Migrating into Books

In The Loom of Time, Robert D. Kaplan delves into the regions stretching between the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and the better-known Mediterranean and the Balkans. This vast geographic expanse is a mosaic of cultures, histories, and nations, bound together by a shared legacy of great empires – from the Roman and Ottoman to the British and Soviet.

Kaplan connects his analysis to the ideas of Halford Mackinder, a 20th-century geographer who argued that “who controls Eastern Europe controls the Heartland; who controls the Heartland controls the World Island; who controls the World Island controls the world.” The regions Mackinder described are today a collection of fragile states, artificially created in the aftermath of World War I. Many leaders at the time drew borders without considering history, geography, or culture, resulting in regions where stability has often been maintained by authoritarian regimes rather than democracy.

Kaplan critiques the Western obsession with promoting democracy in these areas without understanding local contexts. He argues that people in such regions prioritize order and stability over democratic elections. For instance, in Saudi Arabia, recent reforms such as granting women the right to drive or easier access to passports are seen as significant progress.

Kaplan suggests it is more realistic to encourage “consultative regimes”- which consider public opinion without holding elections – than to push for immediate democracy. He points to China as an example, with its Belt and Road Initiative, which invests heavily in infrastructure to expand its influence across the lands between Xinjiang and the Mediterranean.

Regarding U.S. military interventions, Kaplan admits he was wrong to support the invasion of Iraq. While Saddam Hussein was a dictator, the chaos that followed his fall proved to be worse. Similarly, interventions in Afghanistan and Libya have highlighted the limits of trying to reshape foreign societies according to Western models.

Kaplan concludes with lessons from history, drawing inspiration from thinkers such as Edward Gibbon and Arnold Toynbee. He emphasizes that success in politics and diplomacy requires not only rational analysis but also imagination. If Western leaders could learn from the past and better understand the culture and geography of these regions, many tragedies might be avoided.

* Adriana Casandra CIOCÂRLAN-COLLIE, master programme International Relations and European Integration, 2023 – 2025

Serenade for Nadia by Zülfü Livaneli is a remarkable work of literature that weaves tragic history with profound social commentary, offering readers an intimate look into the complexities of identity and collective memory. It uses the real-life tragedy of the Struma, torpedoed in 1942 with 800 Jewish refugees on board, as the backdrop for a gripping story. The novel follows the life of Maya Duran, a nurse at Istanbul University, who faces personal and professional problems. She is assigned to accompany Professor Maximilian Wagner, a German returned to Istanbul after many years, who has a mysterious connection with Struma. Over the course of the book, Maya discovers the professor’s secrets and the ship’s tragic history, while facing resistance from family and the authorities.

The relationship between Maya and Professor Wagner is developed with finesse and authenticity. Throughout the book, Maya discovers Wagner’s deep connection to the Struma ship tragedy, revealing details about his Jewish wife, Nadia, and the suffering they went through. This central relationship is a story of love, loss and rediscovery, bringing a touch of sensitivity and humanity to the entire novel.

The book is remarkable for the way it combines elements of mystery, political thriller and history, creating a novel that is both informative and deeply moving. In addition, Livaneli pays particular attention to the challenges faced by women in contemporary Turkey. For example, in the context of 2001, the author describes how the police stationed themselves in front of the university gates and denied access to women wearing the hijab, reflecting the tensions between secularism and religion. This aspect emphasizes the complexity and social relevance of the novel, given that these bans were lifted only in 2008.

“Serenade for Nadia” is more than just a story of love and mystery; it is a reflection on memory, identity and the importance of reconciliation with the past. Livaneli shows courage and sensitivity in approaching delicate subjects, offering readers a deep and captivating literary experience. This is a book that not only informs, but also prompts introspection and a better understanding of the complexities of human identity and collective history.

* Adriana Casandra CIOCÂRLAN-COLLIE, master programme International Relations and European Integration, 2023 – 2025

The identity crisis, but also aggressive identity manifestations, are two aspects that define the international geopolitical climate, especially in recent years. The rise of extremist groups, increasingly virulent doctrinal disputes, the radicalization of Islam, or the resurgence of “whites only” groups, endanger the international construct of recent years, based on tolerance, dialogue, and mutual acceptance, but especially the basic principles of democracy worldwide. All these formidable challenges are generally transparent in Fukuyama’s work, but “Identity” is the book that highlights the ideological chasm that arises between the Global North and South.

In a world where political pluralism is increasingly limited, and the offense of opinion is increasingly widespread, many individuals choose to define themselves only through elements such as religion, sect, race, nation, or ethnicity. The assumed restriction of political and social options can lead not only to individual failure but also to a violent division of society to the brink of civil conflict. “Identity” not only addresses extremely current issues of American society, but also extremely sensitive and generally valid topics in the Western world.

Fukuyama brings back into the public eye the severe economic crisis of 2008, which created a democracy deficit, a true democratic recession, a phenomenon that later spread especially in Europe. At the same time, he reminds us that the Arab Spring of 2011 did not result in a triumph of democracy in the Middle East but, on the contrary, produced the perfect framework for the failure of emerging states that plunged into civil wars with an unforeseeable end.

Even though there is a global rise of elites, educated especially in countries like India and China, the world benefits little from them, as their potential is limited by autocratic regimes with a unipolar view of global politics. The slowness or even lack of reaction from the West in the face of ideological challenges from the East, or internal threats to democracy, can lead to an implosion of old democracies or a monstrous mutation towards ultra-authoritarian regimes, as is already happening in Eastern Europe.

Francis Fukuyama takes up the old theme of identity from Plato, Locke, Rousseau, with the accents added by the feminist movement and contemporary gender politics, and offers a complete global radiography, from which alarm signals emerge regarding the future of human civilization. The essential message, however, remains in the reader’s mind: without identifying a complete and universally accepted meaning of human dignity, and especially without respecting it, humanity risks remaining in the loop of eternal conflicts triggered by pointless global games or regional egos, which can turn the progress of humanity in recent centuries into ashes.

* Ștefan MUSCELEANU, master programme Regional Development and International Cooperation, 2022 – 2024

The book’s theme gives rise to a particularly extensive historical narrative. From the First World War to the collapse of communism, the countries located between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea experienced in rapid succession the completion of the formation of nation-states, the introduction of liberal democracy, and the parenthesis of right-wing authoritarianism, as the Second World War culminated in the long era of communist regimes.

The author states in his volume that history is a discipline linked and interconnected with many other fields, but it can be exploited as a self-sufficient body of knowledge, composed of a variety of elements that serve the narrative and reconstruction of facts. Recent decades have seen the inclusion of Central and Eastern Europe in Western Europe through accession to the European Union, with the exception of the smaller states in the Western Balkans, an exception caused by internal dynamics in those areas, generating from time-to-time high tensions, such as those in Kosovo and Serbia. Currently, the military conflict in Eastern Europe is testing the resistance of the accession to the European Union of the states that endured the communist regime and Soviet influence for almost 45 years and questions the validity and vitality of the project of European political, economic, social and cultural unification.

States have undergone a fundamental change in social structure and population, a change that demographers explain starting from the reduced population growth and the radical transformation caused by the decline of the peasant class. The social realities anchored in the stereotypes, rules, and activities of the agrarian world have experienced the industrial revolution and the birth of the tertiary sector. Generalized literacy, begun by liberal regimes and developed by communist ones despite numerous limitations and irregularities, formed the basis for the formation of public opinion and democratic consultations. The spread of mass media accompanied this process, decisively influencing it and depriving it of the positive value of uninterrupted dialogue between political and economic decision-makers and voting citizens, for the responsible and critical exercise of citizenship.

* Adriana MOROI, master programme Regional Development and International Cooperation, 2022 – 2024

The nine impressive stories from “Der Nabel der Welt: Erzählungen” by Cătălin Dorian Florescu offer a profound insight into the universe of migration, a literary journey that begins in August 1982 and never stops. In this book, we discover the tumultuous struggle for freedom and a new identity, illustrating the various motives behind the decision to leave one’s homeland and seek a better future elsewhere. The author guides us through a complex panorama of migrant life and those they encounter on their journey, highlighting the dilemmas and difficulties they face.

For many, leaving their homeland is accompanied by an overwhelming sense of insecurity, as illustrated in the book’s opening: “Mother was not discouraged, so we lived our last day at home like in a museum”. This passage reflects the complex and tumultuous nature of the experience, emphasizing the uncertainty and mix of emotions that accompany each step on the journey to a new beginning. The image can illustrate how migration can bring a rupture from the familiar environment, transforming the home and hometown into a kind of “museum” of past memories. Once in the destination country, migrants face a series of bureaucratic obstacles, such as the stigma associated with their refugee status, as highlighted in the passage “Refugee passport. Blue, with two grey stripes in the upper right corner”. These difficulties underscore the efforts and struggle for integration and acceptance in a new and foreign society.

At the same time, the author explores the impact of migration on interpersonal relationships. The passage “He, the Swiss, means a first-class opportunity for the people here” highlights the contrast between the perceptions and expectations of those in the host community and the actual experience of migrants. This antithesis underscores the complexity and ambiguity of intercultural relationships. Another essential aspect of the book is the separation and loss of loved ones as a result of migration. The passage “She wanted to see her brother one more time” highlights the pain and melancholy of those left behind, who must cope with the distance and absence of loved ones, and in some cases, face permanent loss.

Moreover, the book also illustrates the impact of migration on individual and collective identity. Through the passage “How are you? And Frank? You guys are doing well, good people”, the author illustrates the dramatic contrast between the expectations and reality of life in the destination country for migrants. Thus, migration sometimes becomes a struggle for survival and adaptation in a completely different environment that transforms the identity and self-perception of the individual.

Each character presented throughout the nine stories represents a personal journey, with its own trials and triumphs in the search for a new path in life. “Der Nabel der Welt: Erzählungen” by Cătălin Dorian Florescu is not just a story about migration but also a profound meditation on identity, belonging, and the journey home, wherever that may be. The book brings to the forefront the real issues faced by migrants, presenting authentically the difficulties behind the desire for a better life. It is a sincere and captivating exploration of the complexity of the human experience in the face of the challenges of migration and the constant search for a place called “home”.

* Andra-Mihaela BOȘTINĂ, master programme European Politics and Economy, 2023 – 2025

Mansardă la Veneția. Nouă săptămâni în lagună (“Attic in Venice: Nine Weeks in the Lagoon”) by Cristina Chevereșan is a tribute to personal experience in a culturally abundant city, depicted with a sensitivity and depth that surpass the surface of a mere travel narrative. Through the author’s eyes, Venice becomes more than just a picturesque backdrop – it transforms into a vibrant universe of culture and personal experiences.

At the heart of this literary journey is Cristina Chevereșan, a passionate and curious teacher who delves into the essence of Venetian life with an intention of exhaustive exploration. The author’s descriptive style not only outlines the urban landscape of the city, but also captures the daily pulse of Venetian life, from local cuisines to the unmistakable atmosphere of narrow streets and romantic canals. This meticulous approach brings the reader into the midst of a journey filled with discoveries and vivid impressions.

An essential contribution of the book lies in the passages where the author interweaves personal experiences with prominent cultural and literary references, thus emphasizing the depth and complexity of her own experience. From Dante to contemporary authors, literary works become mirrors of Venetian reality, highlighting the inseparable connection between culture and daily life in this fascinating city.

By incorporating elements related to personal experiences as an ordinary citizen and, more nuanced, as an educator, the book inevitably includes a European dimension to the author’s experience. Her deep and introspective analysis brings to the forefront not only the beauty and cultural diversity but also the complexity and contradictions of a Europe of migration and cultural exchange.

Through the author’s presence in Italy as a visiting professor and her initiative to facilitate the exchange of experience with Romanian students, the book illustrates the importance of intensifying academic cooperation at the European level. This cross-border collaboration not only encourages the exchange of ideas and knowledge among academic institutions but also promotes understanding and appreciation of cultural and educational diversity in Europe. Through the author’s personal experience, the book highlights the benefits and opportunities offered by academic collaboration at the European level. The visiting professor in a foreign university becomes an ambassador of knowledge exchange and intercultural dialogue, contributing to the enrichment and diversification of educational and academic perspectives.

By introducing a brief but deeply charged passage regarding the issue of migration in the Mediterranean Sea, the book also becomes a call for awareness of the social and human realities around us. The tragic scene of a shipwrecked boat, in which migrants who recently sought a safer future in Europe lost their lives, brings to the forefront the tragedy and the necessity of a humanitarian and responsible approach to the phenomenon of migration. In a subtle manner, the author invites the reader to reflect on the role and collective responsibility in the face of these complex human and social challenges.

On a personal level, the author’s journey also becomes an opportunity for self-reflection and analysis of her own identity and role in a constantly changing world. Thus, the book transcends the boundaries of a simple travel narrative, becoming a captivating portrait of a complex human experience closely connected with the role of an educator.

In conclusion, Mansardă la Veneția. Nouă săptămâni în lagună is not just a journey through the picturesque streets of Venice but also an exploration of the cultural and existential depths of the author. With a subtle balance between meticulous observation and profound introspection, Cristina Chevereșan succeeds in creating a captivating book that guides the reader through a memorable journey into the heart of contemporary Europe.

* Alina TEODORESCU, master programme International Relations and European Integration, 2023 – 2025

De la Rin la Dunăre și înapoi (“From the Rhine to the Danube and Back”) is a captivating book that unveils the remarkable story of the Dutchman Jan Willem, a translator whose destiny was shaped by Romania. Moreover, it is not merely a narrative of the author’s adventures in Romanian lands but also a profound introspection into his perception of Romanian society during the communist era. Coming from a liberal Western society, the author views communist Romania with both amazement and fascination, describing it as deeply conservative or even reactionary from his perspective.

From the age of 19, Jan Willem’s life was marked by a crucial moment when he decided to focus on studying the Romanian language and literature. Boldly, he chose to leave Amsterdam to venture into the cultural unknown of Romania.

The passion with which the author recounts every moment lived on Romanian soil captivates the reader, offering a sincere and profound perspective on the country and its people. The characters described are portrayed with a naturalness and sensitivity that inevitably win you over.

Through the book, we witness the contrast between the realities of the Netherlands and those of Romania in the ’70s and ’80s. While freedom of expression existed in the Netherlands, in communist Romania, it was merely a distant dream. At the same time, we discover through Jan Willem’s eyes the cultural differences between the Dutch and Romanians, noting that Romanians are perceived as more welcoming, warmer, and more open, while the Dutch are seen as more serious and distant.

A defining moment for the author was the discovery of the pleasure of translation, a passion initiated by a text from the volume Noaptea Inocenților (“Night of the Innocents”) by Sorin Titel. This experience was a turning point in his life, paving the way for a career in translation.

In the end, Jan Willem Bos confesses his belief that life is a succession of consequences, and his journey began by chance. De la Rin la Dunăre și înapoi is more than just a simple travel story – it is a journey of discovery, of learning.”

* Adriana Casandra CIOCÂRLAN-COLLIE, master programme International Relations and European Integration, 2023 – 2025

Along the Adriatic Coast, starting the journey from Italy and continuing through Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania, with the final stop being on the island of Corfu, the author takes us along through the energy of each place, revealing in the pages of the book the particularities of the cities he journeys through. Robert D. Kaplan’s manner of describing the areas he passes through is extremely detailed, leaving the reader the opportunity to understand his perspective on the place, both through the lens of his interactions with locals and through the numerous cultural references he makes.

The author describes the Adriatic Sea as “more than just a vital component of the Mediterranean. It is also a fault line of civilizations and ideological systems, as well as a key to the geographical identity of Central Europe”.

From the perspective of international development and migration, the author actually takes a dive into the evolution of power systems in each place, which he harmoniously combines with the dynamics of the local societies. The Adriatic Sea Basin is seen through the lens of a cultural fusion of peoples’ diversity. This fusion is seen by Kaplan as more of a “concert” than a “collision,” appreciating how the existing peoples have harmonized, while still retaining their ethnic and cultural authenticity.

Through the conversations the author has with the people of the places, he faithfully portrays the citizens’ perspective on the effects caused over time by significant political events. Such events include, for example, the First and Second World Wars, which have left deep marks on the geographical and political physiognomy of the states in the Adriatic Sea Basin. Each state has undergone a process of internal reorganization, reshaping its priorities according to the new world order born out of the two wars.

Another relevant and highly topical issue discussed is the European integration of the countries in the targeted space. Kaplan believes that “the EU did not come out of nothing: it contains echoes of the past”. For example, in one of Kaplan’s conversations with Peter Grk, former senior foreign policy advisor to the Prime Minister of Slovenia, and Alenka Košir, a foreign ministry official dealing with the Western Balkans, they believe that “the European Union means a constructive problem-solving mentality, a belief in legalistic states over ethnic nations, in the sanctity of the individual over that of the group, and in the rule of law over arbitrary decision-making”. They argue that this system must ultimately succeed in one form or another because, in the end, there is no alternative. “Only the European Union offers a form of unity in greater diversity”, they say. And only the European Union can save the failed parts of the former Yugoslavia that lie to the south, beyond Slovenia and Croatia. In this context, we realize that the process of European integration is viewed positively and hopefully by the small countries that have suffered from the major wars.

Essentially, Robert D. Kaplan creates a cultural and political cartography of the Adriatic Sea Basin, which he describes as “the miniature globe” and “a key to the geographical identity of Central Europe” due to the “concert” created by the coexistence of civilizations there.

Through his journey, Robert D. Kaplan aims to sound the alarm about the political and strategic importance of the Adriatic Sea Basin, considering that “Europe cannot afford to neglect these problematic states we have just travelled through. The Adriatic Sea, located at the heart of the Mediterranean and Central European worlds, constitutes a nervous geography that, in the twenty-first century, will have a geopolitical story to tell, the intrigue of which has not yet been written”.

* Dorothea-Maria RADU, master programme European Politics and Economy, 2023 – 2025

A cultural, societal and political introspection of the Middle East, starting from the question “What happened to us?”.

The full review can be found in audio-video format on our YouTube channel.

* Adriana MOROI, master programme Regional Development and International Cooperation, 2022 – 2024

*Laura BENEA, initiator of the Migrating into Books project, graduate of the International Relations and European Integration master programme (2022)

Jurnal de pusta, written by Borco Ilin is an unpretentious, almost spoken book, whose advice tone sometimes makes you feel like having a beer with an old childhood friend found in your adult years.

The book is also a transition of emotions and states from the perfectly described bucolic childhood, to the phases of adulthood, personal demons, initiatory journeys, but also of survival abroad and lasting or passing loves that come together with the author’s self-search.

From the author’s perspective, as a prince and a beggar, familiar with the Banat ghettos, but also with the unyielding nature of the Mureș plain, the book is as alive as the experiences described: from illness, to occupational migration, destiny and abuses of all kinds, but also about simplicity and the vocation of being human.

The full review can be found in audio-video format on our YouTube channel.

* Ștefan MUSCELEANU, master programme Regional Development and International Cooperation, 2022 – 2024

Is it possible to migrate also for art? Can you choose a bohemian place, in this big world, far from home, problems and worries, that will inspire you and that will define your works?

Well, it can.

“A theater for dreamers”. It is the perfect description of the Greek island of Hydra 🇬🇷 as it was in the 60s. An enchanting place, especially for artists looking for inspiration: novelists, painters, poets or singers.

Charmed by the stories illustrated by their former neighbour, author Charmian Clift, Erica, along with her boyfriend, Jimmy, and brother, Bobby, decide to take advantage of their mother’s inheritance, a car and some money, to “migrate” in the perfect place for artists: the island of Hydra.

In the universe described by Polly Samson young people gravitate around the writers Charmian Clift and George Johnston, and analytically follow the love triangle between Axel Jensen, his wife, Marianne Ihlen, and the Canadian poet Leonard Cohen.

Whether or not they become writers, what happens to them, but also to their mentors, and what is the outcome of the stories that will hold your breath, you can only find out towards the end of the book.

A very well documented book, which perfectly combines real elements with fiction. We loved it!

* Laura BENEA and Larisa CÎRJAN, initiators of the Migrating into Books project, graduates of the International Relations and European Integration master programme (2022)

Victor Dalmau and Roser Bruguera, the two main characters penciled masterfully by Isabel Allende, are the clear definition of migrants. Two Oscar destinies – two characters who fled the path of a civil war, a World Conflagration and a coup. All in a life where they had to constantly start from scratch and where they managed to rely only on themselves and on the love, be it platonic, between them.

A long petal of the sea tells the emotional story of a couple “of circumstances”, forced to survive some of the most turbulent events of the 20th century.

The Chilean writer’s novel does not lack connections with reality and historical characters, such as Pablo Neruda and his ship Winnipeg, President Salvador Allende or Elisabeth Eidenbenz.

Inspired by historical events that she herself experienced firsthand, Isabel Allende explores the emotional bonds formed during a prolonged exile, when her characters come to question whether their homeland is the mythical, irretrievable land of their youth, or that place where after long efforts and a life as a migrant they end up taking root.

* Laura BENEA and Larisa CÎRJAN, initiators of the Migrating into Books project, graduates of the International Relations and European Integration master programme (2002)

A collection of self-searching, The Art of Leaving begins with the death of the author’s father, Ayelet Tsabari, when she was just nine years old. His death left her feeling rootless, devastated, and driven to question her complex identity as an Israeli with Yemenite origins in a country that suppressed and devalued the traditions of her ancestors.

In her book, Ayelet Tsabari tells her story: from her early love of writing ️and words, to her rebellion during her mandatory military service in the Israeli army. She manages to travel from Israel to New York, to Canada, Thailand and India, falling in love and loving countries️, men and women, drugs and alcohol, running away from responsibilities and refusing to settle down in one place. She tells of her first marriage, the struggle to make a name for herself as a writer, the decision to become a mother, and ultimately rediscovering and embracing her own family history – a history marked by generations of stubborn women who struggled to choose between their hearts️ and their homes. In the end, she realizes that she must come to terms with her father’s memories and the sadness of the past.

With captivating and moving prose, Ayelet Tsabari creates a meditation on the paths we will travel to try to escape pain, to search for a place to belong, and to realize that home is actually within ourselves.

* Laura BENEA and Larisa CÎRJAN, initiators of the Migrating into Books project, graduates of the International Relations and European Integration master programme (2002)

Cireșe amare (“Bitter Cherries”) is not just an autobiographical testimony made with undeniable literary talent. It can be that point of departure, evaluated in qualitative research as a testimony/life story from which a whole effort of “social archaeology” can start by which we can understand some aspects of the Romanian post 1989 immigration. No public policy can be considered legitimate or well-founded if it does not include personal experience.

“The personal is political”, a well-known feminist slogan of the 70s, is extremely relevant here as well. Let’s not forget, for example, that in Canada there is doctoral research on the immigration of female nurses from Romania, considered to be a social phenomenon, a topic that should not be missing from the agenda of feminist studies.

The full review can be found in audio-video format on our YouTube channel.

* Laura BENEA and Larisa CÎRJAN, initiators of the Migrating into Books project, graduates of the International Relations and European Integration master programme (2002)