14 years since the passing into eternity of Professor ION SMEDESCU, PhD, Founder and Rector of the Romanian-American University
Twenty years ago, took place a traditional discussion whose moderator was the distinguished Founder and Rector of the Romanian-American University (RAU), Professor Ion Smedescu, PhD. As the central topic of discussion has been “Leading the RAU Customer Experience”, the reputed interlocutor (being clear and concise with his delivery, as usual) started with a powerful opening, underlining the correlation between significant approaches. At that valuable meeting the RAU Founder and Rector Ion Smedescu (Honorary Member of the Romanian Distribution Committee) has been accompanied by his young Marketing teaching assistant (who has prepared the challenging agenda for the meeting) who now is the RAU Rector, Professor Costel Negricea, PhD (http://holisticmarketingmanagement.ro/RePEc/hmm/v11i1/1.pdf). Very recently (Friday, September 30, 2022), on the occasion of the RAU impressive Opening ceremony of the 2022-2023 academic year, RAU Rector Costel Negricea (a Member of the Board of the Romanian Distribution Committee) “showed deep respect for the RAU Founder’s – Professor Ion Smedescu – entrepreneurial spirit, hard work, strategic thinking and total dedication towards continuing RAU resolution, delivering accordingly to the planted RAU tree for posterity, this beautiful tree needing to be watered regularly and wisely, keeping up with the times, which represents a challenging binding legacy” (http://holisticmarketingmanagement.ro/the-romanian-american-university-impressive-commencement-ceremony-of-the-2022-2023-academic-year-took-place-on-friday-september-30-2022/).
It is well-known that RAU Founder and Rector Ion Smedescu chose the same day (October 5, 2008) as Father Dumitru Stăniloae (October 5, 1993), to step on the path of eternity. As a former student of the above-mentioned “Christian love Theologian”, Professor ION SMEDESCU often mentioned Father Staniloae, speaking of the mysterious beauty of a wonderful landscape and the necessity of the conscious sense of the ordinance, of the beauty, in order to perform a task the right way, in joyful communion.
RAU Founder and Rector Ion Smedescu was a true agile leader, talent developer, being recognized as empathizing with students. Thinking in multiple time frames, always anticipating and reacting to discontinuities, as well as enhancing capabilities while looking ahead, RAU Founder and Rector Ion Smedescu constantly challenged priorities and inspired the entire RAU academic family, giving shared ambition and purpose, and stimulating innovation. Living with intensity, making a constant and coherent effort to transpose in the academic landscape powerful ideas specific to the „cultural architect” that is his beloved „Marketing”, advocating “intelligent growth”, RAU Founder and Rector Ion Smedescu did set himself as a standard, bringing people together with generosity. It is also worth recalling his well-known inspiring words: “For me, the Romanian-American University is everything: my home, my profession and my spare time. This establishment of education and science is a mirror of me and of my work for tens of years, my eternal soul, and my idea for the renewal of the concept of work.”