Babeș-Bolyai University
Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) is Romania’s leading research-intensive institution and the only one to receive a five-star rating from the international QS audit. As the oldest and largest university in the country, UBB fosters a multicultural environment with full programs in Romanian, Hungarian, German, and English. It is a member of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and of the EUTOPIA European University. The Department of Public Health of the Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB) is a reference academic and research center in the field of public health, with interdisciplinary expertise. It is distinguished by an active involvement in national and international projects. With a portfolio of over 100 projects funded from European and international sources, the department contributes to the development of interventions, public policies and training programs. The areas of expertise cover a wide range of domains, such as prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health promotion through digital technologies (mHealth, eHealth), mental and adolescent health, maternal and child health, injury and violence prevention (VIP), occupational and environmental health, human resources for health planning and management, institutional capacity development and evidence-based public policy making. Through these projects, the department has produced educational tools, delivered training sessions, developed national registries and provided recommendations for public health decision-makers.
Role: As the lead beneficiary of WP3: Networking, Training, and International Exposure of Researchers, UBB (Babeș-Bolyai University) oversees the strategic initiative to expand researchers’ international exposure and professional development. In addition to managing the overall work package, UBB leads Task 3.1 by designing training curricula in research skills and entrepreneurship, while coordinating closely with UPORTO on the secondements, U.LUND on personalized career development plans, and GAIN on cross-sectoral networking events.
Adina Fodor
Adina Fodor, Ph.D., coordinates the Office for Interuniversity Agreements at Babeș-Bolyai University. Her work combines networking, training, and strategic support for students’ and researchers’ international exposure through long-term cooperation frameworks and alliances. She contributes to responsible internationalisation as a representative in EUTOPIA and The Guild working groups and to the social mission of universities as a think tank co-lead in SGroup-Universities in Europe.
Adina brings policy and innovation expertise from roles with HEInnovate’s former expert group, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, and OECD. She has coordinated and trained in projects linking higher education, smart specialisation, entrepreneurship, and regional engagement. An experienced trainer and facilitator across Europe, Africa, and Türkiye, she focuses on capacity building for researchers and staff in innovation, health, and societal engagement.
Mădălina Coman
Mădălina Coman, PhD, is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Public Health at Babeș-Bolyai University. With a background in health psychology and public health, Dr. Coman has research experience in areas such as population-level health literacy, health promotion through programs and public health policies, and capacity building in the field of public health, with a particular emphasis on digital health and violence and injury prevention. Dr. Coman was involved in over 20 projects working in teams at national and international level to improve public health in Romania.
Prof. Răzvan Cherecheș
Prof. Răzvan Cherecheș, MD, PhD, is the Director of the HIVE Health Innovation Center at Babeș-Bolyai University, where he leads national and international initiatives at the intersection of public health, digital innovation, and health-system transformation. As a Professor in the Department of Public Health, Babeș-Bolyai University his expertise spans health policy, behavioral and digital health, health literacy, injury prevention, and capacity building in public health research. Through HIVE, he advances innovation by mentoring health-tech startups, hosting hackathons, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, contributing significantly to modernizing public health education, research, and practice in Romania and beyond
Throughout his career, he has coordinated major European Commission and NIH-funded projects, including initiatives on eHealth, mental health, public health workforce development, and chronic disease prevention. His leadership has contributed to strengthening public health systems across Europe, North Africa, and the United States.