It seems that research has never been talked about more than in 2020. When the Romanian society realised that it still needed its researchers, it became clear that the repeated cuts in the research budget had serious consequences. I have selected, for Mindcraft Stories, 12 key moments in Romanian research.
#1 Romanian research entered the battlefront with whatever weapons it had
The tone of the research was set, as elsewhere in the world, by the Covid-19 epidemic. In universities and research institutions, numerous research teams have been putting their expertise to work to better understand the mechanisms of action, anticipate its physical, economic, social and psychological effects and find ways to fight it. Given how long it would normally take to open up new avenues of research, the scientific community's reaction has been ultra-rapid. In March, the University of Bucharest announced that it had "charted" the spread of the first 308 confirmed cases of COVID-19. A research group at the University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" in Iasi provided information on a method of early detection of infections that could be the basis for faster and cheaper tests than existing ones. In April, UBB started a project to monitor in real time the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Romanian economy and make economic forecasts.
The institutions got involved not only with "studying" but also with "doing": they produced mechanical ventilation systems, disinfectant, provided psychological counselling for doctors, carried out tests, equipment and much more.
Read the rest of the article in Mindcraft stories
English (UK) 
Română