The Danube Rectors’ Conference held its 2025 Annual Conference at the University of Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing together university leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in contemporary education systems. One of the key participants was Prof. univ. dr. psych. Daniel David, DRC President, who attended the event in his new role as Romania’s Minister of Education and Research.

In his keynote, Minister Daniel David underlined the importance of the knowledge-based society and the challenges it faces, including risks posed by pseudoscience. He also reiterated Romania’s strategic involvement in Danubius-ERIC, one of Europe’s major research infrastructures dedicated to the Danube macro-region. He emphasized that artificial intelligence is here to stay, and universities must actively participate in this technological revolution. He also underlined that prioritizing human safety, efficiency, social acceptability, and ethical standards are crucial in this rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Minister Daniel David steps back from his DRC role due to his ministerial appointment. Upon his proposal for the new Presidency, the General Assembly voted on the leadership transition. Prof. Stefan Koch, Rector of the University of Linz, will assume the Presidency of the DRC from January 2026 and prof. Marilen Pirtea, Rector of the West University of Timișoara, and Prof. Dr. Ivo Čolak, Rector of the University of Mostar will join the leadership team as Vice-Presidents. 

Later during the conference, Professor David also took part in the Danubius Awards 2025 Ceremony, co-organized with the Austrian Ministry of Science and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM). 

The DRC Secretariat hereby would like to thank for the engagement and efforts of the outgoing Presidency!

For more information about Daniel David's role, please visit the Romanian Ministry of Education website.