Address: Splaiul Independentei 313
Website: www.pub.ro
Rector’s office:
Tel: +4021-4 100 391
Fax:+4021 4 115 365
Email: rector@rectorat.pub.ro
University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest (UPB) is the most important
technical university in Romania. Its traditions are connected to the
founding of the first higher technical school in 1818 by Gheorghe
Lazar. Born in Avrig, Gheorghe Lazar studied in Sibiu, Cluj and Vienna.
In 1817-1818 he endeavoured to convince the local noblemen of the need
for supporting a modern national school in the Romanian language.
Thus, on 24 March 1818, by a Royal Edict, the premises of Saint Sava
Abbey were converted into the new school. Later, in 1832 this school
was reorganised, including four cycles, in accordance with the
provisions of Organic Ordinance. Among other faculties, the one dealing
with exact sciences included courses such as applied trigonometry,
geodesy, mineralogy, engineering graphics, descriptive geometry,
mechanical elements applied to ordinary machines, principles of
building roads and bridges, elements of architecture, etc. The graduates were obliged either to work for three years for the state, or to return the grant received.
In 1862, the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza had established by another Royal
Decree a set of rules for the organisation of civil engineers, the
hierarchy of engineers or conductors, their salaries, the conditions
for admission and promotion, were clearly defined.
As early as 1887, he analysed the content of courses, finding the
weaknesses of the school, as well as the best solutions to improve its
academic level. In those times, a substantial condition was the
severity imposed on the conduct of students, in addition to evaluation.
Students obtaining insufficient results, or having an erratic course
attendance, were quickly removed from the school. Indeed, at the
beginning, the preparatory year had no admission tests. Starting with
1881, an admission test had been introduced; the top priority was the
quality of candidates, the number of the selected ones being less
important. Gheorghe Duca tried and succeeded to bring the best
professors to the “National School of Bridges and Roads”; among them,
we should mention David Emanuel (Elementary Mathematics), Spiru Haret
(Higher Algebra and Analytical Geometry), C. M. Mironescu (Statistics
and Engineering Graphics), Constantin Istrati (Physics), or Anghel
Saligny (Bridges and Roads). Moreover, Gheorghe Duca himself was
considered the greatest authority in railways at the end of 19-th
century. This was perhaps a turning moment, when it was clearly
demonstrated that Romania was capable of achieving on its own what had
been deemed likely to be obtained only abroad, namely the training of
highly qualified science and engineering specialists.
The year 1890
also represented a momentous point, when at the National School of
Bridges and Roads a new commission was set up. Its main role was to
issue equivalency certificates for the engineering diplomas obtained
abroad, thus transforming this national school into a model for
evaluating higher technical studies.
Nicolae Vasilescu-Karpen was appointed director of the School in
February 1920. As a direct result of his endeavours, the government
approved the establishment of Polytechnic Schools in Romania, conceived
as higher education institutions, similar to universities, having as
their final aim engineering training under the Ministry of Public
Works.
No surprise, the first Polytechnic School was
set up by transforming the "National School of Bridges and Roads" into
the "Polytechnic School of Bucharest". In its initial stage it consisted in four sections:
Civil Engineering;
Mechanics and Electricity;
Mines and Metallurgy;
The Industrial Section.
In this period, in addition to the Polytechnic School, there were
Institutes for Engineers within Universities. For instance, the
University of Bucharest hosted an institute for electrical engineering,
an institute for industrial chemistry and another one for agricultural
and food chemistry.
Another important corner stone was the decree 3799 of 1938 stating that
higher education could be provided only by Universities, Polytechnic
Schools, or Academies for Commercial Studies. As a direct result, the
Academy of Higher Agricultural Studies, The Academy of Architecture,
The Institute of Industrial Chemistry and Agricultural and Food
Chemistry, respectively, were introduced in the frame of "Bucharest
POLITEHNICA".
T he change of name from "Polytechnic School of
Bucharest" into "POLITEHNICA of Bucharest" was accompanied by other
changes as well. Thus, POLITEHNICA depended on the Ministry of National
Education (instead of the Ministry for Public Works), the former
director became Rector of POLITEHNICA, the different sections became
Faculties, their presidents in turn, became Deans etc.
Between 1938 and 1948 POLITEHNICA of Bucharest had seven faculties:
Civil Engineering,
Electro-mechanics,
Metallurgy,
Industrial Chemistry,
Silviculture,
Agronomy,
Architecture.
important transformation took place in 1948, when several faculties or
even specialities became independent, or even moved to other towns. So,
a lot of universities, institutes or faculties have their roots in the
old "POLITEHNICA of Bucharest". Thus, the following establishments,
were initially faculties or departments at "POLITEHNICA" University of
Bucharest:
The University for Civil Engineering - Bucharest;
Silviculture Faculty - Brasov; The Agronomy Institute - Bucharest; The
School of Mines - Petrosani; The University for Gas and Oil - Ploiesti;
The Architecture Institute - Bucharest; Faculty for Food Chemistry -
Galatzi; Faculty for Textile Industry - Iassy. The name for
our school was "The Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest".
Today, on the resolution of the Senate
(November 1992), The Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest turned into
University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, preserving the name "POLITEHNICA",
proudly used by generations of students.
With more than 180 years of existence, UPB represents one of the
fundamental and prestigious institutions of Romanian higher education,
being the main source for the technical specialists of Romania.
Illustrious personalities such as Gogu Constantinescu, Elie Carafoli,
Costin D. Nenitescu, known world-wide by the scientific community, were
professors at the "POLITEHNICA".
