“Andrei Saguna” University was established within the “Andrei Saguna” Foundation in 1992, its main purpose being to develop the potential of several exceptional personalities that existed at the time in the area and to use it in training specialists of university level. The particular interest in culture, fully proved by the tireless work of “Andrei Saguna” Foundation explains, on the one hand, the influx of youth from Dobrogea towards the University which was founded under its guidance. On the other hand, there is the desire of these young people to learn, to improve themselves in areas of current interest, to many of them even in areas they already work in.
Right from the beginning, the organizers became aware of the fact that it has to be built on precise, legal and led by commonsense principles. Only after a rigorous study of the social and economic future of the area, it came to the conclusion of founding faculties and essential sections.
At its beginning, in order to provide students appropriate training, “Andrei Saguna” University chose as role models traditional universities in the country, not allowing deviations from the principles of Romanian academic education, fact that became clear from the manner of admission to university, education plans and programs, the teaching quality of teachers and the judicious tuition figures. The humanitarian character of the entire activity of the Foundation is also reflected in some of the objectives of the University. Among these, noteworthy is the fact that the University is planning a percentage of free schooling up to 8-10% of the annual tuition figure of south-Danubian Romanian students, chosen by competition, who will return to practice their profession in the country of origin, and will thus contribute to strengthening the Balkan Romanism and the development of relations between Romanians from the north and south of the Danube.
“Andrei Saguna” University acquired legal personality on 15th May 1992, being the first private higher educational institution, non-profit organization, established in the southeast of the country, and was accredited as a legal entity of private and public law, part of the National Education system, by Law no 116/2005.
The University operates under the spiritual patronage of Metropolitan Andrei Saguna, because Andrei Saguna, due to his origins, his entire activity and life and what he represents now, is a symbol of unity of the Romanians. The person of which, in the last century, was said to have been “sent by Providence” (George Baritiu) and was considered as “Apostle of the Orthodox Romanians in Transylvania”, initiated and implemented an effective at socio-cultural program, which focused on material and moral wealth of the Romanian nation , placing the Church in the center of this large and historic actions.
By his decision (April 24, 1852) each Church community founded a school, and every priest was also a teacher or professor, so that by 1865 “the number of Romanian Orthodox popular schools from Transylvania had increased by 339″ and in the Synod of 1850, led by him, it was required the foundation of the first Romanian university in Transylvania.
Andrei Saguna is the founder and first leader of the ” Romanian Telegraph ” newspaper, the founder of the Romanian high school and real school from Brasov and the one who founded in 1850, with his own money, a printing company that has published thousands of books (Romanian primers, books and religious works).
Consistent with the idea that Romanians’ everywhere unity involves not only linguistic community, but also the community of faith and culture achievable by the extension of Romanian Christian- Orthodox education, Andrei Saguna founded the Pedagocic-Theologic Institue, printed “the first bible of the entire Romanian nation” and was the initiator and the first president of the Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and Romanian people’s culture – ASTRA.
Honorary member of the Romanian Academy, Andrei Saguna, as a “Transylvanian Messiah” (Ioan Slavici), hit the rock and opened, based on his people, the intelectual culture spring” (Iacob Ronnicher- leader of the Transylvanian Saxons).