente), [i abia n al doilea rnd pentru profitul firmei. De aceea, priorit`]ile unei firme interna]ionale de servicii financiare nu sunt legate n primul rnd de
profit, ci de calitatea presta]iei, care depinde de calitatea oamenilor, [i de-abia n subsidiar de o cre[tere sustenabil`, care e
reprezentat` [i de o anumit` cot` de profit. David Ogilvy spunea, cu decenii n urm`, despre firma sa de publicitate, c`
activele i pleac` n fiecare sear` cu liftul acas` [i nu are certitudinea c` se vor mai ntoarce a doua zi. Acela[i lucru este valabil [i pentru o firm` de consultan]`: bilan]ul nostru pleac`
n fiecare sear` acas` [i a doua zi s-ar putea s` nu se mai
ntoarc`, dac` oamenii nu sunt satisf`cu]i de realizarea lor personal` sau dac` g`sesc o ofert` mai bun`. O firm`? de consultan]`, mai ales ntr-un mediu de afaceri precum cel romnesc,
contribuie inerent la dezvoltarea calit`]ii afacerilor prin aceea
c`, dezvoltndu-[i foarte bine oamenii, ace[tia sunt recruta]i n
industrie, de obicei n pozi]ii-cheie: noi avem acum 450 de
Andrei Ple[u: I am shocked to realize that we

dont have a technical equivalent for civil servant...
Jonathan Scheele: ...not even French has it...
Andrei Ple[u: In our case its the reverse of all
that: the citizen is a civil servant of the magistrate, the citizen is the one who should
behave carefully with the clerk...
Vasile Iuga: For a consultancy firm like
Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the ethic and
responsibility problem is extremely important
because o consultancy firm operates in the
same time on two markets: a clients market
and a talents market. A consultancy firm is as
good as its employees are. And its very
important to develop your employees very
well; but not only professionally. In a consultancy firm there should be an ethic code and
a corporative culture of good quality, which
will convince the employees that they have to
work, first of all, for the clients interests
(when you are an independent consultant
and you have the right and the obligation to
have independent opinions), and, secondly,
for the firms profit.
Thats why the priorities of an international
firm for financial services are not connected
in the first place to profit, but to the quality
of the service, which depends on the quality
of people and subsidiary on a sustainable
growth, which is represented by a profit
quota. David Ogilvy was saying, decades ago,
about his advertisement firm, that his assets
leave every evening by the elevator and he is
not certain they will come back the next day.
The same thing is valuable for a consultancy
firm: our balance sheet" leaves every
evening and the next day they may not come
back, if the people are not satisfied with their
personal achievement or if they find a better
offer. A consultancy firm, especially in a business environment like the one in Romania,
should contribute inherently to the development of the business quality through developing the people who are recruited usually
on key positions: we have 450 employees but
over 600 former employees are working in
the private segment now, in extremely important positions, generally in finances. The ethical criteria intervene also in the acceptance of
the client: a quality firm cannot deal with
clients that have problems.
I would also talk about a little more complicated subject: it is about what is happening
in Eastern Europe through the confrontation
between a certain model of capitalism that

comes from United States and the one that
has been operating till now in Europe.
Capitalism is not inhabited only by angels:
even in EU there is a bias of fast gain or fraud
temptation.
The American corporative model is based on
a very powerful executive president, on an
Administrative Board where there arent all
the competencies they need; business is
finances through the stock market and there
is an expectation of permanent profit
growth, which lays a huge pressure on the
management team, paid according to the
short term results.
This encourages the enterprising spirit but, in
case of bad results, there could be a fraud
temptation, in order to please the shareholders. What happened in 2000-2001
through the disappearance of big companies
because of frauds shows that this system is
not perfect, but it has its own correcting
mechanisms. In Europe there is a slightly
milder capitalism, more humane, with more
stakeholders. Its hard to harmonize the interests of more stakeholders, and because of
that, the model has competitiveness problems
with the English one. The best example is,
maybe the one of German companies trying
to adapt to the global rules rules much closer to the US business model. We have to find
the balance between a short term vision (like
the American one) and a long term vision
(like the European one) and this balance is
about building a business environment that
can valorize the human competences.
Daniel D?ianu: I went to a business school
and I dont believe everything they say. There
are honest business people in the business
world, motivated by more than what the
inexorable logic of the profit means. On the
other hand, there are managers who, very
honestly declare that they have to get profit,
no matter what and by all means. But that
doesnt mean that the enterprise is also a
moral force. These things have to be
explained; otherwise we wouldnt even be
able to talk about the relationship between
the entrepreneurial values and moral ones in
a society that continues to be an economic
society. Unfortunately, todays world is not an
artists world. In the Romanian society, the
business world, the institutions and politics
worlds are very well mixed: very often, the
same people belong to the politics and business and its not very clear when they do
business or politics. Because things are like
angaja]i, dar peste 600 dintre fo[tii salaria]i lucreaz` acum n

sectorul privat, n pozi]ii extrem de importante, n general n
zona finan]elor. Criteriile etice intervin [i n acceptarea clientului: o firm` de calitate nu se poate asocia cu clien]i care au, n
general, probleme.
A[ atinge [i un subiect mai complicat: este vorba despre ceea
ce se ntmpl` n Europa Occidental` prin confruntarea ntre un
anumit model de capitalism, care ne vine din Statele Unite, [i
modelul de capitalism care opera pn` acum n Europa.
Capitalismul nu este populat doar cu ngeri: [i n UE exist`
tenta]ia c[tigului rapid ori tenta]ia fraudei. Modelul corporatist american este bazat pe un pre[edinte executiv extrem de
puternic, pe un Consiliu de Administra]ie n care nu exist` toate
competen]ele de care este nevoie; afacerea se finan]eaz` prin
burs`, exist` o expecta]ie a cre[terii profitului n permanen]`,
ceea ce pune o mare presiune pe management, remunerat n
func]ie de rezultatele pe termen scurt. Asta ncurajeaz` spiritul
ntreprinz`tor, dar, n lipsa rezultatelor a[teptate, apare tenta]ia
fraudei, pentru a-i mul]umi pe ac]ionari. Ceea ce s-a ntmplat n 2000-2001 prin dispari]ia unor mari companii din cauza
fraudelor arat` c` nici acolo sistemul nu este perfect, dar are
mecanismele de autoreglare. n Europa func]ioneaz` un capitalism ceva mai blnd, mai uman, cu mai mul]i stakeholders.
Este foarte greu s` armonizezi interesele mai multor stakeholders, iar din aceast` cauz` acest model are probleme de competitivitate fa]` de cel anglo-saxon. Cel mai bun exemplu este,
poate, ncercarea companiilor germane de a se adapta la regulile globale reguli mai apropiate de modul de a face afaceri n
SUA. Trebuie g`sit echilibrul ntre o viziune pe termen scurt
(cum este cea american`) [i o viziune pe termen mai lung (cum
este cea european`), iar acest echilibru const`, cred, n a construi un mediu de afaceri care s` valorizeze competen]ele
umane.
Daniel Dìanu: Am fost [i eu la o [coal` de business [i nu consum, ca un naiv, tot ce se livreaz`. Exist`, ntr-adev`r, n lumea
afacerilor, oameni one[ti, oameni motiva]i de mult mai mult
dect ceea ce nseamn` logica implacabil` a urm`ririi profitului.
Pe de alt` parte, exist` conduc`tori de ntreprindere care,
foarte onest, declar` c` trebuie s` fac` profit cu orice pre] [i cu
toate mijloacele legale. Dar asta nu nseamn` c` ntreprinderea
respectiv` este [i o fiin]` moral`. Aceste lucruri trebuie l`murite; altminteri, nici nu am putea pune problema rela]iei dintre
l 65
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valorile antreprenoriale [i valorile morale ntr-o societate care

continu` s` fie, n primul rnd, o societate economic`. Din
p`cate, lumea de ast`zi nu este o lume a arti[tilor, ci a economiei. n societatea romneasc`, lumea afacerilor, cea a institu]iilor [i cea a politicii sunt foarte amestecate: adesea, aceia[i
oameni apar]in [i politicii, [i afacerilor [i nu este clar cnd fac
afaceri [i cnd fac politic`. Tocmai pentru c` lucrurile stau a[a,
avem nevoie de ceea ce anglo-saxonii numesc checks and balances. Nu po]i s` mizezi exclusiv pe buna-credin]` a oamenilor,
trebuie s` ai un control. Dac` mersul lucrurilor ar fi orientat spre
ceea ce este bun n societate, atunci [colile de afaceri n-ar fi trebuit s` reintroduc` cursurile de etica afacerilor. Tot ceea ce s-a
ntmplat, toate derapajele ar fi r`mas accidente. Dar lucrurile
nu stau a[a [i asta cu att mai mult ntr-o ]ar` aflat` n tranzi]ie,
unde mecanismele de reglare sau autoreglare func]ioneaz`
greoi. Noi miz`m, prin intrarea n UE, pe presiunea unei for]e
gravita]ionale care s` primeneasc` spa]iul romnesc.
Primenirea institu]ional` [i schimbarea eticii corporatiste vor fi
att de substan]iale nct, n termenii beneficiilor economice,
vor prevala asupra costurilor integr`rii Romniei. Dar mai cred
n ceva: o organiza]ie are nevoie de reputa]ie, dar are nevoie [i
de lideri care s` cread` n ceva care i a[eaz`, n momente dificile, deasupra evenimentelor. Societatea romneasc` are
nevoie de astfel de modele de lideri; deocamdat` are foarte
pu]ini, iar valorile se amestec`: exist` zgomote de fond
ntre]inute uneori inten]ionat.
Adela Rogojinaru: Sec]ia de comunicare [i rela]ii publice a
Facult`]ii de Litere a introdus nc` de acum c]iva ani un curs
de cultur` organiza]ional` [i unul de cultur` corporatist`, care
discut` de fapt mitologia corporatist`. Cultura corporatist` este
diferit` de responsabilitatea social` a companiilor. Guvernul nu
are nimic de spus n consolidarea culturii corporatiste este o
problem` intern` a companiilor s`-[i construiasc` o mitologie proprie, o form` de eroism intern [i o form` de ritualism al afacerilor. Guvernul, n schimb, are un rol n facilitarea [i
n acordarea unei valori activit`]ilor de responsabilitate social`
a companiilor. Acest tip de reac]ie guvernamental` este destul
de trziu, n plan european: n anii '90, guvernele n-au f`cut
dect s` reglementeze ([i nu s` faciliteze) responsabilitatea
social` a companiilor. Dar nu [tiu dac` Europa este modelul
ideal: cele trei modele de capitalism sunt cel anglo-saxon, cel
renan [i cel nipon. Modelul renan nu a dat mari culturi de cor-
that, we need what English people call checks

and balances.
You cannot bet exclusively on the good faith
of people, and you need to have some control. If things would be oriented on what is
good in society, then business schools shouldnt have business ethics courses. All the
wrong things that happened wouldve been
only accidents. But the reality is different,
especially in a transition country where the
regulating and self-regulating mechanisms
function very hard. We think that by joining
EU, the gravitational forces will improve
Romania. The institutional improvement and
corporative ethics change should be so substantial that, in economic terms, they should
prevail on Romanias integration costs. And I
also think that an organization needs a reputation and also leaders who believe in something that will rise them above the events.
The Romanian society needs such leader models; for now there are just a few, but the values mix up: there are background noises that
are made sometimes with intention.
Adela Rogojinaru: The Communication and
Public Relation section within the Faculty of
Languages had introduced a few years back a
course on organizational culture and corporative culture, which is about the corporative
mythology. The corporative culture is different from the social responsibility of the companies. The government has nothing to say
about the corporative culture consolidation
it is an internal problem of the companies if
they want to build their own mythology,
some form of internal heroism and business ritualism. The government has a role in
facilitating and ascribing to a value the activities of companies social responsibility. This
type of governmental reaction is pretty late,
on an European level: in the 90s governments had regulated (and not facilitated) the
companies social responsibilities. But I dont
know if Europe is the ideal model: the three
models of capitalism are: English, German
and Japanese. The German model doesnt
have big corporative cultures; the Japanese
one does. But the first corporative cultures
are American.
The corporative cultures are autocrat, the corporative man is disciplined, and the corporation mans metaphor is the grey suit. The corporative cultures start from the employers
vision and the social responsibility of the
companies grows from the necessity to regulate, especially at European level. Even if governments have nothing to say about creating
the corporative cultures, it is very important

to know the relationship between companies
and governments. Nowadays, companies do
not necessarily answer to the State. The corporative culture is different from the national
social one. The Volvo culture, for example,
can adapt to the national social culture, but is
not obliged to do it, and the adaptation
effort is done by the corporative vision.
Pierre Poupard: UNICEF funds come mostly
from private sources, not public, so that our
organization has a very important corporative
compound: we have to find financing and we
have criteria of accepting the money we
dont just accept it from everywhere. For
example, we dont accept money from firms
that use children for labor, or firms that are
involved in some illegal activities. It is very
interesting that important business names
like Bill Gates or Ted Turner, are among the
big benefactors of ONU, and they dont give
money for small project, but for the ones that
change the world. We have been working in
Romania for that past ten years and, we
started to be more and more interested in
partnerships with private firms. The situation
is a little different from what is happening in
other European countries: in France,
Germany, England, the social problems
belong to the State. That means that a private company from Western Europe or
United States cannot get involved directly in
social activities in their own country, but they
can do it abroad. In Romania things are different.
Ive been contacted by many companies that
showed their interest in participating to
social actions, and this is possible because the
Romanian State doesnt block such initiatives.
I can give you an example of two firms, one
from Germany and one from Romania, who
want to take part in such projects, but in the
same time, to involve their own employees in
their implementation. This shows the leaders
and employees interest of getting involved
in social activities. More and more European
companies want to connect their name to
social causes, in a larger perspective, not only
on the 1 percent profit investment destined
to social responsibility ".
Ioan Pnzaru: The University is defined by law
as a public institution, financed from its own
incomes. So, an institution that aspires to
funds from different sources will transform
them into public funds and spend them
according to public rules. Universities are con-
pora]ie; modelul nipon, da. Dar primele culturi de corpora]ie

sunt americane. Culturile corporatiste sunt autocrate, omul de
corpora]ie este disciplinat, metafora omului de corpora]ie este
sacoul cenu[iu. Culturile de corpora]ie se nasc din viziunea
patronului, n schimb, responsabilitatea social` a companiilor se
na[te din necesitatea de a reglementa, mai ales la nivel european. Chiar dac` guvernele nu au un cuvnt de spus n crearea
culturilor corporatiste, este important n ce rela]ie se afl` companiile cu guvernele. n zilele noastre, companiile se delocalizeaz`, prin urmare nu mai r`spund neap`rat n fa]a Statului.
Cultura de corpora]ie este diferit` de cultura social` na]ional`.
Cultura Volvo, de pild`, se poate adapta la cultura social`
na]ional`, dar nu este obligat` s` o fac`, iar efortul de adaptare
apar]ine viziunii corporatiste.
Pierre Poupard: Fondurile UNICEF provin n cea mai mare parte
din surse private, nu publice, a[a nct organiza]ia noastr` are o
component` corporatist` important`: trebuie s` cùt`m
finan]are [i, totodat`, avem criterii pentru acceptarea banilor
nu accept`m bani de oriunde. De exemplu, nu putem accepta
bani de la firme care utilizeaz` copii ca for]` de munc`, ori
despre care se b`nuie[te c` ar fi implicate n vreo form` de trafic. Ceea ce mi se pare interesant este c` nume mari ale afacerilor, precum Bill Gates sau Ted Turner, sunt printre cei mai mari
donatori ai ONU, iar ei nu dau bani pentru proiecte mici, ci pentru a schimba lumea. Lucr`m n Romnia de peste zece ani, iar
n ultimul an suntem din ce n ce mai interesa]i s` angaj`m
parteneriate cu firme private. Aici situa]ia este pu]in diferit` de
ceea ce se ntmpl` n alte ]`ri europene: n Fran]a, Germania,
Anglia, rezolvarea problemelor sociale este confiscat` de Stat.
Cu alte cuvinte, o companie privat` din Europa de Vest sau din
Statele Unite nu se poate angaja direct n ac]iuni sociale n propria ]ar`, ci doar n strìn`tate. n Romnia, lucrurile sunt
diferite. Am fost contactat de multe companii care [i-au ar`tat
interesul de a participa la activit`]i sociale, iar lucrul este posibil,
deoarece Statul romn nu blocheaz` astfel de ini]iative venite
din partea firmelor private. Pot s` v` dau exemplul a dou` firme,
una din Germania, alta din Romnia, care vor s` ia parte la astfel de proiecte, dar n acela[i timp vor s` implice propriul personal n implementarea lor. Asta arat` interesul liderilor, dar [i al
angaja]ilor, de a se implica n activit`]i sociale. Tot mai multe
companii din Europa doresc s`-[i lege numele de cauze sociale,
ntr-o perspectiv` mai larg`, nu doar n baza unui calcul de tipul
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1% din profit merge n programe de responsabilitate social`.

Ioan Pnzaru: Universitatea este definit` prin lege ca institu]ie
public`, finan]at` din venituri proprii. A[adar, o institu]ie care
aspir` fonduri din diverse surse, le transform` n fonduri publice [i le cheltuie[te dup` reguli publice. Universit`]ile sunt constrnse de pia]` [i de evolu]ia societ`]ii s` devin` corporate like,
corporatoide: sunt institu]ii foarte mari, de zeci de mii de
oameni; apoi, universit`]ile au o mare responsabilitate, pentru
c` societatea le d` un mandat spre a rezolva problemele de
know-how necesare n dezvoltare, pentru a g`si solu]ii.
Universitatea noastr` are o puternic` tradi]ie etatist` pn`
acum 15 ani eram doar una dintre numeroasele institu]ii ale
unui Stat atotputernic. Acum, universitatea oscileaz` ntre dou`
modele: cel antreprenorial, care nu [i g`se[te logica dac` universitatea nu devine o institu]ie pentru profit, iar acest lucru
contrasteaz` cu tradi]ia universit`]ilor europene, [i cel centralizat, care reprezint` o tenta]ie att pentru universit`]i, ct [i
pentru ministere. Dar ntre aceste repere, universitatea trebuie
s` aib` comportament corporatist [i s`-[i nsu[easc` o cultur`
corporatist`. Misiunea noastr` este s` producem ni[te buni
speciali[ti la nivel de licen]`, ni[te buni lideri la nivel de master
[i ni[te buni cercet`tori la nivel de doctorat. Pentru ca speciali[tii s` fie direct integrabili pe pia]a muncii dup` trei ani de
licen]`, ne lipse[te componenta preg`tirii lor pentru lucrul
ntr-o companie, adic` exact aceast` component` de raportare
la unele valori corporatiste. Ne trebuie o curicul` validat` la
nivel na]ional pentru preg`tirea profesional` ceea ce este un
lucru nou, chiar [i n ]`rile europene. Unii angajatori de la
firme sau mari b`nci ne-au declarat c` absolven]ii, odat`
angaja]i, vor nv`]a tot ce le trebuie pentru a putea performa n
cadrul firmei, indiferent de ce au nv`]at n facultate. Or, este
necesar s` realiz`m parteneriate cu corpora]iile tocmai pentru
a reu[i s` d`m un corp, o defini]ie, competen]elor profesionale
care trebuie deprinse n timpul studiilor. Aceast` problem` se
pune [i la nivel european.
Solomon Marcus: n Romnia este mult r`mas n urm` gradul
de alfabetizare computa]ional` [i informatic` al cet`]enilor.
Este regretabil c`, [i n lumea intelectual` [i universitar`, un
mare num`r de oameni refuz` s` comunice electronic cu
lumea, nici m`car nu simt nevoia s` o fac`. Companiile multina]ionale au, printre altele, [i aceast` calitate, foarte important`: te oblig` la comunicarea electronic` cu lumea. Iar acest
straint by the market and the evolutions of

society to become corporate like, "corporatoid": there are many big institutions, with
tens of thousands of people; then, universities have a greater responsibility, because the
society accredits them to solve the know-how
problems used for finding solutions. Our university has a strong tradition up to 15 years
ago it was in one of the almighty State institutions. Right now the university vacillates
between two models: the enterprising one,
that doesnt understand the logic if the university doesnt become a profit-making institution - and this thing lies in contrast with
the European universities tradition, and the
centralized model, which represents a temptation for universities and ministries. But
among these guiding marks, the university
should have a corporative behavior and to
acquire a corporative culture. Our mission is
to produce good specialists, leaders and good
researchers. In order to integrate our specialists in the labor market after three years of
study, we need the preparation compound
for working in a company, meaning the compound that relates to corporative values.
We need a national level valid curriculum for
professional preparation which is a new
thing, even for the European countries. Some
employers from firms to banks declared
that the graduates, after being hired, will
learn what they need, no matter of what
they studied in college. And it is necessary to
have partnerships with corporations because
we need to define the professional competencies students need to learn. This is also a
European problem.
Solomon Marcus: Romania is way behind
when it comes to computer learning. It is
really regrettable that even in the university
intellectual world a great number of people
refuse to communicate electronically with the
world, or dont even feel the need to do it.
Multinational companies have, among other
things, this very important quality: they make
you communicate electronically with the
world. And this type of communication contributes to the development of a new identity
type which the Romanian society didnt have
up until now: not the material, historical or
structural identity, but the interactive identity. A symptom of the disease we all suffer
from is that globalization was considered a
danger for the national identity. This idea
comes from the fact that people didnt
understand that there is a dynamic and interactive compound of identity and globaliza-
tion also means identity. In order to understand this, learning computer science, as
Grigore Moisil was talking since the 70s, is
very important. The Romanian society has
always gone through this conflict between
creativity and communication with the world.
James Niblett: I represent in a charity organization in Romania - "Hospice of Hope" that
cooperates with a similar organization from
Romania - "Casa Speran?ei". We always ask
ourselves where do the companies get their
social responsibility from, where do they get
their employees the values. The charity
actions are not imposed from outside, we
choose to go towards them. I am involved in
such activities and I believe in their values.
The philosophy of the activities I undertake at
"Hospice" has been synthesized by its
founders: "you are important to yourself and
you are important to the last minute of your
life". At "Hospice" we help the cureless sick
people to live decently and to die decently. I
cooperate in my activity with charity organizations, helping to raise the funds, taking
care of the finance transparency and ethics.
Finding funds in Romania has been a difficult
task because Romanians are not used to
donate a part of the profit. This thing is only
starting to be used by the charity activities involved associations, by public and business
environment. It is the societys duty to take
care of its weakest members and many of our
cooperators find their completion into helping the ones in need. The Bucharest and
Brasov business environments support us in
different ways: we organize approximately 20
events where many organizations bring their
financial contribution, because all the big
names want to be associated with helping
the terminal - stages sick persons. This thing
is useful to us and to them. They offer donations and we offer social visibility.
Bogdan Cre?u: I used to be the leader, up
until the end of the past year, of the
Raiffeisen Bank big corporations division and
I had to deal with a lot of companies representatives. Mrs. Adela Rogojinaru said that
corporation people wear grey suits, this being
a metaphor to them. I consider it inappropriate. The people that represent values in society mustnt to have a pessimistic and fatality
attitude towards the dramas or dangers they
see around, and they have to try finding solutions. I would like to talk about the success
notion. Our bank has a program called
"Management Training": every year we
tip de comunicare contribuie la dezvoltarea unui nou tip de

identitate, pe care pn` acum societatea romneasc` nu l-a
avut: nu identitatea material`, istoric`, nu identitatea structural`, ci identitatea interactiv`. Un simptom al bolii de care
suferim este c`, la noi, tot timpul s-a considerat c` globalizarea
pune n pericol identitatea na]ional`. Aceast` idee provine din
faptul c` nu s-a n]eles c` exist` [i o component` dinamic`,
interactiv` a identit`]ii, iar globalizarea nseamn` tot identitate.
Pentru a n]elege asta, gradul de alfabetizare computa]ional`,
despre care vorbea Grigore Moisil nc` din anii '70, trebuie dezvoltat. Societatea romneasc` a trìt mereu n acest conflict
dintre gradul de creativitate mereu remarcabil [i gradul de
comunicare cu lumea aflat mereu n suferin]`.
James Niblett: Reprezint n Romnia o organiza]ie de caritate
Hospice of Hope, care colaboreaz` cu o organiza]ie similar` din Romnia Casa Speran]?ei. Ne punem ntrebarea de
unde [i dobndesc companiile componenta de responsabilitate
social`, de unde [i dobndesc angaja]ii valorile. Ac]iunile de
caritate nu ne sunt impuse din exterior, ci noi alegem s` ne
ndrept`m spre ele. n ce m` prive[te, sunt implicat n astfel de
activit`]i n ale c`ror valori cred. Filozofia ntregii activit`]i pe
care o desf`[or la Hospice a fost sintetizat` de fondatorii sì:
e[ti important pentru tine nsu]i [i e[ti important pn` n ultima clip` a vie]ii. La Hospice i ajut`m pe bolnavii incurabili
s` trìasc` decent [i apoi s` moar` decent. Colaborez n activitatea mea cu organiza]ii de caritate, ajutnd la strngerea de
fonduri, preocupndu-m` de transparen]a [i etica finan]`rii.
G`sirea de fonduri aici este o sarcin` dificil`, c`ci romnii nu
sunt obi[nui]i s` foloseasc` o parte din profit pentru dona]ii.
Acest lucru abia acum ncepe s` fie nv`]at de asocia]iile implicate n activit`]ile de caritate, de public [i de mediul de afaceri.
Este datoria societ`]ii de a avea grij` de membrii sì cei mai
slabi, [i mul]i dintre colaboratorii no[tri [i g`sesc mplinirea n
a-i ajuta pe cei slabi. Mediile de afaceri din Bra[ov [i din Bucure[ti ne sprijin` n diverse moduri: organiz`m anual aproximativ
20 de evenimente n cadrul c`rora tot mai multe organiza]ii [i
aduc contribu]ia financiar`, deoarece toate numele mari vor s`
se asocieze cu ngrijirea bolnavilor n stadii terminale. Acest
lucru ne este de folos [i nou`, [i lor. Ei ne ofer` dona]ii, noi le
oferim n schimb vizibilitate social`.
Bogdan Cre]u: Am condus, pn` la sfr[itul anului trecut,
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divizia de corpora]ii mari a Raiffeisen Bank [i, n aceast` calitate, am avut de-a face cu foarte mul]i reprezentan]i ai companiilor. Dna Adela Rogojinaru spunea c` oamenii din
corpora]ii poart` costume gri, aceasta fiind o metafor`
reprezentativ` pentru ei. O consider ns` nepotrivit`. Oamenii
care reprezint` n societate ni[te valori nu cred c` trebuie s`
aib` o atitudine de pesimism [i fatalitate n fa]a dramelor sau
pericolelor pe care le v`d n jur, ci trebuie s` ac]ioneze pentru
g`sirea solu]iilor.
A[ vrea ns` s` vorbesc despre no]iunea de succes. Banca noastr` are un program numit Management Training: n fiecare
an, sunt ale[i zece studen]i din diverse facult`]i care, de-a lungul unui an, trec prin diferite activit`]i pentru a cunoa[te banca
[i, la sfr[itul programului, pot alege s` lucreze n banc`. C]iva
dintre ei chiar au fost angaja]i. Ceea ce am constatat la ei a fost
o anume superficialitate n a vedea ce nseamn` ei ca valoare,
ce vor s` fac` n viitor [i de ce se afl` acolo. Universitatea trebuie s` asigure un anumit fel de preg`tire general` nu cred
c` am ntlnit vreun coleg care s` spun` c` facultatea l-a nv`]at ce are de f`cut n via]`. Am observat ns` la mul]i colegi
veni]i din societ`]ile multina]ionale (care au o cultur` corporatist` solid`) c` [i-au nsu[it ideea de succes [i de realizare personal` [i [tiau cu precizie ce vor s` fac` pentru urm`torii ani.
Deocamdat`, cred c` n Romnia se face o confuzie ntre succes [i simpla mul]umire. Pe de o parte, exist` ni[te tineri de succes care au realizat ceva, iar pe de alt` parte, sunt mul]i al]ii
care accept` doar mul]umirea de sine, f`r` s` [tie ce nseamn`
succesul. Or, succesul nseamn`, nainte de toate, o autocunoa[tere foarte bun`, nseamn` a [ti ce vrei de la tine nu
doar n plan profesional, dar [i n plan personal, c`ci profesia
trebuie s` fie un complement al vie]ii personale. Cultura corporatist` are, desigur, un rol important; proprietarul unei afaceri
poate impune o anumit` cultur` corporatist`. Dar etica nu
poate fi promovat` numai prin corpora]ii, conteaz` [i programele de preg`tire. n Romnia, suntem ntr-un proces de
schimbare istoric`. Important este ca indivizii s` se plaseze pe o
anumit` scar` de valori, s`-[i atribuie un anumit loc n societate
[i s` tind` c`tre autodep`[ire.
Lavinia Ra[ca: La un curs de marketing pe care l-am urmat la
Harvard, profesorul Shapiro a venit n clas` echipat cu un taburet. Toat` lumea se ntreba ce urmeaz` s` se ntmple cu acel
taburet. n momentul n care a folosit cuvntul customer
choose students from different faculties who,

during the academic year, go through activities that make them learn about the bank
and in the end they get to choose to work in
one. Some of them had even been hired. I
noticed that they had certain superficiality in
seeing what value represents to them, what
they want to do in the future and why they
are there. The university has to ensure a certain level of general preparation I dont
think I met a colleague who can say that the
university taught them what to do in life.
I noticed that many colleagues who come
from multinational societies (and who have a
strong corporative culture) had acquired the
idea of success and personal accomplishment
and they also knew what they wanted to do
in the following years. For now, I think
Romania is mistaking success for a simple content. On one hand there are successful young
people who accomplished something and on
the other hand there are many others that
accept only self content, without knowing
what real success means. But success means
first of all, a good self-knowing, being aware
of what you want from yourself not only on
a professional level, but also on a personal
level, because profession has to be a complement of the personal life. The corporative culture has an important role; a business owner
can impose a certain corporative culture. But
ethics cannot be promoted only through corporation; the preparation programs have also
an important role. In Romania, we are in the
middle of a historic change. It is important
for individuals to place themselves on a value
scale, to attach a certain place in society and
to aspire to evolve.
Lavinia Ra[ca: I attended a marketing course
at Harvard, and our teacher, Shapiro came
into the classroom equipped with a stool.
Everybody was asking themselves whats
going to be next. When the teacher mentioned the word customer (client), he climbed
the chair wanted to transmit in an almost
actors style (very important at Harvard), the
message that we all are at the clients service.
I am optimistic regarding the future. In the
ASEBUSS business schools 12 years of functioning, I realized that this lessons had been
learned: there are more and more people
who know how to deal with clients and for
this and also in order to have profit we
need people who are involved and a corporative culture. Beyond the suits that are grey or
any other color, beyond rituals and symbols,
the corporative culture is about values. They
are created by leaders. There are two types of

corporations in Romania: the ones that come
with values from abroad (which is very good)
and the ones we have created from the
beginning, some of them in a less ethical way
and others according to the ethics; unfortunately, the last ones are the less visible ones.
Jean Valvis: I would like, after so many analytical and critical interventions, to bring
another point of view, a more pragmatic one,
an enterprising one. I would like to give four
reference points to a foreign investor, like
myself, who came into this country in 1994.
The first reference: there is a saying in
Romania - "The uncaught thief is considered
an honest dealer". I was shocked by this saying. The second one: there is a profit ethics
not the profit that is made to the disadvantage of the State, employees or consumers,
nature, environment; there is a profit that is
made to the disadvantage of the competitor.
The third reference: the private undertaker
idea in Romania has a bad name because of
the problems connected to corruption and to
the state assets devaluation. The fourth reference: the capitalism separation from politics
hasnt been done yet.
Therefore, please let me correct the subject
of this debate: its not about "the Corporative
Culture the Maturity Exam of the Romanian
Capitalism", but "The Corporative Culture
the Childhood Exam of the Romanian
Capitalism". By these interesting discussions
slightly theoretical I would like to give you
the example of the beautiful region Vatra
Dornei that I first visited in 1993. Today, from
the 2000 employees of the La Dorna group
Im the only expatriate. For 13 years I have
built the corporative culture of the "Apemin
Vatra Dornei" Society, which used to have
three hundred employees. We have in
Switzerland what you would call l'amour du
travail bien fait is a mentality that really
produces something.
When I arrived to Vatra Dornei, everything
was like a botch to speak like Romanians.
Today people say that if a product leaves
their hands, it has to be perfect. All these
things are part of the corporative culture and
I am proud of them. But these values cannot
be really felt by the employees if there is no
such activity on a social level. We need good
social practices. Starting with 2001, I have
been lobbying for adopting the necessary
technical legislation for the application of the
ecological regulations. I think that the corporative models and the social action are not
(client), s-a urcat pe scaun, vrnd s` transmit` astfel, ntr-o

form` aproape actoriceasc` (foarte important` la Harvard),
mesajul c` noi to]i suntem n slujba clien]ilor no[tri. Eu sunt
optimist` n privin]a viitorului. n cei 12 ani de func]ionare a
[colii de afaceri ASEBUSS mi-am dat seama c` lec]ia aceasta s-a
cam nv`]at: sunt tot mai mul]i cei care [tiu s` lucreze a[a cum
se cuvine cu clien]ii, iar pentru asta [i pentru a avea profit
ai nevoie de oameni implica]i, iar pentru asta este nevoie de o
cultur` corporatist`. Dincolo de costumele gri sau de alt`
culoare, dincolo de ritualuri [i simboluri, cultura corporatist`
nseamn` valori. Ele sunt create de c`tre lideri. n Romnia sunt
dou` feluri de corpora]ii: cele care vin cu valorile din afar` (ceea
ce este foarte bine) [i cele care s-au creat la noi, au pornit de la
zero, unele ntr-un mod mai pu]in etic, dar altele respectnd
etica; din p`cate, acestea din urm`, care [i v`d de treab` [i
construiesc pe termen lung, sunt cele mai pu]in vizibile.
Jean Valvis: A[ dori, dup` attea interven]ii analitice [i critice,
s` aduc un punct de vedere ceva mai pragmatic, de antreprenor. A[ vrea s` dau patru repere importante pentru un
investitor strìn, ca mine, venit n ]ar` n 1994. Primul reper:
exist` un proverb n Romnia Ho]ul neprins, negustor cinstit. M-a [ocat acest proverb. Al doilea reper: exist` o etic` a
profitului nu a profitului care se face n detrimentul Statului,
nici a celui care se face n detrimentul angaja]ilor sau al consumatorilor, nici a celui care se face mpotriva naturii, a mediului nconjur`tor; exist` un profit care se face n detrimentul
competitorului. Al treilea reper: ideea de antreprenor privat n
Romnia sufer` din cauza cunoscutelor probleme legate de
corup]ie [i de devalizarea activelor statului. Al patrulea reper:
separa]ia capitalismului de politic nc` nu s-a realizat n
Romnia. Prin urmare, da]i-mi voie s` corectez subiectul dezbaterii: nu Cultura corporatist` examenul de maturitate al
capitalismului romnesc, ci Cultura corporatist` examenul
de copil`rie al capitalismului romnesc. Dup` discu]iile foarte
interesante, dar cam teoretice, pe care le-am auzit aici, a[ vrea
s` dau exemplul concret al frumoasei regiuni Vatra Dornei, pe
care am vizitat-o prima dat` n 1993. Ast`zi, din cei 2.000 de
salaria]i ai grupului La Dorna, sunt singurul expat. Timp de
13 ani am construit cultura corporatist` a Societ`]ii Apemin
Vatra Dornei, care avea pe vremuri trei sute de angaja]i. n
Elve]ia avem ceea ce se cheam` l'amour du travail bien fait
este o mentalitate a celui care produce ceva. Cnd am venit la
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Vatra Dornei, totul era crpeal` pentru a vorbi n expresii

romne[ti simple. Ast`zi, oamenii spun c`, dac` un produs
pleac` din minile lor, trebuie s` fie perfect. Toate aceste lucruri
fac parte din cultura corporatist` [i sunt mndru de ele. Dar
cristalizarea acestor valori nu poate fi sim]it` cu adev`rat de
c`tre salaria]i dac`, n paralel, nu exist` o activitate la nivel
social. E nevoie de un angajament de bune practici sociale. Din
2001, am f`cut lobby pentru a fi adoptat` toat` legisla]ia
tehnic` necesar` pentru aplicarea normelor ecologice. Cred c`
modelele corporatiste [i ac]iunea social` nu sunt identice, dar
se presupun reciproc, pentru a fi consolidate, fiecare n autonomia sa. Societ`]ile strìne care au venit n Romnia au avut, n
cultura lor corporatist`, valori care ]in de organizare, de ini]iativa n ac]iune, de responsabilitate, operativitate, eficacitate
toate acestea sunt valori pe care firmele strìne le-au adus n
societatea romneasc` n general, nu doar n interiorul companiilor. Acesta a fost un export de valori dinspre strìn`tate.
Dar a[tept cu mare pl`cere [i cu mare angoas` momentul cnd,
la presiunea consumatorului [i a cet`]eanului romn, o societate comercial` nu va putea evita anumite valori, pentru c` f`r`
ele nu va avea un anumit nivel de notorietate. Acesta va fi un
import de valori, pe care [i-l va impune societatea romneasc`.
Jonathan Scheele: Dl Valvis a spus deja ceea ce a[ vrea s`
spun [i eu: de[i cultura corporatist` [i responsabilitatea social`
sunt lucruri diferite, ele nu pot merge dect mpreun`. F`r` o
cultur` corporatist` corect` e foarte greu s` fii un cet`]ean corporatist responsabil pe termen lung. Este clar c` n Romnia
sectorul privat are posibilitatea de a deveni un model [i pentru
sectorul public. {tiu ct de greu este s` schimbi mentalit`]ile n
sectorul public, dar ele trebuie schimbate. Cred c` n Romnia
avem [i o problem` de preg`tire pentru lumea corporatist`.
Cnd firmele multina]ionale s-au stabilit aici, au adus cultura
lor corporatist` [i au nceput cu mai mul]i expatria]i; acum,
management-ul lor este integral sau aproape integral romnesc. De aceea, nu cred c` este o problem` pentru romni s`
fie buni manageri, dar nc` lipse[te, n ]ar`, preg`tirea necesar`
pentru posturi de manager.
Vasile Iuga: Din interac]iunea mea cu mediul de afaceri din
Romnia, pot s` spun c` exist` numeroase afaceri bune [i
curate, a[a nct sunt optimist. {i nu cred c` trebuie limitat
accesul la afaceri doar celor care au urmat [coli de afaceri.
identical, but they assume each other, in

order to be fortified in their autonomy.
The foreign societies that entered Romania
had, in their own corporative culture, values
that are about organization, action initiative,
responsibility, efficiency, effectiveness all
these being values that the foreign firms had
brought to the Romania society, not only in
their companies. This has been a values
export from abroad. But Im waiting anxiously for the moment when, on the Romanian
consumers and citizens pressure, a company
will not be able to avoid certain values,
because without them it will not have a certain level of notoriety. This will be a values
import that they will impose on the
Romanian society.
Jonathan Scheele: Mr. Valvis said already
what I wanted to say: although the corporative and social responsibilities are different
things, they cannot go together. Without a
right corporative culture it is hard to be a corporative citizen who is responsible on a long
term. It is clear that in Romania, the private
sector has the possibility to become a model
for the public sector also. I know how hard is
to change the mentalities in the public segment, but they have to be changed. I think
that in Romanian we have a problem of
preparation for the corporative world. When
the multinational firms had established here,
they brought their corporative culture and
they started with many more expatriates;
right now, their management is integrated
and almost entirely Romanian. Thats why I
dont think its a problem for Romanians to
become good managers, but we still dont
have in the country the necessary preparation
for manager jobs.
Vasile Iuga: From my interaction with the
business environment in Romania, I can say
that there are clean and good businesses, so
Im still optimistic about it. And I dont think
that the access to business should be limited
to those who went to business school. The
university graduates linguists, sociologists or
else can become successful capitalists. The
statistics show that 70% of the Harvard graduates are business fiascos, and the reality
shows that Bill Gates didnt even finish high
school, and Richard Branson from "Virgin"
has abandoned school at 16.
Drago[ Pslaru: This discussion seems a little
elitist. There is a difference in the way multinational firms and Romanian firms see the
social responsibility, especially small firms.

There is, for firms and also for people, a sort
of Maslow pyramid: first they try to be successful on the market and only when they
reach a certain level they start to think about
social implication. There are three types of
firms in Romania: immoral firms the ones
that infringe the law, the amoral firms the
ones that dont infringe the law but try to
avoid it and moral firms. The corporative culture is a necessary condition, but not enough
for a social responsibility. They said that there
are numerous success examples; but the problem is not about how many these examples
are, but about the business environment
cohesion. It is unacceptable to not have a
common patronage at the national level; it is
unacceptable to have opposition between
patronage organizations and these patronages with one exception to represent foreign corporation and not to get involved in
social responsibility programs. There is a big
gap between the way the great majority of
Romanian firms see the business idea as a
simple survival and the firms that have a
platform and a developed agenda. The lack
of cohesion and programs that can change
things in Romania is a real concern for me.
Andrei Ple[u: I would have a final observation
about the relation between ethic and juridical. I was told once by a business man that he
never infringed a law and he made a fortune
by moving in the space between the laws
and, especially, moving in the un-regulated
spaces. I thought that this business man gave
the definition to ethics: ethics is the space
between the laws, the space where there is
no regulation, but where you have to work
by criteria and rules that law gives you. We
often say, wrongfully, that an ethic man is
someone who abides the law. No, that man is
a correct man. The ethic happens in the frail
space, hard to systemize with unwritten regulations that are between real laws. The ethic
doesnt move with the law but with its spirit
and this is already a vague concept with
which we have to get used to work. The business man, in order to behave responsibly on a
social level, had to appeal to other faculties
than the ones that can make him a good
business man. There are different pursuits,
you cannot move efficiently on a public level
with the talents that allowed you to make a
fortune: you have to be capable of enrichment itself in order to come out of the business mans ego. For example, you must have a
lesser notion of reality: or you are too realis-
Absolven]ii de universitate fie ei filologi, sociologi sau altceva

pot deveni capitali[ti de succes. Statisticile arat` c` 70% dintre absolven]ii de Harvard sunt e[ecuri n business, iar realitatea
ne arat` c` Bill Gates nu a terminat dect liceul, iar Richard
Branson de la Virgin a abandonat [coala la 16 ani.
Drago[ Pslaru: discu]ia mi se pare cam elitist`. Exist` o diferen]` ntre felul n care privesc responsabilitatea social` firmele
multina]ionale [i firmele romne[ti, mai ales cele mici. Exist`,
pentru firme, ca [i pentru oameni, un fel de piramid` a lui
Maslow: mai nti, o firm` ncearc` s` aib` succes pe pia]`, iar
abia cnd atinge un anumit nivel ncepe s` se gndeasc` la
implicare social`. n Romnia avem trei tipuri de firme: firme
imorale cele care ncalc` legea, firme amorale cele care nu
ncalc` legea, dar ncearc` s` o evite, [i firme morale. Cultura
corporatist` este o condi]ie necesar`, dar nu suficient` pentru
o responsabilitate social`. S-a spus aici c` exist` numeroase
exemple de succes; dar problema nu este ct de multe sunt
asemenea exemple, ci coeziunea mediului de afaceri. Mi se
pare inadmisibil s` nu existe un patronat comun la nivelul acestei ]`ri; mi se pare inadmisibil s` existe contre ntre organiza]iile patronale, iar acestea cu excep]ia uneia, care reprezint` de fapt corpora]ii strìne s` nu se implice n programe
de responsabilitate social`. Exist` o falie profund` ntre felul n
care marea majoritate a firmelor romne[ti v`d ideea de afaceri
ca o problem` de simpl` supravie]uire [i firmele care au o
platform` [i o agend` dezvoltat`. Lipsa de coeziune [i lipsa
unui program care s` schimbe lucrurile n Romnia m` ngrijoreaz`.
Andrei Ple[u: A[ avea o observa]ie final` despre rela]ia ntre
etic [i juridic. Mi-a spus odat` un om de afaceri c` el n-a
nc`lcat nici o lege, ci a f`cut avere mi[cndu-se n spa]iile dintre legi [i, mai ales, mi[cndu-se n spa]iile nelegiferate nc`. Mi
s-a p`rut c` acest om de afaceri a dat defini]ia eticului: eticul e
spa]iul dintre legi, e spa]iul unde nu exist` legiferare, dar unde
trebuie s` lucrezi dup` alte criterii [i dup` alte reguli dect cele
pe care ]i le d`, n mod strict, legea. Noi spunem adesea, n
mod gre[it, c` un om etic este cineva care respect` legea. Nu,
acela e un om corect. Eticul este ceea ce se ntmpl` n spa]iul
fraged, greu de sistematizat, cu norme nescrise [i cutume, care
se afl` ntre legile propriu-zise. Eticul nu se mi[c` n litera legii,
ci mai curnd n spiritul ei, iar acesta este deja un concept
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destul de vag, cu care trebuie s` ne obi[nuim s` lucr`m. Omul

de afaceri, pentru a se comporta responsabil n plan social, are
de recurs la alte facult`]i dect la cele care l fac un bun om de
afaceri. Sunt ndeletniciri diferite, nu te po]i mi[ca eficient n
plan public cu acele talente cu care ai f`cut avere: trebuie s` fii
capabil de o mbog`]ire de sine pentru a ie[i din eu-l de businessman. De pild`, trebuie s` ai mai pu]in sim] al realului: dac`
e[ti o natur` realist` n sens strict, vei g`si destule argumente
s` nu te mai implici, pentru c` realitatea social` e descurajant`.
Nu credeam s` ajung vreodat` s`-l citez pe Ceau[escu, dar mi
amintesc c`, la un congres, nemul]umit de starea lucrurilor, a
spus: n-ar strica, tovar`[i, s` fi]i mai ideali[ti. A[ transfera
acest ndemn asupra oamenilor de afaceri: n-ar strica s` fi]i mai
ideali[ti n momentele cnd nu face]i afaceri, desigur.
Am ajuns alergic atunci cnd cineva folose[te cuvntul elitism cu o grimas` de suferin]`. Cred c` n Romnia elitele
lipsesc, nu suntem destul de eliti[ti, c`ci dac` am fi, nu l-am mai
avea pe Becali la televizor n fiecare sear` [i n-am mai fi sufoca]i
de amatorism, de oameni care nu au onoarea lucrului bine
f`cut. Elita este alc`tuit` din cei care-[i fac bine meseria. Asta-i
tot. Patruzeci [i cinci de ani s-a bomb`nit n Romnia comunist`
mpotriva elitelor. Nu [tiu cum se face c` aud tot mai mul]i
oameni tineri, care nu au suferit din cauza acestui discurs,
foarte nelini[ti]i de elitism. Cred c` e o atitudine mprumutat`: exist` societ`]i dezvoltate care sunt obosite de attea elite;
noi nc` nu am ajuns la acel stadiu, ci suntem ntr-o mare
nevoie de elite.
E ceva n via]a companiilor care m` nelini[te[te. Cunosc tineri
excep]ionali care lucreaz` n aceast` zon`; majoritatea ca s`
nu spun chiar to]i nu au via]` de oameni tineri. E un tip de
via]` care presupune s` mergi diminea]a la slujb`, s` fii foarte
eficace, s` fii func]ional; vii acas` seara [i e[ti nul adormi la
televizor. Sunt tineri minuna]i, care vor sfr[i prin a fi neferici]i.
Cred c` una dintre problemele pe care trebuie s` [i le pun`
marile companii este aceea c`, de multe ori, ob]in eficacitatea
pe seama unor destine de tineri uci[i. Sunt tineri care nu mai au
timp s` citeasc`, s` se bucure, s` aib` o via]` al`turi de prietenii
lor. Este un aspect social care m` preocup`. Nu [tiu unde va
duce asta (cu siguran]`, la un procent mai mare de boli nervoase) [i nu [tiu care ar fi solu]iile. Poate c` ar trebui introdus`
printre priorit`]ile manageriale nu credeam s` ajung s` citez
din ideologia defunctului regim [i grija fa]` de om...
tic; you will find enough arguments to not

get involved, because the social reality is pretty discouraging. I never thought I would ever
quote Ceausescu, but I remember that at one
congress, he was pretty unhappy about how
things went and he said: "it wouldnt harm
you, comrades, to be a little more idealist". I
would transfer this goad to business people:
it wouldnt harm you to be a little more idealist when you dont do business, of course.
I became almost allergic to the word "elitism" and I have a suffering grimace. I think
that in Romania we dont have elites and we
are not elitist enough, because otherwise we
wouldnt see Becali on TV every night and we
wouldnt be suffocated by amateurism, by
people who dont have the honor of the well
done thing. The elite is made by the ones
that do their job very well. Thats all. Theyve
been blabbing against elites for forty years. I
dont know how, but I hear more and more
young people who didnt suffer because of
this discourse and they are very apprehensive
about "elitism". I think this is a borrowed
attitude: there are developed societies that
are tired of so many elites; but we didnt
even reach that level, we are actually in need
of that.
There is something about these companies
that makes me nervous. I know a lot of
exceptional young people who work in this
area and most of them do not live their
lives as young people. Their lifestyle is about
going to work in the morning, being very
efficient, functional; you come home at night
and you are so tired that you fall asleep in
front of the TV. They are wonderful people,
who will end up being very unhappy. I think
that one of the problems that the big companies have to raise is that they get their efficiency through these young peoples murdered destinies. There are young people who
dont have time to read, to enjoy themselves
and a life close to their friends. It is a social
aspect that preoccupies me. I dont know
where it will end up (definitely in a high percentage of illnesses) and I dont know the
solutions to this problem. Maybe they should
implement among the managerial priorities
and I would have never thought that I would
quote the old regime ideology the care for
people...
LAVINIA HUIDAN
Prejudecat` [i devenire / Prejudgment and Becoming

Who says that the multinational companies
changed Romania is right or still dizzy from
the city gray atmosphere where suits go back
and forth fast, talking on the cell phones,
between flights, meetings, lunches, or golf
games? You meet these everywhere destinies
are made. A world of gray suits and white
collars going loudly through transition, like
medieval armors. If the armor hides a real
chevalier or only his phantom as gray as the
package this is another story. Apparently, a
grey existence its not very monotonous. We
should admire the one that can keep his head
straight in the chaos and stridence of the
dazzling polychromic and the infernal rhythm
of life. There is no doubt that, in transitional
Romania, the contingent matrix of the multinational companies had put up to the test
the populist mentalities and is stillso efficient! To be or not to be converted in pragmatic language in buy-in or get out will dominate you at least through the obligation to
pay your bills. Of course, its healthy and
pleasant to be as performing as possible, but
the alternative of not being anything, under
the centrifugal force pressure, is dramatic!
The opportunity of growing competencies
brought by the multinational companies
investments fit like a glove with the young
men willing to learn, to define the world in
an intelligent and different way from the
myopia of those used to fool, cheat or steal
from the others for short term gain, or at
least the ones who like to leave it like that,
well manage it somehow. In some multinational companies the local saying was adopted, confounding the principle of the minimum resources for maximum profit with if it
didnt break it means it still works. The
exceptions confirm the rule. We hope that
the integration in Europe will encourage
international recruitment and the longexpected harmonization of the social politics
will start the survival in an intelligent and
creative way, through competency and cleverness to be performing within a multicultural
frame.
The opening towards other cultures should
teach us to ordinate the image about us and
the world, in a more efficient way, without
trying obsessively to reinvent the wheel
again. In fact, it is not the world that is in crisis, but the manner we perceive it, between
dream, prejudgment, utopia and ordinary;
and especially, the way we pretend to organ-
Cine afirm` c` multina]ionalele au schimbat fa]a Romniei are

dreptate sau este nc` ame]it de cenu[iul cotidian n care costume circul` gr`bit, vorbind cu emfaz` la celular, ntre avioane,
meeting-uri, lunch-uri sau partide de golf? Le ntlne[ti oriunde
se hot`r`sc destine. O lume de costume gri [i gulere albe trecnd zorn]itoare prin tranzi]ie, aidoma unor armuri medievale.
dac` armura ascunde un adev`rat cavaler sau numai fantoma
lui la fel de gri ca ambalajul aceasta este o alt` poveste.
n aparen]`, o existen]` gri nu e chiar monoton`. Este de admirat cel care [i mai poate ]ine capul pe umeri n haosul [i striden]a policromiei aiuritoare [i a ritmului infernal de via]`. Nu e
nici o ndoial` c`, n Romnia tranzi]iei, matrixul contingent al
companiilor multina]ionale a pus la zid orice ncercare de rezisten]` a mentalit`]ilor populiste, [i nc`... att de eficient! To be
or not to be-ul convertit n limbaj pragmatic n buy-in or get out
te domin? cel pu]in prin obliga]ia de a-]i pl`ti facturile. Desigur,
e s`n`tos [i pl`cut s` fii ct mai performant, dar alternativa de a
nu mai fi deloc, sub presiunea for]ei centrifuge, este dramatic`!
Oportunitatea unor competen]e crescnde adus` de investi]iile
societ`]ilor multina]ionale s-a potrivit ca o m`nu[` tinerilor
nv`]a]i s` nve]e, dispu[i s` defineasc` lumea ntr-un mod
inteligent [i diferit de miopia celor obi[nui]i s` prosteasc`, s`
fure [i s` n[ele n cursa pentru c[tiguri pe termen scurt, din
tunuri, sau cel pu]in s` se complac` n las c` merge [i a[a, ne
descurc`m noi cumva.... Nu e mai pu]in adev`rat c` [i unele
firme multina]ionale cu preten]ii s-au adaptat pitorescului local,
confundnd principiul minimului de resurse pentru maxim de
profit cu dac` nu s-a rupt nc` nseamn` c` mai merge.
Excep]iile confirm` regula de ambele p`r]i.
S` sper`m c` integrarea n Europa va ncuraja recrutarea interna]ional`, iar a[teptata armonizare a politicilor sociale va marca
definitiv imperativul supravie]uirii n mod inteligent [i creativ,
prin competen]a [i abilitatea de a fi performant ntr-un cadru
multicultural.
Deschiderea spre alte culturi va trebui s` ne nve]e s` ne ordon`m imaginea despre noi [i despre lume, ntr-un mod mai eficient, f`r` a ncerca obsesiv s` redescoperim roata. De fapt, nu
lumea e n criz`, ci maniera n care o percepem noi, ntre vis,
prejudecat`, utopie [i cotidian; [i mai ales, este n criz` modul
n care pretindem s` o organiz`m.
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Din perspectiva rezultatelor, o corpora]ie cu performan]e care

respect` rigorile cre[terii profitabile, este o bun` investi]ie de
capital, ofer` locuri de munc` [i de dezvoltare personal` angaja]ilor, iar corpora]ia are [ansa de a ajunge un bun contribuabil.
n cazul nedorit al falimentului, respectivul contribuabil [i pierde nu numai acest statut onorabil, dar ajunge n situa]ia de a fi
ntre]inut de societate, din taxele pl`tite de al]ii, care au supravie]uit pentru c` au n]eles mecanismul.
Dar este aceasta unica perspectiv`? Primatul profitului este
unicul scop al afacerilor?
Teoriile economice din anii 90 au deschis o nou` perspectiv`
prin redefinirea scopului unei corpora]ii de a servi drept vehicul
pentru coordonarea intereselor stakeholder-ilor, ale tuturor
grupurilor sau indivizilor care pot influen]a activitatea unei corpora]ii sau care sunt afecta]i de aceasta: proprietari, angaja]i,
creditori, clien]i [i comunitatea local` care a[teapt` ca o corpora]ie s` se comporte ca un bun cet`]ean.
Ar trebui s` ne aplec`m pu]in asupra codului etic [i al setului de
valori care formeaz` cultura corporatist`. n ce m`sur` suntem
con[tien]i de perspectiva unei economii [i a unei comunit`]i
globale, de natur` inter-rela]ional` [i sistemic`, n care ncrederea, onestitatea [i integritatea formeaz` norma? n ce m`sur` armonia dintre valorile individuale [i cele corporatiste este
o component` strategic` n care angaja]ii sunt nu numai
mul]umi]i, dar [i tot mai performan]i?
Suntem nc` departe de a n]elege juste]ea capitalismului din
perspectiva eticii afacerilor [i a asum`rii responsabilit`]ii sociale
corporatiste. La noi se pun nc` n discu]ie nse[i statutul omului de afaceri [i conflictul existent ntre comportamentul etic [i
profit. Modelul responsabilit`]ii sociale corporatiste este prea
pu]in n]eles [i nc` [i mai pu]in practicat n Romnia, iar pentru mul]i oameni pare o denumire bombastic` [i complicat`.
naint`m [ovìelnic c`tre maturizarea mediului de afaceri care
aduce cu sine respectarea institu]iei contractului [i n]elegerea
din perspectiva etic` a respect`rii termenelor de plat` c`tre
furnizori sau a taxelor c`tre comunitate. Actul de caritate este
nc` perceput ca un moft apar]innd unor suflete u[or impresionabile, [i nu ca o responsabilitate fa]` de problemele sociale.
Rolul leader-ilor este critic: de a promova schimbarea la vrf [i
de a r`spunde imperativului de a fi nu doar administratori
foarte buni, dar [i adev`rate autorit`]i morale.
Implicarea corpora]iilor romne[ti ncepe s` fie notabil` pe
m`sur` ce tot mai multe companii n]eleg c` business-ul trebuie
ize it is in crisis. From the results perspective,

a corporation with performances that respect
the profitable growth stringencies is a good
capital investment, it offers working places
and employees personal development, and
the corporation has the chance to become a
good contributor. In the unfortunate case of
bankruptcy, the contributor will not only lose
its honorable status, but it will be supported
by society, from taxes paid by the ones that
understood the mechanism.
But this is the only perspective? Profit is the
only purpose of business?
The economics theories from the 90s
described a new perspective in redefining the
purpose of a corporation, that of serving as a
vehicle for coordinating the stakeholders
interests, of all the groups and individuals
who can influence the activity of a corporation or who are affected by it: the owners,
employers, creditors, clients and the local
community who expect a corporation to
behave like a normal citizen.
We should look at the ethical code and the
values that make the corporative culture.
What is the degree of our awareness towards
a global economy and community, which
have an interrelation and systemic property,
where trust, honesty and integrity make the
rule? What is the degree of the harmony
between individual values and corporative
ones, as a strategic component in which the
employees are unhappier and more performing in the same time?
We are still far from understanding the exactness of capitalism from the perspective of
business ethics and assuming the corporative
social responsibilities. We discuss about the
status of the business men and the extant
conflict between the ethic behavior and profit.
The corporative social responsibility model is
too little understood and even more less
applied in Romania, and for many people it
seems only a bombastic and complicated
label.
We get ahead vacillating toward the business
environment growth, which will bring respect
to the contract institution and understanding
from the ethical perspective of paying terms
to suppliers or community taxes. The charity
act is still perceived as a whim of some easily
impressionable souls, and not as a responsibility toward social problems. The leaders role
is critical: to promote top changing and to try
not only to be a good administrator, but also
moral authorities. The Romanian corporations implication is starting to be notable
while more companies understand that business must have a role beyond obtaining profit and understand that responsibility is not an
accessory of import culture, of well-known
corporations with strong traditions and corporative culture. The chance of our evolution
is the mature thinking of the consumer and
his growing sophisticated taste, oriented to
quality and diversity, to products and services
from companies that are involved in solving
social and environment problems.
The next years challenge will consist of using
the civilization-making valences of the market economy in order to create corporative
cultures that encourage and repay performance and quality, and also the prestige
obtained by a corporation through its ethic
and social behavior.
Maybe the right time will come and we will
redefine more attentively and selectively our
values and look at luxury, for example, not
only from the money and quality display perspective, but also through simple, rare and
inaccessible things. How many people can
afford the luxury of joy to offer without asking what will they get in exchange? Probably
the really rich people are the ones who can
afford this luxury. For now, only a few lonely
people see the world like that. But they are a
minority whose friendship is worth hopin
s` preia un rol, dincolo de stricta ob]inere a profitului, [i n]eleg,

de asemenea, c` responsabilitatea nu este doar un accesoriu al
culturii de import, al unor corpora]ii de prestigiu, cu tradi]ie [i
cultur` corporatist` puternic`. {ansa evolu]iei noastre este discern`mntul matur al consumatorului, gustul sù tot mai sofisticat, orientat spre calitate [i diversitate, spre produsele [i serviciile companiilor implicate n rezolvarea unor probleme sociale
sau de mediu. Provocarea anilor care vin va consta n folosirea
controversatelor valen]e civilizatoare ale economiei de pia]`
pentru a crea culturi corporatiste care ncurajeaz` [i recompenseaz` performan]a [i calitatea, dar [i prestigiul ob]inut de o
corpora]ie prin comportamentul sù etic [i social.
Poate va veni un timp n care s` ne redefinim mai atent [i mai
selectiv valorile [i s` privim luxul, spre exemplu, nu numai din
perspectiva banului [i a etal`rii cantit`]ii lui, ci [i prin prisma
lucrurilor simple, dar extrem de rare la care numai unii au acces.
C]i [i permit luxul bucuriei de a oferi f`r` s` ntrebe ce primesc n schimb? Probabil c` boga]i cu adev`rat sunt cei care au
acces la acest lux. Deocamdat`, doar o mn` de singuratici v`d
lumea n acest fel. Dar reprezint` o minoritate n a c`ror prietenie merit` s` speri.
FLORIN POGONARU
Omul de afaceri romn ntre hazardul moral [i construirea reputa]iei

The Romanian Business Man between Moral Venture And Reputation Building
The media show in the last period induces
disbelief and suspicion regarding the morality
of the business environment, the wealth
building and honor of the business man. The
collective conscience, imbued for almost five
decades of egalitarianism, had made international the saying "poor but honest" which
has a perverse consequence over anyone who
is rich and who has to be suspected of not
being honest, without the feeling of contribution that the business environment has
toward the common welfare. Of course there
are people who got rich in the transition
times, who dont have anything to do with
the market economy business spirit and with
the capitalism values, but who developed, in
the same time, a class of business people
whose activity ensures the optimization of
allotting and using of the resources in different economy segments.
Despite all this, there is still the belief that
the State can provide the common welfare,
Spectacolul mediatic al ultimei perioade induce nencredere [i

suspiciune cu privire la moralitatea mediului de afaceri, la legitimitatea acumul`rii unor averi, cu trimitere imediat` la onorabilitatea calit`]ii de om de afaceri.
Con[tiin]a colectiv`, impregnat` de aproape cinci decenii de
egalitarism, a internalizat sintagma s`rac [i cinstit sub forma
consecin]ei perverse c` oricine e bogat trebuie suspectat de necinste, f`r` s` existe sentimentul contribu]iei pe care mediul de
afaceri l are la asigurarea bun`st`rii generale. Exist`, f`r` discu]ie, mbog`]i]i ai tranzi]iei care nu au nimic n comun cu spiritul
de afaceri al economiei de pia]` [i cu valorile capitalismului, dar
s-a dezvoltat, n acela[i timp, o clas` a oamenilor de afaceri prin
a c`ror activitate se asigur` optimizarea aloc`rii [i utiliz`rii
resurselor n diverse sectoare ale economiei.
n ciuda acestui lucru, exist` n continuare credin]a c` Statul
poate gndi [i asigura binele general, c` mna invizibil` a
economiei de pia]` nu poate optimiza alocarea resurselor la
l 77
78 l
nivel de societate. Suntem nc` departe de n]elegerea faptului

c` morala reprezint` modul n care oamenii [i-ar dori s`
func]ioneze lumea, n timp ce economia reprezint` modul n
care func]ioneaz` de fapt. Amnarea continu` a reformelor n
economie, lipsa de transparen]`, de predictibilitate [i absen]a
concuren]ei libere au fost bazate tocmai pe acest tip de idealism p`gubos, care a ncurajat adesea risipa [i deturnarea
resurselor [i, n final, crearea mbog`]i]ilor tranzi]iei.
n acela[i timp, n perioada de tranzi]ie, domnia hazardului moral la scara ntregii societ`]i a avut efecte devastatoare asupra
mentalit`]ilor de afaceri. Credin]a c` succesul n afaceri este
direct propor]ional cu apropierea de putere sau c` nu are rost
s` te gr`be[ti s`-]i pl`te[ti impozitele, pentru c` va veni o lege
care i iart` pe cei cu restan]e [i i pune la nivel de egalitate cu
bunii platnici sunt exemple de astfel de mentalit`]i.
Sl`biciunea institu]iilor statului [i lipsa culturii necesare elabor`rii reglement`rilor specifice economiei de pia]` au dat posibilitatea existen]ei unor pete albe n legisla]ie [i a unui spa]iu de
joc pe care s-au pus bazele viitoarelor averi mari [i foarte mari.
Fazele ini]iale ale economiei de pia]` s-au bazat, la noi, pe antreprenori de tipul one man show priceput la toate. Revolu]ia
n mentalit`]ile mediului de afaceri [i cur`]irea de p`catele
fazei ini]iale au avut loc n momentul n care antreprenorii de
succes au nceput s` angajeze manageri profesioni[ti. Este [i
semnalul c` afacerile ncep s` fie gndite n termeni de centre
de profit [i tehnici de marketing pentru care e nevoie de speciali[ti [i nu, n primul rnd, n termeni de tras sforile pentru a amna plata taxelor la stat sau a creditelor la b`nci (lucruri
de care nu se putea ocupa dect proprietarul afacerii). Faza
urm`toare a evolu]iei o reprezint` n]elegerea faptului c` succesul n afaceri va fi dat de construc]ia reputa]iei [i de responsabilizarea social` a firmei. Desigur c` exist` tot felul de oameni
de afaceri [i c` nu mul]i au atins acest stadiu de evolu]ie. Era [i
greu, atta timp ct structurile institu]ionale, care trebuia s`
func]ioneze ca suport pentru mediul de afaceri, au r`mas n
urma evolu]iei mentalit`]ilor [i sofistic`rii la care au ajuns afacerile semnificative. Explica]ia este dat` n primul rnd de gradul
diferit de motivare existent n mediul de afaceri fa]` de cel al
angaja]ilor publici.
Nu este ns` acceptabil s` se ncerce acoperirea acestui decalaj
[i nsu[i actul de justi]ie prin spectacolul mediatic de nfierare a celor care au f`cut avere. Actul real de justi]ie pare a fi
amnat: se estimeaz` c` nu va avea suficient rating.
that the invisible hand of the market economy cannot optimize the resources allotment
in society. We are still far from understanding
the fact that the moral represents the way
people would like to see the world functioning while economics is the way it actually
functions.
The continuous delay of economic reforms,
lack of transparency, predictability and free
competition had been based on this type of
damaging idealism, which encouraged
resources lavishness and embezzlement and,
in the end, it lead to transition enrichment. In
the same time, the transition period, the
reign of moral venture in the entire society
had had devastating effects on the mentalities about business. The belief that business
success is proportionate with power adjacency or "theres no use to hurry and pay the
taxes because they will enforce a law that
will exempt the ones that didnt pay" are
just examples of such mentalities.
The state institution weakness and lack of
culture necessary for regulations elaboration
specific to market economy had as a result
the white spots of legislation and a gap
which lead to great wealth. The initial phases
of market economy had been based on one
man show entrepreneurs, who could do it all.
The business environment mentalities revolution and the erasing of the initial phase
sins took place when successful entrepreneurs started to hire professional managers.
It was the right sign that business will start to
be about profit centers and marketing techniques for which you need specialists and
not about influencing people in order to
postpone the payment of taxes or credits
(things that only the business owner could
do).
The next phase of evolution is to understand
the fact that business success will come from
reputation building and social responsibility
of the firm. Of course, there are many business people who reached this evolution level.
It was hard, as long as institutional structures,
that had to function as a support for the
business environment, were left behind the
mentalities and sophistication level that business reached. The explanation is given in the
first place by the different degree of motivation that exists in business environment and
public employees. It is not acceptable to try
to cover the gap and the justice act itself
through the media show of stigmatizing the
rich ones. The real justice act seems to be
postponed: they think it will not have
enough rating.
RADU GOLOGAN
Elemente de cultur` corporatist` pe n]elesul tuturor / Elements of

Corporative Culture for Everyone
Any definition of the corporative culture concept is about the relating to a values system,
and common sense rules. Along these ones
there are the traditional and specific principles, all being based on the structure of an
economic and social organism, usually a company.
I cannot theorize the necessity and consequences of such value system for a company
in the profit ethics employee relationship.
I think it is easy to see its educational
valences, especially when the economic system is well recognized by the entire community. The values set could be transmitted to
the community as civilization making factor.
I can give you a good example. This starts
from the beatnik atmosphere of the vacations spent at 2 Mai in the 70s 80s, in the
intellectual and non-conformal density, along
with the wilderness of the place. There were
a few weeks when you would almost forget
about the unhappiness of the normal life. I
still see the photo of the 2 Mai village, with
its local community, affected by the Socialist
corporation values system, the naval plant in
Mangalia being connected to the village.
Most of the people who could work and who
werent fishers, were working there. As the
essence of the "socialist corporative culture"
was a direct consequence of the peoples
property principle, half of the plants production was, actually, in that village, used for
tourists: chairs, deck chairs made of aluminum, metal tables, metal used as asphalt or
covers. In one summer I lived in a yard where
half of a caboose was used as a summer
kitchen. In the same time, I couldnt understand how there was running water since the
70s but most of the houses offered primal
hygiene conditions: the well-known barrel
that was left in the sun, having a hose for a
shower. The locals stories made us understand that the hygiene conditions on the
plant were actually worse.
After the 90s, a big Asian corporation
bought the plant, imposing their rules,
according to the companys culture, with the
work spirit characteristics. The employees, the
same 2 Mai inhabitants, started to work in
clean overalls, have dinner at work and at the
end of the day, a shower and control! All
these were perceived as exploitation of the
Orice defini]ie a conceptului de cultur` corporatist` con]ine n

principal raport`ri la un sistem de valori, n general reguli de
bun-sim]. La acestea se adaug` principii tradi]ionale sau specifice impuse, toate constituite pe structura unui organism economic sau social, de obicei o companie.
Nu sunt n m`sur` s` teoretizez necesitatea [i consecin]ele unui
astfel de sistem de valori pentru o companie n rela]ia profit-etic`-angajat. Cred ns` c` e u[or s` vedem valen]ele sale educative, mai ales cnd sistemul economic care l practic` este adnc
con[tientizat ntr-o anumit` comunitate. Setul de valori se poate
transmite comunit`]ii ca factor civilizator.
Un exemplu m` va face pe deplin n]eles. Acesta porne[te de la
atmosfera cu tenta boem` a concediilor la 2 Mai din anii 7080, n densitatea apreciabil` intelectual` [i nonconformismul,
dat [i de s`lb`ticia locului. Erau cteva s`pt`mni n care
aproape uitai de nenorocirea vie]ii ngr`dite.
Cu o u[oar` tu[` de umor, parc` v`d fotografia de atunci a satului 2 Mai cu comunitatea sa local`, marcat` de sistemul de valori al Corpora]iei socialiste [antierul naval Mangalia, legat
parc` ombilical de sat. Majoritatea celor n putere ce nu erau
pescari, munceau acolo. Cum esen]a culturii corporatiste socialiste era consecin]a direct` a principiului propriet`]ii ntregului popor, jum`tate din produc]ia [antierului se g`sea, de fapt,
n sat, spre confortul turi[tilor: scaune [i [ezlonguri din dur-aluminiu, mese de metal masiv, pl`ci de tabl` de 10, pe post de
asfalt sau copertine. ntr-o var` am locuit ntr-o curte unde o jum`tate de cabin` de vapor era pe post de buc`t`rie de var`.
Cam n acela[i mod nu n]elegeam cum, de[i apa curent` exista
din 197O majoritatea caselor nu ofereau dect condi]ii extrem
de primare de igien` zilnic`: celebrul butoi pus la soare pe cas`,
un furtun pe post de du[. Pove[tile localnicilor despre condi]iile
de igien` din [antier ar`tau situa]ii [i mai primitive.
Dup` 90, o mare corpora]ie asiatic` a cump`rat [antierul,
impunndu-[i regulile, conform culturii proprii companiei, cu
caracteristicile spiritului de munc` de la antipozi. Angaja]ii,
aceia[i localnici din 2 Mai n bun` m`sur`, au nceput s` fie
obliga]i s` lucreze n salopetele curate ale companiei, s` ia o
mas` civilizat` n incint`, iar la plecare baie [i control! La n-
l 79
ceput acestea au fost percepute, sigur [i cu sprijinul perfidei

manipul`ri a anilor 90, ca o form` de exploatare a verosului
capitalism impus din afar`: cum s` trìe[ti a[a?
Anii au trecut [i transformarea comunit`]ii 2 Mai e vizibil`. Nu
cred c` este doar un simplu corolar al dezvolt`rii turismului; n
fapt, n anii 80 cam acela[i num`r de vilegiaturi[ti [i petreceau
verile aici. nclin s` cred c` m`car o parte din regulile de bunsim] din lista culturii corporatiste a companiei proprietare a
[antierului au avut efect n timp. Nici m`car scaunele [i mesele
din cur]ile gazdelor nu mai sunt altele dect cele de pe pia]`,
iar nici un obiect nu mai eviden]iaz` apartenen]a vreunui membru al familiei la [antierul naval, de[i satul ofer` n continuare
for]a de munc` majoritar` acolo. Toate casele nou-construite
au bì, iar localnicii au nceput s` fie mndri de confortul pe
care l ofer` n competi]ia turistic`, iar despre condi]iile de lucru
din [antier, n general se povestesc lucruri bune.
M` gndesc c` pentru societatea romneasc` o generalizare a
exemplului de mai sus ar reprezenta un minim succes concret al
conceptului de cultur` corporatist` aplicat`. Un succes istoric.
foreign capitalism, according to the manipulating mentalities of the 90s: how can you
live like that?
Years went by and the transformation of the
2 Mai community is visible. I dont think that
it is now a very successful tourist area; in fact,
in the 80s, the same number of tourists used
to come here. I think that at least one part of
the common sense rules from the companys
corporative culture list took effect in time.
Not even the chairs and tables of the people
are the same, they were bought from the
market and no item shows that a member of
the family works there, although the village
still offers the working hand to the plant. All
the new-built houses have bathrooms and
the locals started to be proud of the comfort
they offer to tourists and the working conditions on the plant are very good.
I think that for the Romanian society, a generalization of the above example would represent a minimum of real success for the concept of "applied corporative culture". It is a
historical success.
AC}IUNE VERSUS
RESPONSABILITATE PASIV~
A COMPANIILOR
Action versus the Passive
Responsibility of the Companies
80 l
Colegiul Noua Europ`, 12 iulie 2006

New Europe College, July 12th 2006
Capitalismul responsabil / The responsible capitalism
Responsabilitate social`, filantropie [i interese /

Social Responsibility, Philanthropy and Interests
82 l
Pe 12 iulie 2006 a avut loc, la Colegiul Noua Europ`, un

nou Forum Volvo-Dilema veche (organizat mpreun` cu
Funda]ia Life for life [i Funda]ia Concept), cu tema
ac]iune versus responsabilitate pasiv` a companiilor.
Au participat, ca de obicei, reprezentan]i ai mediului de
afaceri, ai mediilor academice [i culturale, lideri de opinie,
jurnali[ti. Dezbaterile moderate de H.-R. Patapievici au
pornit de la rezultatele raportului Percep]ia asupra responsabilit`]ii sociale a companiilor cazul Romniei, realizat la
nceputul lunii iunie de Funda]ia Concept. Practic, Funda]ia
Concept a trimis unui num`r de 86 de companii un
chestionar referitor la problemele firmelor [i ale societ`]ii
romne[ti, dar [i referitor la dorin]a/inten]ia lor de a se implica n societate, de a-[i asuma, ntr-o form` sau alta, o responsabilitate social`. Au r`spuns la chestionar doar 15 companii
din cele 86 solicitate. Pesimi[tii ar vedea aici lipsa de preocupare a capitalismului romnesc pentru implicarea n societate.
Optimi[tii ar spune c` pentru unii, probabil, aceast` tem` nc`
nu s-a copt [i, oricum, companiile care se implic` n
societate ncep s` fie tot mai multe [i tot mai vizibile.
Cititorii [i vor face singuri o p`rere despre modul n care
managerii [i oamenii de cultur` v`d problema responsabilit`]ii
sociale. De[i inten]ia a fost de a realiza o discu]ie ceva mai
concret`, din care s` rezulte eventuale solu]ii practice, se pare
c` dificultatea cea mai mare provine din faptul c` e greu de
g`sit cap`tul firului de care s` se poat` trage pentru a
desclci ghemul. n orice caz, chiar [i f`r` a identifica practic
[i concret modul de ntrebuin]are al responsabilit`]ii sociale,
forumul [i-a dovedit utilitatea prin faptul c` adun` la un loc
oameni diferi]i, din domenii diferite, care descoper` c` au
interese [i valori comune [i sunt preocupa]i s` pun` pe
agenda public` teme care pot contribui la definirea proiectului social al Romniei de mine. Public`m n aceste pagini cea
mai mare parte a dezbaterii [i a editorialele ap`rute n
num`rul 137, anul III, al revistei Dilema Veche.
On July 12th a new Forum Volvo Dilema

Veche took place (organized along with Life
for Life Foundation and Concept
Foundation), at the New Europe College,
on Action versus the Passive Responsibility
of the Companies. As usual, representatives
of the business, academic and cultural world
representatives took part, along with the
opinion leaders and journalists. The debates,
mediated by H.-R. Patapievici started from
the results of the Perception over
Companies Social Responsibility Romanias
Case report, realized in the beginning of
June by Concept Foundation. Practically,
the foundation sent to 86 companies a questionnaire about the problems of firms and
Romanian society, and also about their
desire/intention to get involved in society, to
take on the social responsibility, in one way
or another. Only 15 companies answered. The
pessimists could see here the lack of preoccupation of the Romanian capitalism for their
involvement in society. The optimists would
say that for some, probably, this theme is not
ripe yet and, anyways, the companies that
get involved in society are more and much
more visible.
The readers will be able to see by themselves
the way managers and culture see the social
responsibility problem. Although the intention was to realize a more concrete discussion
from which we can obtain practical solution,
it seems that the greatest difficulty comes
from the fact that its hard to find the end
of the line from where everybody can begin.
At any case, even if without identifying practically and objectively the use way of social
responsibility, this forum has proven its utility
by the fact that it brings together different
people, from different fields, people who discover they have common interests and values
and are preoccupied to set on the public
agenda themes that can contribute to the
social project definition in a future Romania.
In the next pages we reproduce the most
important fragments of discussion and the
related editorials published in the 137th number, third year, of Dilema Veche magazine.
Daniel D?ianu: In a society, the business environment is influenced by the companies

vision and by the public business politics
vision and social responsibility. From this crisis-crossing, the long term evolution of society has to result. Mr. Patapievici has emphasized the administration role in a society like
ours, where problems are more complicated
than in a normal society, because there are
enough voices in the business circles, who
accuse the incoherence of public politics. A
new aspect came up, related to what happened in France.
There is a deficit of understanding the economic phenomena but not only when it
comes to people: also when it comes to intellectual and political elites. If this deficit grows
too much, if people dont understand the
economic phenomenon, the whole society
will sink. And we have, right in the middle of
Europe, such phenomena that can make us
think. The economic education issue is very
important. There is an economic reason for
the peoples behavior which can push things
back to their place.
We dont have in Romania an enterprisers
association we have five or six. Business
people who are considered to be very pragmatic and who could start solving certain
problems together cannot find a common
ground not even when they are concerned
about the same things, and they cannot have
a common agenda to present to the
Government. Why? Of course, some applied
things can be done because there are still
business ethics courses and a certain attitude
of social responsibility (which some really
believe in and others just show it).
They talk about the necessity of economic
education in schools. But lets not forget how
the sports fields look like: shaggy, with
weeds What we dont know how to do it
to take care of our children. If schools dont
have money, then why dont the local community and the business environment intervene? In European cities there are big parks
with basketball fields on which children can
play. In our country, the local communities do
not ask for such things, dont think that some
children can consume drugs or stay on the
street because they dont have a place to
spend their spare time.
Daniel Dìanu: ntr-o societate, mediul de afaceri este influen]at [i de viziunea companiilor, [i de viziunea politicilor publice
n materie de afaceri [i n materie de responsabilitate social`.
Din aceast` ncruci[are trebuie s` rezulte evolu]ia pe termen
lung a societ`]ii. Dl Patapievici a pus accentul pe rolul administra]iei ntr-o societate ca a noastr`, unde problemele sunt ceva
mai complicate dect ntr-o societate a[ezat`, [i nu ntmpl`tor,
c`ci exist` destule voci n cercurile de afaceri care acuz` incoeren]a politicilor publice. A ap`rut n discu]ie [i un alt aspect
nou, legat de ceea ce s-a ntmplat n Fran]a. Exist` cu siguran]` un deficit de n]elegere a fenomenelor economice, dar nu
numai n rndul popula]iei: la noi, el exist` [i n rndul elitelor
politice [i intelectuale. Dac` ns` acest deficit devine prea mare,
dac` oamenii nu n]eleg fenomenele economice, societatea n
ansamblu se poate scufunda. {i avem, chiar n miezul Europei,
astfel de fenomene care pot s` ne pun` pe gnduri.
Problematica educa]iei economice este deci foarte important`.
Exist` ns` o anume ra]ionalitate economic` n comportamentul oamenilor care poate mpinge lucrurile pe f`ga[ul normal.
n Romnia nici ast`zi nu avem o asocia]ie a ntreprinz`torilor
avem cinci sau [ase. Oamenii de afaceri, care sunt considera]i
foarte pragmatici [i care ar putea s`-[i dea mna pentru a
rezolva mpreun` anumite probleme, nu reu[esc s` g`seasc` un
numitor comun nici atunci cnd durerile lor sunt acelea[i, nu
sunt n stare s` construiasc` o agend` comun` pe care s-o prezinte Guvernului. De ce? Desigur, unele lucruri aplicate se fac
pentru c` exist` acum [i cursuri de etic` a afacerilor, [i o atitudine de responsabilitate social` (n care unii chiar cred, al]ii doar
o afi[eaz`).
Se vorbe[te despre necesitatea unei educa]ii economice n [coli.
Dar s` ne uit`m cum arat` terenurile de sport din [coli: nengrijite, pline de b`l`rii Ceea ce arat` c` nu [tim s` avem grij` de
copii. Dac` [colile nu au bani, atunci de ce nu intervin comunitatea local` [i mediul de afaceri local? n ora[ele europene sunt
parcuri n care se mprejmuiesc cteva zeci de metri p`tra]i [i se
amenajeaz` un teren de baschet, pe care copiii pot face sport.
La noi, comunit`]ile locale nu solicit` a[a ceva, nu [i pun problema c` poate unii copii ajung s` consume droguri sau s` stea
l 83
pe strad` pentru c` nu au unde s`-[i petreac` timpul liber, nu

li se asigur` nici un fel de condi]ii.
H.-R. Patapievici: Cine este dezinteresat de viitorul copiilor?
Daniel Dìanu: Este foarte greu s`-i convingi pe oamenii de
afaceri. Omul de afaceri din Romnia pentru c` se simte agresat, pentru c` are probleme cu legisla]ia, pentru c` nu n]elege
c` organiza]ia economic` trebuie s` fie un bun cet`]ean are
o accep]ie unilateral` [i mioap` a activit`]ii sale: crede c` trebuie s` fie orientat` exclusiv spre profit. Ceea ce arat` o anume
imaturitate a cercurilor de afaceri.
84 l
Radu Mateescu: Acest forum urm`re[te s` descopere n ce

m`sur` interesele oamenilor de afaceri, ale elitelor culturale [i
ale comunit`]ilor converg, n ce m`sur` pot fi ele armonizate.
Dorim s` afl`m n ce m`sur` mediul de afaceri dore[te s` se
implice n rezolvarea unor probleme ale societ`]ii, astfel nct
ulterior, prin for]a pe care o au, mpreun`, elitele din afaceri [i
elitele culturale, s` putem promova pe agenda public` problemele [i solu]iile identificate. Trebuie s` vedem dac` elitele
din afaceri [i cele din mediul cultural [i educa]ional pot avea un
cuvnt mai puternic de spus n societatea romneasc`.
Cristian Prvan: A[ vrea s` dau dou` exemple pentru a plasa
dezbaterea ntr-un context mai larg. Unul este cel al Statelor
Unite cea mai mare democra]ie a lumii care au refuzat s`
semneze acordul de la Kyoto, argumentnd prin stagnarea economic`. Apoi, [i n Uniunea European` problemele ridicate aici
sunt de mare actualitate, iar r`spunsul oferit de organiza]ia
interna]ional` a patronilor este unul clar: da voluntariatului, nu
obligativit`]ii.
Paula Apreutesei: n Romnia, tot acest proces este la nceput. Marile corpora]ii import` [i bagajul de cuno[tin]e necesare, [i atitudinea fa]` de responsabilitatea social` pe care le
au n ]`rile de origine. Dar pentru companiile romne[ti [i conceptul de responsabilitate, [i termenii discu]iei sunt nout`]i, a[a
nct consider c` dezbaterea propus` de acest forum este necesar`. Sigur, responsabilitatea social` depinde de m`rimea organiza]iei economice, de capacitatea ei de a investi n proiecte
sociale sau culturale. Dar pn` la urm`, ceea ce conteaz` este
r`spunderea pentru lucrul bine f`cut. Compania poate s`
H.-R. Patapievici: Who doesnt care about the

childrens future?
Daniel D?ianu: Its hard to convince business
people. The Romanian business man
because he feels aggressed, because he has
legislation problems, because he doesnt
understand that the economic organization
has to be a good citizen has a unilateral
acceptation of his activity: he thinks he will
be oriented exclusively towards profit. This
shows a certain immaturity of the business
circles.
Radu Mateescu: This forum wants to discover
the length of harmonizing the business peoples interests, the cultural elites and communities. We want to find the extant of the
business environment will to solve some society problems, so that later, through their
force, the cultural and business elites can promote on the public agenda the identified
solutions. We have to see if the business elites
and the cultural and educational ones have
something to say for the Romanian society.
Cristian Prvan: I would like to give you two
examples in order to lead the discussion to a
larger context. One is the United States the
biggest democracy in the world who
refused to sign the Kyoto Convention, for
reasons based on economic hold-up. Then,
also the European Union proposed problems
connected to the present times, and the
answer the international organization of
business owners was: yes to volunteering and
no to obligation.
Paula Apreutesei: In Romania, all this process
is still at the beginning. The big corporations
importthe know-how and the attitude
towards the social responsibility that the originating countries have. But for the Romanian
companies, even the concept of responsibility
and the terms of this discussion are new, so I
thing that this debate is really necessary. Of
course, the social responsibility depends on
the size of the economic organization, on its
capacity to invest in social or cultural projects.
But in the end, what matters the most is the
responsibility for the well-done thing. The
company can create a frame for taking on
these responsibilities. At Microsoft, the projects we get involved in have a goal: obtaining the information technology aptitudes. In
Romania there are seven centers where we
train this year 400 people, in order to inte-
grate ourselves in the global policies of

Microsoft, who wants to train a quarter of a
billion people in information technology. You
do well where you have the right competence to do well.
Radu Mateescu: The company has a more
clear interest in this direction? Why does it
want to get involved in developing the community? And what problems did you have in
founding the seven centers?
Paula Apreutesei: For example, it took two
years to get the local councils permit through
which the headquarters would belong to the
community. There was a certain suspicion:
why did you choose our town? And now,
the mayor says that he will come wherever
we want to start new centers in order to help
us convince the other mayors. Companies
cannot go talk to the local authorities in
order to convince them. So we found a solution: working with local NGOs. They are the
ones that, being involved in the communities
every day life, can mediate the business people and authorities. I remember now that in
my childhood, on Sunday we were going to
patriotic work an activity that should be
voluntary; I dont have very pleasant memories about that. But todays young people are
the different; they want to get involved in
our projects on volunteering bases, so that,
about the option of volunteering and obligation, when it comes to social responsibility, I
go for volunteering. And our interest is very
clear: we want to have educated people, with
skills in information technology.
Adela Rogojinaru: We welcome the idea of
consulting the business people on the desire
to get involved in social and cultural project.
But it is sad enough that from 86 companies
we questioned, only 15 answered, and from
their answers we understood that the business environment is pretty unfriendly. I think
that the way we deal with the social responsibility problem is a little wrong, if we wait for
the initiative to start from the business environment. The responsibility has to be the
effect of a relationship, a dialogue between
the ones who are interested in this.
Otherwise, companies will get stuck in the
administrative process and the civil society
will say that firms are exclusively interested in
profit. The state has to define and to go after
the common wealth and companies have to
take on some interventions. Some are circumstantial interventions, when companies try to
creeze un cadru pentru asumarea acestei r`spunderi. La

Microsoft, proiectele n care ne implic`m au o finalitate: dobndirea aptitudinilor de tehnologia informa]iei. n Romnia avem
[apte centre n care vrem s` instruim n acest an 400 de
oameni, pentru a ne integra n politicile globale ale Microsoft,
care dore[te s` instruiasc` un sfert de miliard de oameni n utilizarea tehnologiei informa]iei. Faci bine acolo unde ai competen]a s` faci bine.
Radu Mateescu: Compania are un interes clar n aceast`
direc]ie? De ce dore[te s` se implice n dezvoltarea comunit`]ii?
{i ce probleme a]i avut n nfiin]area celor [apte centre?
Paula Apreutesei: De exemplu, doi ani de zile a durat pn`
am convins un primar s` dea o hot`rre de consiliu local prin
care sediul, unde urma s` func]ioneze centrul de instruire, s` fie
al lor, al comunit`]ii. Exista o anume suspiciune: de ce a]i ales
tocmai localitatea noastr`?. Acum, primarul ne-a spus c` va
veni cu noi acolo unde vom mai deschide centre, pentru a-i
convinge pe ceilal]i primari asupra utilit`]ii acestui lucru.
Companiile ns` nu pot s` mearg` zi de zi s` discute cu autorit`]ile locale pentru a le convinge. A[a nct am g`sit o solu]ie:
lucr`m cu organiza]ii neguvernamentale locale. ONG-urile sunt
cele care, fiind implicate n via]a de zi cu zi a comunit`]ilor, pot
s` medieze ntre oamenii de afaceri [i autorit`]i. mi amintesc
cum, copil fiind, duminica eram sco[i la munc` patriotic` o
activitate care ar fi trebuit s` fie voluntar`; nu am amintiri
foarte pl`cute despre acele vremuri. Dar tinerii de ast`zi sunt
altfel, doresc s` se implice n proiectele noastre pe baz` de voluntariat, a[a nct, n leg`tur` cu op]iunea ntre voluntariat [i
obligativitate, n ceea ce prive[te responsabilitatea social`,
optez pentru voluntariat. Ct despre interesul nostru, el este
clar: dorim s` avem oameni educa]i, cu aptitudini n tehnologia
informa]iei.
Adela Rogojinaru: Consultarea oamenilor de afaceri asupra
dorin]ei de a se implica n proiecte sociale [i culturale este
binevenit`. Dar este destul de trist c` din 86 de companii
chestionate au r`spuns numai 15, iar din r`spunsurile lor
rezult` c` mediul de afaceri este neprietenos. Cred c` modul
n care punem problema responsabilit`]ii sociale este pu]in
gre[it, dac` a[tept`m ca ini]iativa s` porneasc` mai ales dinspre mediul de afaceri. Responsabilitatea trebuie s` fie efectul
l 85
86 l
unei rela]ii, al unui dialog ntre cei interesa]i. Altminteri, companiile se vor bloca n obtuzitatea administra]iei, iar societatea
civil` va spune c` firmele sunt interesate exclusiv de profit.
Statul trebuie s` defineasc` [i s` urm`reasc`, prin politicile
sale, binele comun, iar companiile trebuie s` [i asume anumite interven]ii. Unele sunt interven]ii circumstan]iale, atunci
cnd companiile ncearc` s` r`spund` unui deficit
(educa]ional, de s`n`tate etc.) din comunitatea local` unde
func]ioneaz`. Dar de la companii se a[teapt` mai mult dect
astfel de interven]ii oportune n mediul n care lucreaz`: se
a[teapt` o form` de moralitate corporativ`, o anume
con[tiin]` a responsabilit`]ii. Acest lucru este mult mai important pentru c` aceast` form` de moralitate poate constitui o
baz` pentru dialogul cu societatea civil`. Este moralitatea
companiilor compatibil` cu moralitatea public`? Companiile
ncearc` s` deblocheze acest dialog, iar n aceast` privin]` sunt
de partea companiilor. Unele grupuri din societatea civil` consider` c` Statul ar trebui s` reglementeze mai mult; dar dac`
se ntmpl` a[a, atunci dialogul se diminueaz`. Eu sunt n
favoarea dialogului, [i nu a unei interven]ii mai accentuate din
partea Statului.
Radu Mateescu: Problema este: suntem dispu[i s` punem
laolalt` interesele companiilor [i interesele comunit`]ii?
Adela Rogojinaru: A[tept, de la mediul de afaceri, o declara]ie explicit` mai ferm` n privin]a politicilor de responsabilitate social`, n privin]a investi]iilor sociale pe care le urm`resc,
astfel nct ele s` poat` ap`rea [i pe agenda public`. Din r`spunsurile la chestionar ale companiilor rezult` ns` lucruri
ngrijor`toare: de exemplu, faptul c` n continuare corup]ia
este v`zut` drept principala problem` a societ`]ii, de c`tre
mediul de afaceri.
Tudor Blni: Corup]ia este o problem` pentru c` ea creeaz`
avantaje unor companii n defavoarea altora. Atta timp ct
competitorul meu beneficiaz`, din cauza corup]iei, de avantaje pe care eu nu le am, eu nu pot fi mai altruist, nu m` pot
implica mai mult n societate. Trebuie s` fim mult mai reali[ti
n leg`tur` cu modul n care func]ioneaz` lumea: marile
investi]ii n proiecte sociale au ntotdeauna o r`splat` politic`.
Eu lucrez la o companie de investi]ii care este prezent`, n Est,
[i pe pie]ele din Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croa]ia. Noi nu avem
respond to a deficit (of educational kind,

health, etc) of the local community where
they operate.
But from companies that expect more than
this opportunistic intervention in the environment they operate in expect a form of corporative morality, a certain responsibility conscience. This is more important because this
form of morality can represent the base for
the dialogue with the civil society. Is the companies morality compatible with the public
morality? The companies try to unblock this
dialogue and, from this point of view, I am
on companies side. Some groups from the
civil society consider that the State should
regulate more; if this happens, the dialogue
will decrease. Im for dialogue and not a bigger intervention from the State.
Radu Mateescu: Problem is: do we want to
put together the companies interests and the
community ones?
Adela Rogojinaru: I keep waiting from the
business environment, for an explicit declaration about the social responsibility policies,
the social investigations they make, so that
these could end up in the public agenda.
From the answers to the questionnaire I came
to worrying conclusions: for example, the fact
that corruption is seen as the main problem
of society by the business environment.
Tudor Blni: Corruption is a problem
because it creates advantages to other companies against other ones. As long as the
competitor benefits from corruption of
advantages I dont have, I cannot be more
altruistic, I cannot get more involved in society. We have to be more realistic about the
way this world operates: big investments in
social projects are always a political reward. I
work in an investment company that is present in Eastern Europe, on the Bulgarian,
Macedonian and Croatian markets. We dont
have any connections with the local community other way but through the opportunities
they offer us: the possibilities to invest, smaller taxes etc.
The advantage of such a company is that it
can go towards other companies at any time,
if these ones offer investment opportunities
or better fiscal policies. If my competition is
not obliged to have the same behavior and
generosity, I will never risk the companys
money for social projects: business people will
never invest on a social level if they dont see
a chance for developing the country. Only in
time, if things go well, we can realize that we

have to invest at a local level in order to have
consumers or to increase the employees
preparation level. Otherwise, we will not
invest. The Government has to increase its
people and to elaborate development policies: if it doesnt happen, you will see that
firms come here only to sell some products,
not to invest in society.
Andi L?zescu: The social implication is, in the
end, a communication process: the companys
interest is to gain a certain trust, which in our
world becomes more and more complicated,
because there is an excess of information
(because of globalization, Internet, etc.) and
an excess of publicity that ends up on not
reaching their goals. Therefore, firms go on
this idea of gaining trust on a long term,
beyond momentary promotion campaigns.
I would go back to a mechanism that Paula
Apreutesei mentioned. Firms can do some
good things on a social level. But their main
activity cannot be that. What they can do
better is give resources to projects that could
be done: someone has to imagine the projects. But we dont have too many ideas on
social implication programs many times,
they choose randomly some projects for
financing. It would be very important to have
a connection between companies and NGOs.
They have to identify mechanisms through
which the civil society projects can be presented to potential financers from the business environment: I saw many cases where
firms wanted to invest in cultural and social
projects and they didnt find any. Its very
beautiful and human to help a sick person to
have a surgery abroad, but not enough. They
have to invest in projects with a long term
impact.
Another thing that is missing in Romania is
the communication between the interested
parties. They say an implication of the companies would be necessary, but they need to
know the communitys problems. The local
administrations dont have mechanisms that
will allow them to communicate systematically the problems and necessities. They need a
systematic frame for consultations through
which companies know the necessary projects
and resources. About the voluntary versus
obligation dilemma, I think that in some
fields, the social responsibility has to be regulated: you cannot do what you want, for
example, in environment problems. But we
will adhere soon to the European Union and
Im afraid that the excess of regulation from
nici o leg`tur` cu comunitatea local` dect prin oportunit`]ile

pe care ni le ofer`: posibilit`]ile de a investi, impozite mai mici
etc. Avantajul unei astfel de companii este c` poate pleca
oricnd spre alte ]`ri care ofer` oportunit`]i de investi]ii sau
politici fiscale mai bune. Dac` concuren]a mea nu este obligat` s` aib` acela[i comportament [i aceea[i generozitate, eu
nu voi risca niciodat` banii firmei n proiecte sociale: oamenii
de afaceri nu vor investi niciodat` la nivel social, dac` nu vor
sesiza o anume perspectiv` de dezvoltare a ]`rii. Doar n timp,
dac` lucrurile merg bine, ne putem da seama c` trebuie s`
investim la nivel local pentru a ne putea cre[te consumatori
sau pentru a spori nivelul de preg`tire al angaja]ilor. Altfel, nu
vom investi. Guvernul trebuie s`-[i creasc` poporul [i s` elaboreze politici de dezvoltare: dac` nu se ntmpl` asta, se va
vedea c` firmele vin aici doar ca s` vnd` ni[te produse, nu s`
investeasc` n societate.
Andi L`zescu: Implicarea social` este, la urma urmei, un proces de comunicare: exist` n companii interesul de a c[tiga un
anumit capital de ncredere, ceea ce n lumea noastr` devine
tot mai complicat, pentru c` exist` un exces de informa]ie (din
cauza globaliz`rii, a Internetului etc.) [i un exces de mesaje
publicitare, care ajung s` nu-[i mai ating` scopul. Prin urmare,
firmele merg pe aceast` idee a dobndirii unei ncrederi pe termen mai lung, dincolo de campaniile de promovare de moment. M-a[ ntoarce la un mecanism la care s-a referit Paula
Apreutesei. Firmele pot face ni[te lucruri bune pe plan social.
Dar activitatea lor principal` nu poate fi aceasta. Ce pot face
ele mai bine este s` pun` resurse n proiecte care func]ioneaz`:
cineva trebuie s` imagineze proiectele. Or, la noi, exist` o
s`r`cie n imaginarea de programe de implicare social` de
multe ori, pentru finan]are se aleg cam la ntmplare ni[te
proiecte. Ar fi foarte important, a[adar, s` existe o leg`tur`
strns` ntre companii [i ONG-uri. Trebuie identificate mecanisme prin care proiectele elaborate de societatea civil` s`
poat` fi prezentate poten]ialilor finan]atori din mediile de afaceri: am ntlnit destule cazuri cnd firmele doreau s` investeasc` n proiecte culturale sau sociale, dar nu prea aveau n ce.
E foarte frumos [i uman s` aju]i un bolnav s` fac` o opera]ie n
strìn`tate, dar nu e suficient. Trebuie investit n proiecte care
s` aib` impact pe termen lung. Un alt lucru care lipse[te n
Romnia este comunicarea ntre cei interesa]i. Se spune c` ar fi
necesar` o mai mare implicare a companiilor n comunitate, dar
l 87
pentru asta companiile trebuie s` [tie care sunt problemele

comunit`]ii. Or, administra]iile locale nu au mecanisme prin
care s` comunice sistematic care sunt problemele [i necesit`]ile.
Este nevoie de un cadru sistematic de consult`ri prin care companiile s` [tie care sunt proiectele [i resursele necesare.
Ct despre dilema voluntariat vs. obligativitate, cred c` n
unele domenii responsabilitatea social` trebuie legiferat`: nu
po]i face ce vrei, de pild`, n probleme de mediu nconjur`tor.
Dar vom intra curnd n Uniunea European` [i m` tem c` excesul de reglementare de la Bruxelles va p`trunde [i la noi ntr-o
]ar` care oricum e complicat` [i birocratizat`. M-a[ ndep`rta
de o asemenea perspectiv`
88 l
Solomon Marcus: Cunosc un num`r mare de actori economici de succes pentru c` provin dintre fo[tii mei studen]i de la
matematic` [i informatic`; ei sunt oameni care se implic`, att
n proiecte caritabile, ct [i n sprijinirea unor tineri de valoare
s`-[i continue studiile la universit`]i din lume. M-am ntrebat de
ce totu[i nu sunt att de frecven]i oamenii de afaceri care s`-[i
asume responsabilitatea social`. Solu]iile se a[teapt` din partea
unor elite. Mie mi se pare c` problema principal` ]ine de mentalitate [i vine dintr-un trecut mai ndep`rtat. Conform acestei
mentalit`]i, multe acte de corup]ie sunt considerate de fapt
acte de polite]e, de prietenie, de comportament civilizat. Iar a
doua problem` este e[ecul de anvergur` al sistemului educa]ional. Cuvntul care mi se pare cel mai potrivit este unul preluat din fotbal: offside. Noi suntem, din multe puncte de vedere, n situa]ie de offside: ne afl`m n afara jocului. De ce au
reu[it mul]i dintre fo[tii mei studen]i? R`spunsul este de o simplitate dezarmant`: pe lng` faptul c` au primit, n familie, o
educa]ie bun` (c`ci educa]ia de acas` e mai important` dect
cea primit` n [coal`), au f`cut o baie de Occident. C]iva ani
petrecu]i n ]`ri avansate le-au schimbat mentalitatea. Din acest
punct de vedere, cele dou` milioane de romni care lucreaz`
acum n strìn`tate reprezint` factorul cel mai important al
schimb`rii la fa]` a Romniei. Mi se pare important s` ne ndrept`m c`tre tineri [i s` le d`m posibilitatea s`-[i schimbe
mentalitatea. Mentalitatea este format` dintr-o serie ntreag`
de presupozi]ii, de idei anterioare, mo[tenite, de care oamenii
uneori nici nu sunt con[tien]i, dar ele ac]ioneaz` n comportamentul lor, ca un dictator de care nu ne d`m seama.
Schimbarea mentalit`]ii la tineri nseamn` s`-i determine s`
intre n joc, s` nu mai stea n afara jocului.
Brussels will expand here too in a country

that is already complicated and bureaucratic.
I would go far from this perspective
Solomon Marcus: I know a great number of
economic actors because they are one of my
former students in math and computer science; they are people who get involved, both
in charitable projects, as in supporting young
valuable people to continue their studies at
universities abroad. I wondered why there
are not so many business people who can
take social responsibility. We expect solutions
from elites. I think that the main problem is
about mentality and it comes from a further
past. According to this mentality, many corruption acts are considered courtesy acts,
friendship. The second problem is the educational system failure. The word that seems
more appropriate is from football: offside.
We are from many points of view, in an offside position: out of the game. Why did my
former students make it? The answer is of a
disarming simplicity: aside from the fact that
they got a good education (because the
home education is better than the school
education), they also went to other countries.
A few years spent in advanced countries
changed their mentality. From this point of
view, the two million Romanian who are
working abroad represent the most important factor of Romanias change. It is very
important for me to give the young people
the opportunity to change their mentality.
Mentality is made of an entire series of
assumptions, inherited ideas, by people who
sometimes are not even conscious, but they
act in their behavior like a dictator that we
dont realize we have. Changing the mentality means determining them to get into the
game, not to watch it.
Liviu Papadima: I have been pleasantly surprised that people who are so different take
part in this debate, had agreed that the social
responsibility doesnt have to be regulated,
but left at the companies appreciation. What
we have to regulate is the abuse generated
by the social irresponsibility. But the social
responsibility of the companies doesnt have
to be confounded with trading and it has to
be treated as it is: we dont have to transfer
over the companies the State or the
Government responsibilities, nor the local
communitys ones. They have to remain companies in the first place, but they can do a lot
of things in the common interest areas. Such
an area is the educational one.
Companies need skilled people and in the

Romanian academic environment, one of the
big problems is that the graduates ideal is to
work in a multinational company, so a close
up between the two worlds would be profitable. They have made a few steps in this
direction through some meeting organized
by CODECS, where many universities and
companies representatives took part in. Two
things came up. One was predictable: a huge
distance between the ways of seeing this
common interest field by the two categories:
the employers were saying that the universities are far from what they need and the academics were saying that the employers dont
care. The second thing was the fact that just
a few business environment representatives
came to these meetings.
Andrew Costin: I agree with Mr. Liviu
Papadima the representatives of the business environment rarely come to these
debates. We have a term in Romanian that
defines companies juridical person (in
English, this word doesnt exist). This term
implies a certain degree of responsibility in a
community, no matter if you are a profit centre of a multinational company or a local
firm. When you enter a market, you already
have some clear calculation and you knew
the field more or less corrupted you knew
which are the advantages and disadvantages,
etc.
Such calculations had been made by all the
firms that came to Romania: they all knew
very well whats here. English people have a
very good mentality, according to which each
person matters; that means think globally, act
locally. You have to act on the other people
around you. Instead of regulating responsibility and morality, we should try to set some
examples for the ones around us. The firms
come here to make profit; some of them get
involved in community, others dont do anything, but tell the press how wonderful they
are.
Outside Bucharest you see the sad reality
from villages and small towns where almost
nobody cares. The economic actors have to be
stimulated to get more involved in these
places. There are a few Romanian business
people who had accumulated capital and get
involved in art and culture; they are more
tempted by football teams or entertainment
shows. These people didnt get such an education. The multinational companies, on the
other hand, have a certain tradition: they
know how to build their image and help
communities.
Liviu Papadima: Am fost pl`cut surprins c` oamenii att de

diferi]i, care particip` la aceast` dezbatere, au fost de acord c`
responsabilitatea social` nu trebuie legiferat`, ci trebuie l`sat`
la aprecierea companiilor. Ceea ce trebuie ns` legiferat este
abuzul generat de eventuala iresponsabilitate social`. Dar
responsabilitatea social` a companiilor nu trebuie confundat`
cu mecenatul [i trebuie tratat` cu m`sur`: nu trebuie s` transfer`m asupra companiilor nici responsabilit`]ile Statului sau ale
Guvernului, nici ale comunit`]ilor locale. Ele trebuie s` r`mn`
n primul rnd companii, dar pot face foarte mult acolo unde
exist` zone de interes comun. O asemenea zon` este cea educa]ional`. Companiile au nevoie de mn` de lucru calificat`, iar
pentru mediul academic romnesc una dintre marile probleme,
la ora actual`, este c` idealul absolven]ilor este s` lucreze n
multina]ionale, a[a nct o apropiere ntre cele dou` lumi este
reciproc profitabil`. S-au f`cut c]iva pa[i n aceast` direc]ie,
prin cteva ntlniri realizate de CODECS, la care au participat
reprezentan]i cu putere decizional` din partea universit`]ii [i
reprezentan]i ai diverselor companii. dou` lucruri au ie[it n eviden]`. Unul era previzibil: o distan]` kilometric` ntre felurile de
a privi acest domeniu de interes comun de c`tre cele dou` categorii: angajatorii repro[au pe bun` dreptate c` universitatea
se afl` la mare distan]` de ceea ce le trebuie lor, iar academicii
le repro[au angajatorilor dezinteresul. Al doilea lucru a fost
slaba prezen]` a mediului de afaceri la aceste ntlniri.
Andrew Costin: Sunt de acord cu dl Liviu Papadima reprezentan]ii mediului de afaceri sunt slab reprezenta]i la astfel de
dezbateri. n limba romn` exist` un termen pentru a defini
companiile persoan` juridic` (n englez`, de pild`, nu exist`).
Termenul de persoan` juridic` implic` un anumit grad de
responsabilitate ntr-o comunitate, indiferent c` e[ti centru de
profit al unei companii multina]ionale sau o firm` local`. n
momentul cnd ai p`truns pe o pia]`, ]i-ai f`cut ni[te calcule
foarte clare dinainte [i [tiai care este terenul de joc mai corupt
sau mai pu]in corupt , care sunt avantajele [i dezavantajele
[.a.m.d. Astfel de calcule au fost f`cute de la nceput de toate
firmele mari care au venit n Romnia: ele [tiau foarte bine ce
le a[teapt`. Anglo-saxonii au o mentalitate foarte frumoas`,
conform c`reia fiecare conteaz`; ea se traduce n principiul
think globally, act locally. Trebuie s` ac]ionezi asupra celor din
jurul lor. Dect s` ncerc`m s` legifer`m responsabilitatea [i
moralitatea firmelor, este mai bine s` ncerc`m s` d`m ni[te
l 89
exemple celor din jurul nostru. Firmele vin aici pentru a face
profit; unele se implic` n comunitate, altele nu fac nimic, dar
dau semnale n pres` despre ct de grozave sunt ele. n afara
Bucure[tiului te izbe[ti de realit`]ile triste din sate [i din micile
ora[e unde nu se implic` aproape nimeni. Actorii economici
trebuie stimula]i s` se implice mai mult n aceste locuri. Sunt
foarte pu]ini oameni de afaceri romni care au acumulat un
capital financiar [i care se implic` n cultur` [i art`; mai degrab`
sunt tenta]i de echipe de fotbal sau de spectacole de divertisment. Ace[ti oameni, n mare parte, nu au avut o educa]ie de
acest gen. Multina]ionalele, n schimb, au o anume tradi]ie: [tiu
s`-[i fac` [i imaginea, [tiu s` ajute [i comunit`]ile.
90 l
Tudor Blni: Cred c` suntem cam inocen]i n aceast` discu]ie, iar clien]ii pentru care lucrez eu sunt, de pild`, dintre cei
mai pu]in inocen]i. Ei urm`resc investi]ia [i profitul. Sigur, se
pot implica [i n proiecte sociale, ntr-o m`sur` mai mic` sau
mai mare. Dar Statul este acela care trebuie s` [tie ce nevoi are,
s`-[i creasc` cet`]enii [i s` le rezolve problemele, prin legiferare. O companie se poate implica, de pild`, cu un milion de
dolari pe an; dar exist` probleme sociale [i culturale care au
nevoie de un miliard, iar acest miliard nu poate veni dect de la
bugetul de stat format din impozitele pl`tite de firme. {i sunt
probleme ample, de sistem, pe care investitorii priva]i nu le pot
rezolva, orict s-ar implica.
Cristian Prvan: De exemplu, problema persoanelor n vrst`,
cu implica]ii uria[e: de la cazuri sociale, ale celor bolnavi, care
ocup` spitalele, pn` la faptul c` n familii, oamenii au b`trni
de care nu se pot ocupa [i nici nu au unde s`-i duc`. Dar un
asemenea sistem lipse[te cu totul din Romnia, [i nici o legisla]ie n acest sens nu exist`.
Andrew Costin: Pentru ca o ]ar` s` mearg` bine, are nevoie
de trei sisteme puse la punct: un sistem de s`n`tate, unul
educa]ional [i unul juridic. Or, la noi, aceste trei sisteme sunt
cele mai putrede.
Cristian Prvan: Putrede e un termen cam tare; nu sunt
coerente [i func]ionale. Problema este c` nu avem un sistem
prin care s` rezolv`m astfel de probleme n cadrul comunit`]ilor
locale.
Tudor Blni: I think we are a little innocent

in this discussion and the clients I work for
are less innocent. They follow the investment
and the profit. Of course, they can get
involved in social projects in a higher or
lower degree. But the State is the one who
knows what kind of needs it has, how to
solve the citizens problems, through regulations. A company can get involved in these
problems by giving, lets say, a million dollars
a year; but there are social and cultural problems that need a billion and this billion can
only come from the state budget made of
taxes paid by firms. And there are big problems, system problems that the private
investors cannot solve; no matter how long
will they get involved.
Cristian Prvan: For example, the problem of
the old people has huge implications: from
social cases to sick people who stay in hospitals, to the fact that every family has old people that nobody takes care of and they have
no place to send them. But such a system
doesnt exist in Romania and there is no regulation about it.
Andrew Costin: In order to operate well, a
country needs three systems: health, educational and juridical. But in our country these
systems are rotten.
Cristian Prvan: Rotten is a very strong
term; they are not coherent and functional.
The problem is that we dont have a system
through which such problems could be solved
at the local community level.
Voica Pop: I notice the need for solutions but
I dont see the problems they should solve.
There is a principle in management that says
that when you identify correctly a problem, a
part of it is already solved. Here there are a
lot of ideas but not important ones. UNICEF
has operated in Romania by cooperating with
firms from Western Europe, with which we
also had excellent or less excellent experiences. I dont think that we have to entirely
undertake a model. Aside from that, in the
past years, the firms contribution from
Western Europe decreased fast. Their social
responsibility seems to not manifest anymore
on a European level. But we have identified
in Romania an extraordinary potential of the
private firms that are willing to take on
responsibilities in our activity field, which is
childrens education and welfare. When it
comes to regulating the social responsibility,

my opinion is: if you want to destroy the
social responsibility, regulate it.
Andrei Ple[u: In a way, I am also frustrated by
the fact that we cannot find solutions and
answers, like we wanted in these forums. In
order to have answers, we need precise questions; for the following forums we should
think of more focalized themes. For now, we
still need answers that had not been given or
that are too vague. I think that in the relationship between business people and poor
people there is a technical problem of dialogue. What do the business people sponsor?
Lets make a short inventory. They sponsor
personal hobbies, and this is a big and expensive chapter if they like football, they sponsor football; if they like music, they sponsor
music. We cannot get involved in this,
because its about peoples liberties.
The second type of sponsorships is the more
emotional issues that make you suffer sick
people, children, old people; these are real
dramas and the emotional reaction to them is
legitimate and honorable. But it depends on
their appearance on TV or newspapers of
such dramatic cases. Finally, they sponsor
image benefits: you never sponsor things that
nobody knows about, but the ones that people find out about and remember. Or you can
sponsor more things that reach you by
chance.
This way, there are things that need sponsorships, but never get the money. Up until now,
the dialogue is unilateral: there are potential
sponsors and solicitors, but they dont
know where to go, where the counter is,
they dont know whom to talk to, or they go
to people they think they have resources.
Something should be done so that the dialogue becomes bilateral. I dont have spectacular ideas about this, but I have financial
ideas: if I was a business owner, I would put a
ballot box in from of my institution where
everybody would insert their problems. Of
course, I should have a team that would
select them (probably three quarters of them
would be thrown away) and see whats viable
from all those propositions. Or a sponsor
should need a minimal team of counsels who
would test the market, identify the needs so
that the sponsor would also look towards the
ones in need because they dont know how
to ask. And I plead for sponsorships because
the projects should be identified, who can
actually solve something.
Why cant they do more? Of course, there is
Voica Pop: Constat c` se cer solu]ii, dar nu mi dau seama la

ce fel de probleme ar trebui s` r`spund` ele. Exist` n management un principiu care spune c` atunci cnd identifici corect
problema, o parte din ea este [i rezolvat`. Or, aici apar tot felul
de idei, dar nu se pune punctul pe i. UNICEF a func]ionat n
Romnia prin colaborarea cu firme din vestul Europei, cu care
am avut [i experien]e excelente, [i experien]e mai pu]in bune.
Nu cred c` trebuie preluat n ntregime un model. n plus, n
ultimii ani, contribu]ia firmelor din vestul Europei scade ntr-un
ritm alarmant. Responsabilitatea lor social` pare s` nu se mai
manifeste la fel pe plan european. n schimb, am identificat n
Romnia un poten]ial extraordinar al firmelor private, care sunt
dornice s`-[i asume responsabilit`]i n domeniul nostru de
activitate, [i anume bun`starea [i educarea copiilor. n ceea ce
prive[te reglementarea responsabilit`]ii sociale, p`rerea mea
este urm`toarea: dac` vrei s` distrugi responsabilitatea social`,
atunci reglementeaz-o.
Andrei Ple[u: ntr-un fel, [i eu sunt pu]in frustrat c` nu reu[im
s` g`sim solu]ii [i r`spunsuri, a[a cum ne-am propus n aceste
forumuri. Dar pentru a avea r`spunsuri, e nevoie de ntreb`ri
precise; pentru forumurile urm`toare ar trebui s` ne gndim la
teme mai focalizate. Deocamdat`, am r`mas ntr-o nevoie generic` de r`spuns la ntreb`ri nc` neformulate sau formulate
prea vag. Cred c` ceea ce sufer` n rela]ia dintre oamenii de
afaceri [i oamenii nevoia[i este o anumit` tehnic` a dialogului.
Ce sponsorizeaz` oamenii de afaceri? S` facem un inventar
rapid. Sponsorizeaz` hobby-uri personale, iar acesta este un
capitol mare [i foarte costisitor dac` i place fotbalul, sponsorizeaz` fotbalul; dac` i place muzica, sponsorizeaz` muzica.
Aici nu ne putem amesteca, este vorba despre libert`]ile oamenilor. Al doilea tip de sponsoriz`ri l reprezint` chestiunile cu un
mare con]inut de emotivitate, care te fac s` suferi bolnavi,
copii, b`trni; sunt ni[te drame adev`rate, iar reac]ia emotiv` n
fa]a lor e legitim` [i onorabil`. Dar depinde de apari]ia la televizor sau n ziar a unor astfel de cazuri dramatice. n sfr[it, se
sponsorizeaz` beneficii de imagine: nu sponsorizezi lucruri
despre care nimeni nu [tie c` le-ai sponsorizat, ci lucruri care
intr` n ochii [i n urechile oamenilor, care le r`mn n memorie. Sau mai sponsorizezi mici lucruri care ajung la tine ntmpl`tor. Altfel, exist` lucruri care au nevoie de sponsoriz`ri, dar
la care nu ajung banii. Pn` acum, dialogul este unilateral:
exist` poten]ialii sponsori [i exist` peten]ii, dar ei nu [tiu
l 91
unde s` vin`, nu [tiu unde e ghi[eul, nu [tiu cu cine trebuie

s` vorbeasc`, sau vin n mod inadecvat la unii despre care [i
nchipuie c` ar dispune de resurse. Ar trebui f`cut ceva pentru
ca dialogul s` fie bilateral. Nu am idei foarte spectaculoase n
aceast` privin]`, am mai degrab` idei b`be[ti: eu, dac` a[ fi
patron, a[ pune o urn` la intrarea institu]iei mele n care lumea
s`-[i pun` problemele. Desigur, ar trebui apoi o echip` de doi
oameni care s` le selecteze (probabil c` trei sferturi vor trebui
aruncate la co[) [i s` vad` ce este viabil din acele propuneri. Sau
i-ar trebui, unui sponsor, o echip` minimal` de consilierat, care
s` sondeze pia]a, s` identifice nevoile, astfel nct s` existe [i din
partea sponsorului o mi[care c`tre nevoia[, pentru c` nevoia[ul
nu [tie s` cear`. {i pledez pentru sponsoriz`ri mici, pentru proiecte bine identificate, care pot rezolva realmente ceva.
De ce nu se poate face mai mult? Desigur, este [i o problem`
de educa]ie. Dar a[ spune, n ap`rarea oamenilor de afaceri, c`
este [i o problem` de context. Este greu s` faci o afacere n
Romnia. Cred c` oamenii de afaceri nu au nici timp, nici
energie, nici disponibilitate pentru a se mai ocupa [i cu alte
lucruri, dup` ce [i ncheie o zi grea de munc` n domeniul lor.
92 l
Lavinia Ra[ca: Eu cred c` nu avem mai multe proiecte de

responsabilitate social` [i pentru c` nu sunt mai mul]i bani.
Capitalismul romnesc nu este format doar din mari companii,
ci [i din cteva mii de mici ntreprinz`tori, afla]i n faza de capitalizare, a c`ror prim` responsabilitate este fa]` de investitori [i
fa]` de angaja]i. {i-au riscat banii [i trebuie s`-i recupereze, a[a
nct deocamdat` au obliga]ia de a face profit [i de a-[i pl`ti
taxele. Dac` ntreprinz`torii aceia care nu sunt responsabili
social pentru c` sunt prea ocupa]i cu profitul, cu angaja]ii [i cu
problemele zilnice, ar n]elege ce este responsabilitatea social`,
s-ar face un pas nainte.
n Romnia exist` programe de responsabilitate social`, exist`
organiza]ii de tineri care fac aceast` intermediere ntre oamenii
de afaceri [i comunit`]ile locale [i lucrurile ncep s` func]ioneze. Din p`cate, mass-media nu este responsabil` social, nu
public` [tiri despre astfel de activit`]i pentru c` le consider`
reclam`, sau le pretind companiilor ca, dac` vor s` se scrie
despre aceste activit`]i, s` cumpere spa]iu de reclam`. Trebuie
s`-i facem pe oameni s` n]eleag` c` responsabilitatea social`
este util` comunit`]ii, nu doar companiei, nu nseamn` doar
marketing [i bani, ci implic` efort [i creativitate care se r`sfrng
asupra tuturor.
an educational problem. I would say to the

business peoples defense, that there is a context problem. Its hard to have a business in
Romania. I think that business people dont
have time, nor energy, or availability to take
care of other things, after they finish a hard
day in their field.
Lavinia Ra[ca: I think that we dont have
more social responsibility projects also
because we dont have more money.
Romanian capitalism is not only made of big
companies, but also of thousand of small
enterprisers, that are in the capitalization
phase, whose first responsibility is towards
investors and employees. They risked their
money and have to get them back, so that,
for now, they have to obligation to get profit
and to pay the taxes. If enterprisers are not
socially responsible because they are too busy
with the profit, employees and daily problems, would understand the social responsibility and we would move forward.
There are social responsibility programs in
Romania, there are young people organizations that intermediate the business people
and local communities and things start to
function. Unfortunately, mass-media is not
socially responsible, they dont publish news
about such activities because they consider
them advertising, or they ask the companies
to buy advertising space if they want to write
about these activities. We have to make people understand that social responsibility is
useful to community, not only to the country,
that doesnt mean only marketing and
money, but they imply some effort and creativity that have effects on everybody.
C?t?lin Avramescu: I teach at a political science department where the future administration clerks study and they will work in
international and national institutions, or in
the private segment. Up until last year, I started to teach an Ethics course and there was no
other course like this one. I think there
should be ethics courses in most of the
human sciences departments. We need to
have a certain sensibility to welfare, but we
have to educate it, we need a systematic
exposure of the future opinion leaders to the
ethics problems.
Georgiana Pogonaru: I think that a business
success is about the emotional intelligence: if
the enterpriser has the emotional intelligence, he can also have success. If the firm
has the empathy to solve the clients prob-
lems, and the problems of the ones around

him, its a good thing. If he does this thing
with a lot of noise it looks like a modern
societys attribute. After 1990, I found out
that if you dont have an image, you dont
have anything and we all become the victims
of our own PR. We are so concerned about it
that we forget to be ourselves.
Companies dont have time: we have many
requests and we cannot intervene directly,
but through NGOs which can realize these
projects. When I apply my qualities of good
administrator and I check what is happening,
I sometimes see the NGOs spend with their
administration and wages more than with
the projects. We also have universities who
ask for money but they dont ask for our
expertise, they dont ask how we could
organize this project. I think that, at individuals level, we have to learn the difference
between money and value: when we learn
this thing, I think we will succeed in paying
attention to social responsibility programs.
H.-R. Patapievici: I think that this forum gave
a few answers. In the first place, if the social
responsibility problem should be regulated by
law or not, the unanimous answer was no.
What encourages me is the fact that the participants to this forum have a liberal spirit. A
second conclusion is that social responsibility
can manifest itself where it is lucrative for the
one that practices it. This is not a cynical
answer, but a realist one. The social responsibility is not a form of philanthropy. But only
the legislative system is the one making it
worth. Another thing I found out is that we
are at the meetings level and we make an
effort to go to the cooperation phase. In
order to get to this phase, we need a problems inventory; well see who will do it.
Maybe the business environment along with
the governmental organizations could sketch
such an inventory and a synthesis of the common interests of the business people and cultural environments. We should look for a
mechanism that could make things work.
C`t`lin Avramescu: Predau la un departament de [tiin]e

politice, de unde vor ie[i viitori func]ionari din administra]ie, din
institu]ii na]ionale sau interna]ionale, dar [i viitori angaja]i n
mediul privat. Pn` anul trecut, cnd am nceput s` predau un
curs de Etic`, nu exista nici un alt curs de acest gen. Cred c` ar
trebui s` existe cursuri de etic` n majoritatea departamentelor
de [tiin]e umane. Trebuie s` avem o anumit` sensibilitate natural` fa]` de bine, dar trebuie s` o [i educ`m, ne trebuie [i o
expunere sistematic` a viitorilor lideri de opinie la unele probleme de etic`.
Georgiana Pogonaru: Cred s` succesul unei afaceri const` n
inteligen]a emo]ional`: dac` ntreprinz`torul are inteligen]`
emo]ional`, poate avea [i succes. Dac` firma are empatia necesar` pentru a rezolva problemele clien]ilor [i problemele celor
din jur, este un lucru bun. C` face acest lucru cu tam-tam, cu
zgomot se pare c` este un atribut al societ`]ii moderne. Dup`
1990, am aflat [i eu c`, dac` nu ai imagine, nu ai nimic, [i uite
a[a devenim cu to]ii victimele propriului PR. Ne preocup` att
de mult, nct uit`m s` fim noi n[ine. Companiile nu au timp:
ne vin foarte multe cereri [i nu putem s` intervenim noi, direct,
ci prin ONG-uri care duc la cap`t proiectele. Dar atunci cnd mi
pun n aplicare calit`]ile de bun administrator [i verific ce se
ntmpl`, constat c`, uneori, ONG-urile cheltuiesc cu administra]ia [i cu propriile salarii mai mult dect cu evenimentul sau
proiectul pentru care au strns fondurile. Apoi, vin la noi universit`]i care cer bani, dar nu ne cer [i expertiza, nu ne ntreab`
cum am organiza noi realizarea acelui proiect. Cred c`, la nivel
de indivizi, trebuie s` nv`]`m cu to]ii diferen]a dintre bani [i
valoare: cnd vom nv`]a acest lucru, cred c` vom reu[i s` d`m
mai mult` aten]ie programelor de responsabilitate social`.
H.-R. Patapievici: Cred c` la acest forum s-au dat cteva
r`spunsuri. n primul rnd, la chestiunea dac` responsabilitatea
social` trebuie reglementat` prin lege sau nu, r`spunsul unanim
a fost nu. Ceea ce m` ncurajeaz` nseamn` c` participan]ii la
acest forum au un spirit liberal. O a doua concluzie este c` responsabilitatea social` nu se poate manifesta dect acolo unde
ea renteaz` pentru cel care o practic`. Acesta nu este un
r`spuns cinic, ci unul realist. Responsabilitatea social` nu este o
form` de filantropie. Dar numai sistemul legislativ este cel care
face n a[a fel ca responsabilitatea social` s` renteze. Un alt
lucru pe care l-am aflat este c` ne afl`m n faza ntlnirilor
l 93
the political and intellectual elites so that

Romania could find a better place in the
European Union which is changing all the
time. I would like to add that we, the forum
administrators, also count on the lucidity and
availability of the elites in order to make a
communication platform between business
and culture people, so that we can find solutions and promote them on the public agenda. We hope that this forum becomes, using
a term from the book of Moderation Eulogy
by Aurelian Cr?iu?u, a trimmer that counter-balances the ship during the storm.
salutate de cei mai mul]i dintre participan]i [i facem un efort

pentru a trece la faza cooper`rii. Pentru a trece la aceast` faz`,
este nevoie de un inventar al problemelor; r`mne de v`zut
cine l va face. Poate c` mediul de afaceri mpreun` cu organiza]iile guvernamentale ar putea schi]a un asemenea inventar,
ca [i o sintez` a intereselor comune ale oamenilor de afaceri [i
ale mediilor culturale. Ar trebui apoi s` cùt`m [i mecanisme
prin care se poate face ntr-adev`r ceva.
LAVINIA HUIDAN
O platform` de comunicare
A Communication Platform
mai multe companii.

n cartea sa Ce vom fi n Uniune?, Daniel Dìanu mizeaz` pe
responsabilitatea elitelor politice [i intelectuale, pentru c`
Romnia are de g`sit un drum ct mai bun ntr-o Uniune
European` aflat` ea ns`[i n mi[care. A[ adùga c` [i noi, organizatorii acestui forum, miz`m pe luciditatea [i pe disponibilitatea elitelor, pentru a realiza o platform` de comunicare ntre
oamenii de cultur` [i oamenii de afaceri, astfel nct s` identific`m solu]ii [i s` le promov`m pe agenda public`.
Sper`m ca acest forum s` devin`, folosind un termen din cartea
lui Aurelian Crìu]u, Elogiul modera]iei, un trimmer cel
care contrabalanseaz` corabia n plin` furtun`.
94 l
A trecut un an de cnd am nceput seria forumurilor VolvoDilema veche. Ini]iativa a apar]inut revistei Dilema veche, care
a editat un supliment despre migra]ia creierelor. A fost un
subiect incitant pentru o companie precum Volvo, care are o
viziune pe termen lung asupra viitorului, astfel nct sus]ine
inteligen]a [i creativitatea tinerilor romni. Am organizat un
prim forum pe 31 august 2005, cu participarea loturilor olimpice de matematic` [i fizic` ale Romniei. Tinerii care ne
reprezint` la olimpiadele interna]ionale [i-au putut da seama
atunci c` sunt iubi]i [i dori]i n Romnia: chiar dac` unii dintre
ei aleg s` mearg` n alte ]`ri, trebuie s` [tie c` noi nu-i uit`m.
ncepnd cu acel forum, am realizat un parteneriat cu Dilema
veche [i cu Colegiul Noua Europ`, propunndu-ne s` organiz`m un ciclu de dezbateri care s` aduc` laolalt` oameni de
cultur` [i oameni de afaceri. n noiembrie anul trecut am discutat tema Cultura [i afacerile interese diferite sau valori
comune?, explornd n ce m`sur` cele dou` medii pot contribui la impunerea unor valori n societatea romneasc`. Am
continuat cu tema Cultur` corporatist` [i responsabilitate social`, n acela[i format de dezbatere general`. Acum ne-am
gndit s` adùg`m ceva la schimbul de idei foarte incitant [i
foarte interesant care a avut loc pn` acum, [i s` cùt`m [i solu]ii practice, pe care s` le putem aplica. Al`turi de ini]iatorii
Volvo [i Dilema veche, Funda]ia Life for life [i Funda]ia Concept au propus o abordare intersectorial`, realizat` cu ajutorul
unui studiu efectuat de un grup de sociologi. Dorim s` supunem dezbaterii dumneavoastr` aspectele calitative ale studiului
care a avut ca tem` Percep]ia asupra responsabilit`]ii sociale
corporatiste [i s-a bazat pe un chestionar la care au r`spuns
It has been a year since I started the forum

series of Volvo - The Old Dilemma. The initiative belonged to the Old Dilemma magazine that published a supplement about the
brain migration. It was a very thought-provoking subject for a company like Volvo that
has a long term vision on future, so that it
supports the Romanian young peoples intelligence and creativity. I have organized the
first forum on August 31st 2005 with the
math and physics olympics participation. The
young people that represent us at the international Olympics could see that they are
loved and cherished in Romania: even if some
of them choose to go to other countries, they
know we dont forget them.
Starting with that forum, I made a partnership with the Old Dilemma and New Europe
College, wanting to organize debates that
would bring culture and business people
together. November last year, we discussed
about Culture and Business Different
Interests or Common Values? , exploring the
extent of contribution to the values imposing
in the Romanian society of the two environments. I continued with Corporative Culture
and Social Responsibility, in the same format
of a general debate. Now we thought we
should add something to the ideas exchange
that was very exciting and interesting and we
are looking for practical solutions we can
apply. Along with the initiators, Volvo and
the Old Dilemma, the Life for life and
Concept Foundations proposed a inter-sector approach, carried out with the help of a
study realized by a group of sociologists.
We want to talk about the quality aspects of
the study that was about the Perception on
Corporative Social Responsibility and was
based on a questionnaire filled in by many
companies. In his book What will we be in
the Union? Daniel D?ianu was counting on
Un mediu de afaceri neprietenos

An Unfriendly Business Environment
Our debate starts from a questionnaire that
the Concept Foundation addressed to 86
companies, out of which only 15 answered, so
that we dont have a sociology study, but a
small analysis of these answers. I will present
you a little the business environment related
to the social responsibility issue. Our times
the times when the movie where Charlie
Chaplin couldnt assemble the montage roll
pieces had started with a succession of fractures. We still are the consequences of these
fractures.
Modernity had taken as political model the
revolutions, and we cannot get rid of their
springs; it had taken as a theological model
the secularization in which we all live, be it
religious or not, the consequences of this
fact; in the end there is an artistic-sociologic
model of modernity, which consists of staining the bourgeois image. I evoked these
three ruptures in order to place our debate in
this long European tradition of staining the
bourgeois image that has as premise or
consequence the inconsideration of a very
important philosophical subject which is economics. I remember that after the students
revolution in France, on March 2006, just
because the Government lead by Dominique
de Villepin had launched the project of a very
unpopular law, an Oxford teacher was commenting on BBC that this is the example of
an endemic economic illiteracy, typical for
French universities. Economics, after it had
Dezbaterea noastr` porne[te de la un chestionar pe care

Funda]ia Concept l-a adresat unui num`r de 86 de companii,
dintre care numai 15 au r`spuns, astfel nct nu avem un studiu
sociologic, ci mai degrab` o analiz` a acestor r`spunsuri. Am s`
prezint, pe scurt, care este pulsul mediului de afaceri de la noi
n chestiunea responsabilit`]ii sociale.
Timpurile noi n care trìm timpurile acelea din filmul n care
Charlie Chaplin nu mai reu[ea s` asambleze piesele pe banda
de montaj au debutat printr-o succesiune de rupturi. Noi suntem n continuare consecin]ele acestor rupturi. Modernitatea a
luat ca model politic revolu]iile [i nu mai sc`p`m din resorturile
lor; [i-a luat ca model teologic secularizarea [i trìm cu to]ii
fie c` suntem religio[i, fie c` nu consecin]ele acestui fapt; n
fine, exist` [i un model sociologico-artistic al modernit`]ii, care
const` n diabolizarea burghezului. Am evocat aceste trei rupturi pentru a plasa dezbaterea noastr` n aceast` lung` tradi]ie
european` a diaboliz`rii burghezului, care are drept premis`
sau drept consecin]`, nu-mi dau bine seama desconsiderarea
unei discipline filozofice foarte interesante care este economia.
}in minte c` n urma revoltei studen]e[ti care a avut loc n Fran]a n martie 2006, pentru c` Guvernul condus de Dominique de
Villepin lansase proiectul unei legi foarte impopulare, un profesor de la Oxford comenta la BBC c` acesta este un exemplu de
incultur` economic` endemic`, tipic` universit`]ilor franceze.
Economia, dup` ce a fost dec`zut` din rangul ei de art` libera-
l 95
96 l
l`, a fost l`sat` pe mna speciali[tilor, iar noi func]ion`m ntr-un

soi de incultur` economic` axat` pe diabolizarea burghezului,
a omului de afaceri, a mediului care produce, n fond, prosperitatea [i stabilitatea societ`]ii n care trìm.
Una dintre dilemele de la care putem porni este: responsabilitate social` [i r`spundere legal`, pentru a identifica n primul
rnd ce a[teapt` societatea de la mediul de afaceri. Societatea
a[teapt` ca actorul economic s`-[i pl`teasc` impozitele, s`
ac]ioneze non-distructiv asupra mediului, asupra ]esutului social [i asupra rela]iilor comunitare [i s` produc` bog`]ie,
permi]nd astfel [i altora s` trìasc` de pe urma acestui proces.
Toate acestea ]in de firescul prezen]ei sociale a actorului economic: dac` i se cere mai pu]in nseamn` a tolera ilegalitatea;
dac` i se cere mai mult nseamn` a pretinde un privilegiu.
R`spunderea legal` este ceva care st` sau cade mpreun` cu
statul de drept. Dar societatea a[teapt` de la corpora]ii [i de la
antreprenori ceva mai mult: responsabilitate social`. Aceast`
cerin]` a ap`rut n momentul cnd, n anii 80, guvernele ]`rilor
democratice au nceput s` colaboreze sau s` aib` un dialog mai
intens cu forurile de organizare ale societ`]ii civile. Pasul urm`tor a fost c` actorii economici n[i[i au acceptat s` aib` un dialog cu aceste forme organizate ale societ`]ii. Cnd o afacere
devine foarte prosper` [i atinge cifre care dep`[esc bugetul
unei ]`ri mici sau medii, cnd dep`[e[te grani]ele unei singure
]`ri, nu mai e vorba doar de un actor economic, ci [i de un
poten]ial actor politic. Ac]iunea multina]ionalelor devine astfel
o afacere a ntregii lumi, ceea ce a n`scut dezbaterea despre
responsabilitatea social`. Nimeni nu mai pune ast`zi n discu]ie
responsabilitatea social` toat` lumea este de acord c` ea trebuie asumat` de c`tre actorii economici. Problema este dac`
responsabilitatea social` trebuie reglementat` juridic sau trebuie l`sat` la latitudinea membrilor mediului de afaceri. n
func]ie de orientarea etic` sau filozofic` a celor ce discut`
aceast` tem`, exist` dou` op]iuni: fie adoptarea unei legisla]ii
interna]ionale care s` includ`, desigur, [i elemente ale legisla]iilor na]ionale; fie l`sarea acestor lucruri la liberul arbitru al fiec`rei companii sau al fiec`rui antreprenor. Argumentele celor
care sus]in, n dezbaterea interna]ional`, c` responsabilitatea
social` trebuie reglementat` sunt, pe scurt, urm`toarele: drepturile omului [i mediul nconjur`tor trebuie ap`rate prin lege,
ele nu pot fi l`sate la liberul arbitru al companiilor; activitatea
multina]ionalelor trebuie s` se supun` unei legisla]ii interna]ionale, ntruct reglement`rile na]ionale nu sunt suficiente; afa-
fallen from its place within the liberal arts,

had been left to specialists and we function
in a sort of economic illiteracy based on staining the bourgeois image, business mans
image, the environment that produces prosperity and stability to the society we live in.
One of the dilemmas we can start from is:
social responsibility and legal accountability, in order to identify in the first place what
society expects from the business environment. Society is waiting for the economic
actor to pay the taxes, to act non-destructively on the environment, on the social tissues
and on the community relations, to produce
wealth, allowing thus to some other people
to live on this process. All these are about the
normality of the economic actors social presence: if it is asked less, it means that we tolerate inequality; if it is asked more it means its
a privilege.
The legal accountability is something related
to the legal state. But society expects something more from corporations and investors:
social responsibility. This requirement came
up when, in the 80s the democratic countries
governments started to cooperate or to have
a more intense dialogue with the organized
forms of the civil society. The next step was
that the economic actors themselves accepted
a dialogue with the organized forms of society. When a business flourishes and reaches
numbers that exceed the ones of a small or
medium country, when it spreads to more
countries, its not about an economic actor,
but a potential political actor.
The multinational companies action becomes
thus a business for the entire world, which
lead to the debate on social responsibility.
Nobody talks anymore about social responsibility everybody agrees with the fact that it
has to be taken by the economic actors. The
problem is: the social responsibility has to be
regulated juridical or has to be let to the
business environment members. According to
the ethic or philosophic orientation of the
ones discussing this theme, there are two
options: adopting an international legislation
that should include, of course, elements of
the national legislations; either leaving to the
free judgment of a company or investor.
The arguments of the ones who sustain, in
the international debate, that the social
responsibility should be regulated are: human
rights and environment should be protected
by law, they cannot be let to the free will of
the companies; the multinational activity has

to be submitted to an international legislation, because the national regulations are not
enough; business people have to decide the
battle ground; the risk of being sued will
make companies respect the law; the multinational companies have too much power
and that has to be limited somehow.
We have the perception on the social responsibility the way it results from the questionnaire answers is somehow different and I
would like to make some comments. The
most important problem is corruption.
Another one is the faulty functioning of the
central and local administration, the accent
being on the legislative incapacity to function
on its own; that means legislation, even when
its really good on paper, it depends on the
one that is called to apply or to observe its
functioning. Aside from that, we dont have a
unity concept in legislation. When you want
to make a path, like in the jungle, having a
broken dummy, and the obstacles come from
everywhere, because the jungle is not a
French garden: our legislation is in the same
way. Laws depend on the capacity and will of
people to apply them.
This creates the next attitude: you are willing
to break the law, only if you are left alone.
Fernando de Soto has a book that asks the
question of why capitalism worked in
Western countries and not in the other ones.
The authors answer is: because the juridical
status of property is always more clear in the
Western countries and unclear in the other
ones and because if you want to start a business in the Western ones, you need n days
and in other countries you need n + m days,
where m could mean years. The business environment in Romania is unfriendly. In the
Western countries the environment is friendly
and the legislation encourages the ones who
want to take on the social responsibility; we
have two obstacles: the difficulty to take on
the simple legal responsibility (because of the
legislative thicket) and the obstacles that
come up when you want to do something
and you realize that the administrative section will create so many problems that you
think youd better not do anything.
cerile trebuie s`-[i defineasc` exact cmpul de b`taie; riscul de

a fi date n judecat` va obliga companiile s` respecte legea;
multina]ionalele au puteri mult prea mari, care trebuie limitate.
La noi, percep]ia asupra responsabilit`]ii sociale a[a cum
rezult` din r`spunsurile la chestionar primite de la 15 companii
din cele 86 chestionate este ntructva diferit` [i am s`
comentez pe scurt cteva.
Problema cea mai important` este corup]ia. O alta este
func]ionarea defectuoas` a administra]iei centrale [i locale,
accentul c`znd pe incapacitatea legisla]iei de a func]iona de la
sine; altfel spus, legisla]ia, chiar cnd este remarcabil` pe hrtie, depinde de cel care este chemat s` o aplice sau s` observe
buna ei func]ionare. n plus, nu exist` un concept unitar al
legisla]iei. Atunci cnd vrei s`-]i croie[ti un drum, e[ti ca n
jungl`, narmat cu o macet` cam ciuntit`, iar piedicile vin din
toate direc]iile pentru c` n jungl` copacii nu cresc ordonat, ca
ntr-o gr`din` fran]uzeasc`: a[a e [i legisla]ia noastr`. Legile
depind de capacitatea ori de bun`voin]a celor chema]i s` le
aplice. Ceea ce creeaz` urm`toarea atitudine: e[ti dispus s`
ncalci legea, numai s` fii l`sat n pace. Exist` o carte a lui
Fernando de Soto care [i pune ntrebarea de ce capitalismul
func]ioneaz` n ]`rile occidentale, dar nu func]ioneaz` n alte
]`ri. R`spunsul autorului este net: pentru c` statutul juridic al
propriet`]ii este ntotdeauna clar n ]`rile occidentale [i ntotdeauna neclar n ]`rile unde nu func]ioneaz` capitalismul [i
pentru c`, dac` vrei s` deschizi o afacere n ]`rile occidentale,
ai nevoie de n zile, iar n alte ]`ri ai nevoie de n+m, unde
m poate fi de ordinul anilor. n Romnia, mediul de afaceri
nu este prietenos. Fa]` de ]`rile occidentale, unde mediul este
prietenos, iar legisla]ia i ncurajeaz` pe cei care vor s`-[i asume
responsabilitatea social`, la noi sunt dou` impedimente majore
n calea celor care vor s` se implice social: dificultatea de a-]i
asuma simpla r`spundere legal` (din cauza h`]i[ului legislativ)
[i piedicile care apar atunci cnd vrei s` faci ceva anume [i te
treze[ti c` instan]a administrativ` ]i creeaz` attea probleme,
nct tragi concluzia c` e mai bine s` nu faci nimic.
l 97
MIHAIL NEAM}U
Busola filantropiei
Philanthropy Compass
98 l
Pre]uind inteligen]a [i sensibilitatea, sponsorul adev`rat nu

poate fi dect cel care n]elege un truism vechi [i fundamental:
rezolvarea nevoilor primare ale societ`]ii moderne cere o viziune cultural` bine articulat`. La fel cum democra]ia nu prosper` f`r` elogiul politic al virtu]ii, nici practica economic` nu
poate face din valoarea de schimb a pie]ei o infailibil` busol`.
Chiar dac` mizeaz` pe resursele prezentului, antreprenorul de
performan]` asum` confruntarea cu numeroase imponderabile ale vie]ii: importan]a educa]iei n contrast cu p`catele psihologiei de mas`, iner]ia memoriei locale oglindit` n natura
invizibil` a credin]elor religioase sau arhitectura sofisticat` a
ideologiilor seculare.
Orice minte preocupat` de reguli sau legit`]i [i pune aceste
ntreb`ri de-o ap`s`toare generalitate. n acest r`sad al
nelini[tii, artistul, savantul sau gnditorul l pot ntlni pe bunul
gospodar. Calculnd nu doar cifre de afaceri, ci miza unor dezvolt`ri institu]ionale, acesta din urm` face, prin saltul dinspre
concret c`tre abstract, un mic pariu cu istoria. Trecerea de la
elanul pragmatic la reflec]ia de adncime cere ns` proba de
rezisten]` a voca]iilor. Peste acest prag, garantat printr-o grij`
comun` fa]` de viitor, filantropul cordial [i beneficiarul onest se
pot n]elege, cnd nu prietene[te, atunci fructuos [i colegial.
Donatorul ideal nu evoc` figura mp`timit`, plin` de remu[c`ri,
a celui care vrea s` dea ca s`-[i atenueze cteva inavuabile
insomnii. El nu este nici mna spart`, neglijent` fa]` de modul, timpul [i m`sura dona]iei. Nici ploconul, nici pe[che[ul nu
cunoa[te logica ascetic` a darului. Sponsorul bun nu vede
peste tot solu]ii tehnocrate, nici nu pretinde c` poate contempla rima adev`rurilor ultime dintr-un biet proiect provincial. Mai
modest, el recunoa[te sincopele dintr-un lan] trofic dezechilibrat, [tiind totodat` c` nu este nici primul, nici ultimul vehicul
al generozit`]ii. Filantropul emancipat i ascult` cu franche]e pe
acei pu]ini ale[i care au decis s` nu trìasc` via]a ca o prad`.
F`r` s` piard` sim]ul s`rb`torii [i gustul pentru deta[are, cel
care d` [i cel care prime[te lucreaz` mpreun` cu valoarea primordial` a ncrederii. Cadoul dezinteresat ncurajeaz` na[terea
de modele, iar nu idoli decerebra]i. Bazele unei economii a
profitului ntrziat se descoper` doar cnd ai puterea s` te
Esteeming intelligence and sensibility, the

real sponsor cannot be but the one who
understands an old and fundamental truism:
solving the primary needs of the modern society implies a well formed cultural vision. As
much as democracy doesnt thrive without
the political eulogy of virtue or the economic
practice can make the currency an infallible
compass. Even if it counts on the present
resources, the performing investor will confront numerous weightiness of life: the
educations importance in contrast with the
mass psychology sins, the inertia of the local
memory reflected in the invisible nature of
the religious believes or sophisticated architecture of the secular ideologies.
Any mind preoccupied by rules or regulations
asks these questions of burdensome generality. In this offspring of anxiety, the artist, the
scientist or the thinker will meet the good
householder. Calculating not only in figures,
but also through institutional development,
these will make a little bet with history,
through the leap between objective and
abstract. The passing from the pragmatic
impetus to depth reflection you need vocational resistance. Over this threshold, guaranteed by a common care for the future, the
affable philanthropist and honest beneficiary
can get along, at least as colleagues.
The ideal benefactor doesnt evoke the
remorse figure of the one who wants to
give, in order to attenuate some insomnia.
He is not a spender, careless to the type,
time and size of donation. The bribe doesnt
know the logics of the gift. The good sponsor
does not see the technocratic solution, nor
pretends that he can contemplate the rhyme
of the last truths from a provincial project.
More modest, he recognized the syncope of
an unbalanced trophic chain, knowing that
he is neither the first nor the last of the generosity vehicle. The emancipated philanthropist listens with frankness to the few chosen who decided not to live life as a prey.
Without losing the sense of celebration and
the taste for detachment, the one who gives
and receives together with the primary value
of trust. The free gift encourages the birth of
models and not stupid idols. The economy

bases of a late profit can be discovered only
when you can turn around. You realize that
in the absence of public good, the individual
success story can remain a deceit with isolate
successes. When the footballers shoe is more
valuable than the mind of a historian, then
the spirit life is left to hazard. Shortly: refusing the elites cultivation, the private sector
remains left out of the public admiration. It
becomes a sect sector.
The cultural projects are about the improvisation experience reduced to commercialization. The invigorating connection between
knowledge and power is, even for science,
profoundly insufficient. The academic study
of religion doesnt have to be absorbed in an
opportunistic geopolitical strategy. (We
notice that the humanity tribes fight not only
where ignorance is present, as the forgiveness of our fellows will not be given through
an atheist decree). Although it can avoid
bohemia, the enthusiast talent and the
genius doesnt dream from the beginning
at the financial gain. The constancy of the
theoretical perplexity in philology, painting,
philosophy or history will impose through a
denial of the domestic utility.
This eminence deserves to be supported. No
humanitarian project that has no immediate theological sense can be contoured with
the promise of a unanimous recognition. The
passionate student in Greek language or history needs time for revealing a remarkable
product or even salable (e.g., a translation or
a critical edition). The opportunist philanthropist is, by vocation, a fore-runner, preventing
the talent sacrifice in a joyful jostle of stupidity and ignorance. The worlds minuses we are
part of can reach unknown cruelties.
Encouraged by a superior vision, the sagacious sponsor ameliorates a content, not an
image. The fight has to be against gregarious
mediocrity, and the victory can be obtained
through realigning the real hierarchies.
The cruel animal of non-entity gets the easiest successes. While intelligence and sensibility are shy, a certain clue of throwing-away is
off-handedness. You see stupidity coiling in
plain sight especially when it suffers from the
comparison complex: a TV star decides to
measure the impossible (e.g., Bach against
manele). In this case the disqualification of
music is almost an automatic one. The popular disorientation will heal not by contradic-
ntorci din drum. Afli atunci c`, n absen]a binelui public, povestea succesului individual poate r`mne o rapsodic` am`gire, cu
limpezimi fulgurante [i reu[ite izolate. Cnd bocancul [iret al
fotbalistului agramat face mai mult dect tmpla unui istoric n
formare, atunci via]a spiritului este l`sat` n plata hazardului. Pe
scurt: refuznd cultivarea elitelor, sectorul privat r`mne privat
de admira]ia public`. El devine, a[a-zicnd, un sector sectar.
Proiectele culturale maturizate propun experien]a improviza]iei
benigne, ntr-o cheie ireductibil` la slogan [i comercializare.
Revigorarea leg`turii ntre cunoa[tere [i putere este, chiar [i
pentru [tiin]ele exacte, profund insuficient`. Studiul academic
al religiilor, bunòar`, nu trebuie neap`rat absorbit ntr-o strategie geopolitic` oportunist`. (Observ`m, n treac`t, c` triburile
umanit`]ii se ncaier` nu doar acolo unde domne[te ignoran]a,
dup` cum nici iertarea semenilor nu se d` printr-un caz ateu.)
De[i poate evita boema, talentul entuziast deci cu att mai
pu]in geniul nu viseaz` de la nceput c[tigul financiar.
Constantele perplexit`]ii teoretice n filologie, pictur`, filozofie sau istorie impun printr-un refuz al utilit`]ii domestice.
Aceast` eminen]` nu doar cenu[ie a gratuit`]ii merit` sprijinit`.
Nici un proiect umanist lipsit chiar de imediat` anvergur` teologic` nu poate fi schi]at cu promisiunea unei recunoa[teri
unanime. Elevul pasionat de greac` ori studentul diligent al
arhivelor medievale are nevoie de timp pentru a da la iveal`,
prin munca sa adesea ignorat`, un produs finit remarcabil [i
eventual chiar vandabil (e.g., o traducere sau o edi]ie critic`).
Filantropul oportun este, prin voca]ie, un nainte-merg`tor, prevenind sacrificarea talentului ntr-o aglomera]ie vesel` de
prostie [i ignoran]`. Sc`derile lumii din care facem parte pot
atinge uneori cruzimi ne[tiute. ncurajat de-o viziune superioar`, sponsorul sagace amelioreaz` nu o imagine, ci un con]inut.
Lupta trebuie dat`, a[adar, mpotriva mediocrit`]ii gregare, iar
victoria se ob]ine printr-o rea[ezare a justelor ierarhii. Dihania
nemiloas` a nefiin]ei repurteaz` succesele cele mai facile. n
timp ce inteligen]a [i sensibilitatea sunt sfioase, un indiciu cert
al rat`rii este non[alan]a. Vezi prostia [erpuind la drumul mare
mai ales cnd sufer` de mania compara]iei: o vedet` ecranat`
decide, bunòar`, s` m`soare imposibilul (e.g., Bach fa]` n fa]`
cu manelele). n acest caz, descalificarea no]iunii de muzic`
e aproape automat`. Dezorientarea popular` se vindec` atunci
nu cu uzul contradic]iei, ci printr-o ac]iune unilateral` n beneficiul clasicilor uita]i (e.g., un mare festival, un alt concert, o nou`
nregistrare). ns` mai mult chiar dect gustul spectatorilor, se
l 99
100 l
cuvine ntre]inut apetitul actorilor tineri pentru piesele dificile,

dar edificatoare, ale tradi]iei.
Dac` vrea s` dep`[easc` sensul de poman` un gest meritoriu, dar limitat la rela]ia fa]`-c`tre-fa]` , filantropia are
nevoie, ntr-o societate tot mai complex`, de reflec]ia asupra
condi]iilor de posibilitate ale darului. Decuplat` de la motorul
discern`mntului, nici o virtute nu poate da roade. F`r` s` fie
tratat cu r`ceal` birocratic`, darul nu trebuie risipit n labirintul
bunelor inten]ii. Spa]iul religios confirm` acest avertisment,
prin abunden]a investi]iei n bunuri sterile sau ur]ite (de la
ziduri, faian]`, iconostase sau candelabre parohiale, pn` la
veritabilele bunc`re metropolitane ale culturii kitsch post-bizantine). Se risipesc n continuare sume uria[e pentru proiecte care
nal]` trufia [i d`rm` bucuria, ratnd contactul cu oamenii
capabili s` ne mbog`]easc` suflete[te (i.e., iubitorii de arte [i
carte). (Pentru editorii [i filantropii interesa]i: ne lipse[te o
traducere romneasc` a volumului ngrijit de Amy Kass (ed.),
The Perfect Gift: The Philanthropic Imagination in Poetry and
Prose, Bloomington, Indiana, 2002.)
Identitatea trecutului [i demnitatea viitorului trebuie ap`rate
nu doar din bugetul de stat printr-o simfonie liturgic` a
credin]ei, a speran]ei [i a dragostei. Filantropul autentic
devenit el nsu[i om de cultur` va n]elege c`, la r`scrucea
acestei epifanii trinitare, via]a cap`t` calit`]i imemoriale.
tion, but through a unilateral action, to the
MIRCEA VASILESCU
benefit of the forgotten classics (e.g., a big
Cine are inventarul?
festival, another concert, another recording).
Who Has the Inventory?
But even more than the spectators taste, we

have to maintain the young actors appetite
for difficult pieces, more traditional and illuminating. If it wants to exceed the alms
sense a great gesture, but limited in the
face to face relationship philanthropy
needs, in a more and more complex society,
the reflection on the gifts possibility conditions. Unconnected from the conscience
engine, no virtue can bear fruits. Without
being dealt with bureaucratic coldness, this
gift doesnt have to be cast away in the good
intentions maze. The religious space confirms
this warning, through the abundance of
investment in sterile things or ugly things
(from walls, tiles, parochial chandeliers to the
metropolitan bunkers of the post-Byzantine
bad art).
There are many projects that get wasted
because of missing the contact with capable
people who would enrich our souls (e.g. art
and books amateurs). (For publishers and
philanthropists who are interested: we
dont have a good translation of the Amy
Kass book (ed.), The Perfect Gift: The
Philanthropic Imagination in Poetry and
Prose, Bloomington, Indiana, 2002.)
The past identity and future dignity must be
defended not only from the state budget
through a liturgical symphony of faith, hope
and love. The authentic philanthropist himself being a culture person will understand
that, at the Trinitarian epiphany crossing, life
gets immemorial qualities.
These forums have the big advantage of bringing together people with ideas and different
perspectives, from different environment, who
usually do not communicate so much. I think
that this is the main problem: communication
between environments, between those who
have projects and want to finance them. It has
been said before that a solution would be
NGOs; I also think that such flexible and efficient structures can ensure a certain coherence
in building and accomplishing some projects
that companies can finance. But they cannot
do it all.
The central administration and (especially) the
local one should be able to give at least an
inventory with problems and needs, so that we
can estimate the resources. I dont know if any
Romanian entity has such a list with the type of
problems that need financial resources from
the private segment, that need know-how and
management which could be offered by the
companies experience, so that they could offer
some homework to the companies who want
to take on a certain social responsibility.
For now, the companies manifest their social
responsibility (from their own interests, with
good faith and pure generosity, from their own
ethics and other reasons) more or less randomly, but with the affective dimension: some company leaders are impressed by the sick and
orphan children and help them, others love art
and sponsor exhibits or offer scholarships to
young artists, others are Christians and build a
church in their home town, etc.
All these are good and necessary things. But
we need another type of demarche, more systematic, starting with birds-eye view knowledge of the problems, with an inventory of the
situations where the State doesnt intervene, so
that an intervention from the business environment would be necessary. The question is who
can supply such a list? And, is the business environment able to communicate to the society,
on a general scale, the resources it has for
social responsibility activities? If we want that
to happen, we need a certain community spirit.
But, I think that since the traditional states
era, which was functioning on its own rules,
Romania hasnt had community life or it
doesnt have it in the modern sense of the
term. Therefore, such meetings between the
cultural and business elites seem very necessary
and also because they can re-launch, through
the identification of some common interests
and projects, the community spirit.
Aceste forumuri au marele avantaj c` aduc mpreun` oameni

cu idei [i perspective diferite, din medii diferite, care nu sunt
pu[i prea des n situa]ia de a comunica unii cu al]ii. Cred c`
aceasta este principala problem`: comunicarea ntre medii,
ntre cei care au proiecte [i cei dispu[i s` le finan]eze. S-a spus
mai devreme c` o solu]ie ar fi ONG-urile; [i eu cred c` astfel de
structuri flexibile [i eficiente pot s` asigure o anume coeren]`
n construirea [i realizarea unor proiecte pe care companiile le
pot finan]a. Dar ele nu pot face totul. Administra]ia central` [i
(mai ales) local` ar trebui s` fie n m`sur` s` furnizeze m`car un
inventar al problemelor [i al necesit`]ilor, astfel nct s` se
poat` face, ulterior, [i o estimare a resurselor. Nu [tiu dac` vreo
entitate din Romnia poate s` pun` pe mas` o asemenea list`
a tipurilor de probleme n care ar fi nevoie de resurse financiare provenite din mediul privat, de know-how-ul [i de managementul pe care l poate oferi experien]a ntreprinz`torilor, astfel
nct s` le dea material de lucru companiilor dornice s`-[i
asume o anume responsabilitate social`. Deocamdat`, companiile [i manifest` responsabilitatea social` (din interese legitime, cu bun`-credin]`, din pur` generozitate, dintr-o viziune etic` proprie sau din alte motive) mai mult sau mai pu]in aleatoriu, dar predomin` dimensiunea afectiv`: unii patroni sunt impresiona]i de bolnavi sau de copiii orfani [i i ajut` material, al]ii
iubesc arta [i sponsorizeaz` expozi]ii sau ofer` burse tinerilor
arti[ti, al]ii sunt buni cre[tini [i construiesc o biseric` n satul
natal [.am.d. Toate acestea sunt lucruri bune, necesare [i ntru
totul respectabile. Dar e nevoie [i de un alt tip de demers, ceva
mai sistematic, pornind de la o cunoa[tere de ansamblu a problemelor, de la un inventar al situa]iilor n care Statul nu intervine, astfel nct e necesar` o interven]ie a mediului de afaceri.
ntrebarea mea este cine poate furniza o astfel de list` de probleme? {i apoi, este mediul de afaceri n m`sur` s` comunice
societ`]ii, pe ansamblu, de ce resurse dispune pentru activit`]i
din sfera responsabilit`]ii sociale? Ca s` se ntmple a[a ceva,
ar fi nevoie de un anume spirit comunitar. Or, mi se pare c`, din
vremea satului tradi]ional, care func]iona dup` regulile sale,
Romnia nu mai are via]` comunitar` sau n orice caz nu o are
n sensul modern al termenului. De aceea, astfel de ntlniri
ntre elitele culturale [i cele din afaceri mi se par necesare [i
pentru c` pot relansa, prin identificarea unor interese [i unor
proiecte comune, spiritul comunitar.
l 101
CE VOM FI N UNIUNE?
ROMNIA {I AGENDA LISABONA
What will we be in
European Union?
Romania and Lisbon Agenda
Colegiul Noua Europ`, 23 noiembrie 2006

New Europe College, November 23rd 2006
n pragul ader`rii
In full Accession process
On November 23, 2006, the fifth forum Volvo

- old dilemma, with the theme "What will we
represent within EU?" developed at the
College "New Europe". "Romania and Lisbon
Agenda", based on the forth report of the
Group for Applied Economics (GEA), coordinated by Professor Doctor Daniel D?ianu.
Attendants were, as usually, businessmen,
men of culture, university professors, diplomats, NEC scholars, and journalists. A part of
the debate was transmitted live by Money
Channel. Within these forums, the idea of
the usefulness of the interdisciplinary communication, between people who, usually,
seemed to have nothing in common, each of
them having nothing else to do than going
on with their activities (culture or research for
one of them, business for others), for the current Romanian society, imposed without
doubt. Certainly the series of forums Volvo Old dilemma determined that, in fact, these
people have a lot of things in common, the
elites both from business sector and culture
sector - may have a significant role in the
society evolvement, and the different
approaches are useful, showing the complementarity of themes. The debate of
November 23 represented once more this
aspect. Even the basis of the debate was a
report regarding the economy state, interventions made connection between economics,
society, culture, education, offering an overall
view on the condition of Romania when EU
Accession is coming. In the next pages we
reproduce the most important fragments of
discussion and the related editorials published in the 150th number, third year, of
Dilema Veche magazine.
Pe 23 noiembrie 2006 a avut loc, la Colegiul Noua

Europ`?, al cincilea forum Volvo-Dilema veche, cu tema
Ce vom fi n Uniune? Romnia [i Agenda Lisabona, pornind
de la cel de-al patrulea raport al Grupului de Economie
Aplicat` (GEA), coordonat de prof. dr. Daniel Dìanu. Au participat, ca de obicei, oameni de afaceri, oameni de cultur`,
universitari, diploma]i, bursieri NEC, jurnali[ti.
O parte a dezbaterii a fost transmis` n direct de The Money
Channel.
n aceste forumuri s-a impus, incontestabil, ideea c` sunt
foarte utile, n societatea romneasc` de ast`zi, discu]iile
interdisciplinare, ntre oameni despre care se crede ndeob[te
c` nu au prea multe n comun [i fiecare trebuie s`-[i vad` de
ale lui (unii, de cultur`, al]ii, de cercetare, al]ii, de afaceri).
Cu siguran]` seria de Forumuri Volvo-Dilema veche a
demonstrat c` ace[ti oameni au foarte multe n comun, c`
elitele fie ele din domeniul afacerilor sau din mediile
culturale pot avea un rol important n evolu]ia societ`]ii, iar
perspectivele diferite sunt utile: lumineaz` subiectele din
unghiuri complementare.
Dezbaterea din 23 noiembrie a confirmat nc` o dat` acest
lucru. De[i baza discu]iei a fost oferit` de un raport despre
starea economiei, interven]iile au f`cut leg`turi ntre
economie, societate, cultur`, educa]ie, oferind o privire de
ansamblu asupra situa]iei n care se afl` Romnia cu un ceas
nainte de aderarea la UE.
Public`m n grupajul urm`tor fragmente semnificative din
cadrul dezbaterii [i editorialele ap`rute n num`rul 150, anul
III, al revistei Dilema Veche.
l 105
Cap`tul drumului n sens european

The end of the road to Europe
106 l
Andrei Ple[u: Doamna Lavinia Huidan a avut ideea generoas`

[i substan]ial` de a ne provoca pe to]i la dezbateri n care
oamenii de cultur` [i oamenii de [tiin]`, politicienii [i litera]ii,
economi[tii [i umani[tii s` vin` la aceea[i mas` [i s` abordeze
lucruri care i preocup` n mod egal, chiar dac` din unghiuri
diferite. O emblem` a acestui efort de conciliere a unor lucruri
greu conciliabile este domnul profesor Solomon Marcus, care a
venit la toate forumurile [i care de o via]` asta face: ncearc` s`
creeze pun]i ntr-o lume de insule. Acest forum este dedicat
rolului pe care Romnia l va putea asuma n Uniunea European` n contextul Agendei Lisabona. Realitatea TV a transmis
un program construit n jurul ntreb`rii Ce ar fi lumea f`r` Romnia?. Eu mi pun ns` [i ntrebarea: Ce se va face Uniunea
European` cu Romnia?. Nu [tie Uniunea ce o a[teapt`...
Aceasta este, ntr-un sens, tema dezbaterii noastre de aici, o
tem` care vine n prelungirea unei dezbateri care a avut loc azidiminea]`, privind competitivitatea regional` n contextul
Agendei Lisabona, prilejuit` de al patrulea raport al Grupului de
Economie Aplicat`, coordonat de domnul Daniel Dìanu.
Economia romneasc` pare a merge mai bine dect credem,
dar performan]ele ei ne r`mn secrete, pentru c` lucrurile cu
adev`rat spectaculoase se petrec n politic`. Nu mai vedem
economia din cauza politicii.
Mircea Vasilescu: Se tot spune n spa]iul public, cu un aer
sceptic, c` nu suntem preg`ti]i de aderare, c` va fi o aderare mediocr`. Ar trebui totu[i s` definim mai clar n ce const`
aceast` lips` de preg`tire, care este nivelul nostru de competitivitate, ce efecte va avea aderarea. Apoi, cred c` ar trebui
s` reevalu`m rela]iile noastre cu strìnii, n general, dar n special n domeniul economic: pn` acum, eram mai degrab`
mul]umi]i c` vin n ]ar` investi]ii strìne [i ne asumam o pozi]ie
pasiv`, de beneficiari ai fluxului de capital spre Romnia. Acum,
lucrurile se schimb`: devenim actori n economia european`,
trebuie s` fim prezen]i pe pia]a unic`, s` facem fa]` competi]iei. De asemenea, devenim participan]i la elaborarea politicilor
[i la luarea deciziilor pe plan european, a[a nct trebuie s` ne
definim pozi]iile n tot felul de chestiuni pe care pn` acum le
Andrei Ple[u: Mrs. Lavinia Huidan had the

profuse and substantial idea to challenge all
of us to debates in which, men of culture and
businessmen, politicians and literates, economists and humanists, are gathered around
the same round table in order to discuss
about shared concerns, approached from different point of view. A symbol of this conciliation effort regarding aspects hardly reconcilable is Professor Solomon Marcus, who came
to all the forums and tries, for a lifetime, to
build bridges of understanding within a
world of isles. This forum is dedicated to the
role witch may be held by Romania within
European Union, taking into consideration
Lisbon Agenda. The TV channel "Realitatea
TV" transmitted a broadcast built based on
the question "What would the world be
without Romania?" But I wonder myself: What would European Union deal with the
Romania in?" I think European Union does
not even imagine what will happen when
Romania will be part of it.
This is, in a way, the theme of the hereby
debate, a theme extending the debate of this
morning regarding the regional competitiveness, taking into consideration Lisbon
Agenda, organized following the forth report
of the Group of Economics Applied, coordinated by Mr. Daniel D?ianu. Romanian economy seems to develop better than we thought,
but its performances remained unknown by
us because the spectacular things occurred in
politics. We can not see economics because of
politics.
Mircea Vasilescu: We hear, again and again,
in media, being skeptically told that "we are
not prepared in view of Accession and our
Accession will be a "mediocre one".
Therefore, we should determine, more clearly, the "lack of expertise" meaning, the competitiveness level and the impacts of the
accession. Then, I think that we should reassess, generally but especially economically,
our relationship with the foreigners. Until
now, we were rather satisfied of the foreign
investments come in our country, not being
enterprising, having the position of beneficiary of the foreign capital entered in Romania.
Now, things are changing: we will participate
to the European economics, being compulsory to play on the sole integrated European
market, dealing with the competition. We
will participate to the elaboration of the poli-
cies and to decision-making on European

level, too, and within this context, we have to
determine our position regarding a lot of
aspects considered until now as being "their
issues", but become now "our issues", too. I
do not know how many Romanian politicians
are thinking of Lisbon Agenda, the issue of
fishing in North Sea, the issue of Turkey
Accession, the issue of EU extend to West
Balkans and such issues currently debated by
European Union. Unfortunately, these issues
do not represent subjects of interest either
for the Romanian public agenda or for political agenda. Or, starting from January 1st
2007, Romania must specify its position
against all these issues and many others, too.
And if in the Accession moment we have a
low competitiveness and we are not fully connected to the European themes, in order to
recover the difference, a long term strategy
and investments in research and development
will become our necessities, idea highlighted
by the GEA report also.
C?t?lin Avramescu: I discussed with a journalist about the Accession of Romania to EU and
I asked him why a eurosceptical current does
not exist to us. He answered me that he will
be become eurosceptical after January 1st. I
am eurosceptical from now, so, I put in discussion several issues, taking into consideration also the expertise of the countries
become member states before us. In Slovenia,
by instance, the presence of the voters to the
election for the European Parliament was of
16%, which is a catastrophe. In Estonia the
presence was of 20%. The economic performance of EU is of such nature that I wonder
how is possible that a country as ours, with
an economic growth rate of 6-8% in the last
years, will be member of an economic group
with a growth rate of 1%. I think that the
kind of Union to which accession of Romania
will realize is not the one expected by us:
during '90, we imagined that our accession
will be to an Union containing France,
Germany, Great Britain and other few developed countries. Now, we see that 70 million
of Turks knock on the door of European
Union. And the structure of EU may change:
maybe some of the richest regions of Europe
- Flanders, Lombardy, Catalonia - will gain
their independency. Which will be the position of the EU against this issue and which
will be our position against all these issues
considered by us until now as being "their"
issues? I do not say that euro-scepticism has
the necessary answers to all these issues. But I
think that euro-scepticism may raise certain
necessary questions. And this must be done
even before January 1st.
consideram ale lor, dar devin [i ale noastre: nu [tiu c]i

politicieni romni se gndesc la Agenda Lisabona, la problema
pescuitului n Marea Nordului, la aderarea Turciei, la extinderea
UE n Balcanii de Vest [i la alte asemenea chestiuni care sunt
teme de dezbatere curent` n Uniunea European`. Din p`cate,
nu constituie subiecte de interes pe agenda public` romneasc` [i nici pe agenda politic`. Or, de la 1 ianuarie 2007, va fi
nevoie [i de o pozi]ie a Romniei fa]` de toate aceste teme [i
fa]` de multe altele. Iar dac` n momentul ader`rii avem o competitivitate sc`zut` [i nu suntem pe deplin conecta]i la problematica european`, pentru a recupera decalajul e nevoie de o
gndire pe termen lung [i de investi]ii n cercetare [i dezvoltare
este o idee subliniat` [i n raportul GEA.
C`t`lin Avramescu: Discutam cu un jurnalist despre aderarea
Romniei la UE [i l-am ntrebat de ce nu exist` la noi un curent
eurosceptic. Mi-a r`spuns c` el va fi eurosceptic dup` 1 ianuarie.
Eu sunt eurosceptic de pe acum, a[a c` lansez cteva probleme,
privind [i spre experien]a ]`rilor care au intrat naintea noastr`.
La alegerile europene din Slovenia, de pild`, s-au prezentat
16% dintre aleg`tori, ceea ce a fost catastrofal. n Estonia s-au
prezentat 20%. Performan]ele economice ale UE sunt de a[a
natur` nct m` ntreb cum se face c` o ]ar` ca a noastr`, care
are o cre[tere de 6-8% n ultimii ani, ader` la un bloc economic cu o cre[tere de 1%. Genul de Uniune la care vom adera
poate c` nu este acela la care ne a[teptam: n anii 90, noi ne
imaginam c` vom adera la o Uniune care cuprinde Fran]a,
Germania, Marea Britanie [i alte cteva ]`ri dezvoltate. Acum,
constat`m c` 70 de milioane de turci bat [i ei la u[a Uniunii. {i
componen]a UE se poate schimba: poate c` unele dintre cele
mai bogate regiuni ale Europei Flandra, Lombardia, Catalonia
vor deveni independente. Care va fi atitudinea UE fa]` de
aceast` problem` [i care va fi atitudinea noastr` fa]` de toate
aceste probleme pe care le consideram pn` acum ale lor?
Eu nu spun c` euroscepticismul are r`spunsurile necesare la toate aceste probleme. Dar cred c` euroscepticismul poate pune
unele ntreb`ri necesare. {i asta chiar nainte de 1 ianuarie.
Dumitru Sandu: Dac` ne uit`m la cele 25+2 ]`ri ale Europei,
constat`m c` romnii se afl` printre optimi[tii de vrf. Dar cred
c` trebuie s` trecem de la gndirea dihotomic` euroscepticismeurooptimism la o gndire n trei termeni. Datele arat` c` mai
exist` [i euroindiferen]ii, cei c`rora nu le pas`. Iar tendin]ele
l 107
108 l
sunt urm`toarele: n centrul [i estul Europei cre[te ponderea

indiferen]ilor, n timp ce n vechile state membre cre[te ponderea scepticilor.
Solomon Marcus: Am de f`cut cinci observa]ii. Prima, n leg`tur` cu ce a spus domnul Daniel Dìanu: Europa nu mai poate
judeca lumea dintr-o perspectiv` eurocentric`. Este un enun]
foarte important pentru noi, deoarece exist` tendin]a de a vedea Uniunea European` ca o contrapondere la America. Am avut
un exemplu recent cu prilejul reuniunii interna]ionale a francofoniei, care a degenerat tocmai din acest motiv: pn` la urm`,
mul]i dintre participan]i au considerat c` obiectivul principal al
francofoniei este acela de a crea o contrapondere la cultura american`. V` m`rturisesc c` de o astfel de francofonie nu am
nevoie. A doua observa]ie, n leg`tur` cu ntrebarea domnului
Andrei Ple[u, Ce se va face Uniunea European` cu Romnia?. ntrebarea este foarte serioas`. Uniunea European` [i, n
general, lumea occidental` s-au obi[nuit s` primeasc` din
Romnia cereri de burs`, oferte de participare la trguri de
carte, manifest`ri culturale, activit`]i ale centrelor culturale romne[ti din strìn`tate [i altele asemenea. Vreau s` spun c`
cele mai multe dintre prezen]ele romne[ti n lumea occidental` nu apar]ineau metabolismului natural n care o cultur` trebuie s` se afle cu alte culturi, ci p`reau lucruri care profitau de
o anumit` oportunitate. Or, aici avem de nvins o foarte mare
rezisten]`: n Romnia, chiar [i n zonele de vrf ale culturii,
exist` o rezisten]` foarte puternic` la acest metabolism cu lumea. Problemele nu se rezolv` prin campanii [i brainstorminguri, ci trebuie s` nv`]`m s` ne gr`bim ncet: toat` acea parte a
istoriei culturale, care a avut consecin]e profunde asupra mersului lumii, a fost rezultatul unei activit`]i desf`[urate ncet, cu
r`bdare, n tihn`. Din acest punct de vedere trebuie s` critic`m
[i Uniunea European` care, prin anumite institu]ii ale sale sau
prin unii func]ionari mai pu]in instrui]i pretinde, din partea unor
domenii precum cercetarea [tiin]ific`, rezultate ca acelea care
ni se cereau pe vremea comunismului (integrarea cercet`rii cu
produc]ia [i celelalte lozinci ale vremii). Trebuie s` recomand`m [i unor func]ionari ai Uniunii Europene s` urm`reasc` istoria culturii [i s` observe c` rezultatele trainice nu s-au ob]inut
niciodat` n timp scurt.
A treia observa]ie se refer` la ceea ce a spus doamna Huidan:
Nu ne a[tept`m s` ne contopim f`r` identitate n acest vast
spa]iu economic [i politic. Trebuie s` recunoa[tem c` aici se
afl` punctul care a format obsesia mai tuturor intelectualilor
Dumitru Sandu: If we look at the 25+2 countries of Europe, we see that Romanians are
among the top optimists. But I believe that
we must override the dichotomy euro-sceptical euro-optimistic thinking and approach a
three-step type of thinking. Data show that
there are also euro-indifferents, people who
does not care about. And the trends are the
following: in center and east of Europe the
weight of euro-indifferents increases, while
within the old member states the weight of
euro-scepticals increases.
Solomon Marcus: I wish to present you five
remarks. The first is related to those presented by Mister Daniel D?ianu: "Europe can
judge no more the world using an euro-centering approach." It is an allegation very
important for us, because there is a tendency
to see European Union as a counter-weight
for America. In this sense, we have a recent
example with the occasion of the international reunion of francophone countries, which
degenerated especially for this reason: till the
end, many of the participants considered that
the main objective of the French speaking
countries is to create a counter-weight to the
American culture. I confess you that I think
that there is no need of such French speaking
countries' union. The second remark is related to the question put by mister Andrei
Ple[u, "What would European Union deal
with the Romania in?". This question is a very
serious one. European Union and, generally,
the western world used to receive requests
for scholarship, participation tenders for book
fairs, cultural manifestations, and activities of
Romanian cultural centers from abroad and
other similar requests from Romania. I must
tell you that most of the Romanian presences
within occidental world did not belong to the
natural metabolism of culture twinning,
seeming rather presences benefiting of a certain opportunity. Or, from this point of view
we have to overcome a great resistance: in
Romania, even within our cultural top areas,
there is a strong opposition to this natural
metabolism with the world. Issues resolution
is not possible through campaigns and brainstorming; for this we must learn to speed
slowly. All that part of culture history with
deep consequences on the world progress
direction was the result of an activity slowly,
patiently, quietly developed. From this point
of view we must criticize European Union,
which, through certain of its institutions or its
officers less trained, pretends from some sectors, as the scientific research sector, results
similar to those requested during the communist regime ("research integration within production" and the other well known slogans
of that time). We must recommend to certain
officers of the European Union to study the

culture history in order to see that the lasting
results have been never obtained in short
time.
The third remark is related to those said by
Miss Huidan: "We do not expect to enter
within this wide economical and political area
without having our own identity." We must
recognize that this is the aspect which
obsessed almost all the Romanian intellectuals during these last ten years: what happened after our Accession to European
Union, we take off our Romanian clothes for
wearing other ones? Or, for me it seems
clearly that this is the issue. If we will see further the relationship between national identity and europeaning as a conflictual relationship, we are not on the good direction. The
Accession to European Union must be understood as an organic component of the all-levels globalization. The Europeanism is not in
opposition to the national identity, but moreover, it enriches this identity. We must understand this aspect and develop this type of
dynamic identity, adding it to the old concept
of national identity seen as "keeping tradition". There is a strong opposition within certain cultural environments to this change of
concept.
The forth remark refers to the more and
more accentuated degradation of massmedia. I confess that, as our television and
media are today, I consider them being into a
descendent trend. When you read a newspaper or hear a new from television, you feel
that we are a nation of delinquents, of people having as sole concern whom to scenting
or suing.
The fifth remark refers to something so clumsy that we do not discuss about, and
European Union does not debate this issue
because it can not imagine being possible to
exist such an issue. Several recent records
show that we are on the last positions in
Europe from point of view toilet paper, soap
and dentifrice consumption, and most of
Romanian schools are not sanitary authorized
to operate or have no sanitary facilities. We
remained where we were in 1970, when at
the question "why we have no toilet paper in
the WC?" I heard the answer "because it is
stolen". This issue extends within the education sector. There are some brochures with
the scoring related to different admittance
contests on which basis the evaluation of the
papers is made; I confess you that rarely I saw
books with such an involuntary humor as
these brochures. I give you one example: a
school leaver is examined in order to see if
he/she is able to see the difference between a
novel and a novelette, but never in order to
see if he/she is able to address a clear ques-
romni n ultimii zece ani: ce se ntmpl` dac` intr`m n Uniunea European`, ne dezbr`c`m de hainele noastre romne[ti
pentru a prelua alte haine? Or, mie mi se pare c` aici este
esen]a problemei: dac` vom continua s` vedem rela]ia dintre
identitate [i europenizare ca o rela]ie conflictual`, nu suntem
pe calea cea bun`. Intrarea n Europa trebuie n]eleas` ca o
component` organic` a globaliz`rii la toate nivelurile. Europenitatea nu numai c` nu intr` n conflict cu identitatea na]ional`,
dar o [i mbog`]e[te. Trebuie s` n]elegem acest lucru [i s` dezvolt`m acest tip de identitate dinamic`, pe care s-o adùg`m la
vechea percep]ie asupra identit`]ii ca p`strare a unei tradi]ii.
Exist` o mare rezisten]` n unele medii culturale fa]` de aceast`
schimbare.
A patra observa]ie se refer` la degradarea tot mai accentuat` a
mass-media. M`rturisesc c`, a[a cum se prezint` presa [i televiziunea de la noi, le v`d ntr-o direc]ie descendent` pronun]at`. Ai impresia, cnd deschizi un ziar sau televizorul, c` suntem un popor de infractori, de oameni care au drept principal`
preocupare cine pe cine s` suspecteze, cine pe cine s` dea n
judecat`.
A cincea observa]ie se refer` la o zon` att de penibil` nct noi
nu discut`m despre ea, iar Uniunea European` nu-i acord`
aten]ie pentru c` probabil nu-[i nchipuie c` exist` aceast` problem`. Cteva statistici recente ne arat` c` suntem pe ultimele
locuri n Europa la consumul de hrtie igienic`, de s`pun [i de
past` de din]i, iar majoritatea [colilor din Romnia nu au autoriza]ie sanitar` de func]ionare, nu au instala]ii sanitare. Am
r`mas tot acolo unde eram n 1970 cnd, la ntrebarea de ce
nu ave]i hrtie igienic` la toalet`?, am auzit r`spunsul pentru
c` se fur`. Acest lucru se prelunge[te n domeniul educa]iei.
Exist` ni[te bro[uri cu baremurile pe baza c`rora se fac evalu`rile
la diverse concursuri; e greu s` g`se[ti c`r]i cu un umor involuntar att de puternic cum sunt aceste baremuri. Un exemplu: la
un absolvent de [coal` se controleaz`, de pild`, dac` este n
stare s` fac` deosebirea dintre o nuvel` [i un roman, dar nici
gnd s` se controleze n ce m`sur` este n stare s` formuleze,
f`r` ambiguitate, o ntrebare c`tre o institu]ie sau o persoan`,
ori s` furnizeze, f`r` ambiguitate, o anumit` informa]ie deci
tot ceea ce ]ine de capacitatea de avea un dialog social normal
nu intr` n baremurile examenelor noastre. n domeniul educa]iei, discut`m despre tot felul de lucruri sofisticate, dar chestiunile elementare care stau la baza unui comportament cet`]enesc
normal nu fac obiectul evalu`rilor, nu intr` n nici un barem.
l 109
Corneliu B`lan: Niciodat` nu am n]eles ce fel de consilieri au

factorii de decizie din Romnia. Eu sunt primul doctor cu
diplom` n strìn`tate dup` 1990. Am un coleg care este cel
mai titrat din Romnia n domeniul lui. Noi doi n-am fost n stare
s` g`sim pe cineva care s` ia o decizie clar`. Dar un asemenea
lucru nu este specific doar Romniei. Lucr`m la dou` proiecte
europene de cercetare. Aveam o mare [ans` s` nu repet`m anumite erori pe care le-au f`cut alte state. Dup` cum v`d c` vine
t`v`lugul ader`rii, cred c` o s-o lu`m pe aceea[i cale, iar noi suntem presa]i s` facem asta. Rezultatul va fi c` vom umple laboratoarele noastre cu doctoranzi din India [i China.
110 l
Nicolae Zamfir: Diferen]a dintre cercetarea [tiin]ific` american` [i cea european` nu const` n cantitatea de bani, ci n faptul c` ntr-un loc exist` un pragmatism [i o eficien]` maxim`, iar
n cel`lalt, o birocra]ie maxim`. Cantitatea de bani nu aduce
ntotdeauna rezultate. Cnd se vorbe[te despre cercetarea
[tiin]ific`, publicul larg se gnde[te mai cu seam` la cercetarea
tehnologic`, realizat` pe baza unei comenzi. Dar aceast` comand` nu trebuie f`cut` de stat, nici de Comisia de la Bruxelles, ci
de companiile interesate. n sistemul actual, noi, cercet`torii,
avem ni[te oferte pe care nu ni le cump`r` nimeni. Statul,
desigur, trebuie s` preg`teasc` cercetarea aplicativ` n a[a fel
nct, atunci cnd exist` cerere din partea economiei, s` existe
un corp de cercet`tori capabili s` r`spund` cererii. Lucrez ntr-un institut na]ional, unde se fac cercet`ri de anvergur`; n
ultimii ani, s-a realizat un anumit num`r de patente, dar nu le-a
aplicat nimeni. Pentru curriculum vitae [i pentru cariera personal`, e foarte frumos s` realizezi patente, dar dac` nu le-a
folosit nimeni, ce rost au? Un alt aspect se refer` la cercetarea
fundamental`. Ea alimenteaz` orgoliul celor care o practic` [i
asigur` vizibilitatea ]`rii: e foarte bine, de exemplu, ca o ]ar` s`
aib` laurea]i ai Premiului Nobel. Cercetarea fundamental` ns`
trebuie s` dea ceva napoi societ`]ii. Cnd se aplic` rezultatele
ei? aceasta este o alt` problem`. Laserii, de exemplu, s-au
aplicat dup` un an, dar radia]iile nucleare s-au aplicat dup` cincizeci de ani. Nu po]i cere cercet`rii fundamentale s` dea rezultate aplicabile pe termen scurt, dar ea poate s` duc` o
economie nainte. Cercet`torii vin cu idei [i cer economiei s`
r`spund` acestor idei. Internetul a fost descoperit la CERN, n
Geneva, cu decenii n urm`; acum se creeaz` la nivel global o
re]ea de calcul integrat, GRID, n care nu mai conteaz` unde te
tion to an institution or person or to provide

clearly an information to someone - thus, to
examine his/her capacity to communicate normally within the society, aspect left away by
our exams. Within the education sector, we
discuss all kind of sophisticated things, but
the basic aspects, on which basis a normal citizen behavior is built, are not subject of any
assessment or scoring.
Corneliu B?lan I never understand what kind
of counselors has the policy-makers of
Romania. I am the first doctor with a diploma granted by a foreign institution after
1990. I have a colleague who is the most
licensed person of Romania in his sector. Both
of us we were unable to find someone able
to elaborate a clear policy. Such issue is not
specific only for Romania. We work to two
European research projects. We had the
opportunity not to repeat the errors made by
other states. But as I see coming over us the
Accession roller, I think we will engage on the
same way, being pressed to make so. The
result will be that our laboratories will be full
of postgraduates from India and China.
Nicolae Zamfir: The difference between
American research and European research is
not made by the involved amounts of money,
but by American pragmatism a maximum efficiency versus maximum European red tape.
The amount of money involved does not lead
necessarily to big results. When discussing
about scientific research, people is thinking,
generally, to the technological research performed based on an order. But this order
must be given by the concerned companies,
neither by the state, nor by the Commission
of Bruxelles. Within the current system, we,
the researchers, we have some tenders
bought by no one. The state must, for sure,
prepare the applied research so that anytime
existed researchers able to satisfy the
demands came from economics. I work within
a national institute where advanced researches developed; during the last years, a number
of patents were realized, but no one applied
them. For curriculum vitae and for personal
career is very beautiful to realize patents, but
if no one used them, what are their purpose?
Another aspect refers to the theoretical
research. It satisfies the self-pride of those
who undertake such research and ensures the
country visibility: it is very well, by instance,
that a country had Nobel prize-winners.
However, the theoretical research must give
something back to the society. When its
results are applied? - This is another aspect.
Laser, by instance, were applied after one
year, but nuclear radiations applied after fifty
years. It is impossible to expect that the theo-
retical research gives results applicable on

short-term, but it can push forward an economics. Researchers come with ideas and ask
for answers the economics. Internet was discovered at CERN, in Geneva, with decades
ago; now, at global level, an integrated calculation network, GRID, elaborates, allowing
you to have a great calculation capacity,
regardless the place where you are, under the
condition to have a great interconnected
computer network. Which will be the role of
Romania within this context? Certainly, it
must integrate within the European infrastructure and participate to European projects. Physics sector, by instance, in which I
work, reached a certain maturity and it is the
first introducing the globalization: there are
no significant experiments without the participation of many states from all the continents. The opportunity of Romania to participate to such projects is great. At the level or
our financing, hardly you can receive a flight
ticket and daily allowance in order to participate to an international congress. But being
part of such great project, you are entitled to
ask economical contracts and to obtain
financing from the companies interested by
your research, your results following to be
applied in your country, leading to the economical development. What would handle
from scientifically point of view Europe, without Romania? Certainly, it would not mean
great deal for Europe, the absence of
Romania. Maybe, Romania represents, from
this point of view, only a finger of Europe,
and, as we all know, you do not die because
of one finger missing, but, meanwhile, you
are no more complete.
Liviu Voinea: This year, the state financed
research by 0.5% of the GDP, and the private
firms remained to the percentage of the last
year, which is 0.2%. In the member states and
according to the Lisbon Agenda, facts are
vice-versa: two third of financing are ensured
by the private firms and only one third by the
state. But the worst is that to us, state did
not finance almost anything out of Bucharest,
in province the state financing being of
0.05%, while the private firms allocated this
financing almost balanced, the trends for the
future showing that some of the companies
intend to build their own research centers.
The private expenses are dependent in a way
of the public ones: the state and the
European Union can spend huge amounts of
money on the market, but if these amounts
are not properly oriented, pull-effect does
not appear. Within FP4 and FP5 projects of
EU, Romania was involved in 460 research
projects financed by EU, but only 3 of them
were applied in industry. There are regional
afli, important e s` existe o re]ea mare de calculatoare conectate ntre ele [i astfel ob]ii o for]` de calcul foarte mare. Care
ar fi rolul Romniei ntr-un asemenea context? Binen]eles, trebuie s` se integreze n infrastructura european` [i s` participe
la proiecte europene. Domeniul fizicii, de exemplu, n care lucrez, a ajuns la o anumit` maturitate, este prima care a introdus globalizarea: nu mai exist` experimente de anvergur` f`r`
participarea mai multor state, de pe toate continentele. {ansa
Romniei este s` participe la astfel de proiecte mari. La nivelul
finan]`rii de la noi, abia ]i se poate oferi un bilet de avion [i o
diurn` pentru participarea la un congres interna]ional. Dar intrnd n astfel de proiecte mari, ai dreptul s` ceri contracte economice [i s` ob]ii finan]`ri de la companii interesate de cercetarea pe care o faci, iar rezultatele se pot aplica n ]ar`, ceea ce
nseamn` dezvoltarea economiei.
Ce s-ar face Europa f`r` Romnia, din punct de vedere
[tiin]ific? Sigur, n-ar fi o mare pierdere. Poate c` Romnia e, n
domeniul [tiin]ei, doar un deget al Europei; nu mori f`r` un
deget, dar nici ntreg nu e[ti.
Liviu Voinea: Anul acesta, statul a finan]at cu 0,5 % din PIB
cercetarea, iar firmele private au r`mas la 0,2%, cifra de anul
trecut. n statele europene [i n Agenda Lisabona este invers:
dou` treimi din finan]are vin de la firmele private [i o treime de
la stat. Dar lucrul cel mai rù este c`, la noi, statul nu a finan]at
aproape nimic n afara Bucure[tiului, cifrele arat` c` finan]area
a fost de 0,05% n provincie, n timp ce firmele private au avut
un anume echilibru n repartizarea banilor, iar tendin]ele pentru
viitor arat` c` unele companii inten]ioneaz` s`-[i fac` propriile
centre de cercetare. Exist` o anume dependen]` a cheltuielilor
private de cele publice: statul [i Uniunea European` pot arunca
oric]i bani pe pia]`, dac` nu-i arunc` unde trebuie, nu se creaz` un efect de antrenare. n programele FP4 [i FP5 ale UE,
Romnia a fost implicat` n 460 de proiecte de cercetare cu
finan]are european`, dar numai 3 au avut aplica]ii industriale.
Exist` disparit`]i regionale nu numai n planul cercet`rii.
Bucure[tiul, de pild`, a ajuns la 55% din media UE ca venit,
ceea ce e foarte bine, dar restul ]`rii se afl` la 34%, iar NordEstul Romniei este cea mai s`rac` regiune a Europei. De
asemenea, 5 dintre cele mai s`race 10 regiuni europene sunt
din Romnia, iar celelalte 5 sunt din Bulgaria. A[a nct a gndi
n continuare strategii la nivel na]ional este contraproductiv, e
nevoie de programe regionale.
l 111
112 l
Dumitru Sandu: ntrebarea fundamental` pentru Romnia

acestui moment este cum va absorbi fondurile n perioada care
urmeaz`. Este o ntrebare ntlnit` n mai toate dezbaterile. De
ce totu[i aceast` ntrebare? Cred c` fiecare moment istoric se
caracterizeaz` prin tipurile de ntreb`ri care se pun. n anii 90,
ntrebarea dominant` a fost de tipul ce: ce institu]ii facem,
ce fel de societate ne dorim?
Acum, ntrebarea esen]ial` vizeaz` instrumentele, este o ntrebare de tipul cum. La nivelul societ`]ii romne[ti exist` un
consens asupra multor probleme, dar exist` ntreb`ri cu privire
la natura instrumentelor care trebuie folosite pentru a rezolva
aceste probleme. Dac` nu r`spundem repede la aceste ntreb`ri, vom trì, a[a cum s-a ntmplat [i n anii 90, o perioad`
de oboseal` din cauza prea multor strategii: actorii sociali [i
popula]ia nu mai vor strategii care nu au n spate mijloacele de
aplicare. De aceea exist` tendin]a de a acorda aten]ie ntreb`rii
cum. Cum se face, a[adar, absorb]ia de fonduri?
Primul r`spuns este: nu oricum. Exist` tendin]a de a crede c`,
dac` i nv`]`m pe oameni s` fac` proiecte pentru a solicita fonduri, am rezolvat problema. E o copil`rie. Avem nevoie de
solu]ii structurale, de reducerea disparit`]ilor, de infrastructur`,
dar [i de institu]ii care s` func]ioneze. A[ accentua, de asemenea, o chestiune care pare academic`, dar nu este: trebuie s`
nv`]`m s` r`spundem direct, pragmatic, ne-ideologic, la ntrebarea de ce. De ce avem problemele pe care le avem, de ce
lucrurile merg prost?
n materie de dezvoltare regional` tem` extrem de important` [i n Europa, [i n Romnia lucr`m cu indicatori care se
fac de sus n jos, precum PIB pe locuitor, de exemplu, ceea ce e
insuficient. Pentru a ajunge la problematica social`, e nevoie de
un alt fel de m`surare, care s` porneasc` de la nivelul
localit`]ilor, a[a cum sunt ele. Avem nevoie de evalu`ri corecte
n leg`tur` cu ceea ce s-a f`cut n Romnia. Exist` mitul
bunelor practici, exist` ideea c` se poate nv`]a numai din
bunele practici. Nu cred c` este a[a. E adev`rat, nv`]`m din
bunele practici n primul rnd din Romnia, c`ci exist` multe
solu]ii descoperite de oamenii locului privind spre Occident
dar e nevoie s` nv`]`m [i din proiectele e[uate. Or, foarte
pu]in` lume discut` despre proiectele e[uate.
Mihail Neam]u: Am de f`cut o invita]ie la reflec]ie n leg`tur`
cu dimensiunea religioas` a societ`]ii noastre, pe care orice
disparities not only at research level.

Bucharest, by instance, reached at 55% of the
EU income average, which is very well, but
the other parts of the country have only 34%
of the EU income average, and the North-East
of Romania is the poorest region of Europe.
Also, 5 of the 10 poorest European regions
are from Romania, and the other 5 are from
Bulgaria. So that thinking further strategies
at national level is not efficient, because we
need regional programs.
Dumitru Sandu: The basic question for
Romania of this time is how it will absorb the
funds during the next period. It is a question
discussed during almost all the debate sessions. Why this question? I think that every
historical time is characterized by the types of
questions raised. During '90, the prevailing
question was of what? related type: what
kind of institutions we will build, what kind
of society we wish to have? Now, the essential question addresses the instruments and is
of how? related type. At the level of the
Romanian society there is a consensus regarding many issues, but there are questions
regarding the nature of the instruments to be
used in order to solve these issues. If we will
not answer fast to these questions, we will
live, as it happened in '90 also, a period of
tiredness due to the too many strategies. The
social players and population do not want
any more strategies without related enforcement instruments. This is the reason for what
everybody is concerned by the question
how?. How will be absorbed, thus, the
European funds? The first answer is: not in
any manner. There is a tendency to believe
that, if we taught people to elaborate project
applications for funds, the issue is solved. This
thinking manner is childishly. We need structural solutions, reduction of disparities, proper infrastructure and operational institutions,
for solving the fund absorption issue. I wish
to highlight an issue which, even seems to be
purely academic at the first sight, it is not so:
we must learn to answer directly, pragmatically, non-ideologically to the question why?
Why we deal with all these issues, why things
are going wrong? Regarding the regional
development matter - extremely significant
theme both for Europe and Romania - we are
working with indicators elaborated from up
to down level, as GDP per inhabitant by
instance, which is not enough. For reaching
the issue social level, we need to make another type of evaluation, starting from locality
levels, as they are: We need correct assessment regarding the progress made in
Romania. There is the myth of "good practices" and there is the idea that lessons are
learnt only from good practices. I do not
think that it is true. It is true that we are

learning from good practices - especially
those from Romania, because there are many
solutions discovered by our citizens oriented
to Occident - but we need to learn also from
the failed projects. Or, there are very few
people discussing about failed projects.
Mihail Neam?u: I wish to invite you all to
think to the religious dimension of our society, too, dimension which van be seen by any
foreigner as coming from a pre-modern period, strongly orthodox. I think that there are
some theoretical pressures, at argument and
philosophy level, put by the leaders of the
civil society on the religious leaders in order
to elaborate a social doctrine. The Romanian
Orthodox Church is absolutely remarkable
lack of concern regarding the meditation on
its social dimension and public presence.
Basic notions as subsidiarity, human person
priority, local communities' right to decide
and to regulate certain practices, and many
others, are missing from a debate addressed
to determine the difficult and complex relationship between religious and social.
Daniel D?ianu: The worst thing is that not
only the Church does not have a social doctrine. Those who, due to their ideology, state
that they are concerned by the social issues,
have, in fact, no social doctrine, too.
Drago[ Pslaru: This is not the first time when
I assist to a debate regarding the manner in
which the Orthodoxy involved in the social
issues. I studied both Huntington theory
regarding the manner in which different religions impact certain behavior types, and
some communities influenced by orthodox
values. The issue is not of religious type: an
orthodox Christian can be a harder worker
than a protestant only at individual level.
But at social environment level, taking into
consideration the Romanian society, there are
other structural factors influencing the social
behaviors: first of all, the historic factors,
regarding the society organization manner.
Economics, as social science, was left away
very often. Many times, I feel that people
abstracted the economic knowledge from
their daily expertise. Or, it is not a correct
thinking. Economics is a part of the daily life,
learning economic knowledge meaning to
contribute both to one-self wealth and to
society wealth. In this moment, even there
are deficiencies in the social assistance and
issues regarding the approach related to
social doctrine, I think that what must concern us mostly is what we can undertake for
our own good. The best possible social assistance is to explore the individual potential of
strìn o poate sesiza ca venind dintr-o perioad` premodern`,

marcat ortodox`. Cred c` exist` ni[te presiuni de tip teoretic,
argumentativ [i filozofic, pe care liderii societ`]ii civile, ntr-un
mod simpatetic [i amabil, le fac asupra liderilor religio[i, n direc]ia elabor`rii unei doctrine sociale. Biserica Ortodox` Romn` este absolut remarcabil` prin aceast` absen]` a reflec]iei
asupra dimensiunii sociale a prezen]ei sale publice. Bunòar`,
no]iuni fundamentale precum acelea de subsidiaritate, prioritatea persoanei umane, drepturile comunit`]ilor locale de a decide
[i de a reglementa anumite practici [i altele lipsesc dintr-o dezbatere care s` sesizeze dinamica att de dificil` a rela]iei dintre
religios [i social.
Daniel Dìanu: Nu numai Biserica nu are o doctrin` social`,
asta este nenorocirea. Cei care, de pe o platform` ideologic`,
clameaz` c` se ocup` de probleme sociale nu au nici ei, de
fapt, o doctrin` social`.
Drago[ Pslaru: Nu este prima dezbatere, la care asist, cu
privire la modul n care Ortodoxia se implic` n problemele
sociale. Am studiat att teoria lui Huntigton privind modul n
care diversele religii marcheaz` anumite moduri de comportament, ct [i unele comunit`]i n care valorile ortodoxe au avut
o anume influen]`. Problema nu este de ordin religios: un ortodox poate fi mai harnic dect un protestant, la nivel individual.
Dar dac` discut`m pe medii sociale [i dac` avem n vedere
societatea romneasc`, sunt al]i factori structurali care influen]eaz` comportamentele sociale: n primul rnd, cei de natur`
istoric`, privind modul de organizare societal`.
Economia, ca [tiin]` social`, a fost adesea l`sat` deoparte. De
foarte multe ori, am senza]ia c` oamenii separ` cuno[tin]ele
economice de ceea ce trìesc n via]a de zi cu zi. Or, nu este a[a.
Economia este o parte a vie]ii de toate zilele, a deprinde cuno[tin]e de economie nseamn` a contribui la binele tù [i al societ`]ii n care trìe[ti. n momentul de fa]`, de[i exist` caren]e de
asisten]` social` [i probleme de viziune asupra doctrinei sociale,
cred c` ceea ce ar trebui s` ne preocupe mai mult este ce
putem face noi pentru noi. Cea mai bun` asisten]` social` posibil` este aceea de a explora poten]ialul propriu al fiec`rui individ [i al fiec`rei comunit`]i. Conform sondajelor de opinie, patronii sunt privi]i negativ n societatea romneasc`. Atta timp
ct un ntreprinz`tor care se presupune c` i serve[te social pe
ceilal]i, le face via]a mai bun` este privit negativ, lucrurile nu
l 113
pot merge bine. Pe de o parte, a[adar, avem o problem` social`, trebuie s` investim n social; pe de alt` parte, avem ni[te
oameni capabili s`-[i asume rolul de antreprenori [i s` investeasc`, dar ei uneori sunt frna]i ori bloca]i n ini]iativele lor,
chiar de c`tre comunitate. Avem caren]e [i la nivel individual, [i
la nivel de comunitate. n locul unui comportament favorabil
dezvolt`rii, avem un comportament care sus]ine stagnarea. La
nivel individual, predomin` mentalitatea de tip capra vecinului: dac` mie mi merge rù, dar celuilalt [i mai rù, m` simt
bine. La nivel comunitar, coalizarea grupurilor de interese exist`
de obicei doar pentru a realiza captura statului n defavoarea maselor largi sau pentru a bloca, a pune obstacole. Cred c` aceste
probleme trebuie rezolvate la nivel educa]ional, nainte de toate.
114 l
Daniel Dìanu: Cred c` un asemenea gen de discurs are un

risc foarte mare. Noi privim la stocul de atitudine negativ` din
societatea romneasc`, la ceea ce ne mpiedic` s` europeniz`m
ce este de europenizat. Cred ns` c` trebuie s` judec`m n termeni dinamici; dac` nu facem asta, o s` tragem concluzia c`
asta este Romnia cu un venit de o treime din media UE,
cu o infrastructur` precar` [i o s` devenim pesimi[ti. n raportul nostru, ncerc`m s` detect`m ni[te tendin]e, iar dac`
ajungem la concluzia c`, n ultimii ani, tendin]ele pozitive
prevaleaz` asupra celor negative, nseamn` c` exist` [anse. Nu
ne putem ns` a[tepta la rezultate spectaculoase, e o fantezie
s` credem c` vom avea alt` Romnie ncepnd cu 1 ianuarie
2007. Polonia [i Ungaria erau privite, acum vreo cinci ani, ca
exemple pozitive. Nimeni nu [i nchipuia ns` c` vor avea problemele sociale [i chiar politice pe care le au acum, n pofida
ratei de cre[tere economic`. Nu e suficient` cre[terea economic`, pentru a avea un sistem politic s`n`tos [i stabilitate social`.
Dac` ai manageri care c[tig` anual milioane de euro [i performan]ele companiei stagneaz`, n-ai f`cut nimic. Aud [i la noi
discursul unor fundamentali[ti care spun c` economia este
amoral`, ea urm`re[te doar profitul. Dar economia face parte
din societate, nu putem judeca separat, n paralel, economia [i
societatea. Eu cred n ciclurile lungi, [i cred c` n Europa asist`m
la sfr[itul unui ciclu al neoliberalismului, care a adus o anume
vigoare pentru o perioad`, dar a [i e[uat pe anumite planuri.
Ironia istoriei face ns` ca, n momentul care trebuie s` se ocupe
de problemele sociale, pentru a echilibra societatea c`ci dac`
exist` o mare propor]ie de exclu[i, de marginaliza]i, ace[tia pot
provoca probleme , presiunile economice globale, de ordin con-
everyone and the community potential.

According the social surveys, the owners are
seen negatively within the Romanian society.
As long as an enterpriser - who socially serves
the others, making their lives better, as it is
assumed - is negatively perceived, things can
not go in the right direction. By one hand,
we deal with a social issue, and we must
invest in social sector and by the other hand,
we have some individuals capable to assume
the role of an entrepreneur and to invest,
whose initiatives are, sometimes, braked or
blocked exactly by the society. We have deficiencies both at individual level and at community level. Instead of a conduct favorable
to the development, we have a conduct
maintaining the standstill. At individual level,
the "neighbor's goat" type mentality prevails:
if my life is not good, but the other's life is
even worse, I feel good. At community level,
the coalition of the groups of interest is, usually, an existing phenomenon only for the
purpose of capturing state funds in disfavor
of population or blocking / preventing social
initiatives. I think that these issues must be
solved at educational level, first of all.
Daniel D?ianu: I think that this kind of speech
is very risky. We look at the negative attitude
potential of the Romanian society, at what
prevent us to Europeanize what must be
Europeanized. I think that we must think in
dynamic terms because if we do not make so,
we will conclude that "this is Romania" - with
an income representing a third part of the EU
average income, with a poor infrastructure and we will become pessimist. In our report,
we have tried to determine some trends, and
if we reach to the conclusion that, during
these last years, the positive trends are prevailing in comparison to the negative ones, it
means that we still have chance. We can not
expect spectacular results, it is a phantasy to
think that starting from January 1st, 2007,
and we will have another Romania. Poland
and Hungary were seen, five years ago, as
positive examples. No one could imagine at
that time that they will have such social and
political issues as they have now, despite their
good economic growth rates. But the economic growth is not enough in order to reach
to a healthy political system and social stability. If you have managers winning annually
million of Euros while the company performance stands still, you realize nothing. I hear
also to us speeches of some "fundamentalist"
telling that economics is amoral aiming only
the profit. But economics is part of the society, we can not judge distinctly, in parallel,
economics and society. I believe in long term
cycles, and I believe that in Europe we can
see the end of a neo-liberalism cycle, which
brought vigor for a period, failing on certain

planes. The history irony is that the West
Europe Governments exactly now, when they
must find a resolution for the social issues because if there are too many excluded, marginalize, these can generate conflicts - face,
as the future Governments of Romania will
do, a dilemma, apparently unsolvable,
because of the global economical pressures of
competionally types: by one hand, they must
stimulate the efficiency, and by the other
hand, they must find solutions in order to
support the social protection, so that the
appearance of a mass of unsatisfied people
be impossible.
Liviu Voinea: The irony is that, when the market fundamentalism is already gone in West
Europe and USA, it starts in Romania.
Regarding the relationship between individual and state, efficiency and social protection,
the match does not start from a balanced null
score. We have 15% of the European wages
and 60% of the European prices. Or, when a
match starts from the score of 3-0, you can
not expect to finish with the score of 1-1. The
main benefit of Romania Accession to
European Union is not represented by the
European funds, but, mainly, by the end of an
inferiority mentality had by us a long period,
and secondly, by our participation to the policy-making process, because until now we
always the policies from outside were
imposed to us.
Corneliu B?lan But for us, the big issue is that
policy-makers and leaders are only the most
educated and best trained people. It is an
ascertainment valid not only in Romania.
There is the so called "second echelon" which
can not reach to the above mentioned positions ever. Europe has a difficulty in choosing
the persons who will lead us. Through the
research projects that I am leading, I work
with 20-30 professors from other European
countries and I saw that this issue is seen to
them, also. In Romania this issue is stronger,
for sure, but it exists in the other countries,
also.
Gabriel Istrate: I do not think that our perspective must be skeptical. Having this economical growth rate, we can become the second Ireland for the next ten years. The current competitive benefit of low wages can
not last too long. The scientific research is the
one called to ensure a long-term economical
growth. The Association Ad Astra, which
member I am, realized a "white book" of scientific research, and I must tell you that we
do not have a brilliant condition. Generally
speaking, we are not connected to the world
curen]ial, pun guvernele din Europa Occidental`, dar [i viitoarele

guverne din Romnia, n fa]a unei dileme aparent de nerezolvat:
pe de o parte, trebuie stimulat` eficacitatea, pe de alt` parte,
trebuie g`site solu]ii pentru sus]inerea protec]iei sociale, astfel
nct s` nu apar` o armat` ntreag` de nemul]umi]i.
Liviu Voinea: Ironia este c`, n momentul n care se cam termin` cu fundamentalismul de pia]` n Europa Occidental` [i n
SUA, el ncepe n Romnia. n ce prive[te raportul dintre individ
[i stat, dintre eficien]` [i protec]ie social`, meciul nu ncepe de
la zero. Avem 15% din salariile europene [i 60% din pre]urile
europene. Or, dac` ncepi un meci de la 3-0, nu te po]i a[tepta
s` se termine cu 1-1. Principalul avantaj al intr`rii n Uniunea
European` nu sunt fondurile europene, ci, n primul rnd, ncetarea unui complex de inferioritate pe care l-am avut de mult
timp [i, n al doilea rnd, participarea la luarea deciziilor, pentru
c` pn` acum am primit deciziile din afar`.
Corneliu B`lan: O mare problem` este c` n pozi]ii de decizie
[i de conducere nu ajung oamenii cei mai educa]i, cei mai preg`ti]i. Este o constatare valabil` nu numai n Romnia.
Exist` un e[alon doi care niciodat` nu poate ajunge la puterea de decizie. Europa are o problem` n selectarea celor care
ne vor conduce. n proiectele de cercetare pe care le conduc
sunt n contact cu vreo 20-30 de profesori din multe ]`ri
europene [i constat c` [i ei au aceast` problem`. n Romnia e
mai acut`, desigur, dar este prezent` [i n celelalte ]`ri.
Gabriel Istrate: Nu cred c` perspectiva trebuie s` fie sceptic`.
Cu rata de cre[tere economic` pe care o avem, putem s`
devenim o nou` Irlanda n urm`torii zece ani. Iar avantajul competitiv pe care l avem, cel al salariilor mai mici, nu poate ]ine
prea mult. Cercetarea [tiin]ific` este cea care poate asigura o
cre[tere pe termen lung. Asocia]ia Ad Astra, din care fac
parte, a realizat o carte alb` a cercet`rii [tiin]ifice, iar situa]ia
n care ne afl`m nu este str`lucit`. n ansamblu, suntem decupla]i de cercetarea la nivel mondial [i foarte pu]in vizibili n
raport cu m`rimea ]`rii. Diferen]a dintre America [i Europa este
una de perspectiv`. n SUA, cercetarea se realizeaz` oarecum
automat. Google [i alte companii de succes au pornit de la
ni[te cercet`ri de tip academic care [i-au g`sit aplica]ii n lumea
real`. Ceva de acest gen nu se poate ntmpla de sus n jos.
Institu]iile din Romnia trebuie reformate. n America, filozofia
l 115
este de a optimiza rolul institu]iilor n societate. Universit`]ile

din Romnia, de pild`, trebuie reformate pornind de la o dezbatere a rolului lor n societate. Mi se pare c` deocamdat` universit`]ile servesc scopurilor unora dintre profesori, mai curnd
dect societ`]ii. Universit`]ile sunt, apoi, foarte centralizate, nu
favorizeaz` diversitatea [i schimburile ntre departamente [i
facult`]i. Nivelul finan]`rii a mai crescut, dar nu a crescut [i
nivelul controlului: orice ban dat cercet`rii [tiin]ifice este un ban
care ar putea fi alocat s`n`t`]ii sau infrastructurii, a[a nct el
trebuie judecat dup` criterii de performan]`.
Dac` e vorba despre cercetarea fundamental`, atunci ea trebuie evaluat` dup` criterii acceptate la nivel interna]ional. Dac`
e vorba despre o cercetare aplicat`, e nevoie de verificarea
foarte clar` a aplicabilit`]ii n produc]ie.
116 l
Andrei Ple[u: Dac` vorbim despre integrare [i despre Europa,

p`]im [i noi ceea ce p`]e[te Europa ns`[i: discut` foarte mult
despre mijloace, despre instrumentar, despre ascu]irea cu]itelor.
Plec de la o ipotez` utopic`: s` presupunem c` totul o s` ne
reu[easc` Uniunea European` se va dovedi un proiect bun,
integrarea Romniei se va produce n ritmul necesar [i f`r`
drame [i vom ajunge la un moment dat, nu prea trziu, n
punctul n care Europa va fi un ]inut omogen. n acel moment,
va trebui s` ne punem ntrebarea: ce facem?. Am ajuns, n
sfr[it, la cap`tul drumului pentru care au lucrat economi[ti,
legislatori, politicieni, ideologi. Ce urmeaz`? Ce nseamn` cap`tul drumului n sens european? O bun` administra]ie, bun`stare distribuit` n mod echitabil, un pic de antiamericanism [i,
ca idee c`ci trebuie s` ai [i o idee drepturile omului. Aceasta
este ideea, religia, sublimitatea Europei. Eu cred c` drepturile
omului, care sunt esen]iale [i noi, n ]`rile din Est, [tim foarte
bine acest lucru sunt [i ele tot la nivel de instrumentar, sunt
un strict necesar al convie]uirii. Nu cred c` drepturile omului
trebuie s` devin` ceva monumental. Ar trebui s` se ob]in` firescul aplic`rii lor, pentru c` altminteri ele risc` s` devin` un fel de
umanism soft, care prive[te mereu c`tre om ca spre o fiin]`
aflat` n pericol, care trebuie mereu ap`rat` de multe asocia]ii
care trebuie s`-i pun` tot timpul crje. ncet-ncet, riscul este s`
se creeze o fiin]` destul de anemic` privind mereu dup` ajutor
n stnga [i n dreapta. M` tem c`, la un moment dat, ne vom
izbi de problema unei Europe f`r` scopuri un fel de rezerva]ie
foarte agreabil`, n care totu[i va trebui s` facem ceva. Vom
avea un context f`r` text. Cine ne d` textul? Este o ntreag`
research and we are poorly visible in comparison to the size of our country. The approach
makes the difference between America and
Europe. In USA, the research is realized almost
automatically. Google and other successful
companies started from some academic
researches with applications in the real world.
Something like that can not occur from up to
down level. Institutions of Romania must be
reformed. In America, philosophy is to optimize the institution role within the society.
The Universities of Romania, by instance, must
be reformed starting from a debate having as
theme their role within the society. I think
that until now, the universities serve only the
purposes of certain professors rather than the
society purposes. Universities are very centralized, not favoring the diversity and the
exchange between departments and faculties.
Financing level increases a little, but the control level did not increase similarly: any money
given to scientific potentially could be given
to health or infrastructure, so that it must be
judged using performance criteria. The theoretical research must be assessed based on criteria accepted at international level. For the
applied research, its applicability in production must be very clearly verified.
Andrei Ple[u:If we are talking about integration and about Europe, we will be in the
same position as Europe: a lot of discussions
about means, instruments, sharpening the
knives. I start my rationale from an utopist
assumption: let's suppose that everything will
be a success - European Union will be a good
project, the accession of Romania will develop
in the necessary rhythm and without drama,
and after a time but not too late, we will live
within an homogenous Europe. At that
moment, we will have to wonder the following question: "What are we doing?" We
reached finally the end of the road for which
economists, regulators, politicians, ideologists
were hardly working together. What will happen from now? What does it mean the end of
the road from European point of view? A
good administration, wealth allocated fairly, a
little anti-Americanism, and, as idea - because
you must have an idea also - the human
rights. This is the Idea, the religion, the sublime of Europe. I think that human rights,
which are essential - we also, people from
East Europe countries, we know very well the
significance of human rights - are also at
instrument level, being a absolute necessity in
order to live together. I do not think that
human rights must become something monumental. It must be aimed the naturalness of
their enforcement, because otherwise, these
right can become a sort of soft humanism,
treating always the human being as a being
permanently in danger, who must be protected by many associations with the role of supporting him/her by crutch. Step by step, the
risk is to create a weak human being, looking
always for help. I am afraid that at one
moment, we will have to deal with the issue
of a Europe without purposes - a sort of
agreeable reservation in which, we will have
to do something, after all. We will have a context without text. Who bring us the text? A
lot of experts are fighting in order to elaborate the context. My question to these experts
is: which is the text? Are we thinking, at least,
to this issue while we are sharpening the
knives? Last year, a round table was organized
in Berlin, to this session, with the title "A soul
for Europe", participating guests for the
whole world. Everything was very optimistic,
but in a minor tonality. It was not understood
the significance of giving a soul to Europe.
But, at least, an idea you can give to it.
Substantiality, beyond living well together,
you must give to it - although, I recognize, living well together means a lot. Therefore, I
wonder if it is not probably already a necessity to organize a debate about what we will
do when everything will be settled. This
question was well to exist already in order to
give some color to our efforts to reach the
target.
lupt` de speciali[ti pentru crearea contextului. ntrebarea mea

c`tre speciali[ti este: care e textul? Ne gndim m`car la asta n
timp ce ascu]im cu]itele? Acum un an a avut loc la Berlin o
mas` rotund` cu invita]i din toat` lumea, care s-a numit Un
suflet pentru Europa. Totul avea un aspect optimist, dar ntr-o
cheie minor`. Nu s-a n]eles pn` la urm` ce nseamn` s` dai
un suflet Europei. Dar o idee trebuie s`-i dai. O substan]`, dincolo de buna convie]uire, trebuie s`-i dai de[i, recunosc, [i
buna convie]uire nseamn` deja foarte mult. Prin urmare, m`
ntreb dac` nu e necesar s` facem [i noi o dezbatere despre ce
vom face atunci cnd totul a fost deja f`cut. Aceast` ntrebare
ar trebui s` existe de pe acum, pentru a da o anumit` culoare
tuturor eforturilor noastre de a merge c`tre ]int`.
l 117
LAVINIA HUIDAN
Adaptarea la schimbare
Adapting to the change
When choosing the theme of this forum, we
took into consideration two aspects: The first
refer to our accession on January 1st 2007,
within the economical and political European
space, exceptional opportunity to win the
modernization bet. The second aspect was the
conference with the title "Regional competitiveness within the Lisbon Agenda context",
organized by the Group of Economics Applied
- a group of young elite economists, that I am
happy to know them. Our debate takes place
starting from the report drawn up by them an extremely valuable document, out of
which I extracted for our meeting of today,
several subjects: are we prepared for competition? What effects would have the lack of
competitiveness? There is in Romania the so
called "economical patriotism"? This patriotism will increase once the accession is completed? Can we expect an increase of the
investments and competitiveness following a
process of industry relocation? What public
policies are necessary in order Romania optimized the profile raised by the accession
n alegerea temei acestui forum, am avut n vedere dou` considerente. Primul este legat de intrarea noastr`, la 1 ianuarie
2007, n spa]iul economic [i politic european, care este o oportunitate de o valoare excep]ional` pentru a c[tiga pariul moderniz`rii. Al doilea considerent a fost conferin]a cu titlul
Competitivitatea regional` n contextul Agendei Lisabona,
organizat de Grupul de Economie Aplicat` un grup de tineri
economi[ti de elit`, pe care m` bucur c` i-am putut cunoa[te.
Dezbaterea noastr` are loc pornind de la raportul realizat de ei
un document de mare valoare, din care am extras, pentru
ntlnirea noastr` de ast`zi, cteva subiecte: suntem preg`ti]i
pentru competi]ie? Ce efecte ar avea lipsa de competitivitate?
Exist`, n Romnia, ceea ce se cheam` patriotism economic?
Se va accentua odat` cu aderarea? Ne putem a[tepta la o
cre[tere a investi]iilor [i a competitivit`]ii printr-un proces de
relocalizare industrial`? Ce politici publice sunt necesare pentru
ca Romnia s`-[i optimizeze profitul rezultat din procesul de
integrare? Ce rol trebuie s` aib` cercetarea [i dezvoltarea n

evolu]ia postaderare? Cu ce costuri [i cu ce beneficii?
Din raportul GEA rezult` c` 1 ianuarie 2007 este un moment
de excep]ie, dar numai un moment. ncepe un proces ndelungat, n care avem nevoie de o viziune de lung` durat` [i de o
strategie care s` ]in` seama de capacitatea Romniei de a-[i
ajusta economia la structurile europene [i, n acela[i timp, de
capacitatea societ`]ii noastre de adaptare la schimbare. Nu ne
a[tept`m s` ne contopim f`r` identitate n acest vast spa]iu
economic [i politic. Suntem convin[i c`, pentru succesul integr`rii, politicile publice au o mare importan]`. Forumurile urm`toare, care se vor desf`[ura sub genericul Romnia european`, trebuie s` se constituie ntr-o platform` de dezbatere
ntre elitele intelectuale pentru toat` problematica integr`rii,
identificnd solu]ii pe care s` le promov`m pe agenda public`
[i s` putem influen]a, astfel, politicile publice.
process? What must be the role of research

and development for the post-accession evolution? What will be the costs and benefits?
The GEA report shows that January 1st 2007
is an exceptional moment, but only a
moment. After this moment, a long process
starts, during which period, we need a longterm approach and strategy, taking into consideration the capacity of Romania to adjust
its economics to the European structures and
meanwhile the capacity of our society to
adapt to the relevant changes. We do not
expect to enter within this wide economical
and political area without having our own
identity. We are convinced that, for the accession success, the public policies are of a great
significance. The following forums, which will
develop under the logo "European
Romania", must represent a debate platform
regarding the integration issues, for the intellectual elites, in order to identify solutions
able to be promoted on the political agenda
and to influence in this way the public policies.
DANIEL D~IANU
S` gndim n perspectiv` european`

118 l
Let's think from European perspective point of view

Rapoartele GEA au ncercat s` mediteze asupra unei ntreb`ri
pe care ne-o punem de c]iva ani: Ce va fi Romnia n Uniunea
European`?. Foarte mult timp, ntrebarea care a obsedat lumea
academic`, lumea politic` [i societatea civil` a fost dac` Romnia va intra n Uniunea European`. S-au ntre]inut cli[ee de tipul
totul e s` respect`m ce spune acquis-ul comunitar, s` fim disciplina]i, [i lucrurile vor merge de la sine. {i s-a considerat c`,
dac` avem reguli clar statuate, iar cet`]enii le respect`, dac`
adopt`m o filozofie libertarian` (conform c`reia pia]a regleaz`
totul), toat` lumea este c[tig`toare.
Or, realitatea este foarte diferit` de ce scrie n manuale [i, mai
mult dect att, aceast` filozofie a pie]ei atotputernice nu este
cea care prevaleaz` n dezbaterile academice [i n mediile n
care se pl`m`de[te politica. Tema Ce vom fi n Uniune? ne
obsedeaz` n continuare.
Dar economia chiar dac` noi, economi[tii, o consider`m regina [tiin]elor sociale este o [tiin]` soft, ea nu poate da
r`spunsuri la toate ntreb`rile.
Nu cred c` pia]a poate regla totul singur`. Noi mbr`]i[`m o
alt` tez`, [i anume c` grupuri de oameni, comunit`]i sau ]`ri
pot fi privite ca m`nunchiuri, clusters, iar pentru ca acestea s`
GEA reports tried to think to the question,

usual in the last years. What will Romania be
within European Union? Long time, an obsessive question for the academic, political and
social sectors was if Romania will be part of
European Union. Clich as "all it is necessary
to do is to observe the communitarian acquis,
to be disciplined, and things will go on by
themselves" was kept a long time. It was considered that as long as we have regulations
clearly established, which are observed by our
citizens, if we adopt a liberal philosophy
(according to which the market regulated
everything), everybody will be a winner. Or,
reality is very different in comparison to the
texts from the handbooks, and moreover, this
philosophy of a almighty market is not the
prevailing one during the academic debates
and within the policy-makers environment.
The theme "What will we be within the
Union" obsesses us further. But economics even we, the economists, we consider it as
"the queen of social sciences" - is a soft science, unable to answer to all the questions.
I do not believe that market can regulate
everything by itself. We have another thesis
according to which, groups of individuals,
communities or countries can be considered
as clusters and in order not to be only historical accidents all these clusters, we need public
policies. History shows that this is the true.

Even European Union project is such a cluster,
a structure pacifying Europe after the Second
World War, with the support of the United
States of America. At the beginning it was
only and idea, subsequently transposed into
reality by institutions operating nowadays
more or less well, but demonstrating that it is
necessary a public policy thought at international level. The impact upon the competitiveness is not only an empty intellectual
exercise: it is an aspect very significant for the
contemporary world. There is no responsible
government or political class which does not
think to the competitiveness issues. Lisbon
Agenda is, in its essence, an answer, on public
policy level, to the obsessive question regarding the global competitiveness, both at crossborder level and national level. Europe realizes that it can judge no more the world
using a eurocentering approach: "we lead,
we do, we have a civilizing mission, and the
others must listen to us and undertake our
model". World changes radically during these
last decades, China and India doubled their
manpower on the world market. According
to the last assessments carried out by
Lawrence Freeman, an economist from
Harvard, in this moment, in comparison to
the condition existing a quarter of century
ago, the relevant manpower stock is considerable bigger in comparison to the capital
stock, which means that we mix now much
more manpower with the same capital existing twenty five years ago. For any serious
economist, the conclusion is very clear: there
is a pressure in order to decrease the wages,
if not the nominal ones at least the real ones.
And this process is already seen in West
Europe. The reticence had by the "strong
nucleon of Europe" during the last years
against the Union extending have its structural roots in the dip currents acting with an
implacable force within the last decades:
demography, population aging, the crisis of
the "wealth status" and the social protection
systems. There is a certain institutional sclerosis leading many times to the situation in
which the governments, even animated by
good ideas, were unable to enforce the relevant ideas. Then, followed the economical
growth of Asia, which became a really concern. Even the last report, regarding the
nation condition, presented by President
George Bush, referred to the competitiveness
issue. America - much more mobile regarding
the manpower, having excellent universities
educating the great minds of the world - is
already affected by the effects of the global
competitiveness: a technological, military and
economical supremacy can not be supported
nu fie doar accidente istorice, este nevoie de politici publice.

Istoria arat` c` a[a stau lucrurile. Chiar proiectul Uniunii
Europene este un asemenea cluster, o construc]ie care a pacificat Europa dup` al doilea r`zboi mondial cu ajutorul Statelor
Unite ale Americii: a fost ini]ial o idee, opera]ionalizat` ulterior
prin institu]ii care func]ioneaz` ast`zi mai mult sau mai pu]in
bine, dar demonstreaz` c` este nevoie de o politic` public`
gndit` la nivel interna]ional. Reflec]ia asupra competitivit`]ii
nu este un exerci]iu intelectual futil: are foarte mare relevan]`
n lumea contemporan`. Nu exist` guvern responsabil [i clas`
politic` responsabil`, care s` nu mediteze asupra problemelor
competitivit`]ii. Agenda Lisabona este, n esen]`, un r`spuns,
pe planul politicilor publice, la ntrebarea obsesiv` privitoare la
competi]ia global`, att la nivel suprana]ional, ct [i la nivel
na]ional. Europa [i d` seama c` nu mai poate judeca lumea
dintr-o perspectiv` eurocentric`: noi conducem, noi facem,
noi avem o misiune civilizatoare, iar ceilal]i trebuie s` ne asculte
[i s` ne preia modelul. Lumea s-a schimbat radical n ultimele
decenii, China [i India au dublat for]a de munc` relevant` pe
pia]a mondial`. Dup` ultimele estim`ri ale lui Lawrence Freeman, un economist de la Harvard, n momentul de fa]`, n compara]ie cu ce era acum un sfert de veac, stocul de for]` de
munc` relevant`, raportat la stocul de capital, este considerabil
mai mare, ceea ce nseamn` c` mbin`m mai mult` for]` de
munc` cu acela[i stoc de capital de acum dou`zeci [i cinci de
ani. Pentru orice economist serios, concluzia se impune de la
sine: exist` o presiune de sc`dere a salariilor, dac` nu a celor
nominale, m`car a celor reale. Iar acest proces se vede deja n
lumea vestic`. Reticen]a pe care nucleul tare al Europei a
avut-o n ultimii ani fa]` de problema extinderii [i are r`d`cinile
structurale n curen]i de profunzime care au ac]ionat cu o for]`
implacabil` n ultimele decenii: demografia, mb`trnirea popula]iei, criza Statului bun`st`rii [i a sistemelor de protec]ie
social`. Exist` o anume scleroz` institu]ional` care a f`cut ca,
de multe ori, de[i guvernele aveau idei bune, s` nu le poat`
pune n aplicare. Apoi, a intervenit cre[terea economic` a Asiei,
care a devenit preocupant`. Chiar [i ultimul raport despre
starea na]iunii, prezentat de pre[edintele George Bush, a f`cut
referire la problema competitivit`]ii. America mult mai mobil`
n ceea ce prive[te for]a de munc`, excelnd prin universit`]ile
ei unde se preg`tesc min]ile luminate ale lumii resimte efectele competitivit`]ii globale: o suprema]ie tehnologic`, militar`
[i economic` nu poate fi sus]inut` dac` nu excelezi n domeni-
l 119
120 l
ul cercet`rii, ceea ce presupune acumul`ri pe plan educa]ional.

O asemenea preocupare e cu att mai explicabil` n Europa. Ea
se simte, desigur, [i n ]`rile din Europa Central` [i de Est.
Nominal, ele afi[eaz` rate de cre[tere economic` substan]ial
mai ridicate dect n Vestul Europei, beneficiind [i de un avantaj competitiv: popula]iile din aceast` zon` pot merge s` munceasc` n Vest, pentru salarii mai mari, n schimb francezii, germanii sau britanicii nu au unde s` se duc`. Vesticii sunt
obi[nui[i cu o via]` confortabil`, n schimb nu sunt obi[nui]i cu
provoc`rile, cu schimb`rile rapide care apar n economiile
emergente. Pentru psihologia colectiv` a europenilor care formeaz` un grup de ]`ri ale c`ror economii erau privite ca performante, ceea ce se ntmpl` n ultimul timp este mai mult dect
inedit. Existau de mult semne prevestitoare, dar s-a petrecut
ceva care acum dou` decenii p`rea dincolo de sfera posibilului:
c`derea Cortinei de Fier. Servan-Schreiber, n cartea Le Dfi
amricain, vedea lumea prin prisma a trei poli de putere:
Europa de Vest, Europa comunist`, Statele Unite. Plus Japonia,
care era excep]ia ce nt`rea regula. Or, lumea de ast`zi este radical diferit` de ceea ce imagina Servan-Schreiber. O ntreag`
suit` de lucr`ri recente care arat` rela]ia dintre evolu]ia economiei [i politicile publice, de[i sunt excesiv de pesimiste, exprim`
o idee real` [i insist` asupra st`rii deplorabile a clasei politice, a
celor care trebuie s` imagineze [i s` aplice politicile publice.
Studiul nostru ncearc` s` sugereze c` trebuie s` ie[im din
gòacea noastr`, s` gndim ntr-o perspectiv` european`, s`
particip`m la dialogul din interiorul Uniunii Europene, dar s` ne
rezolv`m problemele acas`. Analiza noastr` caut` s` surprind`
unele aturi ale Romniei, dar [i acele domenii unde stagn`m.
Romnia a f`cut progrese n ultimii ani, avem o performan]`
macroeconomic` mai bun`, avem [i o economie care scoate la
lumin` zone modernizate, avem [i por]iuni din industria noastr` care s-au inserat n re]elele industriale europene. Romnia
nu mai este o ]ar` unde nu se ntmpl` nimic, ori se ntmpl`
numai rele. Exist` ns` n continuare sl`biciuni structurale, pe care
nu le vom nl`tura prea u[or: ruralitatea unei bune p`r]i a societ`]ii romne[ti, o infrastructur` precar`, un stat slab (n]elegnd
prin asta nu doar administra]ia ineficient`, dar [i rela]ia dintre
stat [i cet`]ean, [i felul n care ne definim interesele publice).
Intrnd n Uniunea European`, calitatea politicii publice devine
decisiv` pentru ca Romnia s` intre pe o alt` traiectorie, pentru
a reu[i s` reduc` decalajul. Prin aderarea Romniei [i Bulgariei,
Uniunea European` redevine Europa n sens geografic, dar
if the research has not excellent results, fact

which supposes accumulations on the educational level. Such a concern is much more
explicable in case of Europe. This concern is
seen also in the countries of Central and East
Europe. Nominally, these countries have economical growth increase rates substantially
higher than those of the countries of West
Europe, benefiting, therefore, of a competitiveness advantage. populations of these
countries can go to West working for bigger
wages, but French, German or English have
no where to go working. The West populations are used with a comfortable life; instead
they are not used with challenges, with fast
changes of the emergent economies. For the
collective psychology of the Europeans, forming a group of countries of which economies
were considered performing, what happened
in the last time is more than new. Augural
signs existed for long time ago, but something, which two decades ago seemed to be
impossible, happened: the fall of the Iron
Curtain. Servan-Schreiber, in his book Le Dfi
amricain, saw the world as having three
power poles: West Europe, Communist
Europe, United States of America, plus Japan,
which was the exception strengthening the
rule. Or, the today world is radically different
to that imagined by Servan-Schreiber. A lot of
recent works, showing the relationship
between economical evolution and public
policies, even they are excessively pessimistic,
express a real idea and insist on the pitiful
condition of the political class and those
who must elaborate and enforce the public
policies.
Our study tries to suggest that we must leave
our egg, think in European perspective, participate to the dialogue from European Union
inside, but solve our local issues. Our analysis
looks for finding some advantages of
Romania, but also the sectors where we stand
still. Romania made progresses during these
last years, having a better macro economical
performance, more modernized areas within
the economics, and industrial sectors already
integrated within European similar industrial
sectors. Romania is no more a country where
nothing happens or only bad things happen.
But there are still structural weaknesses,
which we will not be able to solve easily: the
rural nature of a significant part of the
Romanian society, a poor infrastructure, a
weak state (inefficient administration but
also a poor relationship between state and
citizen, and inefficient manner of determining our public interests).
Accession to European Union imposes the
quality of the public policy as a determinant
aspect in order to engage on another trajectory and to reduce the existing difference.
Following Romania and Bulgaria Accession,

the European Union becomes again the old
geographic Europe, but the interests of the
27 member states are often not congruent,
still existing power relationship or conflicts.
Within such an area, the determination and
follow up of own interest is not easy if you
have not people with high education and
expertise. Besides the economical progress,
we must be concerned by human resources
quality also. It is not enough to have a good
macro economical policy and enterprises
exporting substantially; things are more complex: starting from the home-seven-years and
including the education system quality, a
friendly and decent living environment for
human beings and for animals.
GEA report is an invitation to a public
debate: we do not pretend to formulate
answers to all the questions, because rather
we are trying to propose discussion themes.
In this manner we are trying to bring our
contribution in order to build a better public
debate culture. Usually, in Romania there are
public debates only after something wrong
happened. We do not have a public debate
culture; we must do more in this direction,
exactly for getting the skills necessary in
order to participate to European public
debates.
interesele celor 27 de ]`ri nu sunt, adesea, congruente, exist`

rela]ii de putere, exist` nen]elegeri. ntr-un asemenea spa]iu,
definirea intereselor [i urm`rirea lor nu este u[oar` dac` nu ai
oameni bine preg`ti]i. Pe lng` bunul mers al economiei, trebuie s` ne preocupe [i calitatea oamenilor. Nu e suficient s` ai
o politic` macroeconomic` bun` [i ntreprinderi care s` exporte
substan]ial; lucrurile sunt mult mai complexe: pornesc de la cei
[apte ani de-acas` [i includ calitatea sistemului educa]ional, un
mediu de trai prietenos [i decent pentru oameni [i altele.
Raportul GEA este o invita]ie la dezbatere public`: nu avem
preten]ia de a formula r`spunsuri la toate ntreb`rile, mai
degrab` ncerc`m s` propunem teme de discu]ie. Astfel, ne
str`duim s` contribuim la o mai bun` cultur` a dezbaterii publice. De obicei, n Romnia se dezbate public doar dup` ce se ntmpl` ceva. Nu prea avem o cultur` a dezbaterii publice; trebuie s` facem mult mai mult n aceast` direc]ie, tocmai pentru
a putea participa la dezbaterile publice care au loc n Europa.
l 121
CORNELIU B~LAN
O zi de lucru
A day of work
My university professor job description should
comprise: scientific education, leading the
research projects, the completion and assessment of projects. But my schedule for today
was: starting from 8 o'clock - discussions with
the attainments office on the way in which
money can be spent; 9 o'clock - signing financial papers; 10 o'clock - courses; 12 o'clock attainments office> the way in which money
that can not be spent are spent; 1 o'clock calling to companies in order to change the
initial offer with another offer; 14 o'clock call and mail to the London Embassy in order
to give a visa to my postgraduate from Chine,
which is going to come in Romania (you have
no idea how difficult it is now to get the visa
for Romania!). Finally, I launched out into the
multitude of cars in Bucharest for coming to
this debate...
Fi[a postului meu de profesor universitar ar trebui s` con]in`:

educa]ia [tiin]ific`, conducerea proiectelor de cercetare, realizarea [i evaluarea proiectelor. Iat` ns` cum a ar`tat programul
meu de ast`zi: ncepnd de la ora 8: discu]ii birou de achizi]ii
despre cum se pot cheltui banii; ora 9: semnare hrtii financiare, predare proiecte; ora 10: curs; ora 12: birou de achizi]ii: cum
se cheltuiesc banii care nu se pot cheltui; 13: telefoane companii pentru a schimba oferta ini]ial` cu alt` ofert`; ora 14:
telefon [i mail la ambasada din Londra pentru a-i da viz` doctorandei mele din China, care urmeaz` s` vin` n Romnia (nu
[ti]i ct de greu se ob]ine acum viza pentru Romnia!). n fine,
am luat coada de ma[ini din Bucure[ti pentru a veni la aceast`
dezbatere...
GZEGOZ KOLOTKO
Cine alearg` mai repede

Who runs faster
122 l
Am participat la ultima faz` a negocierilor Poloniei pentru aderarea la Uniunea European`. Pot s` v` asigur c` Romnia anului 2006 e mult mai preg`tit` psihologic s` adere la Uniunea
European` dect era Polonia n prim`vara lui 2004. Mi se pare
c` exist` un grad mai mare de consens, cel pu]in ntre elitele
intelectuale [i elitele politice.
A[ vrea s` fac cteva comentarii asupra acestei dezbateri. a]i
criticat mass-media. n Europa de Est nu este vorba doar despre
economii sau pie]e emergente, ci [i despre democra]ii emergente: aici se na[te o democra]ie. Iar subiectele de dezbatere
democratic` sunt greu de comunicat ntr-un limbaj simplu. Se
poate pune ntrebarea de ce nu exist` n presa din ]ara dumneavoastr` c`ci sunt sigur c` nu exist` o dezbatere pe
subiectele integr`rii europene. {i de ce nu exist` o astfel de
dezbatere n Parlament. (Sau exist`?... Sunt sigur c` nu.) Pentru
c` o asemenea dezbatere nu vinde, e greu de comercializat,
marele public nu o cump`r`. Marele public este tratat instrumental [i i se spun bla-bla-uri. A[a s-a ntmplat, n bun` m`sur`, [i n Polonia.
Un alt comentariu. Cnd putem vorbi despre progres? Cnd se
ntlnesc n acela[i timp trei elemente. Mai nti, trebuie s`
existe un progres tehnologic semnificativ. n al doilea rnd, trebuie s` existe, din partea liderilor formali [i informali, din partea
grupurilor sau partidelor care se afl` la conducere, o angajare
politic`, o dorin]` de a mpinge lucrurile ntr-o anumit` direc]ie.
{i, n al treilea rnd, trebuie s` existe un cadru institu]ional
adecvat iar acest lucru a fost puternic subliniat de [tiin]a economic` n ultima vreme. Din p`cate, acest cadru institu]ional nu
a func]ionat n societ`]ile n tranzi]ie, care sunt puternic influen]ate de o viziune primitiv`, naiv` a neoliberalismului, considernd c` pia]a rezolv` totul. Cre[terea economic` este, desigur, cel mai important factor, dar nu singurul: avem nevoie de
resurse, de bani, avem nevoie de capital financiar, fizic, uman
pentru a putea rezolva apoi problemele mediului nconjur`tor,
pentru a reduce excluderea social`, pentru a mic[ora rata criminalit`]ii [i altele. Toate acestea cost` bani [i au nevoie de
cre[tere economic`. Cre[terea PIB este important`, dar la fel de
important este cum distribuim aceast` cre[tere, cum este absorbit produsul intern brut. Pentru Romnia, n acest moment,
cred c` problema crucial` este cum s` sus]in`, n termeni reali,
cre[terea economic` pe care a avut-o n ultimii ani. Dac`
I participated on the last phase of the negotiations of Poland for accession to the
European Union. I can assure you that 2006
Romania is much more psychological prepared to accede to the European Union than
it was Poland in the spring of 2004. It seems
to me that there is a higher degree of unity,
at least between the intellective and the
political elites.
I wish to make some commentaries on this
debate. You have judged the mass-media In
the Eastern Europe the matter is not only
about the economies or emergent markets,
but also about emergent democracies: here a
democracy is being born. And the subjects of
democratically debate are difficult to communicate in a simple language. We can ask why
in the press from your country there is not because I'm sure there isn't- a debate on the
subjects of the European accession. And why
in the Parliament there is no such debate. (Or
is there? I'm sure it isn't.) Because such a
debate doesn't "sell", it is difficult to market;
the big public doesn't buy it. The big public is
being treated instrumentally and absurdities
are being communicated to it. This is what
mainly happened, also in Poland.
Now, another commentary. When can we talk
about progress? When three elements are in
the same time met. Firstly, there has to be a
significant technological progress. Secondly,
there must exist, from the formal and informal leaders, from the leading groups and
parties, a political engagement, a wish to
make things working in a certain direction.
And, thirdly, there must be an appropriate
institutional environment - and this matter
has been strongly underlined lately by the
economical science. Unfortunately, this institutional environment didn't work within the
societies in transition, which are strongly
influenced by a primitive, naive vision of neoliberalism, considering that the market solves
everything. The economical growth is, certainly, the most important factor, but not the
only one: We need resources, money, capitalfinancial, physical, human- in order to solve
then the problems of the environment, to
decrease the social exclusion, to reduce the
delinquency rate and others. All these cost
money and require economical growth. The
GDP growth is important, but equally important is the way in which we distribute this
growth, and the gross domestic product is
being absorbed. For Romania, at this
moment, I think that the crucial problem is
how to support, in real terms, the economical
growth that was recorded during the last
years. If you keep this growth rhythm for
twenty years, you catch up Spain - and this is
to run faster than the others. It is said that

two young people were on the mountain, in
the Carpathians and they stopped to eat. At
some given moment, they saw a bear
approaching. One of them threw the sandwich and bag, took off his boots and put
some light shoes. The other told him: Do
you think that if you put jogging shoes you
will run faster than the bear? . No,
answered the first. I will run faster than you.
So it would not be bad that Romania runs
forward faster then Austria, Italy and
Germany, as she did by now.
calcule, e pur` aritmetic`. S` alergi mai repede dect ceilal]i e

crucial. Se spune c` doi tineri erau pe munte, n Carpa]i, [i au
poposit s` m`nnce. La un moment dat, au v`zut c` se apropie
un urs. Unul dintre ei [i-a aruncat sandviciul [i rucsacul, [i-a
scos bocancii [i s-a nc`l]at cu pantofi u[ori. Cel`lalt i-a spus:
Crezi c` dac` ]i-ai pus pantofi de jogging o s` alergi mai
repede ca ursul?. Nu, r`spunde primul. O s` alerg mai
repede ca tine. A[a nct n-ar fi rù ca Romnia s` alerge n
continuare mai repede dect Austria, Italia sau Germania, a[a
cum a f`cut pn` acum.
RADU GOLOGAN
80%, o pledoarie pentru matriarhat

80%, a plea for matriarchy
A national mathematics competition with the
participation of the talented, passionate high
school students, who become, as a result of
their work, experts in training for the international mathematics competitions, competition which took place at " Ferdinand"
College from Bac?u, had a somehow unexpected outcome: four of the first six students
are girls, two of them obtaining the maximum grades. Several years ago we considered
that such a result, at the international competition level, was impossible, and the statistics
were obviously supporting this fact.
But for some years there is no longer a surprise. An eloquent example: among the students with a maximum grade on the mathematics exam, traditionally difficult, in the first
academic year at the Faculty of Computers
from Polytechnic, more then 80% are girls. I
guarantee that they can not called by the
famous compliment "grubbers" from the
period of my studentship, because the exam
comprises only exercises, therefore applications which quantify the level of understanding and mathematical reasoning. Further
more, I see that in the last years an unencountered percent of graduate girls of this
elite faculty obtain as a result of a competition the most wanted jobs in top companies.
There are other domains where the analyses
are similar: we daily assist at the ascension of
the deux-pices experts, with the CV full of
maximum grades, in fields which years ago
didn't seem to have the opportunities to
prove their excellence.
In fact, reliable statistics (I saw in The
Economist at the beginning of 2000 years
such an analysis and it is easy to detect the
article of professor Judith Kleinfeld from
Un concurs na]ional de matematic` cu participarea liceenilor

talenta]i, pasiona]i [i deveni]i prin munc` profesioni[ti n
preg`tirea pentru concursurile interna]ionale de matematic`,
concurs desf`[urat la Colegiul Ferdinand din Bacù, a avut
un rezultat oarecum nea[teptat: patru dintre primii [ase elevi
clasifica]i sunt fete, dintre care dou` au reu[it scoruri maxime.
Cu ani n urm` consideram c` un astfel de rezultat, la nivelul
matematicii de competi]ie interna]ional`, nu este posibil, iar
statisticile sus]ineau n mod evident faptul.
Dar nu mai este de c]iva ani o surpriz`. Un exemplu elocvent:
printre studen]ii ce au presta]ie de not` maxim` la examenul de
matematic`, prin tradi]ie dificil, din primul an de studii la Facultatea de Calculatoare din Politehnic`, mai mult de 80% sunt
fete. V` garantez c` nu pot fi apelate cu celebrul compliment
de tocilare din vremea studen]iei mele, c`ci proba const` numai din exerci]ii, deci aplica]ii ce cuantific` cel mai bine nivelul
de n]elegere [i de ra]ionament matematic.
Mai mult, observ c` n ultimii ani un procent nemaintlnit de
absolvente ale acestei facult`]i de elit` c[tig` prin concurs
pozi]iile cele mai rvnite n companii de vrf. Sunt alte domenii
unde analizele sunt similare: asist`m zilnic la ascensiunea profesioni[tilor cu deux-pices, cu CV-ul plin de calificative maxime,
n domenii ce nu p`reau deloc a avea [anse de a le dovedi excelen]a cu ani n urm`.
De altfel, statistici serioase (am v`zut n The Economist pe la
nceputul anilor 2000 o astfel de analiz` [i este u[or de depistat pe net articolul profesoarei Judith Kleinfeld de la Univer-
l 123
124 l
sitatea din Fairbanks The Myth that Schools Shortchange Girls

ap`rut n New York Times n 1998) afirm` c`, n ultimii ani,
sexul feminin a dep`[it prin rezultate [colare cealalt` jum`tate,
la obiectele de nv`]`mnt pe care terminologia anglo-saxon`
le nsumeaz` sub termenul de sciences. ncerc`rile de a explica
fenomenul sunt multiple. Unele consider` c` este consecin]a
acelui pueril american affirmative action, prin care egalitatea de
start este fals programat` prin avantaje n competi]ie, acordate
celor considera]i mai defavoriza]i istoric sau prin tradi]ie. Alte
explica]ii vorbesc despre dopajul computerist al majorit`]ii
adolescen]ilor, n majoritate bìe]i, ca gen de joac` prelungit`
pn` spre maturitate [i care, prin dependen]`, se dovede[te
distructiv` pentru activit`]ile intelectuale de nv`]are tradi]ional`.
Re]eta acestei s`-i spunem muta]ii nu este, n opinia mea,
datorat` nici vreunei rea[ez`ri cromozomiale, nici vreunui proces darwinist. nclin s` cred c` ea este explicabil` printr-o mai
rapid` adaptare la cerin]ele lumii moderne: seriozitate n acumulare, ordine n gndire, respectul regulilor n execu]ie, al`turi
de tradi]ional cunoscuta calitate, intui]ia.
Iat` de ce cred cu t`rie c` structurile Europei unite n care avem
[ansa s` ne integr`m n primul rnd prin contribu]ia cu material uman autohton tn`r, bine dotat intelectual [i instruit, nu
trebuie trte de balcanismul [i egoismul masculin tradi]ional [i
att de nociv n istorie, ci vor apela la un procent care s` reflecte schimbarea raporturilor de for]e despre care am vorbit mai
sus. Tinerele instruite n cele cteva [coli romne[ti de valoare
sau n importante universit`]i din strìn`tate vor fi cu siguran]`
un at important n tot ceea ce va reprezenta modernitatea
european` a Romniei. S` profit`m deci de semnele de nceput
ale acestui tip de matriarhat de nou mileniu care, dup`
p`rerea mea, sunt evidente n spa]iul romnesc.
Fairbanks University, The Myth that Schools

Shortchange Girls, published in New York
Times in 1998) state that, in the last years
that women, concerning the school results,
exceeded men, at the disciplines that the
Anglo-Saxon terminology sums under the
term of sciences. The attempts to explain the
phenomenon are multiple. Some of them
consider that is the consequence of that
infantile American affirmative action, according to which the start equality is false programmed through advantages in competition, granted to those considered historically
or traditionally more under-privileged. Other
explanations talk about the "computeristic"
addiction of most of teenagers, mainly boys,
as a manner of game play extended to maturity and which, by addiction, proves to be
destructive for the intellectual activities of
traditional learning.
The receipt of - let's say - mutation is not, in
my opinion, due either to some chromosomal
rearrangement, or to some "Darwinist"
process. I incline to believe that this is
explainable by means of a more rapid adjustment to the requirements of the modern
world: seriousness in accumulating, order in
thinking, following the rules in the execution,
together with the traditionally known quality, the intuition.
That's why I strongly believe that the structures of the united Europe where we have
the chance to integrate ourselves, firstly by
contributing with young local human material, well intellective and educational talented,
should not be drawn trough the balkanization and the traditional and so noxious male
egoism, but they will appeal to a percent
which will reflect the change of the relation
of forces about which we talked earlier. The
young girls educated in the few appreciated
Romanian schools or in important foreign
universities will certainly represent an important advantage for all the elements which
will constitute the European modernity of
Romania. So let profit from the beginning
signs of this type of new millennium "matriarchy" which, in my opinion, are obvious in
the Romanian space.
INVESTI}IA PRIVAT~
N EDUCA}IE {I CULTUR~
The Private Investment
in Education and Culture
Colegiul Noua Europ`, 29 martie 2007

New Europe College, March 29th 2007
Cum ajungem la ncredere?

How we reach trust?
126 l
The Volvo Dilema Veche Forums reached

the sixth edition. This time, the discussion
theme has been The Private Investment in
Education and Culture . Apparently, this is a
theme that has been debated on in the past
years. Actually, as it arises from the participants interventions that we publish in this
number, we have to surpass the level of simple sponsorship, of generosity act, of good
will and passion that a business man or a
company can manifest towards education,
art, culture. In order to develop on long term,
the relationships between the business and
cultural environment need trust and mutual
detection/acceptance of interests. They also
need a more efficient communication, recognition of the others values and the common values that business and culture people
express and support within society.
The forums series that were organized by
Forum Auto, Volvo importer in Romania, and
Dilema Veche magazine had as fundamental
purpose the creation of a space where the
representatives of the academic, cultural and
business environments in order to get to
know themselves better. In this edition we
had a few participants from abroad teachers and marketing and public relations consultants. Their interventions show that
Romania still has a long way to go to the consolidation of the relationships between State,
private investors and finances beneficiaries.
The essential difference between how things
can start from them and us is that in the
Western countries, the state, the private
investors, cultural institutions and citizens
know their interests better and participate to
build a situation advantageous for everybody.
In Romania, for now, mistrust and lack of
community spirit will hinder us from building
projects and long term partnerships. The
Volvo - Dilema Veche Forums have proven,
from this point of view, their efficiency: business and culture people have discovered they
have common subjects and preoccupations
and they can identify solutions for them. In
the next pages we reproduce the most important fragments of discussion and the related
editorials published in the number 174th,
fourth year, of Dilema Veche magazine.
Forumurile Volvo-Dilema veche au ajuns la a [asea edi]ie. De

aceast` dat`, tema discu]iei a fost investi]ia privat` n educa]ie
[i cultur`. Aparent, este o tem` despre care s-a tot vorbit n
ultimii ani. n fapt, a[a cum rezult` [i din interven]iile participan]ilor pe care le public`m n acest num`r, trebuie dep`[it
nivelul simplei sponsoriz`ri, al actului de generozitate, al
bun`voin]ei sau pasiunii pe care un om de afaceri sau o companie le manifest` fa]` de educa]ie, art`, cultur`. Pentru a se
dezvolta pe termen lung, rela]iile dintre mediul de afaceri [i
mediul cultural au nevoie de ncredere [i de
descoperirea/acceptarea reciproc` a intereselor celeilalte p`r]i.
{i mai au nevoie de o comunicare eficient`, de o cunoa[tere a
valorilor celuilalt, dar [i a valorilor comune pe care [i oamenii
de afaceri, [i oamenii de cultur` le exprim` [i le sus]in n societate.
Seria de forumuri organizate de Forum Auto, importator
Volvo n Romnia, [i Dilema veche au avut drept scop
fundamental tocmai crearea unui spa]iu n care reprezentan]ii
mediilor academice [i culturale [i ai mediilor de afaceri s` se
poat` cunoa[te mai bine. La aceast` edi]ie, am avut [i c]iva
participan]i din strìn`tate profesori [i consultan]i n domeniul marketing-ului [i rela]iilor publice. Interven]iile lor arat` c`
Romnia mai are de parcurs un drum pn` la a[ezarea
rela]iilor ntre Stat, investitorii priva]i [i beneficiarii finan]`rilor.
Diferen]a esen]ial` ntre cum se desf`[oar` lucrurile la ei [i
la noi este aceea c`, n ]`rile Europei Occidentale, statul,
investitorii priva]i, institu]iile culturale [i cet`]enii [i cunosc
mai bine interesele [i particip` la conturarea unei st`ri de
spirit care este n avantajul tuturor. n Romnia, deocamdat`,
nencrederea [i lipsa spiritului comunitar ne mpiedic` s` construim proiecte [i parteneriate pe termen lung. Forumurile
Volvo-Dilema veche [i-au dovedit, din acest punct de vedere,
eficien]a: oamenii de afaceri [i oamenii de cultur` au
descoperit c` au subiecte [i preocup`ri comune [i c` pot
m`car identifica solu]ii pentru rezolvarea lor. Reproducem n
paginile urm`toare editorialele ap`rute pe aceast` tem` n
num`rul 174, anul IV, al revistei Dilema Veche.
l 127
Ce se vede dinspre beneficiari

What is seen from the beneficiaries?
Rela]ia finan]atori finan]a]i n cultur` [i educa]ie devine una
tot mai complex`. Am adresat dou` ntreb`ri ctorva
organiza]ii deja cunoscute deoarece activeaz` pentru a facilita
aceste leg`turi:
1. Din experien]a dvs. legat` de mediul economic privat romnesc, considera]i c` manifest` deschidere pentru proiecte
culturale sau educa]ionale?
2. Exist` ceva ce poate face statul/administra]ia public` pentru
a facilita atragerea de fonduri private c`tre asemenea
proiecte? Ce anume?
The relation entrepreneurs-beneficiary in culture and education becomes a more complex

one. I asked two questions to some already
known organizations because they activate in
order to facilitate these relations: 1. From
your experience related to the private
Romanian economical environment, do you
consider that this presents any interest for
cultural or educational projects?; 2. Is there
something that the state/public administration can do in order to facilitate the drawing
of private funds for such projects? Precisely
what?
RADU MATEESCU
Pre[edinte executiv, Funda]ia CONCEPT
Executive manger, CONCEPT Foundation
128 l
1. Un r`spuns simplu este da, exist` deschidere. Pentru un

r`spuns mai elaborat cred c` trebuie, n primul rnd, s` privim
problema n ansamblu. n primul rnd, s` facem o diferen]`
ntre tipurile de deschidere (sau de manifestare a acesteia).
Putem s` discut`m de implicarea de tip ajutor/suport adic`
finan]are de proiecte culturale sau educa]ionale [i putem s`
discut`m de un interes real n acest domeniu. Este o practic`
des ntlnit` nc` din anii 90. Fie c` este sub form` de acte de
caritate sau de finan]`ri pentru proiecte selectate dup` proceduri uneori foarte stricte, mediul economic este, de multe ori,
doar un finan]ator. n ultimii c]iva ani, companiile au nceput
s` identifice poten]ialul de consolidare a imaginii de care pot s`
beneficieze implicndu-se n proiecte culturale [i educa]ionale.
{i acest mod de abordare a condus, nu de pu]ine ori, la
proiecte importante.
Dup` aceste etape, rela]ia dintre mediul de afaceri [i cel cultural/educa]ional a f`cut un pas extrem de important n ultimii
2-3 ani, dezvoltnd o important` abordare pe care o consider
extrem de oportun` [i necesar`. Nu cred c` este locul [i momentul s` dezvolt aici subiectul responsabilit`]ii sociale a companiilor. Este un concept extrem de complex [i n permanent`
dinamic`. Nu numai n Romnia, ci n ntreaga lume. Amintesc
1. A simple answer is "yes, there is an interest". For a more elaborate answer I think that
firstly we must regard the problem globally.
Firstly, let's make a difference between the
types of "interest" (or of its manifestation).
We can discuss about the help/support
involvement - meaning cultural or educational projects funding - and we can discuss
about a real interest in this field. It is a frequently met practice from the 90s. Whether it
consists of charity or funding actions for projects selected according to procedures which
are sometimes very severe, the economical
environment is often just an entrepreneur. In
the last few years, the companies started to
identify the potential for image consolidation
from which they can benefit by involving into
cultural or educational projects. And this type
of approach led, often, to important projects.
After these stages, the relation between the
business and the cultural/educational environment made an extremely important step in
the last 2-3 years, by developing an important
approach that I consider extremely convenient and necessary. I think that this is not the
place and moment for developing the subject
of the social responsibility of companies. It is
an extremely complex concept and in perma-
nent transformation, not only in Romania,

but all over the world. I remind this thing
because it represents the basis from which
the companies started to look a little forward
than their direct purpose (the profit) or to
find new ways for consolidating their position on the specific or strategic development
markets. Increasingly, more companies and
their mangers (especially multinational companies) try to find certain educational
approaches or cultural projects that will turn
the investment not only to the satisfaction
(charity) or image level. Sometimes the company is even identified with a social case I
think it is an extremely important thing and
in the same time a solution for many projects.
Many examples can be given for this situation. Instead of a conclusion for my answer, I
would like to note that the partnership
approach ( business/cultural/educational field)
for projects with long term effects in the
community is a mechanism that I regard as
being in full development and even as one of
the functional solutions to the problems of
the society.
2. The state can and must anytime do something. I think that this is the role of the state.
Unfortunately, not always, the history can
support this conviction. It is in fact difficult to
answer to the question "precisely what?".
Practically anything. Anything that can
encourage the involvement. From fiscal facility, to public policies in the reminded fields,
that would include the business environment.
Many times I met different opinions on this
subject. We can say that a partnership
between the state and the economical environment is absolutely necessary for developing the cultural and educational fields. As
well as the fact that handling this thing is the
state's job, from fees collected from the companies and from other sources. Or we can
chose a compromise and let the thighs develop naturally, from case to case, from project
to project. I think that this subject is only at
the beginning of the solving methods and a
stated solution (or even many) is not in fact ...
a solution. First we must reach the level at
which all reminded "parties" are really interested to act together or separately - but for
the main purpose. Are culture and education
a joint purpose? I whish to believe that they
can be!
ns` despre acest lucru fiindc` este baza de la care companiile

au nceput s` se uite pu]in mai departe dect scopul lor direct
(profitul) sau s` g`seasc` noi cì pentru consolidarea pozi]iei lor
pe pie]ele specifice sau de dezvoltare strategic`. Din ce n ce
mai multe companii [i manageri ai acestora (n special multina]ionalele) ncearc` s` g`seasc` anumite demersuri educa]ionale
sau proiecte culturale care s` ntoarc` investi]ia nu numai la
nivelul satisfac]iei (de tip caritate) sau la cel al imaginii. Uneori
se ajunge chiar la identificarea companiei cu o cauz` social`.
Cred c` este un lucru extrem de important [i, n acela[i timp, o
solu]ie pentru multe proiecte. Se pot da aici foarte multe exemple. n loc de concluzie a r`spunsului meu, a[ vrea s` remarc
faptul c` abordarea n parteneriat (sector de afaceri/cultur`/
educa]ie) a proiectelor cu efecte pe termen lung n comunitate
este un mecanism pe care l consider n plin` dezvoltare [i chiar
ca pe una dintre solu]iile func]ionale la problemele societ`]ii.
2. Statul poate [i trebuie oricnd s` fac` ceva. Eu cred c` acesta [i este rolul statului. Nu ntotdeauna, din p`cate, istoria mi
poate sus]ine aceast` convingere. mi este realmente dificil s`
r`spund la ntrebarea ce anume?. Practic orice. Orice care s`
ncurajeze implicarea. De la facilitate fiscal`, la politici publice n
domeniile amintite, care s` includ` [i mediul de afaceri. De
multe ori am ntlnit pozi]ii diverse pe acest subiect.
Se poate spune c` un parteneriat ntre stat [i mediul economic
este absolut necesar pentru dezvoltarea domeniilor de cultur`
[i educa]ie. La fel de bine se poate spune c` e treaba statului
s` se ocupe de asta, din taxele pe care le adun` de la companii
[i din alte surse. Sau putem alege calea de mijloc [i s` l`s`m
lucrurile s` se lege firesc, de la caz la caz, de la proiect la proiect. Cred c` acest subiect este abia la nceputul cìlor de rezolvare [i o solu]ie enun]at` (sau chiar mai multe) pur [i simplu nu
este... o solu]ie. nti trebuie s` ajungem la nivelul la care toate
p`r]ile amintite s` fie n mod real interesate s` ac]ioneze.
mpreun` sau separat dar pentru acela[i scop. Cultura [i educa]ia sunt un scop comun? mi doresc s` cred c` pot fi!
l 129
{TEFANIA FERCHED~U
Director executiv, Asocia]ia ECUMEST
Executive Manger, ECUMEST Association
130 l
De[i contextul n care se lucreaz` ast`zi n domeniul cultural a

nregistrat un progres vizibil prin compara]ie cu s` zicem 4-5
ani n urm`, n sensul unei n]elegeri din partea autorit`]ilor
publice a necesit`]ii de a sus]ine noile practici artistice, nu se
poate discuta despre o tradi]ie a sprijinului privat consistent
pentru proiectele artistice sau educa]ionale. Nu este o noutate
tendin]a sponsorilor de a sus]ine evenimente punctuale care le
aduc o vizibilitate imediat` (concerte etc.), mai degrab` dect
proiecte care nu au un impact imediat, ci reprezint` o investi]ie
[i o construcìe pe termen lung, cum se ntmpl` n mod special n cultur`. De asemenea, sunt sponsorizate cu prioritate
evenimente de amploare din zona culturii tradi]ionale, probabil
din reticen]`, team` sau nen]elegere pentru zona de art` contemporan`, dar [i din lipsa unei profesionaliz`ri a felului n care
organiza]iile culturale [i promoveaz` proiectele n fa]a unui poten]ial sponsor. Nu n ultimul rnd, n lipsa unei legisla]ii coerente [i func]ionale a sponsoriz`rii actului cultural, avantajele
ob]inute de companii nu sunt ndeajuns de motivante pentru a
depune efortul acestei deschideri [i asocieri. Acesta este unul
dintre demersurile necesare pe care administra]ia public` este
obligat` s` le sus]in`, dincolo de a face func]ionale chiar instrumentele deja existente de colectare a unor fonduri private. Un
singur exemplu, Fondul Cultural Na]ional ar trebui s` se hr`neasc` din taxe care, n fapt, nu ajung niciodat` n bugetul sù,
n lipsa unui mecanism func]ional de colectare a acestora.
Although the context in which people are

working in the cultural field has recorded a
visible progress irrelatively to - let's say- 4-5
years ago, in the effect of an understanding
from the public authorities of the need to
support the new artistic practices, we can not
talk about a tradition regarding the substantial private support for artistic or educational
projects. The tendency of sponsors to support
punctual events that bring them an immediate visibility (concerts, etc.), than projects that
do not have an immediate impact, but they
represent an investment and a long term
development, as it usually happens in the cultural field, is no news. Also, important events
from the area of traditional culture are mostly sponsored, probably as a cause of reticence, fear or misunderstanding for the area
of contemporary art, but also because of a
lack of professionalism of the manner in
which the cultural organization promote
their projects in front of a potential sponsor.
Not lately, failing a coherent and functional
legislation for the sponsorship of the cultural
act, the advantages obtained by the companies are not sufficiently motivating for making the effort for this interest and association. This is one of the necessary measures
that the public administration is obliged to
support besides of making functional even
the already existent instruments fir the collection of some private funds. A single example,
the National Cultural Fond should feed from
fees that are not, in fact, getting into its
budget, failing a functional mechanism for
their collection.
MONICA MOCANU
Pre[edinte ARDOR (Asocia]ia Romn` de Dezbateri, Oratorie [i Retoric`)
Chairman of ARDOR (Romanian Association for Debates, Elocution and Oratory)

1. Experien]a noastr` de interac]iune cu mediul privat economic vine n contra-curent cu ideea c` este esen]ial s` cuno[ti
pe cineva pentru a ob]ine sus]inerea pentru un proiect
educa]ional. Nu cred c` cei cu care am rela]ionat noi au reac]ionat att de prompt ca urmare doar a unui suflu nou n conceptul de responsabilitate social`; poate ne-a avantajat [i specificul asocia]iei noastre, acela de promovare a educa]iei prin
dezbateri. Sunt sigur` c`, dup` ce [i verific` o list` scurt` de
condi]ii obligatorii ale ONG-ului pe care l au n fa]`, luarea
deciziei finale de implicare este decis` de mecanisme flexibil
amenajate ca importan]`, de la capacitatea de argumentare
1. Our experience regarding interaction with

the private economical environment is in
opposition to the idea that it is essential to
"know somebody" in order to obtain the support for an educational project. I don't think
that the persons that I interacted with have
so promptly reacted as a result of only a
"new wave" regarding the concept of social
responsibility; maybe the specific of our association has also helped us, the specific of promoting the education by means of debates.
I'm sure that, after checking a short list of
compulsory conditions of the NGO that they
have in front, the final decision of involving is
decided by mechanisms flexibly "arranged"
according to their importance, from the

capacity of argumentation of the interlocutor
to the type of the described cultural/educational activity, finally getting through the
vision of representatives of the company on
the role of education on a long term.
2. In this situation also appears the answer to
the second question, at least for the fact that
quality marketing costs and is not always
available, I believe that any reasonable and
eventually otherwise tried fiscal facility, that
would encourage the support of the educational and cultural environment, should be
tried. I am sure that the reaction of the private business environment, very prompt in
fact, will soon appear.
a interlocutorului pn` la tipul de activitate cultural`/educa]ional` descris`, trecnd n final prin viziunea pe care o au reprezentan]ii companiei asupra rostului educa]iei pe termen lung.
2. Aici apare [i r`spunsul la a doua ntrebare, m`car pentru faptul c` marketingul de calitate cost` [i nu e ntotdeauna la
ndemn`, cred c` orice facilitate fiscal` rezonabil` [i eventual
probat` n alte locuri, care s` ncurajeze sus]inerea mediului
educa]ional [i cultural, ar merita ncercat`. Sunt sigur` c` reac]ia mediului privat de afaceri, foarte prompt de altfel, nu va
ntrzia s` apar`.
C~T~LIN GHEORGHE
Director Comunicare ARC (Asocia]ia pentru Rela]ii Comunitare)
Communication Manger ARC (Association for Communication??? Nu cumva Communitary Relations)

1. The answer is definitely yes! The educational projects are among the darlings of the
Romanian business environment, and the cultural ones are also occupying an important
place. The reasons are clear enough: supporting the cultural projects offers a certain
statute to those involving in supporting
them, are automatically associating them to
other elite. Furthermore, certain cultural projects can offer a higher visibility to those supporting them. In the field of educational projects, the motivations are somehow different,
but equally important: a lot of educational
projects supported by the business field are
addressed to the target-groups of the respective firm or company: whether we talk about
potential clients, or we talk about potential
employees. It is very important for the companies to build their strong and positive
image in the eyes of potential employees or
customers. In addition, supporting the educational programmes facilitates the process of
recruitment of many companies. There is a
series of partnerships which already became
"traditional". Rompetrol supports the Film
festival from Sf. Gheorghe, Raiffeisen supports the educational programmes of Junior
Achievement Romania, and the examples may
continue.
2. In this case we must make a difference
between the sources of the private funds:
there are funds from the area of the business
field - from firms, small or big, and there are
funds from private persons. In the area of the
business field sector there are some fiscal
facilities (the deduction of sponsoring from
the income tax through fiscal credit in the
1. R`spunsul este categoric da! Proiectele educa]ionale sunt

printre favoritele mediului de afaceri romnesc, iar cele culturale ocup` [i ele un loc important. Motivele sunt destul de
clare: sprijinirea proiectelor culturale ofer` un anumit statut
celor care se implic` n sus]inerea lor, i asociaz` automat unei
anumite elite. n plus, anumite proiecte culturale pot oferi [i o
vizibilitate foarte mare celor care le sprijin`. n domeniul proiectelor educa]ionale, motiva]iile sunt oarecum diferite, dar la fel
de importante: foarte multe proiecte educa]ionale sprijinite de
sectorul de afaceri se adreseaz` grupurilor-]int` ale respectivei
firme sau companii: fie c` vorbim de poten]iali clien]i, fie c`
vorbim de poten]iali angaja]i. Este foarte important pentru
companii s` [i construiasc` o imagine puternic` [i pozitiv` n
ochii poten]ialilor angaja]i sau ai clien]ilor. n plus, sprijinirea
programelor educa]ionale ajut` [i procesul de recrutare al multor companii. Exist` o serie de parteneriate care au devenit deja
tradi]ionale: Rompetrol sprijin` Festivalul de Film de la Sf.
Gheorghe, Raiffeisen sprijin` programele educa]ionale ale
Junior Achievement Romnia, iar exemplele pot continua.
2. Aici trebuie s` facem o distinc]ie ntre sursa fondurilor private: exist` fonduri din zona sectorului de afaceri de la firme,
fie ele mici sau mari, [i exist` fonduri de la persoane private.
n zona fondurilor de la sectorul de afaceri exist` unele facilit`]i
fiscale (deducerea sponsoriz`rii din impozitul pe profit prin
credit fiscal n limita a 0,3% din cifra de afaceri, dar nu mai
mult de 20% din impozitul datorat). Nu pare foarte mult, dar
la firme mari discut`m de sume considerabile sute de mii de
l 131
euro. Un lucru important care ar fi de f`cut ar fi crearea unor

facilit`]i fiscale pentru persoanele fizice care doresc s` sprijine
proiecte inclusiv din domeniul culturii [i al educa]iei aici nu
exist` nici un fel de facilit`]i fiscale. Sigur, exist` sistemul 2%,
dar el nu este o facilitate fiscal`, ci un sistem de redirec]ionare
a banilor publici. n multe ]`ri, mecenatul contribu]ia persoanelor fizice este o surs` foarte important` pentru proiectele
culturale [i educa]ionale, n timp ce la noi reprezint` nc` o
ciud`]enie. Aici ar fi mult de lucru, vestea bun` este c` exist`
deja unele ini]iative realizate prin mecanismul organiza]iilor de
utilitate public`. R`mne s` vedem cum se vor concretiza.
O idee care merit` preluat`: n unele ]`ri exist` mecanismul
cofinan]`rii (de exemplu, n Marea Britanie): dac` o firm` sau o
persoan` contribuie la un proiect considerat prioritar, statul
cofinan]eaz` cu o sum` egal`.
limit of 0.3% from the turnover, but not

more than 20% from the due tax). It does not
seem too much, but for big firms we talk
about considerable amounts - hundred thousands of euros. An important thing to be
done could be creating some fiscal facilities
for natural persons who wish to support projects including from the cultural and educational field - in this case there are no fiscal
facilities. Sure, there is the 2% system, but it
is not a fiscal facility, but a system for redirecting the public funds. In many countries,
the sponsorship - the contribution of natural
persons - is a very important source for cultural and educational projects, while in our
country it still represents an extravagance. In
this purpose, many things are to be done; the
good news is that some initiatives completed
with the help of the mechanism of public
utility organizations. We will see how they
will materialize.
An idea which worth to be caught up: in
some countries there is a mechanism of cofinancing (for example, in United Kingdom):
If a firm or a person contributes to project
which is considered prior, the state cofinances with an equal sum.
LAVINIA HUIDAN
132 l
ntre suflet [i ra]iune

Between Soul and Sense
Este a [asea edi]ie a Forumurilor Volvo-Dilema veche. Am ncercat ca aceste forumuri, pe care dl Andrei Ple[u a avut amabilitatea s` le g`zduiasc` la Colegiul Noua Europ`, s` fie o platform` de dezbateri ntre elitele din afaceri [i cele din cultur`, pentru a g`si repere de valoare pe care s` le prezent`m societ`]ii
romne[ti, n probleme care ne fr`mnt` [i pe care, n m`sura n
care g`sim solu]ii, s` le promov`m pe agenda public`.
n aceast` a [aptea edi]ie, tema este investi]ia privat` n
educa]ie [i cultur`. Am dori s` nuan]`m mai mult cìle de interven]ie ale capitalului privat n sus]inerea educa]iei [i a culturii, n condi]iile n care statul nu poate s`-[i mai asume singur
finan]area, iar capitalul public este insuficient pentru a asigura
dezvoltarea armonioas` la nivelul cerin]elor actuale. V` propunem s` explor`m r`spunsuri posibile la urm`toarele ntreb`ri
pe care le supunem dezbaterii: n ce m`sur` sunt necesare
resurse suplimentare [i complementare pentru sus]inerea
educa]iei [i a culturii? Care este punctul critic al nv`]`mntului
romnesc? }ine el de calitate, de accesibilitatea educa]iei [i
form`rii, de responsabilitatea preg`tirii unei genera]ii de tineri,
pentru a face fa]` unei pie]e deschise [i tot mai competitive?
This is the seventh edition of the Volvo the

Old Dilemma forums. I tried to turn these
forums that Mr. Andrei Ple[u has hosted at
New Europe College, into a debate platform
between the culture and business elites in
order to find value bench-marks that can be
presented to the Romanian society, about the
problems we have and to which we can find
solutions that can be promoted on the public
agenda. In this seventh edition, the theme is
Private Investment in Education and
Culture. I would like to nuance more the
way of private capital intervention in order to
sustain education and culture, while the state
cannot take on anymore the financing and
the public capital which is insufficient for
insuring the harmonious development of the
present requirements.
I want to explore some possible answers to
the following questions: how necessary are
the supplementary and complementary
resources in sustaining education and culture? What is the critical point of the
Romanian educational system? Is it connected
to quality, education accessibility and formation, to the responsibility of preparing a
young generation in order to face the open
and more competitive markets? How can the
actual educational system direct toward a cultural model of quality and responsibility, of
human resources mobilization towards
change? How can the private environment
influence this? Is the luxury culture from our
economy resultant, or we cannot afford the
luxury to cast it aside? Have the corporations
basic information about what is happening in
the cultural environment or the choices are
characterized by uncomplaining?
To what extent do they know and can they
choose alternatives that put forward the best
brand attributes? To what extent the actual
legislative frame stimulates the private investment in education and culture? We talk
about the Mecenat Law and Private
Scholarships Law that limit the inference
through two cumulative conditions - 20% of
the profit tax, but no more that 3 per thousand from the turn-over. The fact that some
corporations complain that the fiscal benefits
are not sufficient enough its an exclusive
Romanian symptom, or there are similar attitudes in countries with more advantageous
fiscal deduction? Is this a false problem?
Shouldnt the corporations seek for the decisions engine regarding sponsorship less in
the fiscal advantages and more in the ones of
the opportunity to communicate and even
more, in the brand values? To what extent
did the Romanian business environment
understand if a company is responsible not
only to shareholders but also to the groups
that are affected by its activity? It is well
known that the path to a responsibility culture is long and hard.
There are already many corporations in
Europe with tradition in this type of culture.
Our foreign guests, who have experience in
the academic and private environment, could
present us some of their good practices, some
of their experience in strong economies, with
institutions and structures that dont longer
exist. I also invited to these debates representatives of the Romanian business environment, from transnational corporations which
already defined a strategy of long term social
responsibility and which already have consistent programs whose legitimacy and credibility is insured by the constant preoccupation
for transparency. We should also reflect on
the autochthonous capital conscience. We
dont want people to understand that the
corporative world has become angelic... In
the end we would like this debate to focus
on the mecenat institution, seen as a happy
combination between soul and sense.
This includes the building of a privileged
partnership, and initiative mecenat that can
trigger relationships, and less of a passive
portfolio mecenat. To build this relationship is
to innovate, to be creative, to have an intelli-
n ce m`sur` are sistemul actual de educa]ie capacitatea de a

se ndrepta spre un model cultural al calit`]ii [i responsabilit`]ii,
al mobiliz`rii resurselor umane pentru schimbare? Cum ar
putea mediul privat s` influen]eze acest lucru? Este cultura un
lux n economia noastr` emergent`, sau noi nu ne putem permite luxul de a o desconsidera? Au corpora]iile m`car inform`rile de baz` despre ceea ce se petrece n mediul cultural, sau
alegerile, [i acelea pu]ine, sunt caracterizate de conformism?
n ce m`sur` [tiu ele [i pot alege variante care le pun cel mai
bine n valoare atributele de marc`? n ce m`sur` cadrul legislativ actual stimuleaz` investi]ia privat` n educa]ie [i cultur`?
Ne referim la Legea sponsoriz`rii [i a mecenatului [i la Legea
burselor private, care limiteaz` deductibilitatea prin dou` condi]ii cumulative 20% din impozitul pe profit datorat, dar nu
din cifra de afaceri. Faptul c` unele corpora]ii
mai mult de 3
se plng c` beneficiile fiscale nu sunt suficient de stimulative
este un simptom exclusiv romnesc, sau exist` atitudini
asem`n`toare [i n ]`ri unde s-au dezvoltat sisteme mai avantajoase de deduceri fiscale? Este aceasta o fals` problem`?
Nu cumva corpora]iile ar trebui s` caute motorul deciziei
privind mecenatul, mai pu]in n avantajele fiscale [i mai mult n
avantajele oportunit`]ii de a comunica [i altfel, mai sofisticat,
valorile brand-ului? n ce m`sur` s-a n]eles n mediul de afaceri
romnesc c` o companie este responsabil` nu numai fa]` de
ac]ionari, ci [i fa]` de toate grupurile care sunt afectate de activitatea ei?
Este [tiut c` drumul spre o cultur` a responsabilit`]ii este lung
[i anevoios. n Europa exist` deja multe corpora]ii cu tradi]ie n
acest tip de cultur`. Oaspe]ii no[tri strìni, care au experien]`
att n mediul academic, ct [i n mediul privat, ar putea s` ne
prezinte cte ceva din bunele practici, din experien]a lor n
economii puternice, cu institu]ii [i structuri care nu numai c`
exist`, dar sunt [i opera]ionale. Am invitat la dezbateri [i reprezentan]i ai elitei din business-ul romnesc, din corpora]ii transna]ionale care [i-au definit deja o strategie de responsabilitate
social` pe termen lung [i au programe consistente a c`ror legitimitate [i credibilitate este asigurat` de preocuparea constant`
pentru transparen]`. Ar merita poate s` reflect`m [i asupra
con[tiin]ei capitalului autohton.
Departe de noi inten]ia de a l`sa s` se n]eleag` c` lumea corporatist`, de mai mic` sau mai mare anvergur`, ar fi devenit
brusc angelic`...
n sfr[it, am dori ca dezbaterea s` pun` n lumin` institu]ia
mecenatului, privindu-l ca pe un mariaj fericit ntre suflet [i
l 133
134 l
ra]iune. Aceasta presupune construc]ia unei rela]ii privilegiate

de parteneriat, un mecenat de ini]iativ`, declan[ator de rela]ii,
[i mai pu]in un mecenat de portofoliu pasiv. A construi aceast`
rela]ie nseamn` a inova, a fi creativ, a avea un demers inteligent, pentru a dep`[i aparenta opozi]ie dintre capitalism, bani,
utilitarism, meritocra]ie, pe de o parte, [i aristocra]ie, cultur`,
art`, puritate, sacru [i gratuit, pe de alt` parte.
Dac` am r`mne captivi n rigorile paradigmei romantice a ideologiei culturii, opus` fa]` de valorile burgheze, probabil c` neam condamna de bun` voie la inactualitate.
Nu nseamn`, ns`, c` nu este nevoie ca rela]ia de parteneriat
s` dep`[easc` temerile, ni[ele, prejudec`]ile [i stereotipiile de
percep]ie [i gndire ale celor dou` lumi, pentru c`, pn` la
urm`, avem sisteme diferite de a ne raporta la lume [i oper`m
prin coduri diferite.
Este nevoie de rafinamentul unei comunic`ri n care fiecare
parte trebuie s` cunoasc` foarte bine a[tept`rile celeilalte p`r]i.
Este nevoie de n]elepciunea de a crea o rela]ie bazat` pe
ncredere [i respect reciproc sau cum frumos spunea cineva
a descoperi n cel`lalt camaradul care ]i st` al`turi [i te ajut`
s`-]i duci propria lupt` pn` la cap`t.
gent demarche, to exceed the apparent

opposition between capitalism, money, utilitarianism, merits, on one side and aristocracy,
culture, art, purity, sacred and free, on the
other side. If we stayed captivated by the
romantic paradigms of the culture ideology,
in opposition with the bourgeois values, we
would probably condemn ourselves to nonpresent. That doesnt meant that we dont
need our partnership relation to overcome its
fears, niches, preconceptions and stereotypes
of perception and thinking of the two
worlds, because, in the end, we have different systems of reporting ourselves to the
world and we function on different codes.
We need the refinement of a communication
where each part should admit the others
part expectations. We need the wisdom to
create a relationship based on trust and
mutual respect or to discover in the other
one the fellow who stands beside you and
helps you wage your war till the end.
ANDREI PLE{U
Blocaje melancolice
Melancholic Blockages
M` bucur c` acest tip de dezbatere continu` [i se stabilizeaz`
[i c` mereu sunt adu[i laolalt` oameni care se ntlnesc rar. {i
anume, oameni din spa]iul culturii [i al [tiin]elor umaniste, n
general, [i oameni din spa]iul antreprenorial. Sper c` la un
moment dat ei vor veni laolalt` nu pentru c` sunt convoca]i, ci
pentru c` apar impulsuri de cooperare mai mult sau mai pu]in
ira]ionale. Noi st`m prost deocamdat` cu dialogul ntre oamenii
de ac]iune, de afaceri, [i oamenii contemplativit`]ii. Tema dezbaterii de azi love[te n centrul acestei crize: investi]ia privat` n
educa]ie [i cultur`.
Este o criz` pentru c` ntr-o ]ar` ca Romnia, cu experien]a ei
istoric` de pn` acum, nici investitorii priva]i nu au reflexul de
a investi n teritorii marginale cum sunt, uneori, socotite teritoriile legate de educa]ie [i cultur` , dar nici oamenii din
educa]ie [i din cultur` nu [tiu s` cear`. Unii nu au nv`]at nc`
s` dea, unii nu au nv`]at nc` s` cear`. {i din aceast` simetric`
inapeten]` rezult` tot felul de situa]iuni precare. A[ fi ncntat
dac` n urma unei dezbateri ca aceasta de acum se vor g`si cì
I am glad that this type of continuous debate

is becoming more stable and brings together
people that rarely meet. I can say that people
from the culture space and the humanity sciences come together with people from the
business space. I hope that someday they will
all come together not because they are invited, but because there are cooperation
impulses more or less irrational. We dont
stand too well now concerning the dialogue
between action people, business people and
contemplation people.
The theme of this debate strikes in the center
of this crisis: the private investment in education and culture. It is a crisis because in a
country like Romania, with its historical experience, the private investors dont have the
reflex of investing in marginal areas like
education and culture and also the education and culture people dont know how to
ask for it. Some of them hadnt learnt yet
how to give and some hadnt learnt how to
ask. And a lot of precarious situations result
from this symmetrical in-appetence. I would

be delighted to see if following this debate
they will find ways to overcome his blockage.
I want to point out the fact that recently
Romania adhered to the European Union. For
the research and culture institution that had
benefited from the support of some Western
countries, this great success is actually a catastrophe. Not only in Romania, but also in the
former socialist block that made it in Europe.
I know it doesnt sound good, but the truth is
that the state thinking, even in Western
countries is the kind of thinking with stereotypes.
They established that up until December 31st
2006, Romania, Romanians, cultural and
research institutions needed financing. But
from January 1st 2007, after adhering to the
European Union, our needs are suspended.
All of a sudden, at New Years we are suspected of cashing in all the necessary benefits and
we can survive on our own from now on. We
are trying to make efforts and we stared to
find a certain echo and to explain to some of
the states that supported us that things are
not like that in real world. In the real world
we cannot become financial competitive and
therefore, in order to stop this kind of support abruptly represents some kind of adventure.
We have already seen the consequences in
some cases. New Europe College has a sister institution in Budapest Collegium
Budapest that received a generous financing
from the German Ministry of Research, up
until Hungary adhered to the European
Union. The next day this financing was suspended. Then what could we do? Ask the
Romanian state. The problem is that the
Romanian state has thousand of other priorities and is short of money and that in case we
dont have to say who exactly the Romanian
state is. The Romanian state is an institution
with a spectacular internal dynamics, with a
dynamic Government, with a vigorous presidency, where the daily changes and perspectives are null. We dont know whom should
we negotiate with in case of a financing. All
we have is the private investors from
Romania or abroad. We also have another
type of problems here.
There are three big categories of private
investors. Some of them are nice and honorable, but they dont have enough money and
some are semi-honorable but they give only
pentru dep`[irea acestui blocaj.

Vreau s` atrag aten]ia asupra unui lucru legat de faptul c`, de
curnd, Romnia a intrat n Uniunea European`. Pentru institu]iile de cercetare [i de cultur` care au beneficiat pn` acum de
sprijin al unor state din Vest, aceast` mare reu[it` e o mare catastrof`. {i nu numai n Romnia, ci n toate ]`rile din fostul lag`r socialist care au reu[it s` intre n Europa. {tiu c` sun` prost
cnd spui asta, dar adev`rul este c` gndirea de stat, chiar [i n
Vest, este o gndire care are stereotipiile ei.
S-a stabilit c` pn` pe 31 decembrie 2006, Romnia, romnii,
institu]iile culturale [i de cercetare romne[ti aveau nevoie de
finan]are. Dar de la 1 ianuarie 2007, ntruct am intrat n Uniunea European`, nevoile noastre sunt suspendate. Dintr-o dat`,
n noaptea de revelion, suntem suspecta]i a fi ncasat toate
beneficiile necesare ca s` supravie]uim de acum ncolo pe cont
propriu. Noi facem eforturi, [i am nceput s` g`sim un oarecare
ecou, s` explic`m unora dintre statele care foarte generos
ne-au sprijinit pn` acum, c` lucrurile nu se petrec a[a n via]a
real`. n via]a real` nu devii peste noapte competitiv financiar
[i, prin urmare, a ntrerupe brusc un sprijin de acest tip e o
aventur`.
Consecin]ele s-au v`zut deja n unele cazuri. Colegiul Noua
Europ` are o institu]ie sor`, la Budapesta, Collegium Budapest,
care a primit o finan]are generoas` din partea Ministerului
Cercet`rii din Germania, pn` n clipa n care Ungaria a intrat
n Uniunea European`. De pe o zi pe alta aceast` finan]are a
fost suspendat`.
Atunci, ce putem noi s` facem? Ne adres`m statului romn.
Problema este c` statul romn are mii de priorit`]i, are relativ
pu]ini bani, ca s` nu mai spun c` noi nu [tim exact cine este
statul romn. Statul romn este o institu]ie cu o dinamic`
intern` att de spectaculoas`, cu un Guvern att de dinamic,
cu o Pre[edin]ie att de viguroas`, nct schimb`rile sunt cotidiene [i perspectivele nule.
Noi nu [tim cu cine s` negociem o eventual` finan]are. Ne
r`mn investitorii priva]i. Din strìn`tate sau din Romnia. {i
aici avem un alt tip de probleme. Exist` n Romnia trei mari
categorii de investitori priva]i. Unii care sunt cumsecade, sunt
onorabili, dar nu au destui bani, unii care au bani, sunt semionorabili, dar nu dau dect pentru ce le place lor, [i unii care au
mul]i bani, ar putea da pentru orice, dar nu sunt onorabili. n
aceste condi]ii, noi nu [tim cui s` ne adres`m sau, dac` vrem
s` ne adres`m unuia sau altuia din cei cu bani, dar mai pu]in
l 135
onorabili, risc`m s` intr`m ntr-o rela]ie de servitute care nu

convine nici unuia dintre noi. A[a c` suntem ntr-o situa]ie
destul de precar`, [i am fost adu[i n situa]ia ca tocmai noi,
oamenii din [tiin]ele umaniste, care vorbim despre Europa de
diminea]a pn` seara, s` fim melancolici pentru marea victorie
pe care am repurtat-o la 1 ianuarie. Toate marile noastre victorii, n aceast` parte a lumii, au un cearc`n de melancolie.
for what they like and there are some who

have a lot of money and they could give for
anything, but they are not honorable. In
these circumstances, we dont know whom to
address to, if we want to address to one or
another among the more or less honorable,
we risk entering in a servitude relation and
none of us would like it. So we find ourselves
in a pretty precarious situation and weve
been brought to the situation where we can
talk about Europe all day long, we can be
melancholic for the great victory we had on
January 1st. All our great victories from this
part of the world have a melancholic flavor.
Cu cine se asociaz` statul romn?

Whom Does the Romanian State Associate with?
136 l
Vreau s` spun cteva lucruri despre Institutul Cultural Romn

(ICR), ca s` n]elege]i perspectiva din care m` refer la tema
ntlnirii noastre.
ICR este o institu]ie a statului romn care are drept menire s`
exporte cultura romn` n strìn`tate [i s` ofere asisten]` cultural` pentru conservarea identit`]ii culturale a romnilor care,
din diferite motive, locuiesc dincolo de grani]ele ]`rii, fie c` au
decis s` fac` acest lucru, fie pentru c`, prin schimbarea
grani]elor de-a lungul istoriei, formeaz` o minoritate r`mas` n
afara grani]elor, n alte state din jurul Romniei. Perspectiva pe
care o au occidentalii asupra colabor`rii dintre capitalism, societate [i stat difer` destul de mult de situa]ia romneasc`.
Comunismul a fost cel mai mare distrug`tor de institu]ii [i societate din istoria umanit`]ii, n general. A[a c`, se construie[te,
practic de la zero, sau cnd nu se face de la zero, se pleac` de
la o situa]ie care a fost profund distorsionat` [i trebuie modificate mentalit`]ile, pentru ca institu]iile s` func]ioneze, [i trebuie importate institu]ii occidentale, dar pe un fond neclar.
Institu]iile se construiesc, dar se construie[te [i capitalismul.
Ceea ce nseamn` c` punctul de vedere de la stnga capitalismului care caracterizeaz` succesele occidentale nu este valabil
n Romnia, unde capitalismul este v`zut ca un factor important de progres [i de stabilitate social`.
Pentru ICR, cnd se pune problema mecenatului, apare ntrebarea: cu cine colaborez, pentru c` institu]ia capitalist` cu care
colaborez [i pune amprenta asupra mea. ICR fiind o institu]ie
a statului, trebuie s` fie atent` cu cine colaboreaz`. {i atunci
I want to say a few things about the

Romanian Cultural Institute, so that you can
understand the perspective I talk about in
this meeting. ICR is a Romanian state institution and its role is to export Romanian culture abroad, and to offer cultural assistance
for the cultural identity preservation of
Romanians who, from different reasons, live
abroad, even if they decided to do this or
because through history the borders changed
and they remained a minority outside them.
The perspective that Western people have on
cooperation between capitalism, society and
state, is very different from the Romanian circumstance.
Communism has been a big destroyer of institutions and society. So they have to build,
practically from zero, or when its not built
from scrap, it starts from a situation that has
been profoundly distorted and the mentalities have to be modified because we need
institutions to function and we need important Western institutions, but on an unclear
basis. The institutions will be built but they
will be built like capitalism. This means that
from the capitalism point of view that characterizes the Western successes, it is not working in Romania, where capitalism is seen as a
important progress and social stability factor.
ICR, being a state institution, has to be attentive with whom it cooperates. Then we have
the question: are they cooperating with
Romanian capitalists or not?
ICR is afraid of cooperating with Romanian
capitalists because, imagining that Dan
Voiculescu a man who cooperated with the

former Secret Services but who is a very
active political man wouldnt want to
finance programs of the Institute, we wouldnt had followed him. Would we have followed Dinu Patriciu? Hard to say. Because
Dinu Patriciu has a strong position toward
the present Government and has political
interests. In the end going with Dinu Patriciu
would have been embarrassing. Then, whom
should we go with in the Romanian capital?
The answer is nobody. Because right now it
would not be cautious for the Romanian
state institutions to get associated with successful capitalists in Romania. Then, normally,
the multinational companies would do it.
And also right here we find Romanias perfume.
We have a strange legislation. You will be
amazed to hear about the way the relation
of the Romanian state with a multinational
company can solve legislation problems. The
Romanian legislation forbids institutions to
pay for the transport of a foreign citizen in
Romania. It allows the payment of the transportation from Romania to another country
or from another country to another country.
What would ICR do when it organizes a conference in Bucharest? Lie about giving these
funds. They say they use them in a different
way, but they use them for transportation,
because they have to do it. Its a sad situation
that will be overcome when legislation will
take into account the real needs of the institutions. Up until now, this hasnt happened.
Another example, as strange as this one, is
that the Romanian law cannot allow the payment of advance money for more than 30%.
More so, it asks this advance to be accompanied by a guarantee letter. What does that
mean in practical terms? It means that if I
want to rent a hall abroad to host a concert,
which is in the interest of my country and my
designation as cultural institute, I will pay
30% to my partner with whom I have to talk
for a long time to convince him, even though
he asks for 50%, and I also ask him for a
guarantee letter. That means the money I pay
in advance are blocked in a bank up to the
moment when the action ends up. If I have
an activity that takes more months, with a
complex system of halls renting, advertisement, etc, and for all these I need to pay in
advance, I will block actually these advances
and pay them after 3-4 months, or when its
about big projects, after one year.
ntrebarea este: colaboreaz` cu capitali[ti romni, sau nu?

ICR este foarte tem`tor s` colaboreze cu capitali[ti romni pentru c` despre unii se spune c` ar fi colaborat cu fosta securitate,
al]ii au anumite interese (declarate sau ascunse) n politic` [i o
anumit` pozi]ie fa]` de guvern etc. {i atunci, cu cine mergem
din capitalul romnesc? R`spunsul este: cu nimeni. Pentru c`
deocamdat` este imprudent pentru institu]ii ale statului romn
s` se asocieze cu capitali[tii de succes din Romnia.
{i atunci, n mod normal, ar face-o cu multina]ionalele. Dar [i
aici este aroma Romniei. Avem o legisla]ie uneori foarte
stranie. Ve]i fi uimi]i dumneavoastr`, din Occident, s` auzi]i n
ce mod rela]ia unui institut al statului romn cu o multina]ional` poate rezolva probleme de legisla]ie.
Legisla]ia romn` interzice institu]iilor pl`tirea transportului
unei persoane din strìn`tate n Romnia. Permite plata transportului din Romnia n strìn`tate [i din strìn`tate n strìn`tate.
Ce face ICR atunci cnd organizeaz` o conferin]` la Bucure[ti?
Minte n atribuirea acestor fonduri. Spune c` le folose[te n alt
fel, dar le folose[te pentru transport, pentru c` trebuie atins
acest obiectiv. E o situa]ie trist` [i care nu va putea fi dep`[it`
dect n momentul n care legisla]ia va ]ine cont de nevoile
reale ale institu]iilor.
Pn` n acest moment nu s-a ntmplat acest lucru.
Un alt exemplu, la fel de straniu, este acela c` legea
romneasc` se ambi]ioneaz` s` nu poat` pl`ti un avans mai
mare de 30%. Mai mult, cere ca acest avans s` fie nso]it de o
scrisoare de garan]ie. Ce nseamn` asta n termeni practici?
nseamn` c` eu, care vreau s` nchiriez o sal` n strìn`tate ca
s` ]in un mare concert, care este n interesul ]`rii [i al menirii
mele de institut cultural, i dau 30% partenerului meu cu care
conversez amplu ca s`-l conving, de[i el vrea 50%, [i i cer [i o
scrisoare de garan]ie. Adic` banii pe care eu i dau avans sunt
bloca]i n banc` pn` n momentul n care se ncheie ac]iunea.
Dac` am o ac]iune care se desf`[oar` pe mai multe luni, cu un
sistem complex de nchiriere de s`li, de publicitate [.a.m.d., [i
pentru toate astea sunt prev`zute avansuri, eu, de fapt,
blochez avansurile pe care le dau dup` 3-4 luni, sau cnd e
vorba de proiecte ample, un an de zile.
Nici un occidental, pe bun` dreptate, nu va accepta acest lucru.
Cum reu[esc totu[i s` fac ac]iuni?
ICR institu]ie a statului romn, cu aceast` menire precis` [i cu
buget votat de Parlament pentru acest scop se poate descur-
l 137
138 l
ca numai cu ajutorul capitali[tilor de pe pia]a romneasc`, care

nu sunt romni, ci vin din zona strìn`, a multina]ionalelor.
Exist` proiecte de anvergur` la care i-a[ invita pe capitali[tii
occidentali care au interese n Romnia s` se implice.
V` dau cteva exemple. Burse private. Academia Romn` ar fi
interesat` s` aib` burse private pentru obiective specifice n
strìn`tate. Pentru arheologie, pentru studii umaniste, pentru
cercet`ri de arhive istorice...
Exist` o institu]ie a statului romn care se nume[te Institutul
Limbii Romne, care func]ioneaz` n cadrul unei alte institu]ii,
Ministerul Educa]iei [i Cercet`rii. n sarcina Institutului Limbii
Romne cade gestiunea lectoratelor romne[ti din strìn`tate.
Nu exist` pentru asta bani, nu exist` inteligen]` [i viziune pentru a n]elege ct de importante sunt aceste lectorate [i pentru
a face ceva cu ele. Dac` firmele mari occidentale [i-ar asocia
numele cu finan]area unei astfel de catedre romne[ti n strìn`tate, la alegere, acesta ar fi un ajutor pe care statul romn
l-ar primi [i l-ar saluta. Sunt caren]e n arhitectura institu]ional`
a statului romn care pot fi suplinite cu un ajutor din zona capitalului privat.
n fine, exist` proiecte ample n care acele multina]ionale care
au interese n cercetarea [tiin]ific` ar putea s` aib` un rol de
jucat. Cercet`tori valoro[i lucreaz` n condi]ii precare. Colegi
de-ai lor, care au putut pleca n strìn`tate, [i-au dovedit competen]a [i au ob]inut pozi]ii semnificative n universit`]i sau laboratoare. Or, se poate imagina un institut informal care s`
func]ioneze pe proiecte bine definite, pe perioade bine definite
de timp, n care, cercet`tori romni, cu pozi]ii n strìn`tate, s`
vin` cu proiectele pe care ei le au n acele laboratoare s` lucreze
undeva n ]ar` cu colegi romni, care nu au aceast` posibilitate,
dar care sunt competen]i [i pot produce rezultate.
Eu cred c` acele multina]ionale care au interese n cercetarea
[tiin]ific` pot n mod consistent s` contribuie la acest proiect,
asupra c`ruia ncerc de doi ani de zile s` atrag aten]ia autorit`]ilor romne[ti, cu rezultate mai mult dect mediocre.
Exemplul occidental ne este foarte util. Ceea ce cred c` unii
dintre noi au nv`]at n ultima vreme [i cnd spun ultima
vreme m` refer la ultimii 200 de ani de modernizare este c`,
dac` modelul ntr-adev`r ]ine de universalitatea acelor institu]ii
care au ncetat s` mai fie pur [i simplu occidentale, ele sunt
institu]ii ale modernit`]ii felul n care impor]i aceste institu]ii
face toat` diferen]a.
E foarte important s` ne moderniz`m f`r` distrugerea tradi]iilor
No Western country would accept that. How

can I do this? ICR as Romanian state institution, with this precise designation and voted
budget can deal only with the help of capitalists on the Romanian market, who are
actually not Romanian, and coming from a
foreign area, where multinational companies
are.
There are big projects to which I would invite
Western capitalists who would like Romania
to get involved. I will give you a few examples: private scholarships. The Romanian
Academy would be interested in having private scholarships for specific objectives
abroad. For archaeology, for humanity studies, for history research... There is an institution belonging to the Romanian state thats
called the Romanian Language Institute,
which functions within other institutions, the
Ministry of Education and Research. Its the
Romanian Language Institutions assignment
to deal with the Romanian lecturers from
abroad. There is no money for that, no intelligence or vision to understand how important
they are and to do something with them. If
big Western firms would associate their name
with financing such a Romanian department
abroad, this would be of great help that the
Romanian state would receive.
There are big deficiencies in the state institutional architecture that can be mended with
the help of private capital. In the end, there
are big projects that the multinational companies have interest in for scientific research.
Our valuable researchers work in deplorable
conditions. Their colleagues who could leave
the country had proven their competency and
obtained important positions in universities
and labs. But you can imagine an informal
institute that can work on well-defined project, in well-defined periods of time, where
Romanian researchers can come with their
projects and work with their colleagues in the
country. I think that those multinational companies that have interests in scientific
research can contribute to this project, I think
that those multinational companies can be
interested in scientific research, can contribute to this project on which Ive been trying in the past years to draw the Romanian
authorities attention and I only had poor
results.
The Western example is very useful for us.
What I think some of us learned lately and
when I say lately I mean in the last 200 years
of modernization is that, if the model really
keeps the universality of those institutions

that stopped to be only Occidental, those are
institutions of modernity the way you
import these institutions makes all the difference. It is important to modernize without
destroying the local traditions, which means
making them work.
This is a thing that Occidental societies discover because they discover that what is on a
horizontal level, as a distance between East
and West, is related to the distance between
modern societies and the developing ones,
and within these societies, on a vertical level,
there is the same dynamics of the same type,
between different social strata, some of them
being fast and other being slowly developing.
For Romania, the problem is the ratio
between state and private sector.
This ratio makes the difference within society
and trains it in different dynamics according
to the social area where it operates. A conclusion to these could be the fact that there are
three types of private financing Id say
according to the legislation type and the
maturity degree of the institution receiving
the financing. There is private financing that
supplies the deficiencies in legislation. There
are finances supplied within a normal legislation, where partnerships between private and
public space, in Romania, are perfectly comparable with the ones in Western countries,
meaning that structurally, they are the same
type of institutions. Finally, the third type
comprises the big partnerships. I havent seen
anything like that yet in our country. A great
partnership works between the private area
and sports. And there are private commitments on long terms, which are motivated by
a visibility interest and/or business. But a big
project, on long term between the private
space and the creation of an institution or
consolidation of a Romanian state institution
doesnt exist in Romania. I still invite
Microsoft to study the partnership for founding this research institute, which will function
with well-defined projects, on limited periods
of time, between foreign researchers and
Romanian ones, to which the Romanian
Cultural Institute could be partner; the
Romanian Academy could be a partner, and
we have to see how to do it. This would be a
strong investment and it would equalize in
strategic importance, which actually happens
between the sports and private investors
world.
We talk about the duty of corporations, of
locale, orice ar nsemna aceasta, ci punndu-le la lucru. Acesta

este un lucru pe care [i societ`]ile occidentale ntr-un fel, acum,
n acest ceas al modernit`]ii, l descoper`, pentru c` ele descoper` acum c` ceea ce pe orizontal`, ca distan]` dintre Est [i
Vest, este raport dintre societ`]i moderne [i societ`]i n curs de
modernizare, n interiorul societ`]ilor lor, pe vertical`, exist` o
anumit` dinamic` de acela[i tip ntre p`turi mai lente ale societ`]ii, n privin]a moderniz`rii, [i p`turi mai rapide.
Pentru Romnia, problema este aceea a raportului dintre stat [i
privat. Acest raport diferen]iaz` societatea [i o antreneaz` n
dinamici foarte diferite n func]ie de zona social` n care acest
raport func]ioneaz`. O concluzie care se desprinde pentru
situa]ia romneasc` este aceea c` finan]`rile private sunt de
trei tipuri a[ spune n func]ie de natura legisla]iei [i de
gradul de maturizare al institu]iei care prime[te finan]area.
Sunt finan]`rile private care suplinesc caren]e n legisla]ie. Sunt
apoi finan]`rile furnizate n cadrul unei legisla]ii a[a-zis normale, n care parteneriatele care se realizeaz` ntre spa]iul privat [i spa]iul public, n Romnia, sunt perfect comparabile cu
cele din Occident, n sensul c`, structural, sunt institu]ii de
acela[i tip. n fine, al treilea tip, sunt marile parteneriate. A[a
ceva nc` nu am v`zut n ]ar`. Un mare parteneriat care func]ioneaz` n ]ar` este acela dintre zona privat` [i zona sportului.
Acolo, da. Sunt angajamente private pe termen lung, [i care
sunt de fapt motivate de un mare interes de vizibilitate [i/sau
de afaceri. Dar un mare proiect, de vizibilitate, pe termen lung
ntre spa]iul privat [i crearea unei institu]ii sau consolidarea unei
institu]ii a statului romn, nc` nu exist` n Romnia. Eu invit n
continuare pe Microsoft s` studieze cu aten]ie parteneriatul
pentru nfiin]area acestui institut de cercetare, care s` func]ioneze cu proiecte bine definite, pe perioade limitate de timp,
ntre cercet`tori din strìn`tate [i cercet`tori din Romnia, la
asta Institutul Cultural Romn poate fi un partener, Academia
Romn` poate fi un partener, [i s` vedem cum se poate face.
Asta ar fi o investi]ie puternic` [i ar egala n importan]` strategic` ceea ce se ntmpl` n momentul de fa]` din motive de
afaceri, ntre lumea sportului [i lumea investitorilor priva]i.
Noi vorbim de o datorie a corpora]iilor, a business-ului fa]` de
societate. Dar eu cred c` prima datorie a afacerilor este s` fie
viabile. Pentru c`, n fond, avem o viziune etatist` asupra afacerilor, lu`m afacerile ca func]ionnd precum statele, c` exist`
dintotdeauna [i vor exista n continuare. Dar nu este deloc a[a.
Orice afacere se dezvolt` n condi]ii de risc [i progreseaz`
l 139
numai dac` cel care o gestioneaz` este inteligent, inovativ [i se

pliaz` n permanen]`, n mod creator, pe toate provoc`rile
pie]ei. Afacerile nu sunt ca statele. Respect foarte mult afacerile [i nu a[ vrea ca aceast` viziune etatist` s` se r`spndeasc` [i
asupra lor cu aceast` indistinc]ie ntre responsabilit`]i voluntare
ale afacerilor, pe care o aprob cu totul, [i responsabilit`]i impuse de stat, care mi sunt resping`toare.
business towards society. But I think that the

first duty of business is to be viable. Because,
actually, we have an etatist vision over business, we take business as functioning like
state, and we think theyve always been there
and they will always be. But its not like that.
Any business will develop in risk conditions
and progresses only if the one who manages
it is intelligent, innovative and adapts continuously to the market demands. Business is not
like the state. I really respect business and I
would like this etatist vision to spread to
them with this non-differentiation between
the voluntary business responsibilities, that I
totally approve and state-imposed responsibilities that are disagreeable.
ARLETTE BOUZON
Cazul Fran]ei: o stare de spirit n]eleas` de to]i

France: A Generally Understood State of Mind
140 l
A[ vrea s` fac o trecere n revist` a situa]iei din Fran]a n ceea

ce prive[te obliga]iile ntreprinderilor fa]` de comunit`]ile n
care [i desf`[oar` activitatea [i fa]` de mediu. Noile responsabilit`]i sociale ale ntreprinderilor n condi]iile unei dezvolt`ri
durabile ne pot apropia de tema discu]iei noastre de ast`zi,
mecenatul.
n Fran]a exist` un arsenal juridic format din numeroase legi
care reglementeaz` comportamentul ntreprinderilor. De c]iva
ani, este urm`rit` mai ales influen]a acestor legi asupra investi]iilor. n fapt, dincolo de disputa terminologic` despre sponsorizare, mecenat, patronaj [i altele, putem observa c` n
Fran]a arsenalul juridic a ameliorat, de-a lungul timpului, ajutorul pe care statul l acord` firmelor pentru a stimula mecenatul. S-ar putea spune c` legile pentru stimularea mecenatului
exprim` o anume criz` a statului [i reprezint` o form` de
dezangajare voit` a statului n materie de finan]e publice,
urmnd ca anumite cheltuieli s` fie preluate de mediul privat.
ntreprinderile franceze ns` au n]eles foarte bine avantajul de
a prelua aceste cheltuieli prin mecenat.
O lege din 2003 a reglementat deducerile fiscale ale ntreprinderilor ]innd cont de sumele destinate de acestea mecenatului. Dup` apari]ia acestei legi, fondurile pentru mecenat au
crescut foarte mult: s-a creat o stare de spirit foarte bine n]eleas` [i de stat, [i de investitorii priva]i, [i de cei care solicitau
fonduri pentru proiecte educa]ionale sau culturale.
ntreprinderile sunt obligate s` aib` o politic` de comunicare
I would like to talk about France and the

companies obligations to their communities
where they operate and to the environment.
The new social responsibilities of the companies in the context of durable developments
can get us closer to the theme of our discussion, mecena, sponsors. France has a juridical ammunition made of a number of laws
that regulate the companies behavior.
In the past years they followed up the influence of such laws on investments. In fact,
beyond the terminological dispute about
mecenat, mecena, patronage etc, we
can notice that in France the juridical ammunition has improved in time, with the help
received by firms from the state. We could
say that the laws for mecenat stimulation
express a certain crisis of the state and it represents a form of deliberate disengagement
of the state when it comes to public finances,
so that certain expenses should be taken by
the private environment. The French companies had understood the advantage of taking
on the expenses for this section.
A law from 2003 had regulated the fiscal
deductions of the enterprises taking into
account the sums destined to mecenats. After
the enforcement of this law, the necessary
funds had grown very much: it was a very
good thing, well understood by the state and
the private investors, and by the ones who
were asking for funds for educational or cultural projects. The enterprises are obliged to
have a very developed communication poli-
tics: we function in a market economy where

the products are comparable and it takes
marketing knowledge to allow this comparison, so that they can make the difference
between products and enterprises. The mecenat is a way among others, within the public
relations, which try to make this difference.
There has to be a certain balance among different communication budgets and communication channels.
Mecenat is not a fashion, it is a generosity act
and not how they say in France, caprice du
Prsident, nor a luxury for rich people or
some hidden publicity; its something else. It
has many forms and it can be financial infusion, or assets, technology, or competency
infusion (that develops in France: firms give
organization personnel they pay). Mecenat is
before all, an external communication form.
In France, the usual practice is to place the
firms logo on the communication materials
for the events that get sponsored. But there
are many forms of mecenat.
Mecenat is about the human rights, education and other activities that express solidarity in a broader sense and it manifests especially on a local level, in smaller communities,
it is a proximity mecenat. It sustains culture
and is the most visible on national level. It is
the sports mecenat that lately is slowly
decreasing because of the scandals and doping cases, and because serious firms dont
want their name to be related to such scandals. The mecenat for environment support
has developed, for research projects that aim
the durable development, field about which
the firms are more and more interested in
the last years. Schneider, for example has created a director job for mecenat and durable
development. It is a new direction that
tends to be undertaken by other enterprises,
especially because of the fact that global
warming cannot be solved by science or state,
so companies get involved in research projects that deal with the environment. This
way, the companies, state and citizens interests are met.
foarte dezvoltat`: func]ion`m ntr-o economie de pia]`, n care

produsele sunt comparabile, [i atunci e nevoie de un marketing
care s` permit` aceast` compara]ie, astfel nct s` se poat`
face diferen]a ntre produse [i ntreprinderi.
Mecenatul nu este dect un mijloc printre altele din arsenalul
rela]iilor publice pentru a ncerca s` se fac` aceast` distinc]ie.
Trebuie s` existe a[adar un echilibru ntre diferitele bugete de
comunicare [i canalele de comunicare utilizate.
Mecenatul nu este o mod`, nu este un act de generozitate, nu
este, cum se spune n Fran]a, un caprice du Prsident, nici un
lux al oamenilor boga]i ori o form` de publicitate mascat`, ci
cu totul altceva. Are diverse forme poate fi un aport financiar,
un aport n natur`, n tehnologie sau aportul n competen]`
(care se dezvolt` foarte mult n Fran]a n prezent: firmele pun
la dispozi]ia unor organiza]ii personal pe care l pl`tesc).
Mecenatul este, nainte de toate, o form` de comunicare
extern`.
n Fran]a, practica obi[nuit` este de a plasa logo-ul firmei pe
materialele de comunicare ale manifest`rilor care beneficiaz`
de mecenat. Dar exist` mai multe forme de mecenat.
Mecenatul n sprijin cet`]enesc, dac` l putem numi astfel, se
refer` la drepturile omului, educa]ie [i alte activit`]i care
exprim` solidaritatea n sens larg [i se manifest` mai ales pe
plan local, n comunit`]i mici, este un mecenat de proximitate. Mecenatul care sus]ine cultura, n schimb, este cel mai
vizibil pe plan na]ional. Exist`, apoi, mecenatul n favoarea
sportului, care, din cauza unor scandaluri din ultima vreme
(cazuri de dopaj [i altele), este ntr-o u[oar` sc`dere, pentru c`
firmele serioase nu vor ca numele lor s` fie legat de astfel de
scandaluri. S-a dezvoltat n schimb foarte mult mecenatul n
sprijinul mediului, al proiectelor de cercetare care vizeaz` dezvoltarea durabil`, domeniu de care firmele sunt tot mai interesate n ultimii ani. Firma Schneider, de pild`, a creat chiar un
post de director pentru mecenat [i pentru dezvoltare durabil`. Este o direc]ie inedit`, dar care tinde s` fie preluat` [i de
alte ntreprinderi, mai ales c` problemele create de nc`lzirea
global` nu pot fi, deocamdat`, rezolvate de [tiin]` sau de state,
astfel nct companiile se implic` [i ele n proiecte de cercetare
care se ocup` de mediul nconjur`tor.
n acest fel, sunt satisf`cute interesele companiilor, dar [i ale
statului, [i ale cet`]enilor.
l 141
JON WHITE
Decizia este una pragmatic`

The Decision is a Pragmatic One
142 l
Alocarea resurselor pentru educa]ie [i cultur` este una dintre

cele mai semnificative ntreb`ri de politici publice pentru orice
]ar`, n orice perioad` istoric`, [i este ceva foarte actual [i n
Marea Britanie, unde Guvernul nostru este foarte interesat n a
atrage fonduri private pentru educa]ia public` [i de a crea noi
mecanisme [i noi institu]ii de dezvoltare a educa]iei. O ini]iativ`
a Guvernului a vizat chiar aceast` colaborare ntre mediul de
afaceri [i [coli. Dar pn` a ajunge la mecanisme concrete, s`
plec`m de la ntrebarea mai general`: de ce anume s-ar implica o firm` n chestiuni care nu privesc profitul n sine?
Are mediul de afaceri [i o alt` responsabilitate n afara aceleia
de a asigura succesul afacerilor? Care sunt obliga]iile mediului
de afaceri fa]` de acele grupuri pe care se bazeaz` afacerile?
Este o chestiune controversat`.
Binecunoscutul Milton Friedman, organiza]ii importante cum ar
fi Institute of Economic Affairs sau publica]ii ca The Economist
au luat o atitudine clar` n aceast` dezbatere spunnd c` afacerile sunt afaceri [i trebuie s`-[i vad` de afaceri, iar a cere
firmelor s`-[i asume responsabilit`]i mai largi ar nsemna s` le
distragi de la scopul lor principal. Aceasta este controversa
major` [i ntlnirea de ast`zi este un prilej de a discuta m`sura
n care firmele [i pot asuma [i altfel de obliga]ii.
De fapt, n Marea Britanie exist` un r`spuns istoric la aceast`
controvers`: avem foarte multe exemple de firme care s-au
implicat social, ncepnd chiar cu epoca de nceput a revolu]iei
industriale, pentru c` au fost nevoite s` procedeze astfel. Dac`
nu ar fi f`cut-o, nu ar fi avut angaja]i s`n`to[i, nu ar fi avut
angaja]i educa]i [i nu ar fi avut angaja]i care s` lucreze pentru
ele la un nivel satisf`c`tor. Avem deci exemple istorice de companii mari care s-au implicat la nivel local, n programe
educa]ionale, culturale, n programe de construire de locuin]e.
Exist` n mediul de afaceri britanic o lung` tradi]ie de implicare
n comunitate, n ciuda controversei teoretice care continu`.
Urm`toarea ntrebare fundamental` este: dac` o companie se
implic` n comunitate, unde trebuie s` trag` o linie, unde se
termin` aceast` implicare?
Am putea s` vorbim despre experien]a firmei Shell n Nigeria.
Compania are opera]iuni foarte importante n aceast` ]ar`.
Allotting the resources for education and culture is one of the most important public politics issues in any country, in any historic era
and its something happening in Great
Britain, where our Government wants to
attract private funds for public education and
to create new mechanisms and new educational development institutions. A
Government initiative had aimed this cooperation between the business and educational
environment. But in order to reach concrete
mechanisms, we have to start with the general question: why would a firm get involved in
problems that are not about profit? Has the
business environment another responsibility
except for the one of being successful in business? What are the business environments
obligations toward the groups that their own
business is based on? Its a controversial matter. Milton Friedman, important organizations
like the Institute of Economic Affairs or publications like The Economist took a very clear
position in this debate saying that business is
business and they have to be only concerned
about business, and asking the firms to take
bigger responsibilities would meant to distract them from their main purpose.
This is the major controversy and todays
meeting is a chance to talk about how firms
can take on such obligations. Actually, in
Great Britain, there is an historical answer to
this controversy: we have many examples of
firms who got socially involved starting with
the industrial revolution era because they
needed to act like that. If they wouldnt have
done it, their employees wouldnt be healthy,
or educated or working at a satisfying level.
So we have historical examples of big companies that got involved at local level, in educational, cultural and building programs. We
have in the British business environment a big
tradition of implication in community, against
the theoretical controversy that keeps on.
The next fundamental question is: if a company gets involved in community, where they
should draw a line, where should this implication end? We could talk about the experience
of Shell in Nigeria. The Company has important operations in this country.
Along the years, by well known reasons, the

Nigerian federal authorities didnt do too
much for those people, and the multinational
companies realized they have to take on certain responsibilities in order to have a social
environment that can make business possible.
But they soon found out the next dilemma:
while they were taking on some social
responsibilities, the expectations were growing more and more. Another problem came
up for Shell: yes, we agree to get involved
but up to where? How many resources should
we spend? We reach now the social responsibilities costs. The decision regarding the limits
of implication and how much should be spent
for cultural, educational or social projects, is a
business decision, a pragmatic one.
This thing is well known by the specialized
British organizations. For example, the
Business in the community organization
(http://www.bitc.org.uk) that has been operating for the past 30 years, wants to help
firms donate money and make sure that
these firms will keep their promises. There
are certain theoretical differentiations
regarding the social implication of the companies. The first is the conformation of
social implication when a company feels
that it has to get involved, so it conforms
itself to a social pressures. The second category is the initiative implication when a
company believes that its necessary to get
involved in order to solve a problem and it
takes the initiative. These are generally the
debates on this field. From the profit point of
view we have more and more proofs that the
massive social implication is a good business
decision. The more a company gets involved,
like the local community education, the more
it will have a good quality reservoir where to
hire well prepared people from. But these are
decisions that could be taken in every firm:
how and how much should they get involved.
The intellectual community, the cultural community can sustain this cause, but in the end,
it is a pragmatic decision.
Cum de-a lungul anilor, din motive binecunoscute, autorit`]ile

nigeriene federale sau locale nu au f`cut mare lucru pentru
oamenii de acolo, multina]ionalele [i-au dat seama c` vor trebui s`-[i asume ele anumite responsabilit`]i, pentru a putea
avea un mediu social care s` le fac` posibile afacerile. Dar s-au
aflat curnd n urm`toarea dilem`: pe m`sur` ce [i asumau
anumite responsabilit`]i sociale, a[tept`rile cre[teau din ce n
ce mai mult.
Pentru Shell a ap`rut o problem`: da, suntem de acord s` ne
implic`m, dar pn` unde? Cte resurse trebuie s` cheltuim?
Ajungem astfel la costurile responsabilit`]ii sociale a companiilor. Decizia privitoare la limita implic`rii, la ct de mult trebuie
cheltuit pentru proiecte culturale, educa]ionale sau sociale este
o decizie de afaceri, o decizie pragmatic`. Acest lucru este
cunoscut de organiza]iile britanice specializate. De pild`, organiza]ia Business in the community (www.bitc.org.uk), care
activeaz` de aproximativ 30 de ani, [i propune s` ajute firmele
s` doneze bani cu folos [i s` se asigure c` aceste firme [i
respect` promisiunile.
Exist` anumite diferen]ieri teoretice n ce prive[te implicarea
social` a companiilor. Prima categorie este implicarea social`
de conformare cnd o companie simte c` trebuie s` intervin`, deci se conformeaz` unei presiuni sociale. A doua categorie este implicarea de ini]iativ` cnd o companie crede
c` este nevoie s` se implice, pentru a rezolva o problem`, [i
preia ini]iativa.
Cam acestea sunt liniile mari ale dezbaterii n domeniu. Din
punctul de vedere al profitului, avem tot mai multe dovezi c`
implicarea social` masiv` este [i o bun` decizie de afaceri.
Cu ct o companie se va implica, de pild`, n educarea comunit`]ii locale, cu att mai mult va avea la dispozi]ie un rezervor
de bun` calitate de unde s`-[i angajeze oameni bine preg`ti]i.
Dar acestea sunt decizii care se iau la nivelul fiec`rei firme: ct
[i cum s` se implice. Comunitatea intelectual`, comunitatea
cultural` pot s`-[i sus]in` cauza, dar pn` la urm` decizia este
una pragmatic`.
l 143
SUE WOLSTENHOLME
Pericolele implic`rii sociale a companiilor

The Dangers of Companies Social Implication
144 l
Este foarte important att pentru cei care beneficiaz` de

dona]ii, ct [i pentru companiile donatoare, s` stabileasc`
rela]ii pe termen lung, rela]iile pe termen scurt au mai pu]in`
semnifica]ie [i mai pu]ine rezultate. Am lucrat mult n acest
domeniu n Marea Britanie [i am fost consultant n domeniul
corporate social responsibility, pentru multe companii. Scopul
nostru, al consultan]ilor, este acela de a le ajuta s` aleag` un
anumit mod de implicare, care i-ar putea stimula s`-[i dezvolte
afacerea [i n acela[i timp s` sus]in` aceast` afacere s` joace un
rol potrivit n societate. Pentru a calibra bine aceast` implicare,
trebuie n]eles cum anume se dezvolt` o rela]ie fructuoas` cu
societatea, ce anume dore[te s` realizeze compania care alege
s` se implice [i, la fel de important, care sunt pericolele care pot
ap`rea. Trebuie s` insist pu]in pe aceste pericole, pentru c`
atunci cnd banii priva]i ajung n contact cu nevoile sociale,
apar [i dificult`]i.
Trebuie s` fie foarte limpede [i pentru cel care ofer` banii, [i
pentru cel care i prime[te, cum anume se vor reflecta ace[ti
bani n propria imagine, n propriul brand [i n rela]ia ta cu alte
grupuri cu care vei fi nevoit s` lucrezi.
Faimoasa rela]ie care se dezvolt` ntre Greenpeace [i
McDonalds n Marea Britanie este interesant` din acest punct
de vedere, deoarece McDonalds are nevoie de aceast` rela]ie
pentru imagine, dar membrilor Greenpeace nu le place situa]ia
[i este nevoie de mult efort pentru a n]elege pozi]iile celeilalte
p`r]i, astfel nct s` nu intre n conflict deschis. n acela[i timp,
e o rela]ie greu de gestionat: al]i donatori c`tre Greenpeace nu
vor s` fie asocia]i cu McDonalds. Deci cnd dai bani unei organiza]ii sau cnd accep]i bani, trebuie s` [tii c` acest fapt ar
putea s` dùneze altor rela]ii pe care le dezvol]i. De aceea, este
indicat s` creezi reguli clare care s` precizeze ct de departe e[ti
preg`tit s` mergi.
Pentru aceast` situa]ie, am creat un fel de matrice, cu care
companiile pot lucra [i unde trebuie s` defineasc`: ce rela]ii se
impune s` dezvolte, ce mesaje-cheie vor s` transmit` societ`]ii
[i care este valoarea adùgat` pe care o aduce organiza]ia ta
ce anume sus]ii, ce anume promovezi. Este foarte important
cum ]i alegi aceste valori pe care vrei s` le promovezi, astfel
It is very important for the ones who benefit

from donations, and for the donating companies to establish long term relations, because
the short term relations have less signification
and less results. I worked in this field in Great
Britain and I used to be a consultant for corporate social responsibility, for many companies. Our purpose is to help them choose a
certain way of implication that would stimulate them to develop their business and in
the same time to sustain their business into
playing an important role in society. In order
to calibrate this implication, they have to
understand the way of developing a fruitful
relationship with society, what should they
accomplish by getting involved and what are
the dangers of that. I have to insist a little bit
on these dangers because when private
money gets in contact with social needs,
there are difficulties. It has to be very clear
for the one giving the money and for the one
receiving it, how will this money reflect on
their own image, brand and the relationship
with other group they have to work with.
The famous relationship between Greenpeace
and McDonalds in Great Britain is interesting
from this point of view, because McDonalds
needs this relationship for image and the
Greenpeace members dont like this situation
and it takes a lot of effort to understand the
positions of the other parties, so that they
dont get into an open conflict. In the meantime, a relationship that is hard to manage:
other donators to Greenpeace dont want to
be associated with McDonalds. So when you
give money to an organization or you dont
accept money, you have to know that this
could be harmful to other relationships you
develop. Thats why its better to make clear
rules that can set if you are ready to go on.
For this situation I created a sort of matrix
with which companies can work and where
they have to define: what relationships to
develop, what key-messages to transmit to
society and what is the plus value it brings to
the company. It is very important how you
choose these values that you want to promote, so that you can motivate your employees better, you can get them involved into
the companys effort.

When you get into a financial relationship
be it sponsorship, mecenat, donation you
have to be sure that the values of both parties match. There are many cases when the
parties values are in conflict because at the
beginning of the relationship they ignored
these values. It is well known the case of a
school from Coventry that accepted a donation from a tank factory. A lot of children
went home with copybooks having the picture of a tank or a war machine and, obviously, many parents had been furious. The school
didnt anticipate this reaction and they
thought they could accept money from the
ammunition industry because it was for a
good cause education, but they didnt anticipate the values conflict. The school needed
the money and maybe thats why they didnt
even think too much before accepting it, and
this thing cost the reputation.
There is another famous example of that
school from America that received a donation
from one of the two companies, I dont quite
remember which, Pepsi-Cola or Coca-Cola,
and a pupil came to school dressed with a
wrong T-shirt, portraying the competency, as
a protest sign, and he was asked to go home.
In that case the values conflict became flagrant because you ask yourself what kind of
education you give the children if you send
them home for a T-shirt. This type of danger
has to be taken into consideration; otherwise
you can have unpleasant surprises. In culture,
sensibility is even stronger. I was involved in
organizing a big cultural festival and they
were reserved into accepting the money
because they had to announce publicly these
contributions, because they felt this could
contradict the artistic mission. There is no
problem in sports to have the name of a company on the T-shirt, but this thing is not possible in culture.
Finally, it has to be very clear for the ones
who give the money, what do they gain by
this association. We cannot expect for firms
to offer money out of kindness although it
should be wonderful. It has to be something
that will motivate them. British Telecom
asked some research on the contributions and
donations they make, in all the regions and
levels. I discovered that the sum they were
donating was really bigger than they or other
people thought. This way, they werent seen
as generous donators.
I discovered that a big cosmetics company
nct s`-]i po]i motiva mai bine angaja]ii, s` i po]i implica la

rndul lor n efortul companiei.
Cnd intri n orice fel de rela]ie financiar` fie sponsorizare, fie
mecenat, fie dona]ie , trebuie s` fii sigur c` valorile celor dou`
p`r]i se potrivesc. Exist` numeroase cazuri cnd valorile p`r]ilor
au intrat n conflict [i au ap`rut probleme, tocmai pentru c` la
nceputul rela]iei au ignorat aceast` grij` pentru valori. Este
faimos cazul unei [coli din Coventry care a acceptat o dona]ie
de la o fabric` de tancuri. Mul]i copii au mers acas` cu caiete
pe care era poza unui tanc sau a altor ma[ini de r`zboi [i, evident, mul]i p`rin]i au fost furio[i. {coala nu a anticipat aceast`
reac]ie a p`rin]ilor, a crezut c` poate accepta bani din industria
armamentului deoarece erau pentru o cauz` bun` educa]ia,
dar nu a anticipat conflictul de valori. Respectiva [coal` avea
mare nevoie de ace[ti bani, [i poate de aceea forurile nici nu
s-au gndit foarte mult nainte de a-i accepta, dar acest lucru
le-a costat ca reputa]ie.
Mai este un alt exemplu faimos al acelei [coli din America care
primise o dona]ie de la una dintre cele dou` companii, nu mai
]in minte exact care, fie Pepsi-Cola, fie Coca-Cola, iar un elev a
venit mbr`cat cu tricoul gre[it, al concuren]ei, ca semn de
protest, [i i s-a cerut s` plece acas`. n acel caz a devenit flagrant conflictul de valori, pentru c` se ridic` ntrebarea ce
educa]ie mai furnizezi cnd ]i trimi]i copilul acas` din cauza
unui tricou. Acest gen de pericol trebuie luat n considerare, altfel te po]i trezi cu surprize nepl`cute. n domeniul culturii, sensibilitatea este chiar mai mare. Am fost implicat` n organizarea
unui mare festival cultural, iar ei erau foarte reticen]i n a accepta bani, dac` trebuia s` fac` publice aceste contribu]ii, pentru
c` sim]eau c` ar putea astfel s` contravin` misiunii artistice. n
sport nu este nici o problem` s` por]i numele unei firme pe tricou, dar acest lucru nu este posibil n cultur`, nu po]i s` faci a[a
ceva pe o scen` de teatru.
n fine, trebuie s` fie clar, [i pentru cei care dau banii, ce anume
c[tig` din aceast` asociere. Nu ne putem a[tepta ca firmele s`
ofere bani pur [i simplu din bun`tate, de[i ar fi minunat s` se
ntmple a[a. Trebuie s` fie ceva care s` le motiveze.
British Telecom mi-a cerut s` fac ni[te cercet`ri asupra contribu]iilor [i dona]iilor pe care le face, n toate regiunile [i la toate
nivelurile.
Am descoperit c` suma pe care o donau per total era mai mare
[i ei se plasau mai bine n topul donatorilor dect credeau ei
n[i[i [i, oricum, donau mai mult dect credeau oamenii c` o
l 145
fac. Astfel, nu beneficiau de imaginea de donator generos pe

care erau ndrept`]i]i s` o aib`.
Am mai descoperit c` o companie de cosmetice, despre care se
credea c` doneaz` foarte mult, era de fapt undeva pe locul 20
n topul real al donatorilor.
Deci trebuie ca firmele s` aib` [i beneficii din astfel de asocieri,
[i este [i spre interesul celor care primesc dona]iile s` sublinieze
aceste beneficii, pentru c` pot transforma aceste rela]ii
ntr-unele de lung` durat`. De asemenea, trebuie evitate
rela]iile personale. Dac` se dezvolt` doar rela]ii personale ntre
cei care lucreaz` la firme [i cei din organiza]iile care primesc
banii, atunci rela]ia va dura atta vreme ct respectivele persoane vor ocupa acele posturi. {i acesta este un pericol care trebuie evitat.
that thought they were donating very much,

was actually on the 20th place on the donators list. So firms must have some benefits
from these associations and its to the interest
of those receiving the donations to emphasize these benefits, because they can transform these relationships into long term relationships. Also, they have to avoid personal
relationships. If there are personal relations
between those working at the firms and
those from receiving organization, then the
relationship will last as long as the people
work there. This is a danger that has to be
avoided.
ADELA ROGOJINARU
Ce nseamn` mecenatul autentic

146 l
What is an Authentic Mecenat

Ideea de mecenat este diferit` de orice alt fel de finan]are de
tip sponsorizare sau de alte ac]iuni filantropice cu scopuri comerciale. Prin ac]iunile de mecenat pe care le avem n vedere,
ne referim mai ales la acelea datorit` c`rora o corpora]ie se
define[te a fi o entitate moral`. Aceasta este, n fond, defini]ia
dat` [i de legi, dar [i de lucr`rile de specialitate. Exist` n etica
corporativ` o anumit` tendin]` teoretic` n care se vorbe[te
despre faptul c` ntreprinderile ar trebui s` fie gndite ca persoane morale, dotate cu con[tiin]` cu alte cuvinte, capabile s`
fac` acte altruiste, [i nu s`-[i urm`reasc` scopurile egoiste, de
tip comercial.
Prin urmare, acesta este, n cea mai mare parte, accentul pe
care am vrea s`-l punem azi n ce m`sur` societatea noastr`
[i nivelul de participare civic` ne permit s` avem o rela]ie ntre
privat [i public de tipul unei moralit`]i corporative, de tipul
actelor de natur` moral`? A doua chestiune asupra c`reia a[
dori s` atrag aten]ia este aceea a naturii acestui mecena.
Cine este mecena? Legea l define[te ca persoan` individual`
sau privat`. Cu bun` [tiin]` am eliminat [i vom elimina din
discu]ia noastr` acei fal[i mecena de pe pia]a romneasc`, indivizi mari donatori n diferite arte, de natur` filantropic`, dar
The idea of mecenat is different from any

other financing and other type of philanthropic actions with commercial purposes.
Through the mecenat actions that we aim,
we think about that duty a corporation
defines it as a moral entity. This is, actually,
the definition given also by laws and by the
specialty works. There is a certain theoretical
tendency in the corporative ethics that talks
about the fact that enterprises should be
taken as moral persons, with conscience,
capable of altruist deeds, and not to follow
the selfish goals. Therefore, this is mostly the
issue we want to focus on today to what
extent our society and level of civic participation allow us to have a relationship between
the private and public sector in a corporative
morality, in the kind of moral acts? The second problem I would like to talk about is the
mecena, who is mecena.
The law defines him as an individual and private person. We eliminated and will eliminate
from our discussion those fake macena on the
Romanian market, the ones who donate to
different arts, but dont know anything about
them. Therefore, we would like, as a definition to this, to give the mecena what is his: a
mecena is a connoisseur. He is an art investor,

an art connoisseur, an education investor, an
education connoisseur, a culture investor, a
culture connoisseur. He is a connoisseur.
Therefore, he is not different from the
ancient practice of mecenat. These would be
the strong issues: we should talk more not
about sponsorship or other finance acts, but
about an authentic mecenat, which can prove
that the collective entities, the corporations
can be as altruistic as generous people.
I dont think that the state, one way or
another, has to be accused for its inefficiency.
I think that a strong state needs a strong
mecenat. I think that mecenat is a complementary action in a state that defines better
its investment fields. The private and public
sector have to agree on the fields where they
should invest so that they become efficient. If
we enter a competition between state and
private sector or in a form of substitution, I
think that none of them will manage to cover
the social and cultural issues. The state didnt
lose its importance. It only changed its role in
the actual society.
care nu sunt cunosc`tori.

Prin urmare, am vrea, ca defini]ie de lucru, s`-i d`m lui mecena ce-i apar]ine, [i anume: un mecena este un cunosc`tor. Este
un investitor n art`, dar este un cunosc`tor al artelor, este un
investitor n educa]ie, dar este un cunosc`tor al educa]iei, este
un investitor n cultur`, dar este un cunosc`tor al culturii. Este
un connaisseur. Prin urmare, nu este o alt` natur` sau de o alt`
factur` dect cea definit` de practica antic` a mecenatului.
Acestea ar fi ideile de for]`: ar trebui s` discut`m mai mult nu
despre sponsorizare sau alte acte de finan]are, ci despre un
mecenat autentic, care s` demonstreze c` entit`]ile colective,
de tip corporativ, pot fi la fel de altruiste ca unele persoane
dotate cu generozitate natural`.
Nu cred c` statul, ntr-un fel sau altul, trebuie ar`tat cu degetul
pentru ineficien]a lui de ast`zi. Cred c`, dimpotriv`, un stat
puternic are nevoie de un mecenat puternic. Cred c` mecenatul este, mai curnd, o ac]iune complementar` ntr-un stat care
[i define[te mai bine domeniile de investi]ie. Sectorul privat [i
sectorul public trebuie s` cad` de acord asupra domeniilor n
care se fac investi]iile din ambele p`r]i, astfel nct ele s` fie eficiente. Pentru c` dac` intr`m ntr-o competi]ie Stat-privat sau
ntr-o form` de substitu]ie, cred c` nici unul, nici altul nu
reu[esc s` acopere problemele sociale [i culturale, care sunt
numeroase. Statul nu [i-a pierdut din importan]`. {i-a schimbat
doar rolul n societatea actual`.
l 147
PAULA APREUTESEI
Conteaz` cine cere [i cum cere

It Matters Who and How Asks
148 l
Cred c` orice activitate n materie de responsabilitate social`

trebuie s` fie transparent`, astfel nct s` se [tie care este motiva]ia noastr`. A[a nct eu am grij` ntotdeauna s` comunic
despre ceea ce facem. Sunt lucruri fa]` de care o companie ca
Microsoft se simte responsabil`: vrem, de pild`, ca programele
produse de noi s` fie folosite pentru bine, nu pentru rù, a[a
nct ne implic`m n educarea oamenilor, i nv`]`m s` foloseasc` tehnologia, i nv`]`m pe copii cum s` se fereasc` de pericolele online. Organiz`m [i un alt tip de ac]iuni: cele aspira]ionale. Fiecare filial` Microsoft le face creativ [i ncearc` s` le
localizeze. Cnd vorbim despre educa]ie, trebuie s` ne ntreb`m dac` ea este doar rolul [colii. Familia [i comunitatea nu
trebuie s` contribuie [i ele la procesul educativ?
Eu nu pot, ca reprezentant al Microsoft, s` le cer [colilor s`
urmeze un anumit curriculum la clas`. Dar putem s` organiz`m
ni[te centre de acces la tehnologia informa]iilor pentru comunit`]ile locale am f`cut acest lucru mpreun` cu Prim`riile [i
ONG-urile din cteva localit`]i.
n leg`tur` cu mecenatul, s-a spus c` nu po]i fi mecena dac` nu
e[ti cunosc`tor. Mi se pare ns` c` un om nu poate fi cunosc`tor n toate domeniile culturii. Conteaz` ns` cine cere [i cum
cere. Sunt convins` c` orice om care are un proiect [i crede n
el merit` sprijinit de altfel, aceasta este viziunea Microsoft, c`
to]i oamenii au poten]ial. Dar eu nu am criterii pentru a decide
c` o expozi]ie e interesant` ori c` o restaurare de documente
vechi e important`. Numai speciali[tii au astfel de criterii. Pe de
alt` parte, cred c` organiza]iile non-guvernamentale sunt cele
care trebuie s`-[i asume rolul de moderator ntre cei care
finan]eaz` proiectele [i comunit`]ile c`rora aceste proiecte le
sunt destinate.
I think that any activity of social responsibility

has to be transparent, so that everybody
knows our motivation. I always tell people
about what we are doing. There are things
that a company like Microsoft feels responsible to: we want, for example, our programs
to be used for good things, so we get
involved in educating people, we teach them
how to use technology, we teach children
how to avoid the online dangers. We also
organize another type of actions: aspiring
ones.
Every Microsoft affiliation makes them creative and tries to localize them. When we
talk about education we have to ask ourselves if this is only the purpose of school.
Family and community have to contribute to
the educational process? As a Microsoft representative, I cannot ask schools to follow a
certain curriculum. But we can organize some
centers that offer access to information technology for local communities I did this
along with the City Halls and NGOs from
some towns.
About mecenat, it has been said that you
cannot be a mecena unless you are yourself a
connoisseur. I think that a man cannot be a
connoisseur in all the culture fields. But it
matters who and how asks. Im sure that any
man has a project and believes it is worth
supporting actually this is also the Microsoft
vision, that all people have potential. But I
dont have criteria of deciding if an exhibit is
interesting or an old documents restoration is
important. Only specialists have such criteria.
On the other hand, I think that NGOs are the
ones who should take the role of moderator
between the ones financing the projects and
communities whom these projects are destined to.

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Board editorial:

Coordonator proiect editorial: Andreea Buic`

Volvo Dilema Veche

LA COLEGIUL NOUA EUROP~

Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Na]ionale a Romniei

Special thanks to our partners Dilema Veche,

Mul]umim partenerilor no[tri New Europe College [i Dilema

Paula Apreutesei Business Strategy Manager,

Paula Apreutesei Business Strategy Manager, Microsoft

James Niblett Director executiv, Hospice of Hope, Romnia

Mathematics Olympiad, 2004

l asdfgh l DE ALCATUIT CUPRINSUL!!!!!

Colegiul Noua Europ`, 31 august 2005

De la Dilema veche la Volvo [i napoi...

From the Dilema Veche to Volvo and back...

nv`]`tur`, performan]`, pl`cere

Andrei Ple[u: Over ten years ago, when I set

Dan Pascariu: Prin structur` [i prin forma]ie, consider c`

earn more regarding the customer. Our

through scholarships, post-doctoral studies,

c[tiga bani din preg`tirea intelectual` prin burse, prin studii

tate de cet`]eni: ei sunt mai degrab` cet`]eni ai lumii, n cel

USA. And if they leave and settle in America,

Ioan Pnzaru: Pentru fizic`, avem o problem` Romnia nu

demic` mai vie [i mai interesant` dect n Romnia. Facult`]ile

Robert Turcescu: Nu vreau s` politizez discu]ia, dar te-ai fi

least that fields that Romania can create some

abroad and then we ask them to come back

Unii consider` c` aici este un loc unde lucrurile se mi[c`, sunt

Liliana Preoteasa: Sistemul nu este att de tic`los pe ct se

Andrei Ple[u: La aceast` ntlnire s-au discutat, esen]ialmente,

glad the departure for studies abroad is

agement so on and so forth.

ast`zi nu mai sunt fatale, ca acum 15 ani. Sunte]i oameni liberi,

n aceast` ]ar` v` sf`tuiesc s` reveni]i, dup` ncheierea studiilor,

5 ntreb`ri pentru Andrei Negu]

Cum ]i se pare toat` aceast` discu]ie (sus]inut` de pres`,

try" can not be repaired with this kind of raw

phenomenon had surmounted too much and

n ce const` acest farmec? {i cum ai tr`it [ocul cultural

n fiecare an se ntorc cu medalii de la concursurile

ness environment. This is the normality

Este exodul inteligen]ei o problem` na]ional`? Este adev`rat c`

Olimpicii, fuga creierelor

Fost olimpic interna]ional la matematic` la nceputul anilor 70,

of the math facts that are objects of these

str`in`tate contribuie substan]ial [i uneori involuntar nu numai

university positions abroad contribute in a

but, unfortunately, the progress roller had

Colegiul Noua Europ`, 10 noiembrie 2005

Leg`turile dintre afaceri [i cultur`

Forum Auto Volvo importer in Romania and

Forum Auto, importator Volvo n Romnia [i Dilema veche au

Etic` [i prejudec`]i, profit [i responsabilitate social`

Andrei Ple[u: n general, se socote[te c` lumea afacerilor este

Andrei Ple[u: Generally, the business environment is conceived to be a pragmatic, efficient,

that the fact that it remains unstable.

mentalitatea c` educa]ia [i cultura sunt treburi ale Statului [i c`,

respectate. Etica afacerilor survine din clipa n care juc`torii

be played; in particular, from the moment they

The moment I discovered this, I told myself

gia pe care trebuie s` o investesc eu n creativitatea

seaz` s` p`streze supersti]iile [i ierarhiile stabilite de 40-50 de

50 years ago. Step into an art shop in