2025 Danube Rectors’ Conference

The Danube Rectors’ Conference (DRC) held its 2025 Annual Conference at the University of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing together university leaders, researchers, policymakers, and experts to discuss the transformational impact of artificial intelligence on education and scientific inquiry. One of the key participants was Professor Daniel David, PhD in Psychology and President of the DRC, who attended the event in his new role as Romania’s Minister of Education and Research.

In his keynote speech, Minister Daniel David stressed that knowledge-based societies are facing a dual challenge: the need to integrate artificial intelligence into educational and research ecosystems, and the need to safeguard the academic space from pseudoscience and disinformation. He reaffirmed the strategic significance of Romania’s participation in Danubius-ERIC, a major European research infrastructure focusing on the Danube macro-region, noting its vital role in advancing interdisciplinary research, innovation, and scientific diplomacy.

Minister David emphasized that universities must play a leading role in ensuring ethical AI practices, human safety, responsible innovation, and the development of technological culture grounded in academic integrity. “Artificial intelligence is not a temporary trend. It is a structural component of our future. We must be architects, not observers, of this transformation,” he stated.

Due to his ministerial appointment, Professor David will step down from his position as President of the DRC. Following his proposal, the General Assembly elected a new leadership team: Professor Stefan Koch, Rector of the University of Linz, will assume the presidency starting January 2026, while Professor Marilen Pirtea (West University of Timișoara) and Professor Ivo Čolak (University of Mostar) will join as Vice-Presidents.

During the conference, Professor David also participated in the Danubius Awards 2025 ceremony, jointly organized with the Austrian Ministry of Science and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM).

Commentary by the Institute of Danube Research (IDR)

The Institute of Danube Research (IDR) commends Minister Daniel David’s contribution to strengthening the academic community of the Danube Region and shares his vision regarding the essential role of universities in shaping ethical, responsible, and future-oriented AI frameworks.

According to IDR , the Danube macro-region is entering a new phase of innovation, powered by digital transformation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and expanding regional partnerships.

Supporting Danubius-ERIC is strategically important, as it provides a unique scientific platform capable of generating high-quality data, integrated assessments, and policy-relevant insights on environmental, social, and economic dynamics across the region.

Embedding safe and ethical AI use in education is a priority, especially for states undergoing rapid digitalization and aspiring to greater participation in EU-level research infrastructures.

IDR underlines that universities must act as trusted centers of scientific excellence, capable of countering pseudoscience, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and strengthening the intellectual foundations of integration processes within the Danube Region.