The emergence and development of marketing in Romania are closely linked to the scientific contributions of the team of specialists formed over time within the Bucharest University of Economic Studies.
This contribution was amplified and strengthened by the creation of the Marketing Department, followed later by the Marketing School. The teaching and research activities conducted, the works developed, and the events organized reflect the commitment of ASE specialists to contribute to the growth of the Romanian school of marketing.
The Marketing School was established in 2003 through a Government Decision and represents a significant milestone in the development of Romanian marketing, being the first and only specialized faculty in the country. Its establishment is based on the extensive experience gained by the Marketing Department of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies.
1971
The Marketing Department was established at ASE in 1971. Its reputation is associated with numerous national and international firsts:
- The first marketing courses introduced into Romania's academic curricula were those at ASE Bucharest: "Marketing" and "Marketing – International Market Conjuncture and Prospection". These courses represented a premiere not only for our country but also for Central and Eastern Europe.
1975
The first Romanian academic textbook in the field, titled "Marketing", was published in 1975 by the Didactic and Pedagogical Publishing House. The author team, coordinated by the late and esteemed Professor Constantin Florescu, included D. Patriche, R. Emilian, V. Danciu, N. Al. Pop, V. Adăscăliței, Gh. Dumitru, and M. Ispăsescu.
1978
- The range of courses gradually expanded, so that by 1978, ASE offered the following specialized courses: Marketing, Marketing – International Market Conjuncture and Prospection, Market Research Methods, and Industrial Marketing.
1981
- The reference work "Marketing" was developed in 1981 under the coordination of Professor Constantin Florescu by a team of authors including Al. Zamfir, D. Patriche, V. Balaure, I. Cătoiu, V. Danciu, R. Emilian, N. Al. Pop, V. Olteanu, and G. Stănciulescu.
1983
- The first Romanian participation in the Annual AMA Conference (American Marketing Association) took place in 1983, with the presentation of the scientific paper "Marketing in Romania – Theory and Practice", by Professors Constantin Florescu and Iacob Cătoiu.
1990
After 1990, university-level marketing education experienced significant growth in Romania. At ASE Bucharest and within the Marketing Department, there is ample evidence:
- The recognition of marketing as a distinct university specialization. Thus, the Bachelor's program in Marketing admitted its first generation of students in the summer of 1991.
1992
- The awarding of the “Virgil Madgearu” prize by the Romanian Academy in 1992 for the work "Marketing", written by a team of authors from the Marketing Department, coordinated by Professor Constantin Florescu and including V. Balaure, Șt. Boboc, I. Cătoiu, V. Olteanu, and N. Al. Pop.
- The development of the Marketing specialization through the diversification of the portfolio of subjects, introducing pioneering disciplines in Romania. In 1995, the following subjects were taught as part of the Marketing specialization: Marketing Fundamentals, Marketing Research, Promotional Techniques, Consumer Behavior Studies, International Marketing, Services Marketing, Industrial Marketing, Agro-Marketing, Political-Social Marketing, and Logistics.
1995
- The first cohort of marketing specialists (specializing in marketing) in Romania graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 1995 from the Faculty of Commerce at ASE Bucharest.
- The first advanced studies program, titled "Marketing Systems", debuted in 1995. The curriculum included new courses: Marketing Communication, Goods Logistics, Political-Social Marketing, Comparative Marketing, Methods and Models in Marketing, and Expert Systems in Marketing.
- An International Conference dedicated to celebrating "25 Years of Marketing Education in Romania" brought together over 230 participants from academia and the business environment. A total of 174 scientific papers were presented.
1998
- The creation of two distinct tracks within the Marketing specialization at the Faculty of Commerce, namely "Marketing Policies" and "Marketing Research", in 1998. New curricula included pioneering subjects in Romanian higher education, such as Direct Marketing, Cyber-Marketing, Tourism Marketing, Marketing Forecasting, and Services Marketing.
2000
- The first Master's program in Marketing at the Marketing Department debuted in the 2000/2001 academic year. The curriculum of the Master's program "Marketing and Business Communication" included new subjects: Marketing Management, Marketing Research and Modeling, Marketing Communication – Concepts and Strategies, Communication Techniques in Marketing, Consumer Behavior, and Internet Marketing.
Starting with the 2001-2002 academic year, this program had the highest number of students compared to similar programs organized at ASE.
- The publication of a new reference work, titled "Marketing", coordinated by Professor V. Balaure and authored by the following team: V. Adăscăliței, C. Bălan, Ș. Boboc, I. Cătoiu, V. Olteanu, N. Al. Pop, and N. Teodorescu. The work was published by Uranus Publishing House in 2000 and reissued in 2005.
2001
- The creation of the specialized book collection "Marketing Library" in 2001, through the collaboration between the Marketing Department and Uranus Publishing House.
- The launch of the Marketing Bachelor's program in the "distance learning" format, taught at the ASE campus in Brăila, under the coordination of Associate Professor Dr. G. Orzan.
- The organization and hosting of the international conference "Marketing in the Process of Economic and Social Development 1971–2001: 30 Years of Marketing in Romania" in 2001.
2002–2003
- The establishment of the Marketing School at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, under the leadership of Professor Dr. Iacob Cătoiu, its first Dean. The team also included Associate Professors Dr. Carmen Bălan, Dr. Gheorghe Orzan, and Dr. Răzvan Zaharia as Vice-Deans, and Lecturer Dr. Călin Vegheș as Scientific Secretary. The administrative structure of the Marketing School included the Marketing Department, led by Professor Dr. Virgil Balaure.
- An editorial milestone in Romania, with the publication of the work "Marketing Research" at Uranus Publishing House in 2002. The work, coordinated by Professor I. Cătoiu, was authored by a team that included C. Bălan, T. Dănețiu, I.C. Popescu, Gh. Orzan, C. Vegheș, and D. Vrânceanu.
- The establishment of the Center for Fundamental and Applied Research in Marketing (CEMARK), under the Marketing Department of the Marketing School at ASE, during the 2003/2004 academic year.
2004–2008
- The Marketing School was led by Professor Dr. Valerică Olteanu as Dean, supported by Professor Dr. Laurențiu Dan Anghel, Professor Dr. Carmen Bălan, and Professor Dr. Gheorghe Orzan as Vice-Deans, with Associate Professor Dr. Călin Vegheș as Scientific Secretary. Professor Dr. Răzvan Zaharia became the head of the Marketing Department.
- The development of the range of Master's programs offered by the Marketing School, with the introduction of three new professional programs starting from the 2004/2005 academic year: "Public Relations in Marketing," "Strategic Marketing," and "International Marketing."
- The Marketing School became a founding member of the Association of Economic Faculties of Romania (2004).
- The launch of the Master's program "Online Marketing" (2005), which became, after 2011, the most sought-after Master's program at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies.
- The inclusion of marketing as a specialization field for Bachelor's and Master's degree studies (2005).
- During this period, academic journals were also launched: Revista Română de Marketing (2006), published by Rosetti Educational Publishing under the scientific coordination of Professor Dr. Daniel Șerbănică, and Revista de Marketing Online (2007), published by Uranus Publishing under the scientific coordination of Professor Dr. Gheorghe Orzan.
- The inclusion of Marketing as a mandatory subject for all economic fields at the Bachelor's level (2005).
- Admission (2005) and graduation (2008) of the first cohort following the "Bologna" framework implemented at the European level.
- The creation of the doctoral specialization in marketing (2006).
- The design of Master's degree curricula according to the Bologna Agreement (2008). On this occasion, the two educational tracks at the Bachelor's level, "Marketing Policies" and "Marketing Research," were transformed into the Master's programs "Marketing Management" and "Marketing Research."
- ARACIS accreditation of all educational programs: Bachelor's degree programs (on-campus and distance learning) and complementary Master's degree programs (strategic marketing, marketing and business communication, public relations in marketing, international marketing, Online Marketing) – 2008.
2009–2012
- Professor Dr. Valerică Olteanu continued as Dean of the Marketing School, supported in this new term by Associate Professors Dr. Ionel Dumitru, Dr. Ioana Cecilia Popescu, and Dr. Călin Vegheș as Vice-Deans, and Professor Dr. Ștefan Boboc as Scientific Secretary of the Faculty. During this period, the Marketing Department was led by Professor Dr. Laurențiu Dan Anghel.
- The educational offering of the Marketing School was expanded with the introduction of the EUCOREM Master's program, a bilingual program taught in Romanian and French. This program was developed by a European consortium comprising Université de Haute-Alsace (France), Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach (Poland), and the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (Romania).
- The international conferences "Marketing and Business Development" and "International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics, and Sustainable Business" were launched. These annual conferences, developed within the Marketing School, ensured visibility for the Romanian marketing school and provided opportunities to interact with specialists and scholars in marketing from around the world.
- The share of specialized courses in the Bachelor's program in Marketing increased from 10% in 1995 to approximately 40% by the end of 2012.
2012–2013
- Following the electoral process in the 2012–2013 academic year, Professor Dr. Călin Vegheș became Dean of the Marketing School. His team at the Dean's office included Professor Dr. Ionel Dumitru, Associate Professor Dr. Mihai Orzan, and Professor Dr. Ioana Cecilia Popescu. Professor Dr. Laurențiu Dan Anghel was reelected as Head of the Marketing Department, while Professor Dr. Ștefan Boboc assumed the position of Director of the Doctoral School of Marketing.
- The educational offering of the Marketing School experienced significant growth during this period. New formats of the Marketing Bachelor's program were introduced, including teaching in English and a part-time format (the only such program within ASE and among marketing programs nationally). Master's programs such as "Fundamental Marketing Research," "Marketing and Management in Public Services," and "Marketing and Sustainable Development" were also added.
- In 2014, the Romanian Students' Marketing Association was established by students from the Marketing School. Its role includes promoting academic studies in the field of marketing and supporting students participating in these programs.
2017–2020
- Professor Dr. Călin Vegheș continued his role as Dean of the Marketing School, alongside the Vice-Dean team composed of Professor Dr. Ionel Dumitru, Professor Dr. Mihai Orzan, and Professor Dr. Ioana Cecilia Popescu. The Doctoral School of Marketing was led by Professor Dr. Ștefan Boboc, while the Marketing Department was headed by Professor Dr. Laurențiu Dan Anghel.
- During this period, the Master program "Customer Relationship Management" (taught in English) was added to the educational offering. The first cohort of graduates completed their studies in the summer of 2020.
- During the AFER General Assembly, Professor Dr. Virgil Balaure was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence by the Association of Faculties of Economics in Romania, in recognition of his contributions to the development of the Marketing Department (2017).
- The "Emerging Trends in Marketing and Management International Conference" was launched, along with its associated journal. This conference complemented the range of academic publications organized within the Marketing School.
2021–2024
- A period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, this interval brought numerous challenges and transformations to higher education, both in Romania and globally. The Marketing School was led by Professor Dr. Călin Vegheș, alongside the Vice-Dean team consisting of Associate Professor Dr. Carmen Acatrinei, Professor Dr. Ionel Dumitru, and Professor Dr. Mihai Orzan. The Marketing Department continued to be led by Professor Dr. Laurențiu Dan Anghel, while the Doctoral School of Marketing was headed by Professor Dr. Răzvan Zaharia.
- Perhaps the most significant event during this period is the organization of the 53rd Annual Conference of the European Marketing Academy (EMAC) in Bucharest in May 2024, with nearly 1,000 participants from around the world (https://emac2024.org/). This conference places the Marketing School at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies among the most prestigious universities in Europe, with previous editions held at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow (2018), the University of Valencia (2016), Bocconi University in Milan (2005), Erasmus University in Rotterdam (2000), and ESADE University in Barcelona (1993).
- The study programs of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, including those offered by the Marketing School, were ranked among the top in Romania in prestigious international rankings such as the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking, QS World University Rankings by Subject, and the Education Emerging Economies University Rankings.