“Such an action is ten times valuable than a meeting between politicians”

Interview with Mr. Vladimir Bejan, professor at Railway Technical College of Balti, Republic of Moldova

 

Railway Journal: What is the occasion for your visit in Romanian?
Vladimir Bejan: This time I am here-and I said this time because it is niot the first time that I am here- because I accompany 22 students of the Railway Technical College that are in the practice session between 4-27 of October, at CF Brasov Regional Department.
    Things are like this: I ,as a professor, made plans a long time ago to come with my students here, for three reasons. The first one would be that they have to meet Romanian railway transport and learn technical terms in Romanian language.
    In the ex Soviet Union all institutions from the railway field were either in Ukraine or Russia. Lectures were made only in Russian including definitions, dictionaries, and specialty books. That is why we need people to learn similar terms in Romanian, since the mot-a mot translation is practically impossible when dealing with technical phrases.
    The second reason would be that our life is different from yours. I want these children to see by themselves what means another way of life, what is good and what is better here and in the same time to develop their knowledge of Romanian language.
    The third reason is that after “those bridges of flowers” from the beginning of the ‘90s there seems to be kind of a distance between us. There could be because of our politicians or ourselves……
RJ: Whose initiative was it?
VB: First we tried to do that in Iasi, but it was impossible. Than in Suceava, Galati… but then again it was impossible.
    Recently we addressed a letter from the Ministry of Transport of Chisinau to the ministry of Transport of Romania and Mis. Anca Boiagiu agreed to our proposal. Thus, during this summer (more exactly in August) we concluded a protocol with CFR-SA. They proposed for us CF Brasov and on September 4 our students came in Romania. They found accommodation at a High school of Brasov and started their practice on certain services within this zonal railway department.
    Trips were also organized to Sinaia, Predeal, and Poiana Brasov.
    Mr. Dan Cristian Nicolau, Manager of the CFR Brasov Department obtained also some financial supporters that offered for us food and organized the trips I mentioned before. I want to thank him for that through your journal, for all he did for us. My students are very satisfied with everything they found here, as well as their parents who telephoned them every day to see how they were.
    Their program was like this: during the first two weeks they maid attended theoretical lectures about labor protection within railway field. Then they entered training directly in the working places.
    They compared and realized that our railway system is not too much different from yours; the only differences lay in the signaling systems and building of wagons and engines. I would like to tell you that our students have already stared to complete some dictionaries with the specific technical terms.
RJ: This was your intention as well. Tell us about the way railways are organized in Moldova and the differences you have noticed, not limited to railways, if possible.
VB: We have a single administration as you had two years ago – CFR; within it there are many departments: maneuvers, rails, installations, automatics, mechanics, wagons, engines, etc. The difference is minimal. As I understood, many of your engineers studied as they were student lectures written by Russian professors. I had colleagues in Moscow, Petersburg, Ukraine , Kiev, Odessa and Cernauti with whom I collaborate very well. Besides, In Russian they said that railway transportation is the second army of the country” and I must admit that even after the state separation, we , the railway men remained a special category.
RJ: They say that in Romania, too.
VB: Yes ,this is available even now and I hope that it will help us all. About the differences noticed by our students…there is for instance the law. To you law is enforced whereas for us , it has no effect. Even if you complain about the hard life you are living, for us it is worse. Payment for your employees are made without delay. For us they are delayed with 4,5 months. Scholarships for our student is about 4 US$ as for your students, not to mention…Our railway men earn 40-50US$ per month. In your country economy works though, whereas in our country nothing goes well. Many of our students are worried about their future because after graduation they do not know whether they will find a job. Perhaps 20-30% of them will succeed, but what about the rest? They often ask me if they can come here, to work.
RJ: What are the students came here for training planning to do when they will return to Balti?
VB: They will go to school until the winter holiday, then again to the school; then they will pass their final term exams and the BA exam. Then they will have to find a job by themselves, we, as professors, have no possibility of helping them.
    What I can say is that by this chance you offered us we gained also some good friends; for all these kids, what happened here, in Brasov is ten times more important than a meeting between our politicians.
    I would like to thank you all for supporting us, starting with Miss. Minister Anca Boiangiu, to Mr. Vaduva from CFR SA, to Mr. Nicolau from CF Brasov. Both myself and my students are very obliged to them for everything they did to us.
RJ: I thank you also, and I hope that this action represents just the beginning of such manifestations. Hoping to see you soon with other occasions…
VB: I hope that, too.

Reporting Silvia Mitulescu