Between 7 and 21 July 2019, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi organized the 2nd edition of the International JASSY Summer School (a Journey through hArd sciences, economicS, Social sciences and the tourism industrY). 84 candidates registered for JASSY, coming from 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation and Ukraine. 8 participants were high school students from Iași.

The JASSY participants attended the courses of one of the five interdisciplinary modules: Hard Sciences unveiled -an Interdisciplinary Tour; Strategic Human Resource Management; Finance and Risk Management; Eastern Europe: Cultural Frames, Identities and Social-Political Perspectives; Tourism at the Eastern Border of the EU and had the possibility to earn 6 ECTS credits upon successfully passing the final evaluation.

The JASSY Opening Ceremony took place on July 8th in the Mihai Eminescu Aula Magna, in the presence of Prof. dr. Henri Luchian, Vice-Rector for International Relations and the module coordinators:  Lecturer dr. Ionuț Topală, Assoc.Prof.dr. Ruxandra Ciulu, Assoc.Prof.dr. Silviu Ursu, Prof. dr. Daniela Șoitu and Lecturer dr. Mihai Bulai. The JASSY Plenary Session entitled Science Education Research – An Applied Science was delivered by Professor Andreas Müller from the Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

62 professors from UAIC delivered the courses offered within the five modules.

The participants in the Hard Sciences Unveiled – an Interdisciplinary Tour  module have studied, among many other topics, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematical Models in Life Sciences, Applications of Probability Theory, Introduction to Criptography.

The students who have enrolled in the Strategic Human Resource Management module have acquired know-how on generating and successfully integrating key organizational skills, developing strategic analyses and bringing added value to companies for which they may work for as HR specialists.

The Finance and Risk Management module offered its participants a course-package designed to provide valuable insight on proficiently managing various types of risks such as market, credit, operational, liquidity, counterparty or insurance risk in accordance with the requirements of the world-leading certifications for risk management.

The Eastern Europe: Cultural Frames, Identities and Social-Political Perspectives module has provided the grounds for participants to accurately grasp and interpret the features of the Eastern European culture, as well as to discover the depths of Romanian, which is the easternmost Romance language.

The students who attended the courses of the module Tourism at the Eastern Border of the EU. Interdisciplinary Training for Tour Guides discovered essential secrets of what makes a well-rounded tour guide, perceived through an interdisciplinary lens.

Aside from douzens of courses offered during the two weeks of JASSY, the sudents have also enjoyed extracurricular activities such as kayaking, workshops on sky map reading, bird-watching techniques, wine tasting, a guided tour of the city, as well as visits to landmarks in Iași and monasteries in Bukovina.

Testimonials

I was so happy to be a participant of this programme, it was really interesting and useful. I got new skills and information which I really can use in my job as a journalist. I enjoyed the balance between lectures and extracurricular activities. We had a lot to do, but still made friends and had a great experience.Dana Buralkiyeva, Kazakhstan, JASSY participant in the TTG module

The JASSY Summer School 2019 has been an exciting and enjoyable experience for me. Prior to coming to Iași, I had no knowledge of the Romanian culture and history, even less so of the Eastern European culture. At first, I had doubts if I would be able to enjoy the two-week program due to my ignorance of the culture, but after these two weeks, I am thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in this program. I will always bring with me all the memories that I have made of this wonderful place. Thank you so much once again. Iași will always have a special place in my heart. Abelmar Lylle Guillermo Baniqued, Philippines, JASSY participant in the SHRM module