The project Media Lab 4 Sustainable Democracy focuses on developing an educational space to enable 80-120 people from Țara Făgărașului area to explore spaces of freedom and democratic skills. The FRI Media Lab will offer a space where local actors can enhance democratic skills through media training. Through learning processes relying on practical engagements with photo-video, recording, writing, and tools designed to express one’s voice and communicate experiences, participants will enhance their ability to better communicate, strengthen their critical thinking, and understand current pressures on democratic freedoms.

The general purpose of the project is to empower people from underprivileged backgrounds and groups from Romania, and Țara Făgărașului in particular, to experience freedom, acquire democratic skills, and consolidate local democracy.

The democracy focus of the Media Lab departs from observing the persistence of a totalitarian organizational culture in the Romanian society.

The project will bring together people of various backgrounds to offer relevant learning experiences. It will enable participants to have a voice and express freely their perspectives, reflecting on democratic values, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion. The learning design will reflect these values to create learning spaces that are open and respectful of diversity in terms of age, national origin, gender, ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation, and race.

NEWS

PROJECTS

PERSPECTIVES

EXPERT COMMENTS

TEAM

Laboratorul Media

Alexandru Gheorghe Manta

Laboratorul Media

Anamaria Csutak

Laboratorul Media

Andreea Mihaela Buduru

Laboratorul Media

Andrei Băniceru

Laboratorul Media

David Sofonea

Laboratorul Media

Edi Beserman Ph.D. Candidate

Laboratorul Media

Giorgia Zazzeroni, M.A. Candidate

Laboratorul Media

Giovanni Gabriele Manca, M.A. Candidate

Laboratorul Media

Giuseppe Caruso, M.A. Candidate

Laboratorul Media

Ioana Alexandra Frîncu

Laboratorul Media

Ioana Hașu-Georgiev M.A.

Laboratorul Media

Ioana Onea, B.Sc.

Laboratorul Media

Lutz Drieling, M.A.

Laboratorul Media

Margherita Galluccio, M.A. Candidate

Laboratorul Media

Maria Năstase, M.A.

Laboratorul Media

Mihai Leaha, Ph.D.

Laboratorul Media

Paul Sofonea

Laboratorul Media

Sergiu Mihailescu

Laboratorul Media

Ștefan Cibian, Ph.D.

Laboratorul Media

Thomas Melchior

Laboratorul Media

Victor Porancia, M.A.

Laboratorul Media

Zoe Alice Deotto, M.A. Candidate

Alexandru Gheorghe Manta

Alexandru is a student at “Doamna Stanca” National High School. He is a curious and motivated person, always eager to learn new things and explore different fields. He appreciates creativity and new challenges that help him expand his knowledge and skills.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Anamaria Csutak

Anamaria is a student at “Doamna Stanca” National High School studying social sciences. She is a volunteer involved in several programs and associations such as Youthbank, ACUM (the Children of the Magic Universe Association), Transomt, Fagaras Research Institute, and she volunteered within several events such as Bikeathon, Fagaras Rocks, Resistance Fagaras, Tara Fagarasului Community Gala, etc. She is involved in Media Lab and wants to pursue an acting career, having theater as a hobby for several years and having performed countless plays on stage.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Andreea Mihaela Buduru

Andreea is Assistant Manager at the Făgăraș Research Institute. She has a degree in sociology from the "Lucian Blaga" University in Sibiu, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, where she wrote a bachelor's thesis on the topic of international migration of parents and the impact on children left at home. Within the university, she also completed the Psycho-Pedagogical Module. She finished high school at "Radu Negru" in Făgăraș.

Andrei Băniceru

Andrei is a student at “Doamna Stanca” National College in Făgăraș, he likes learning, sport, adventuring and volunteering.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

David Sofonea

David  is a student at “Doamna Stanca” National High School in Făgăraș, currently in the 11th grade. Over the past two years, he has been involved in various extracurricular activities, focusing on community engagement, education, and personal development. Since October 2023, he has been part of YouthBank, helping organize local events and participating in discussions with international YouthBank groups. He has also attended courses through FCTF (Community Foundation Țara Făgărașului), including a facilitator training. As a volunteer, he contributed to Bikeathon 2024 and took part in first aid training. David is a member of the CNDS Debate Club and the Young Researchers Club (YRC), where he explores academic writing. Through eTwinning projects, he has worked on topics related to history and environmental sustainability. Additionally, he participated in Story Lab and Media Lab, learning about digital documentation and media literacy. His experience at Schulbrücke Lübeck introduced him to international discussions on education and development. Since October 2024, he has also been taking piano lessons and is part of the Mentorship GRASP Milano program. David remains engaged in various activities, always looking for opportunities to learn and contribute.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Edi Beserman Ph.D. Candidate

Sociologist, Ph.D. Candidate in sociology at the Institute for Research on Quality of Life of the Romanian Academy with research on "Changing social values: individualization and religiosity in Central and Eastern Europe". Graduate of the Petroșani Faculty of Sciences, sociology specialization, of a master's in advanced sociological research at the University of Bucharest, and with experience in market research. Member of the Valea Jiului Implicată Coalition, where I initiated and coordinated the "Podcast Implicat" project.
FRI PublicationsExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaOther publicationsEvents

Giorgia Zazzeroni, M.A. Candidate

Giorgia Zazzeroni. Born in 2000, graduated in Political, Economic and Government Sciences at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo. Still a student, between Italy and Romania, she loves words, reading, social research and travel, the latter being a constant source of happiness and inspiration.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

 

Giovanni Gabriele Manca, M.A. Candidate

Giovanni graduated from the Liceo Scientifico Guglielmo Marconi in Pesaro in 2018 and has a degree in Political Science at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo since 2023. He’s now attending the last year of his two-year Master's degree at the same University. He was offered the opportunity to attend the first semester in Bucharest within the Double Degree program. He likes to write, he’s interested in photography, and works summers as a chauffeur at the Rossini Opera Festival in his hometown, Pesaro.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Giuseppe Caruso, M.A. Candidate

Giuseppe was born in Calabria, a region in Southern Italy characterized by beautiful sea and excellent food, as is the case in most places in Italy. He graduated in Political Science from Urbino in October 2023. In addition to being a University student, he has a small individual business specialized in the assembly of cold rooms for seasoning cured meats.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Ioana Alexandra Frîncu

Ioana joined the Young Researchers Club at the end of the 10th grade, being a student at "St. Constantine Brâncoveanu" Orthodox Theological High School in Făgăraș. She is involved in various community projects, but when she is not dividing her time between organizations, events and projects, she is passionate about music, reading and crocheting, having various hobbies for which she seems to have no time.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Ioana Hașu-Georgiev M.A.

Ioana Hașu-Georgiev is interested in Romania’s recent past, researching aspects related to the armed anti-communist resistance. She holds an M.A. from the Central European University (2015) and is an accredited independent researcher at the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives (2011). She explores in her research the less known aspects of the anti-communist struggle, such as the role of women in the resistance, postmemory and trans-generational trauma, traumatic amnesia, the relation between forgetting, remembering, and healing. In 2012 she created an interactive workshop for children, Grandparents’ Times, focusing on the early communist period and repression. The workshop is offered in schools, high schools, and camps.  In 2018 she launched an exposition at the Țara Făgărașului Museum entitled The Women in the Resistance, invisible actors of the anti-communist struggle.  In the last 10 years, Ioana gave public lectures and participated in conferences organized by the Institute for the Investigation of Crimes committed by the Communist Regime. Ioana has over 15 years of experience in mass-media, among others, working for BBC Romania and Radio France Internationale.
FRI PublicationsExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaOther publicationsEvents

Ioana Onea, B.Sc.

Ioana graduated from Loughborough University in 2023 with First Class Honours in Social Sciences and Humanities. Since then, she worked in a top communications agency, became a volunteer for the Ambulance for Monuments, worked on various research projects within FRI, and discovered her passion for cultural heritage. She is an aspiring wood conservator-restorer looking forward to enrolling in a Wood Restoration & Eco-design Master’s this summer. Her interests as well as areas of expertise include: sociology, anthropology, gender studies, identities and inequalities, race & racism, climate justice & sustainability, photography (both digital and analogue), culture, and heritage.

Lutz Drieling, M.A.

Lutz Drieling has finished his master's degree in International Public Affairs at the University of Bucharest. He previously obtained a Bachelor's degree in Sustainable Social Policy from Sankt Augustin, Germany, where his academic focus revolved around the examination of inequality, unequal opportunities, social injustices, and the implementation of the Agenda 2030. Throughout his master's program, Lutz expanded his academic horizons to encompass the international realm, particularly concentrating on postcolonialism, climate change, and power relations. Motivated by an unwavering curiosity, Lutz's intellectual pursuits transcend the boundaries of politics and social issues. He demonstrates a keen interest in the arts, culture, history, and the natural sciences. As an ardent universalist, Lutz endeavors to seek solutions that extend beyond his specific areas of expertise, drawing upon his diverse experiences across various disciplines.    

Margherita Galluccio, M.A. Candidate

Margherita comes from a small town on the Adriatic Sea called Fano. She studied development and international cooperation in Bologna, Urbino and Bucharest, where she obtained a Master's Degree in International Public Affairs. She hopes that in the future she will be able to apply her studies to the best of her ability in related fields of work.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Maria Năstase, M.A.

Maria Năstase works as a documentary videographer and researcher. She experiments with digital artistic practices as a medium for knowledge production and distribution. Her projects integrate interactive technologies to create alternative means for visual research methodologies within social sciences. She was awarded an MA in Ethnographic Filmmaking at the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology at the University of Manchester and holds a master’s in Interactive Technologies for Performative and Media Arts at CINETic in Bucharest

Mihai Leaha, Ph.D.

Mihai Leaha is a Romanian audio-visual researcher, anthropologist, filmmaker and educator, based in Brazil. He writes articles and makes documentary films about societies that he studies and people with whom he interacts. He is currently doing a post-doctorate at the University of São Paulo, researching the local, DIY electronic music scene. As a member of the CVA (Commission for Visual Anthropology), CEVA (Center on Visual and Anthropological Education) and other organizations, he has a long-term involvement with curating, promoting and programming ethnographic films at various conferences or festival events. Mihai taught visual anthropology in Cluj-Napoca and São Paulo, and organized conferences and workshops on visual and multimodal anthropology in Romania, Brazil and Peru.
FRI PublicationsExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaOther publicationsEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Paul Sofonea

Born in Vienna in 2003, Paul graduated from “Doamna Stanca” College in Făgăraș in 2021 with exceptional results. After completing his military service in the Guard Battalion, he continued his studies at TU Vienna, where he is currently pursuing a degree in Architecture.  Since 2024, he has been working as a tutor at TU Wien, teaching arts and perspectival drawing. Additionally, he has been active as a freelance artist for over six years. Together with Austrian artist Univ.Prof.in Mag.a art. Christine Hohenbüchler and Austrian architect, artist, and author Univ.Lektor Dipl.-Ing. Milan Mijalkovic, he co-coordinates the upcoming master's course "Reuniune" at the Faculty of Architecture at TU Vienna. This course is organized in cooperation with the Făgăraș Research Institute. Since January 2025, he has also been working as a research assistant for the Media Lab at the Făgăraș Research Institute. Additionally, he collaborates with the Institute and stone restorer Dr. Sidonia Olea on a research project exploring the Jewish history and cemeteries of southern Transylvania.

Sergiu Mihailescu

FRI PublicationsExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaOther publicationsEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Ștefan Cibian, Ph.D.

Dr. Ștefan Cibian is a member of the Board and the executive director of the Făgăraș Research Institute. Stefan teaches courses related to international relations, international development, international organizations, peacebuilding, and postcolonial Africa at the M.A. in International Development at the Political Science Department, Babeș-Bolyai University and the M.A. in International Public Affairs at the Political Science Department, University of Bucharest. Previously, Stefan worked as an Academy Fellow at Chatham House – The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Africa Programme and Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, the Association for Community Relations, and Central European University. His research interests include international development, community development, Africa-CEE-EU relations, development policy, international relations theory, peacebuilding, fragile states, the link between research, policy, and practice, higher education policy, and global affairs. Regarding his geographic focus, Stefan is primarily concerned with Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, the European Union, and transatlantic relations. Stefan is an Executive Committee member of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) and is a member of the International Studies Association, European International Studies Association, Central and Eastern Europe International Studies Association, and UACES. Stefan also focuses on civil society development in CEE. He is the President of ARCADIA – The Romanian Association for International Cooperation and Development and GRASP, and a Board Member with Țara Făgărașului Community Foundation (FCTF), UiPath Foundation, the Association for the Practice of Transformation, and the Romanian Federation of Community Foundations. Stefan is a member of the following networks: Bosch Alumni Network, BMW Responsible Leaders’ Network, and Mercator Foundation TEFF Alumni Network. Stefan received his Ph.D. in political science and international relations (2012) and his M.A. in public policy (2006) from Central European University. He holds a B.A. in political science (2004) from Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and a B.A. in law (2005) from the 1st of December 1918 University, Alba Iulia, Romania. Stefan also studied or conducted research at Salzburg University, the University of Ljubljana, and UCLA.
FRI PublicationsExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaOther publicationsEvents

Disbanding USAID – Stefan Cibian: “Cataclysm for the international development aid system”

Building and strengthening democratic ecosystems in local communities – A small guide

Mapping the mobilization of the Industry for Good® in countering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, at the level of the Cluj-Napoca Metropolitan Area

Effects of COVID-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – article

Transformative leadership for successful crisis management and effective multilateralism – Workshop

Book Launch – The Demographic Dividend and the Power of Youth

Daring New Spaces – Summit on the European Public Sphere

Interview – Daring New Spaces – Summit on the European Public Sphere

Desktop diplomacy: Training for European Diplomats

Brain Drain, Brain Gain and Social Innovation

Global Diplomacy Lab 2020 Summit

AIESEC 26: A Family Reunion

Mercator Winter Forum 2020

World Responsible Leaders Forum, Mexico

Pathways to Power Symposium: New Ways of Deciding and Doing. Taking #Shift the Power to the next level

Turkey – European Union Relations

The Europe of the Post-89ers

Emerging Engagements Between Central & Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa: Common Interests and Cooperation

The 11th Global Diplomacy Lab – Global Power Shifts: Political and Economic Inclusion for the Next Generation. Collaborating to Realize the Potential of the Demographic Dividend

Antall József Summer School, Budapesta

10th Global Diplomacy Lab – Collaborating to Realize the Potential of the Demographic Dividend in Africa: An Introduction to Ghana and Africa

Lithuanian Development Cooperation: Contribution to the Africa-EU Partnership

Atlas Network’s 2019 Europe Liberty Forum

Europe Think Tank Essentials Training Session, Belgrad

Turkey-Europe Future Forum Alumni Workshop

Thomas Melchior

Thomas is a dedicated student at “Doamna Stanca” National High School in Fagaras;. He is passionate about active involvement in the local community. He participates in innovative projects through Fagaras Research Institute, such as Media Lab, trying to learn useful research skills early on. Through volunteering, he supports local initiatives and cultural events, thus demonstrating a strong civic spirit and a desire to bring positive change in society.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Victor Porancia, M.A.

Victor Porancia holds a degree in Climatology and Water Resources from the Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest. He is passionate about various subjects such as climate change, atmospheric risk phenomena, and remote sensing. He received an Erasmus scholarship to study in Belgium, where he focused on the more technical side of geography as a natural science. A nature lover, Victor is one of the founding members of the Tara Fagarasului Sports Club, an association that organizes sports activities aiming to engage the local community in developing an active and healthy life.

Zoe Alice Deotto, M.A. Candidate

Born in northern Italy in 2001, Zoe Deotto studied political science and international relations at the University of Urbino. She dreams of entering diplomacy and exploring the world. She loves music - the stranger, the better - and sunsets.
FRI PublicationsPerspectivesExpert CommentsNews and mass-mediaEvents

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found

Posts not found