Teodor Cilan: “OSEEC 2025 – a landmark conference for the economic and academic environment”

Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad (UAV), in partnership with the Institute of Financial Studies (ISF), strengthens academic and professional collaboration through the organization of the third edition of the International Conference “Ongoing Social, Economic and Environmental Challenges – OSEEC 2025.”
The event, held in Arad–Moneasa from October 16–18, has become a benchmark for Romania’s economic and academic community.

Organized by the Faculty of Economic Sciences within UAV together with the Institute of Financial Studies, OSEEC brought together top specialists in the economic field, who debated during the plenary session the theme:
“Financial Education in the Digital Era and the Role of Scientific Research in Developing Economic Competencies.”

The main objectives of the conference focused on bringing together researchers from national and international partner institutions and establishing a working group to promote sustainable measures for the development of economic competencies as a result of practicing financial education.

In his address, Teodor Cilan, Rector of Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, emphasized the importance of adapting university curricula to the new reality shaped by technological evolution:

“There is certainly a need to redefine learning content and adapt the curriculum to the new paradigms of society, in order to provide students with the necessary skills to help them integrate and perform within the new labor market dynamics shaped by technological impact. Together with the Institute of Financial Studies, the Financial Supervisory Authority, the Association of Fund Managers, the National Union of Insurance and Reinsurance Companies of Romania, and the Bucharest Stock Exchange, I believe that Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, through its Faculty of Economic Sciences, represents a reliable partner in this effort to redefine the objectives and methods of financial education in relation to the new challenges of the artificial intelligence era.”

In turn, Valentin Ionescu, President of the Institute of Financial Studies (ISF), highlighted the importance of financial education in today’s context:

“Financial education is no longer a luxury, but an essential necessity for an autonomous, resilient society, capable of making responsible decisions in an ever-changing economic world.”

Cristian Pascu, Member of the Board of Directors of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) and Vice President of the Association of Fund Managers (AAF), underlined the importance of practical experience in investing:

“What matters most is that first-time investors gradually step out of their comfort zone. The capital market is learned through practice. Of course, you must know the fundamentals, the theory, and the concepts — but if you never try, if you never lose your own money, you’ll never truly learn to win. There’s nothing wrong with losing — we learn from mistakes — but in the end, you become a winner. I believe the greatest risk is taking no risk at all. We must teach younger generations that making mistakes is not a bad thing, as long as you understand why.”

Prof. Marian Siminică, Executive Director of ISF, announced the launch of a new program:

“Next week marks the start of the Investment Academy, a project aimed at students to deepen their knowledge of capital market investments. The project is carried out in partnership with ASF, BVB, and AAF, through which specialists from these institutions deliver eight training modules, after which students will develop their own investment projects.”

As part of the conference, ISF also organized a SmartFIN@ISF vocational training seminar and the ASF Academic Lab, which addressed all three non-banking financial markets: insurance, capital markets, and private pensions.
Together with Cristian Pascu (BVB), Florentin Tudor (ASF), Ieronim Ștefan (ISF), and Roxana Băluță (UNSAR), the event’s lecturers, 50 students deepened essential financial education concepts taught by industry experts.