Margareta Thomson an associate professor of educational psychology at the NC State College of Education will soon conclude her year in Romania as a U.S engineering and mathematics (STEM) experiences for area students Her project “Fostering Academic Motivation and a STEM Growth Mindset in High-Poverty Schools through Authentic Research Experiences” also provided interdisciplinary research collaborations among researchers and educators in psychology and educational sciences at  Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca which began last October and will conclude June 30 aims at providing economically disadvantaged sixth- and seventh-graders with opportunities to engage in a STEM mentorship program in their schools Thomson worked alongside K-12 educators in Romania to discover new ways to enhance nonformal education in the country while abroad She identified some highlights from her Fulbright year below: The Sepsiszentkirály (Sancraiu) Unitarian Church—along with several other small churches of medieval origin—has been renovated within the framework of the Hungarian government’s Rómer Flóris plan spoke with Magyar Krónika about small communities being strengthened by the renovation of monuments beyond our borders some sensational discoveries and inaugurations that turn into village festivities snow-white church surrounded by a circular stone wall on the hillside the top of the hill rising above Sepsiszentkirály (Sancraiu) there is a magnificent view of the green fields stretching to the edge of the horizon blending into the blue of the sky in the distance The village is located in Kovászna (Covasna) county a few kilometres south of Sepsiszentgyörgy hidden in the valley of the Szentkirály stream sometimes hilly and mountainous countryside There used to be a church here already in the 11th century Although the memory of the church has been preserved only in the name of the settlement The Gothic structure was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 18th century and an Empire-style tower was added to the former watchtower at the beginning of the 19th century was restored within the framework of the government-financed Rómer Flóris plan which was created to protect Hungarian built heritage outside Hungary’s borders The director of the László Teleki Foundation told Magyar Krónika that it was indeed high time for the church to be renovated we renovated every part of the church from the roof to the façade,’ László Diószegi underscored The building’s lightning protection system and the landscaping around it have also been completed small village churches like the one in Sepsiszentkirály are renovated as they are not eligible for large monument protection grants and European Union funds Although these buildings are indeed not monuments of major significance they are very important for the local ethnic Hungarians as institutions that help preserve their identity we find that churches do not have the means or time to carry out expensive renovations the Hungarian government not only supports the renovation of the edifices but also the communities and churches that use the buildings,’ says László Diószegi The community of the Szentkirály church is not very large they make up for with enthusiasm and the powerful presence typical of Unitarians And thanks to the proximity of Sepsiszentgyörgy (Sfantu Gheorghe) Many move out of the city to the surrounding villages so the community is bound to remain significant and strong in the future as well The main task of the Rómer Flóris plan is to research document and renovate the medieval monuments in Transylvania the Hungarian Highlands (also known as Upper Hungary in present-day western and central Slovakia) and Transcarpathia Most of the medieval monuments are located in areas beyond Hungary’s borders Most of the current territory of Hungary fell under Turkish occupation in the 16th century most of the monuments and buildings within our current borders and in the southern region were destroyed Archaeological research confirms that there were a large number of Árpád era and late medieval churches in the entire Carpathian basin including present-day Hungary before the Ottoman conquest During the implementation of the Rómer Flóris plan the years 2021–2022 represent a dividing line Several projects that have been going on for years are now being completed with a total of twenty Roman and Greek Catholic Unitarian and Reformed churches and other buildings having been renovated or about to be fully restored from the Hungarian Highlands through Transcarpathia to Transylvania the Péder and Lakszakállas (Sokolce) churches the Nagybégány (Velika Bijhany)and Bátfa (Reformed churches in the Lower Carpathians and the Gerény (Horjani) Greek Catholic church on the outskirts of Ungvár (Uzhorod in Ukraine) are being renovated Beautiful frescoes were discovered in the Reformed church of Magyarremete (Remetea) a village of 860 souls in Partium region of Bihar County (present-day Romania) The excavation and restoration of the rich wall painting treasures of the 13th century church is nearing its end On the eastern side of Mezőség (Campia Transilvaniei) in Székelybő (Beu) and Mezősámsond (Sincai) which were previously in very poor condition to complete the restoration of the Reformed Churches in Feketegyarmat (Iermata Neagra) Köröskisjenő (Indeu de Cris) and Pelbárthida (Parhida) the Catholic Church in Szentdemeter (Dumitreni) the Catholic Chapel in Marosszentkirály (Sancraiu de Mures) and the Unitarian Church in Szentgerice (Galateni) Also managed by the László Teleki Foundation the aim of the Folk Architecture Programme is to save and renovate monuments in Hungary This programme includes a great variety of subsidized building restorations corn storage sheds and other farm facilities and buildings in open-air museums At the geographical and cultural intersection of East and West the Carpathian Basin is in a special position in terms of folk art Western European art history and cultural currents could develop here in contrast to the areas east of the Carpathians where there is no significant Gothic and Renaissance culture village or folk heritage from those times has been largely destroyed due to industrialization and urbanization in the area of ​​the Carpathian Basin it has been largely preserved and is present in both the spiritual and the built ‘The renovated Adorján mansion in Csíkmenaság located thirteen kilometres from Csíkszereda The project has been special in many ways,’ László Diószegi continued as while in the Rómer Flóris plan it is mainly sacred monuments that are restored something considered to be already quite rare in Transylvania It is the mansion of a Sekler (székely) primipilus (lófő in Hungarian) the second-in-command man in Sekler military society tripartite masterpiece of the famous Fiság folk architecture the handover itself was an exceptional experience The cul-de-sac village is inhabited by an extremely close-knit which transformed the handover into a real village festivity Every renovation is a joy for the implementers of the Rómer Flóris plan and they shared the happiness of the locals in the case of the Adorján mansion as well ‘It is also a special experience for us that we can pass on this unique piece of our built heritage to posterity by saving and renovating it This event reaffirmed our goal and our hope that the renovation will not only bring results in relation to the given building but will also energise the community,’ emphasized the head of the foundation The programme is also important for the development of tourism draw attention to the fantastic values ​​beyond our borders and if more interested people come to these settlements it also serves the survival and sustainability of the communities living there During the work carried out in the Rómer Flóris project many surprising discoveries were made The mural discovered in the sanctuary of the Lutheran church in Kiszsolna (Jelna) in north-eastern Transylvania turned out to be a faithful copy of a destroyed mosaic by Giotto di Bondone In the Reformed church of Visk (Viskovo) in Transcarpathia previously unknown frescoes from the 15th century were discovered The wall paintings were made by the royal painting workshop in Buda and have been preserved in very good condition Valuable wall paintings from the 14th century were also found during the excavations of the parish church of St James in Zselíz (Zeliezovce) in Upper Hungary The restoration of the wall paintings is ongoing in the Reformed church of Siter (Sisterea) in the Partium and the Lutheran church in Somogyom (Smig) in South Transylvania there is a special depiction of St Ladislas (King László I) and it also displays elements that the previously known representations of the king’s legend do not include was launched to identify and renovate the Árpád era churches The small Unitarian church of Sepsiszentkirály shines snow-white in the sunlight In the shadow of the outer half of the castle wall lies an ancient cemetery with the stone-carved tombstones of two freedom fighter heroes The church is a sustaining force in the life of the community It is a heritage that we must protect so that the people who live there will remain and we must continue to build it so that it can also give strength to the next generations the fate of these small village churches would be sealed since the local communities have no resources at their disposal to renovate them and the monument protection policies of neighbouring countries do not focus on these edifices Built on the foundations of its predecessor raised in honour of our first king the Unitarian church here in Sepsiszentkirály is a worthy symbol of relentless faith in the future Original article: Megújulnak a határainkon túli műemlékek Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective Business Review continues its #MakeItHappen campaign to promote Romanian entrepreneurship. So far, we have presented dozens of inspirational stories about Romanians who transformed their passions hobbies and knowledge into successful businesses We’ve revealed the stories behind domestic businesses regardless of their sizes and the sectors to which they belong because we wanted to highlight the diversity and creativity of the Romanian business environment Business Review and CEC Bank are strengthening their commitment to be the primary source for information and financing for Romanian entrepreneurial initiatives #MakeItHappen continues with the story of DAW Benta a company that manufactures construction finishing materials with a presence of over 18 years on the Romanian market and more than 280 employees young entrepreneur Remus Aurel Benta began to write the story of a brand that today makes history in our country and abroad He had the vision and courage to propose a joint venture between a Romanian family business and a longstanding German family business with a history of over 134 years in the paint sector – the Murjahn family the owners of the company Deutsche Amphibolin-Werke (DAW) as one of the biggest manufacturers of paints varnishes and other construction materials in Romania “The principal mission of the newly-created company was promoting German construction finishing materials brand CAPAROL on the Romanian market quality option for various finishing systems,” the entrepreneur tells Business Review Remus Aurel Benta recalls that when he started the company, there were “a handful of enthusiastic people,” driven by the desire to succeed. “We wanted to make the Caparol brand known on the Romanian market.” Not only have they achieved their goal, but they’ve also expanded the business to neighbouring countries Bulgaria and Moldova. that “handful of people” expanded to 280 employees who manage sales logistics and manufacturing operations both at the headquarters in Sancraiu de Mures as well as in the company’s branches across the country DAW Benta’s consolidated turnover in the three countries where it operates commercially – Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova – is estimated at EUR 30 million for 2019, the entrepreneur says. Remus Aurel Benta knows their every detail “The products that define the Caparol brand are the washable paints of various kinds the structured outdoor plasters and the heat insulation systems there is a wide range of decorations for walls epoxy protection systems for floors and many other products that support our market presence,” he explains having such a good knowledge of the company products and clients was one of the things that helped him survive on the market during the financial crisis “The financial crisis years and the sharp decline of the construction sector was a major challenge for all the players in the market In 2008 we opened a logistics centre in Bucharest which serves the South Romania and Bulgaria areas we inaugurated a new production unit for Caparol paints on the Sancraiu de Mures platform – a complex project co-financed through European Funds and supported by CEC Bank which led to an increase in our paints production capacity an increased storage capacity for raw materials and semi-fabricated materials as well as optimising production,” the entrepreneur recounts He says that the crisis taught him that every decision must be weighed very carefully “We were flexible and we adapted and recovered quickly as a result of changes and new market conditions.” we inaugurated two new production units for heat insulation adhesives and expanded polystyrene in Sancraiu de Mures using an advanced technological systems and with attention given to the environment and people’s health at a total investment value of EUR 7 million We are delighted that this investment was made in Sancraiu de Mures and that this way we can stay close to the community where we started out 18 years ago create new jobs and have all of our production units on the same platform,” the businessman tells us The company thus doubled its Caparol products manufacturing capacity and consolidates its position as a strategic player on the heat insulation systems market the company aims to consolidate the Caparol brand’s presence on the local and regional markets including a few countries in South-East Europe “We also want to be recognised as a major supplier of professional systems for the civil and industrial construction market,” states Remus Aurel Benta the market on which he operates still has a big development potential “but this trend can be influenced upwards or downwards by the general economic and political context of the upcoming period.” DAW Benta’s strategic plans for the following years are:  We use cookies for keeping our website reliable and secure providing social media features and to analyse how our website is used.