H.E. Ligia Deca

H.E. Ligia Deca is the Minister of Education of Romania. Previously, as Presidential Adviser for Education and Research, she coordinated the Educated Romania project, which aimed to establish a long-term strategic vision for the national education sector. She is also a University Lecturer at the National University for Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest.

She has been awarded a PhD in Political Science by the University of Luxembourg, her research focusing on the internationalization of higher education.

Author of several papers and studies in the field of education policy, approaching topics ranging from the internationalisation of tertiary education to adaptive educational practices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ligia Deca has also worked as an expert for the Council of Europe, European Commission, EQAR, DAAD and others. In 2014, she was invited to be a member of the ‘Science in Education’ Expert Group set-up by the European Commission. Ligia Deca was also a member of the Fulbright Board of Directors in Romania between 2017 and 2020.

In 2023, she was awarded the 2023 European Association for International Education (EAIE) Award for Vision and Leadership for her remarkable lifelong contribution to international education system in Romania and Europe, as well as for her achievements throughout her career.

Since 2023, she is also been a member of the UN Working Group on Teaching Careers. This high-level working group was created as a follow up for the Transforming Education Summit (TES).