Forward
Similarly to other engineering domains in our country, the development of information technology and its practical use had their ups and downs. However I am convinced that along that evolution, the contribution and the collective effort of the Romanian specialists have been mostly increasing. The founding of The Academic Society of the computer science and engineering constitutes a climax of this process.
On this event, some of the yardsticks marking the growth of the movement for computer science in Romania should be briefly reminded. It should not be forgotten that quite early, in the mid 50s, within the Institute for atomic physics in Bucharest, the first numerical electronic computer was built, our country being among the first ones worldwide – the second in Eastern Europe – in this domain. The following years, research was carried out in parallel in Timisoara, Cluj, and other places, in universities, in industry and the army. In 1967, The National IT Program was initiated and applied in Romania. That program led to the appearance of the specialty industrial production, to the organization of scientific research, it fostered the preoccupations within higher education, determined the setting up of a large network of IT centers and a wide process of computer use in economy and social life. Unfortunately, almost two decades ago, some of these progresses slowed down, starting with the industrial activity and, for a while, with the applications in economy. Naturally, meanwhile many things have been set right and at present computer science and engineering show progress.
It is essential and honest that looking back, we should understand and reveal the central place occupied by the specialty higher education in Romania, starting with the computer science departments, within the complex process briefly evoked above. It has been a considerable collective contribution, one of collegial understanding and cooperation. Along that effort, through outstanding achievements, work groups and colleagues who organized and led the advance have distinguished. The first group of computer science was organized by The Polytechnic Institute in Timisoara more than forty years ago. The colleagues in the Bucharest Polytechnic have brought a noteworthy contribution by conceiving and implementing the production of the microcomputers and mini-calculators widely known at that time. The whole family of our departments from all the university centers has brought its irreplaceable contribution to the preparing of specialists and the development of applications. It is well understood that we have not been alone, that our universities and other colleagues have been on our side. I think we should be proud, all of us, for what the family of our computer science departments achieved in that domain. In its effort, our community has been guided not only by the specific technical and intellectual call, but by the desire for the country’s progress.
I thank my colleagues for entrusting me with the honor of writing these words. From all of my heart I wish our Society full success in the mission it has assumed.
Prof.dr.eng. Mircea Petrescu - Member of the Romanian Academy and the Vice - president of The Academy of Technical Sciences
