Faculty of Letters

Overview

The Faculty of Letters is organized into three departments: the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, the Department of Romanian Studies, Journalism, Communication Sciences, and Comparative Literature, and the Doctoral School of Philological Studies respectively.

Established in 1860, alongside the foundation of the University of Iași, the Faculty of Letters constitutes one of its foundational elements, subsequently developed as a core pillar of the institution.

The combined activity of the Iași Linguistic School, the Iași School of Literary History and Theory, as well as specialists in the fields of Classical Philology and Slavic Philology, led to the establishment and development of Romanian philological research, consolidated through the erudite and exceptional research of great professors of the Faculty of Letters, creators and continuators of an illustrious tradition: V.A. Urechia, Alexandru I. Philippide, Alexandru Lambrior, Titu Maiorescu, Garabet Ibrăileanu, Traian Bratu, Charles Drouhet, Iorgu Iordan, Constantin Balmuș, Octav Botez, George Călinescu, Dan Simonescu, Șerban Cioculescu, Petru Caraman, Jean Livescu, Alexandru Dima, N.I. Popa, Gheorghe Ivănescu, Ștefan Cuciureanu, Ariton Vraciu, Constantin Ciopraga, Alexandru Andriescu, and Vasile Arvinte.

Over generations, leading up to the present one, the professors of the Faculty have taken over, continued, and developed the tradition created by their predecessors. Many of those who have served the “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași and the Faculty of Letters in Iași over time have carried out a prodigious and meritorious scientific and didactic activity, recognized as such by the entire scientific and professional community in the country. Often, their authored writings, included in the bibliographies of the scientific community, have been distinguished with awards from the Romanian Academy, the Writers’ Union, and other institutions, enjoying scientific prestige.

The professors of the Faculty have always been involved – as initiators or participants – in numerous valuable scientific projects, the results of which have been widely recognized and appreciated by colleagues in the country and abroad. Doctoral supervisors – representing almost all sections of the Faculty – collaborate with specialists from universities in the country and abroad, are deeply involved in profile research, and, above all, participate dynamically in maintaining and developing the tradition of the Iași Philological School.

At the same time, one of the constant concerns of the Faculty members is facilitating contact between students and eminent specialists from around the world in the fields they study. Over time, interactions between Faculty students and luminaries in the field of Philology have been constantly produced and maintained, being fruitful both through the very possibility of having access to foreign models and through the effect of broadening the mindset thus generated.

Through its structure and programs, the Faculty of Letters ensures the training of teaching staff for pre-university and university education, researchers in the philological field, as well as specialists in the fields of communication sciences, translation, and interpretation. In this context, the constant concern of the teaching body of the Faculty of Letters is both ensuring a high level of student preparation and aligning the results of the entire process with the needs and demands of society.

The Faculty of Letters Library holds a collection of over 150,000 volumes and more than 10,000 periodicals, features 70 seats in three reading rooms, and has been computerized since 1997.

The Letters Library is located in Building O of the University, 24 Carol I Boulevard, Iași, Phone: +40 232 20 1663.