West University of Timişoara (UVT), together with New Strategy Center, invites you to participate in the ninth edition of the international conference "Security Challenges in the Balkans", a landmark event dedicated to strategic dialogue and regional security analyses that will take place in Timișoara, on October 9, 2025, at the Senator Complex (Calea Lugojului no. 7). In a constantly changing geopolitical context, this year's edition brings to the forefront the security challenges in the Balkans, through the perspective of top experts, diplomats, decision-makers and representatives of the academic environment.

The conference, organized within the framework of the existing partnership between the West University of Timișoara and the New Strategy Center and under the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with the Timiș County Council, has become an annual reference event, which brings to the fore the old and new security challenges in the Balkans. We want to contribute through this event to increase the academic relevance at the regional level of the municipality on the Bega and, at the same time, to emphasize Romania's concern for the stability of the Balkan region. The exchange of ideas between government officials, experts and representatives of the business environment are essential elements for addressing regional challenges. These discussions can open new perspectives and contribute to identifying solutions for strengthening security and stability in the region.

The event is organized with the support of partners Banca Comercială Română, Nokia, Eviden, Banca Română de Dezvoltare Groupe Societe Generale, Atos, Flex, OMV Petrom.

UVT rector, Marilen Gabriel Pirtea: "The Balkan region is of decisive importance for European security, and recent developments indicate a very high geopolitical and geostrategic dynamic of our area. With this premise, the West University of Timișoara and the New Strategy Center continue to support the annual conference series started in 2017. We invite you to this event, which has established itself as one of the most important public landmarks of Timișoara and the western region. And on this occasion, we will emphasize the traditional historical ties of the capital of Banat with the Balkan region and we will analyze the new developments specific to the area, relevant for Romania's security."

The conference will be broadcast live and can be followed by accessing the UVT Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/uvtromania) and the New Strategy Center webpage (www.newstrategycenter.ro).

For the best possible organization, please register your participation by 07.10.2025, on THIS LINK. 

We ask press representatives to confirm their participation in the event (to the e-mail address: horea.bacanu@e-uvt.ro).

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Please also find the conference program:

09 October 2025

Event calendar

09.30 – 09.50 Official opening:

• Mr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, Rector of West University of Timișoara

• Mr. Ionel Nițu, President of New Strategy Center

• Mr. Alfred Simonis, Chairman of the Timiș County Council (TBC)

• Mr. Dominic Fritz, Mayor of Timișoara (TBC)

• Ms. Cornelia Elena Micicoi, Prefect of the Timiș County (TBC)

09.50 – 11:15 Panel I. Where are the Balkans in the Current Global Strategic Environment? (In)Stability, (In)Security, (Un)Predictability

• Chair: Mr. Leonard Orban, Member of the Scientific Council of New Strategy Center, former EU Commissioner

and former European Affairs Advisor to the Romanian President

• Lieutenant General Cristian Dan, Commander, Multinational Corps South-East, Romania

• Mr. Marc R DeVore, Senior Lecturer, School of International Relations, University of St. Andrews, UK

• Mr. Vuk Vuksanovic, Senior researcher, Belgrade Center for Security Policy, Serbia

• Mr. Emmanuel Dupuy, President, Institute for European Perspective and Security, France

10.50 – 11.15 Open discussion

11.15 – 11.30 Break

11.30 – 12.00 Romania 2030: Trends, Challenges, Opportunities (Book Presentation)

• Mr. George Scutaru, CEO, New Strategy Center, Romania, in a dialogue with

• Mr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, Rector of West University of Timisoara and  

• Mr. Leonard Orban, Member of Scientific Council, New Strategy Center, Romania

12.00 – 13.15 Panel II. Strategic Corridors and Global Power Competition: Impact on Security and the Economy

• Chair: Mr. Laurențiu Pachiu, Senior associate expert, New Strategy Center, Vice President, Energy Policy

Group, Romania

• Mr. Kaush Arha, President, Free & Open Indo-Pacific Forum, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Center

for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council, US

• Ambassador Fatih Ceylan, President, Ankara Policy Center, Turkey

• Mr. Alexandru Maximescu, Vice President, OMV Petrom, Romania

• Mr. Jochen M. Richter, Chair Global Security Forum at Diplomatic Council, Luxembourg (via VTC)

12.50 – 13.15 Open discussion

13.15 – 14.30 Break 

14.30-15.00 Europe and the Emerging New Global Order (Book Presentation)

• Mrs. Ileana Rotaru, Associate Professor, Faculty of Political Science, Philosophy and              

Communication, West University of Timisoara, Romania, in a dialogue with

• Ms. Alina Bargaoanu, Senior Associate Expert, New Strategy Center, Dean of the Faculty of

Communication and Public Relations, SNSPA University, Romania, and

• Mr. Jochen M. Richter, Chair Global Security Forum at Diplomatic Council, Luxembourg (via VTC)

15.00-16.15 Panel III. Battle of Narratives: Defending Democracy in the Digital World Dominated by AI

• Chair: Mr. Ion Ioniță, Senior editor Adevărul, Editor in chief, Historia, Romania

• Mrs. Alina Bârgăoanu, Senior Associate Expert, New Strategy Center, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and

Public Relations, SNSPA University, Romania

• Ms. Rumena Filipova, Chairperson & Co-founder, Institute for Global Analytics, Bulgaria

• Mr. Lucian Margineanu, General Manager, Flex, Romania

• Mr. Liviu Lucian Oros, Head of fraud monitoring office, BCR, Romania

• Mr. Adrian Racotanu, Head of Advanced Computing & AI Romania, Eviden Technologies, Romania

15.50 – 16.15 – Open discussion

16.15 – 16.30 Break

16.30 – 17.50 Panel IV. Safeguarding Disruptive Technologies: Ensuring CyberSecurity in an Era of New Challenges and Opportunities

• Chair: Mr. Claudiu Brândaș, Professor, West University of Timisoara, Romania  

• Mrs. Ligia Ardelean, Country Manager, Atos GDC Romania & Bulgaria

• Mr. Victor Vevera, General Director, National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics, Romania

• Mr. Claudiu Bonchiș, Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science, West University of Timișoara, Romania

• Mr. Mihai Olteanu, Analysis Department, CyberInt Centre, Romanian Intelligence Service, Romania

• Mr. Alexandru Margineanu, Security Solution Consultant, Nokia, Romania

17:20 – 17.50 – Open discussion

17.50 – 18:00 – Closing remarks, Representative of the West University of Timișoara, Romania

Note – Simultaneous translation into English and Romanian is available.

 *VTC – video teleconferencing

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