Romanian academician Victor Voicu became Doctor Honoris Causa of ”Nicolae Testemitanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa honorary title to university professor Victor Voicu, military doctor in the rank of major general, Doctor of Medicine, former head of the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Psychopharmacology of Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, Romania, president of the Medical Sciences Division of the Romanian Academy.

The ceremony took place on July 16, 2024, in the presence of members of the University Senate, representatives of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, scientific and teaching staff, students, resident doctors, doctoral students, the professor's family and other guests.

University Rector Emil Ceban mentioned in his Laudatio that the honorary title was awarded to Professor Voicu "as a sign of deep gratitude and high appreciation of the prodigious activity at the national and international level, of the substantial contribution to the scientific research, of the meritorious results in the promotion of science and medical practice, in the training of highly qualified scientific staff, in the joint development of national and international projects". Moreover, this gesture highlights his considerable contribution to enhancing the image of Nicolae Testemitanu University of the Republic of Moldova in the Romanian scientific and medical community, as well as the recognition of exceptional input to the field of medical sciences and international academic collaboration.

Academician Stanislav Groppa, vice-rector for research activity, came with a message of support and spoke about the complexity and immensity of Prof. Voicu's activity, a symbol of the Romanian Academy - an important institution in capitalizing on collaborative relations with our university. "The distinguished professor has made a substantial contribution to the development of collaborative relations between the two academic institutions. His teaching and research experience constitutes an indispensable support in the implementation of academic and research projects and programs. At the same time, the possibility of increasing the institutional visibility among educational and research entities at the regional and international level is also noted", the vice-rector specified.

Acad. Ion Tighineanu, president of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, highlighted the role of university professor Victor Voicu in establishing a fruitful cooperation between the academies of sciences on both banks of the Prut River, especially in the research of the 5G phenomenon, the approach to vaccination during the Covid-19 pandemic, reforms in nanotechnologies, book donation for Nicolae Testemitanu University and ASM etc.

 "Today we are witnessing a true victory of the academic environment in Chisinau, the Romanian academic environment and the international one. We are experiencing the emotion of having around us a remarkable personality from the Romanian and international scientific field, the emotion of transposing this event into a celebration of the soul, the emotion of validating performance and meritocracy by awarding the prestigious DHC title to  academician Victor Voicu", university professor Dr. Viorel Jinga, rector of Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest noted and thanked all those who participated in the event.

Professor Victor Voicu expressed his gratitude for the received title: "The more prestigious a university is, the more prestigious the title it confers is, and Nicolae Testemitanu University is extremely important for us, Romanians, as a symbol of values ​​and Romanianism. It is a powerful university of high scientific and medical significance at national and European level. A University of Romanians. This has a more special connotation: from the mind to the soul. I am very pleased and happy because you gave me this title, because I believe that we are on the same wavelength, we think alike, we fight for the same values, for the same ideals. We fight for the value of Romanian medicine and its contribution to public health. We stand by Romanian medicine through its scientific value and the performances achieved over the years'', the professor emphasized.

In the opinion of acad. Gheorghe Duca, ex-president of ASM, Prof. Voicu is a real source of inspiration in the management of the Romanian Academy, in the management of research, pharmacology, chemical substances, friendly relations, and proof of the collaboration between the two academies is the Grand Prize, offered to him by the International Society for Management in Education and Research. "Academician Voicu is an example of a job well done. For Nicolae Testemitanu University, but also for the Republic of Moldova, it is a great honor to have such a personality in its ranks, because he raises the level of the institution, but also enriches the educational and research value through his experience input", pointed out professor Duca.

Academician Victor Voicu has been a member of the Romanian Academy since 1991. A pharmacologist and researcher, Professor Voicu held several positions in this institution: former vice-president in the period 2018-2022 and general secretary (2002-2006; 2014-2018). Since 2014, he has been the president of the Medical Sciences Division of the Romanian Academy.

As a university professor, he established the first Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine in Craiova (1972), and later he also founded the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Psychopharmacology at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, which is the first department of this type in Romanian medical education (1992) and within which he laid the foundations of a new discipline - Psychopharmacology.

His scientific activity was oriented towards experimental and clinical pharmacology research. The results of his research can be found in more than 20 books and about 300 studies and articles in the field of biopharmacy, pharmacology and toxicology, published in specialized magazines in the country and abroad. Victor Voicu is the author of the volume "Hypertension and Heart Failure – Epidemiology, Mechanisms and Treatment", published by Springer Publishing Company in 2019 and considered by Doody's Book Review Database "an exceptional editorial achievement". He is also the author of more than 30 invention patents for obtaining new medicinal preparations, most of them implemented in practice.

He holds the role of president of the Romanian Society of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Clinical Toxicology, honorary president of the Romanian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology, is a member of the "Academy of Sciences" and the "American Chemical Society" in New York. In 2017, he was elected a foreign correspondent member of the French National Academy of Medicine.

For the impressive achievements in the field of science, acad. Victor Voicu was awarded "The Military Virtue Order" in the rank of Officer (2002) and "The Order of the Star of Romania" in the rank of Knight (2002) and Officer (2014).