Alumni Days is an event organized by Babeș-Bolyai University in May, dedicated to the UBB alumni community. Its purpose is to revitalize the connection between the institution and its graduates, offering them an opportunity to reunite, reconnect, share experiences from their student years, and relax together with their families in their favorite university places.
Each year, during the “Honorary Alumni Gala”, every faculty designates one alumnus or alumna who has distinguished themselves over time.
The alumni designated by our faculty so far are presented below.
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Emil is one of the founders of the Business Students’ Association (ASB), and his initiative has inspired over 20 generations of students to step out of their comfort zones and develop their skills through projects that covered both the business and social spheres.
The reasons why he chose to become a student at the Faculty of Business (which he called an “academic start-up”), known at the time as Transylvania Business School, were the following: the novelty and enthusiasm surrounding this specialization; the institutional flexibility, with approachable professors and a small number of students who formed an extraordinary community; and its international orientation.
His strong attachment to European values motivated him to participate in the Erasmus-Socrates program, through which he obtained a study scholarship at a prestigious French business school (ESSCA). He was part of the faculty’s first generation of Erasmus-Socrates scholarship holders and continued his studies in France, where he earned a master’s degree from the University of Paris, Marne-la-Vallée.
Following an internship, he was hired by Oracle in Paris as part of the sales team. After an 11-year career, during which he advanced to the role of Sales and Operations Project Manager at the EMEA level, he left the corporate world and dedicated the next 10 years to smaller-scale, people-centered projects. Over the past two years, he has been part of Elasticsearch, a leader in data management, where he has been responsible for sales in the Romandy region of Switzerland.
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Ruxandra is the CEO of Transylvania College, an innovator in education and a proud mother of four children. A systemic thinker, she focuses on the growth and development of projects that make a meaningful difference in education at both national and international levels.
At Transylvania College, together with her team, she has transformed traditional paradigms through the school’s philosophy, which is built on four pillars: academics, wellbeing, global education, and leadership.
As a co-founder of the Trust School project (Școala Încrederii), she aims to bring, over the next 10 years, an intervention model developed at Transylvania College to more than 1,000 schools across the country. Trust School is the first integrated process that transforms children’s learning experiences by reshaping the relationships between students, teachers, and parents—from mistrust to trust, from criticism to constructive acceptance, and from dependence to autonomy.
Ruxandra believes that change in education begins within each school but is also strengthened through the synergy of school communities. She has extensive leadership experience and outstanding performance in educational management and business development. She possesses refined skills in negotiation, marketing, management, business planning, and coaching.
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Horațiu is a graduate of the Bachelor’s program in Business Administration (class of 2019) and the Master’s program in Business Administration (class of 2021) at the Faculty of Business, and he also holds a PhD in Marketing.
Together with a dedicated team, Horațiu laid the foundations of the Allu brand, which aims to practically implement the farm-to-fork concept in the production, collection, processing, and commercialization of organically certified hazelnuts, as well as hazelnut-based products. At the same time, he provides specialized support and consultancy in entrepreneurship and management, as well as in attracting non-reimbursable European and national funding, within the Agrind group, a relevant player in the agribusiness market. Through his projects, Horațiu has also secured European funding, and his work is guided by the principles of sustainability, durability, social responsibility, and the circular economy.
Currently, he serves as Vice President of the Satu Mare Small and Medium Enterprises Employers’ Association, affiliated with the National Council of Private Small and Medium Enterprises in Romania. In this role, he focuses on engaging with and supporting the growth of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing know-how and constant mentorship to start-ups and beyond. At the same time, Horațiu is actively involved in public speaking, participating in various events, conferences, symposiums, and workshops to raise awareness among young people, students, and the local, regional, and national entrepreneurial communities, sharing information and best practices identified through both academic research and international exchanges of experience.
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Patrick is a graduate of the Bachelor’s program in Business Administration (class of 2018) and the director of the best tournament in the world in the WTA 250 category (awarded in 2022 and 2023), the Transylvania Open. He is also the co-founder of Sports Festival, the only multi-sport event in Romania, manager of Winners Sports Club, one of the most modern sports clubs in Transylvania, and is actively involved in other businesses, such as the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cluj.
His inclination toward sports-related businesses stems from his deep passion for this field, developed through many years dedicated to performance tennis. The experience he gained during his athletic career helps him understand how important it is to give back to the community through truly valuable projects with long-term impact.
This is how the idea of Sports Festival was born – a community-centered project where, for four days, sport takes over the streets, offering initiation zones, competitions, entertainment, exhibition matches, masterclasses, and discussions with athletes, coaches, psychologists, and professionals who understand the importance of sport both for the community and for each individual. Over time, Sports Festival has brought legendary sports figures in front of the public, such as the Golden Generation, Barcelona Legends, Galatasaray Legends, Ilie Năstase, Simona Halep, Horia Tecău, Darren Cahill, Viswanathan Anand, Ana Maria Brânză, Mihai Covaliu, Elisabeta Lipă, Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, and many other icons who have made history in sports.
Additionally, the Health Ticket (Biletul de Sănătate) and, more recently, Urban Playfield are Sports Festival concepts that reinvent physical activity – the foundation of a healthy life, both physically and mentally – which Patrick Ciorcilă actively promotes and develops together with his team.
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Cristian is a graduate of the Bachelor’s program in Business Administration (class of 2008) and the manager of the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF). He entered the world of film in 2006 as a volunteer for the Transilvania International Film Festival. Over the years, he worked in various festival departments, and in 2012 he became the manager of TIFF. Since the same year, he has also coordinated the operations of the Romanian Film Promotion Association, a role through which he has launched several film festivals and cultural-entrepreneurial initiatives in Romania.
In 2013, he was elected a member of the Board of Directors of European Film Promotion, where he has been involved in promoting and supporting European cinema internationally through projects such as Shooting Stars and Producers on the Move.
In 2021, he was elected as a member of Romania’s Economic and Social Council (CES), representing Civil Society, and in the spring of 2022, he began his mandate on the Board of Directors of the Cluj Cultural Centre.
Cristian is also active in film production. Among the cinematic projects he has worked on are „The History of Love”, directed by Radu Mihăileanu, „Tokyo Vampire Hotel”, directed by Sion Sono, and „Moromeții 2”, directed by Stere Gulea. Two years ago, he founded the production company HOPA FILM, where, together with Pavel Bartoș and Smiley, he is preparing to launch their first project in the fall of 2026.
Cristian has made essential contributions to the development of the Romanian film industry, consistently promoting cultural values and supporting new generations of creators. He has demonstrated a remarkable ability to turn ideas into impactful cultural projects. His work has helped shape cultural policies and represent the interests of the cultural sector in national decision-making.
He embodies a combination of passion, professionalism, and civic commitment, having a profound impact on Romania’s cultural community and contributing to strengthening the country’s position on the map of European cinema.