PRO LIGNO FOUNDATION A CHANCE
FOR UP-DATING WOOD SCIENCE IN ROMANIA

Gavril Budau*
* Prof.Dr.eng – “Transilvania” University of Brasov, Faculty of Wood Industry
B-dul Eroilor nr. 29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Tel/Fax: 0040 268 419581. E-mail: g.budau@unitbv.ro

Romanian Wood Industry has shifted during the last 15 years from a strongly centralized socialist economy to a market economy. This involved profound changes as the property over the means of production is concerned and also regarding the organization form and the production management.

The higher education in this field, represented by the Wood Industry Faculty in Braşov, has also undergone structural changes during this period of time, but it has preserved its main mission, namely that of training specialists needed so much by woodprocessing companies.

As regard to the scientific research in the field and especially to the dissemination of scientific information towards industries, the main Romanian journal in this field, called “Industria Lemnului” (“Wood Industry”) has stopped its activity (because of various reasons), and the new issued journals and magazines have more or less a commercial trend, of “business to business”.

The effort of launching a scientific journal in the field has proved to be very difficult, mainly because of financial reasons, but also because of technical and organizational reasons. And if, since 1990, Romanian woodprocessing companies have not only survived, but they were successfully restructured and resized, the Wood Industry Faculty has assumed the mission to “produce” and “make known” the science of wood engineering in our country and abroad. In order to achieve this goal, it was necessary to create first the organizational frame for editing and distributing a scientific journal in the field. Thus, at the initiative of the Wood Industry Faculty Council and with the support of some enthusiastic industrial partners, the PRO LIGNO Foundation has been set up, which assures the legal and organizational frame of all activities related to the journal issuing.

As it was necessary to observe legalty in all our approaches, the PRO LIGNO Foundation has been set up and it functions according to Art. 88, paragraph 1 and Art. 92, paragraph 3, letter j, from the Education Law No 84/1995 (re-published) and according to the CARTA of the “Transilvania” University from Braşov, according to the Governmental Decree No. 26/2000, completed and reviewed with Governmental Decree No. 37/2003 (Art. 2 from the Constitutive Act of the Foundation).

The foundation headquarters is in Braşov, Colina Universităţii No. 1, room L II 7, Tel/Fax: 0268 419581. According to its constitutive act, the Foundation was set up for an unlimited period of time and it gained legal form in 2005, being registered with No. 7046/29.06.2005 in the Register of Associations and  Foundations (from the Court of Law in Braşov).

The founding members of the PRO LIGNO Foundation are as follows:

• Wood Industry Faculty from “Transilvania” University of Braşov, with the premises in Braşov, represented by Prof.dr. Ivan CISMARU, Dean.

• S.C. LOSAN ROMANIA S.R.L., with the premises in Ghimbav (Braşov county), represented by Mr. Dănuţ FRUNZă, General Manager.
• S.C. PAMOF S.A. (transformed into S.C. Tehnologie Mobilă Stil S.A.), with the premises in Curtea de Argeş (Argeş county), represented by Mr. Vasile Minciună, General Manager.
• S.C. FOREX S.R.L., with the premises in Ghimbav (Braşov county), represented by Mr. Nicolae ţucunel, General Manager.
• S.C. MOBILEXTRA S.A., with the premises in Câmpulung-Moldovenesc (Suceava county), represented by Mr. Gică tătar, General Manager.
• S.C. BUCIN-MOB S.R.L., with the premises in Reghin (Mureş county), represented by Mr. Dan BuciN, General Manager.
• GLIGA VIOLINS USA, with the premises in Reghin (Mureş county), represented by Mr. Vasile Gliga, General Manager.

The main objectives of the Foundation, according to paragraph 7 from the Constitutive Act, are as follows:

• To add value to the human resources in the field of wood science and engineering.
• To support the local and national development processes in the field.
• To promote competent professional actions in the activities of the Wood Industry Faculty.
• To sustain and promote the E.U. integration process of Romanian higher education in the field.
• To facilitate the exchange of information and staff.
• Continuous training and up-dating of industrial specialists.

• Issuing a scientific informatin bulletin in the field of wood industry.
• Publishing scientific works in the field.
• Editing and distributing a scientific journal in the field: the "Pro Ligno" journal.
• Organizing scientific events.
• Exploiting and mediating the labor market.
• Organizing short-time trainings for school leavers and graduates.
• Performing scientific research activities, consultancy services, testing of products and materials, assessment.
• Facilitating job applications of the faculty graduates on the labour market.
• Drawing-up feasibility studies, technical and technological projects for woodprocessing companies.
• Drawing-up product designs for companies which manufacture finite wooden products.

Beside the seven founding members, the Constitutive Act provides the possibility of any person or institution to become a supporting member of the Foundation. The status of supporting member can be obtained by concluding an annual contract with "Pro Ligno" journal, for at least 10 subscriptions and one advertising page (A4 format).
The rights and duties are described in paragraph 14 and 15 from the Constitutive Act of the PRO LIGNO Foundation. Thus, the rights of the founding members and of the supporting members are:

• Autonomy in organizing and unfolding activities, as long as these observe the provisions of the Constitutive Act.
• The right to be informed on the activities performed at the Foundation and direct access to its documents.
• The right to withdraw from the Foundation.
• Access to the material basis of the Foundation.

Beside financial support of the "Pro Ligno" journal, according to the above-mentioned conditions, the founding members and the supporting members have the folllowing duties:

• To sustain the interests and activities of the Foundation.
• Not to act against the objectives and interests of the Foundation.
• To observe the Constitutive Act and the decisions of the Foundation leadership.
• To participate to the activities and meetings programmed by the Executive Board.
• To observe the provisions of the Constitutive Act and the decisions of the Executive Board, as long as they are legal.
• To protect the Foundation estate and to contribute to its development.

The management of the Foundation is ensured by the Management Board and a Censor (according to paragraph 16 from the Constitutive Act).

The tasks of the Management Board are specified in paragraph 17 from the Constitutive Act and the Censor’s tasks – according to the law in force – are specified in paragraph 21 of the Constitutive Act.

The Management Board is composed of the teaching staff who are members in the Wood Industry Faculty Council, during their mandate (paragraph 17 from the Constitutive Act) and the President of the Management Board is the Faculty Dean, during his/her mandate (paragraph 20 from the Constitutive Act).

The Foundation is represented by the President (paragraph 22 from the Constitutive Act) and the executive power of the Foundation belongs to the Executive Manager. During the Meeting of the Founding Members which took place on 16.07.2005, Prof.Dr. Ivan Cismaru has been appointed as President of the Management Board and Prof.Dr. Gavril Budău has been appointed as Executive Manager.

As already mentioned, the main activity of the Foundation is to sustain the production and distribution of the scientific journal "Pro Ligno", quarterly issued. At the same time, the Foundation has already begun and will continue to organize other activities, meant to emphasize the scientific potential of the faculty staff, such as:

• Short–time courses.
• Consultancy services in the field of wood engineering.
• Research on topics request by industrials.
• Testing of wood and wood-based materials, testing of wooden products etc.

We hope that, by organizing this kind of activities – complementary to the education process of the faculty – we can become efficient and useful partners of woodprocessing companies on one hand, and capitalize the potential of the teaching staff of the faculty, on the other hand.

We would like to express our hope that more and more Romanian companies will apply for our services and will become supporting members of the PRO LIGNO Foundation. We hope we have convinced you that the transfer of technology and the dissemination of scientific information is possible only through the activities mentioned above.