Islamabad, June 26, 2025 – The Europe Today: The Embassy of Romania has announced a landmark development in Romanian-Pakistani academic and cultural cooperation. For the first time in Pakistan, Romanian language classes will be introduced at the prestigious National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad.
This historic initiative follows an agreement signed between the Romanian Language Institute (RLI), a public institution under the Ministry of Education and Research of Romania, and NUML, one of Pakistan’s leading higher education institutions renowned for teaching world languages and fostering intercultural dialogue.
The agreement was signed by Ms. Daiana Theodora Cuibus, General Director of RLI, and Major General (Retd) Shahid Mahmood Kayani, Rector of NUML.
As part of this collaboration, the Romanian Language Institute will appoint a qualified Romanian lecturer to teach Romanian language, literature, culture, and civilization at NUML’s Faculty of Languages. These courses will be offered as elective options, enriching the university’s academic and cultural diversity. The Romanian lecturer will also participate in cultural promotion activities and contribute to strengthening academic ties between Romania and Pakistan.
Romania’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Dan Stoenescu, welcomed this initiative, stating, “We see this as a vital step to enhance educational diplomacy, build people-to-people connections, and promote mutual understanding. We also hope to introduce Urdu language classes in Romania in the future. Romania values its friendship with Pakistan, and believes that language and culture are essential bridges between nations.”
The Romanian language, a Romance language evolved from Latin, is the official language of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. It shares linguistic roots with French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, while also bearing unique influences from Slavic, Greek, Turkish, and Hungarian languages.
Despite their different linguistic families—Romanian being a Romance language and Urdu an Indo-Aryan language—the two share interesting commonalities, including borrowed vocabulary from Turkish and Persian, rich poetic traditions, and an emphasis on politeness and formality in communication.
Romania, a member of the European Union, presents significant opportunities in education, academic exchange, and professional mobility. Introducing Romanian language education in Pakistan will benefit students, researchers, and professionals interested in Erasmus+ scholarships, university collaborations, and careers within Europe. Moreover, knowledge of the Romanian language will support the growing South Asian community in Romania, facilitating better integration and success.
