Laszlo Borbely, to Forum of Romanian Students Abroad: We need unity through diversity, the voice of students

Over 100 Romanian students from all over the world gathered on Thursday for a forum in Bucharest, to debate and draw up for five days, proposals in the public areas of education and youth, work and economics, development and investment, energy and the environment, foreign affairs and health, which they will submit to the relevant officials. Attending the opening ceremony of the Forum of Romanian Students Abroad at the Government House, the coordinator of the Department for Sustainable Development, Laszlo Borbely, told the students that their opinion is needed for the development of Romania. "You are students from many parts of Europe. (...) You will see what is abroad and then come back and do good things. The definition of sustainable development is to make decisions now so that future generations can grow better. (...) You have to be kind of feedback, give us feedback, be the ones to tell us. You have five commitees that for five days will look into several areas: education, youth, economy, work, and foreign affairs. I hope and I am rooting for you to have a point of view and say: we are four important organizations that have an important point of view for you decision makers. (...) This is an amazing time for you. (...) Always have more dreams than accomplishments, as that way you will be still young at heart many years from now on," said Borbely. He added that "unity through diversity" is needed. Aurelian Mihailescu, state adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna, sent several questions for students to answer, including whether or not the conditions for joining the euro area are still relevant, what to do to slow down climate change and its impact, how to boost investment in the green zone, the extent to which government intervention in the economy is still relevant, how to turn public transport into a real alternative for citizens, what the infrastructure of the future is, and how to build a preventive healthcare system. Senior official with the Foreign Ministry (MAE) Iulia Matei said that the students' opinion will matter a lot. "We are discussing how to get the opinion of young people involved in the decision-making process and, from that point of view, we need your opinion, which is as pertinent as possible given that you equally are like any actor in our society, entitled to tell us how you see the future in which you will live, because the future will be a place perhaps much different than our present. We are also witnessing transformative processes," said Matei. Marian Preda, rector of the University of Bucharest, underscored the need to lay the foundations for the return to Romania of young people who have studied abroad. "It is the turn of your generation to see what it has to do and it has to be in a planned manner. (...)", Preda said. The Forum of Romanian Students Abroad is a project designed to change public policies. For five days, the members of the forum will discuss various subjects and gather their conclusions in a resolution to be submitted to the Romanian government for consideration. AGERPRES (RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)