December 1 is the National Day of Romania. It is also the
International Day of the Antarctic, known as ANTARCTICA DAY. On
this occasion The National Authority for Scientific Research (ANCS)
pays homage to the leader of the Romanian modern polar research
Teodor Gheorghe Negoiță (1946-2011).
Teodor Negoiţă was the first Romanian to ever reach the North
Pole in 1995. He also organized and led numerous expeditions to the
Arctic and the Antarctic, and, starting with 1997, represented
Romania at the meetings of the Antarctic Treaty. In 2006, Teodor
Gheorghe Negoiţă founded the first and only Romanian polar research
station, named Law - Racoviţă.
The story of the Law - Racoviţă research station is speaking for
itself. Due to Negoiţă's competence and seriousness in managing his
international relations, an agreement was signed by which Australia
conceded one of its research stations on the eastern coast of the
Antarctic to the Romanian Antarctic Foundation, led by Teodor
Negoiţă. The agreement was signed in June 2005, on the occasion of
the annual reunion of the Atlantic Treaty in Stockholm (Sweden) in
the presence of the Romanian and Australian ambassadors. Thus, the
Romanian explorer Teodor Negoiţă received recognition for his
efforts to continue the tradition set by Emil Racoviţă more than a
century ago.
"After over 100 years, I've brought Emil Racoviţă back to the
Antarctic. The greatest satisfaction of my career was when we were
handed over the station from the Australians. I was so deeply
moved, I couldn't even sign." confessed Dr. Teodor Negoiţă.
In appreciation of Negoiță's overall activity on March 24 2011,
after Negoiță's passing away, Dr. Paul Egerton, the Head of the
European Science Foundation (Strasbourg) suggested that the station
in the Antarctic be renamed Law-Racoviţă-Negoiţă.
During his career, Teodor Gheorghe Negoiță published more than
30 papers in highly renowned international science magazines and
contributed to the popularization of the results of his research
through numerous meetings, conferences and scientific sessions, in
his native Romania as well as abroad, thus raising his country's
scientific prestige.
The Romanian Pole Star, as Teodor Gheorghe Negoiță was named in
acknowledgment, was decorated by President Emil Constantinescu with
the Order of the Star of Romania in rank of Officer, and of a
Commander by President Traian Băsescu.
Negoiță died on March 23 2011. We are convinced that his
personality, as well as his professional achievements, will
continue to be a model for all future generations of
researchers.
Note:
Adrian Damoc is a student at the Faculty of International
Business & Economics, the Bucharest Academy of Economic
Studies, Romania.