Aspen Romania at 5 years

Our first Aspen Leadership Awards Gala, on December 5, overlapped with the celebration of five years of operations at the Aspen Institute Romania. We have come a long way from the enthusiastic but also challenging beginnings. We kept the promise of the auspicious start. Today, as for the past five years, our agenda is comprehensive and our work important.

We were joined by many of those that were instrumental in our creation and successes and those that benefited of our programs and fellowships. This was an occasion to reflect on what is the added value of an institution rooted in the culture of dialogue, of a community moved by shared values and not just interests. We also hosted a conversation with Aspen founding members and Aspen Fellows moderated by Aspen US Seminars Director, Dr. Todd Breyfogle. On the same occasion, the Aspen Institute acknowledged 3 leaders of the Romanian society that have had a significant contribution to the overall advancement of Romanian society. Via the Aspen Leadership Awards we aim to highlight specific efforts and personal commitment to values based activity and celebrates creative, transformative leadership.

The event was a great opportunity for Aspen Members, Fellows and Guests to meet and interact with this year's amazing generatio. The 2011 projects focus mainly on education, women empowerment and the development of an entrepreneurial spirit in our society.

The aim of the roundtable is to bring together and foster communication between public authorities, public figures, representatives of the Romanian industry and business, and all other interested parties, in particular foreign investors. This needs to build on previous efforts of industry, investors and government agencies. The objective is to avoid, and go beyond, the stop and go approaches and ensure professionals have a leading role.

Aspen Romania organized the 2011 Annual Economic Conference entitled "The Hunt for Red Herrings - Towards an Evidence-Based Approach to Competitiveness" with the aim to continue the series of debates regarding the future of the European economic governance, hosted by the Aspen Institute Romania. The event brought together 150 experts and high-ranking representatives from both the public and the private sector, on November 8, 2011.

The 2011 Annual Economic Conference organized by the Aspen Institute Romania follows the success of last year's edition - "Europe Competitive and Resilient: The Way Ahead for Economic Governance in Europe. An East to West Perspective". The event initiated a substantive debate on the causes of EU's current state and the perceived vulnerabilities of its Eastern members' economies. Also, it gave new momentum to the evaluation of competitive advantages and the role these countries have across the EU economy.

Aspen Institute Romania organized the "Mapping the European Digital Space - a Romanian blueprint for governance and business development in the digital world" policy roundtable on the 20th of September 2011, at the Intercontinental Hotel. The event builds upon the work done domestically and internationally within the framework of the Aspen Institute Romania Technology, Information and Society Policy Program. Aspen Institute Romania holds regular policy dialogues as well as large-scale multiple stakeholder conferences, at international level, one of its most important contributions is related to the International Digital Economy Accords project run by the Aspen Institute US. Given the importance of the international dialogue regarding digital governance issues, we are positive that the event in Bucharest will be a good opportunity to promote the development of ideas while furthering the democratic and inclusive consultation in the field.