Iulian-Romeo IHNATOV, Associate Professor

Iulian-Romeo Ihnatov is a specialist in finance, with a strong academic and research background spanning over 23 years. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Finance and a Ph.D. in Finance (2012). His teaching expertise covers a broad spectrum of finance-related topics, including Financial Management, Corporate Governance, Investment Financing, Research Methods in Finance, and Money and Credit, delivered at both bachelor’s and master’s levels. He has extensive international teaching experience through Erasmus+ mobilities in EU countries, as well as guest lecturing in the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan. His research portfolio includes 1 book, 9 articles in WoS-indexed journals, and other scientific contributions, alongside postdoctoral fellowships in four research projects. He has also participated in international research mobilities in Italy and Kazakhstan, focusing on financial stability, banking risk, and monetary policy. Iulian Ihnatov has a solid track record in project management, having served as manager or assistant manager in two international projects for master’s program development, as well as assistant manager of a summer school project. Additionally, he has hands-on experience in business consulting, particularly in financial management and investment financing.

Eugenia BUSMACHIU, Associate Professor

Eugenia Busmachiu is an Associate Professor, PhD, at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (ASEM), with over 27 years of experience in teaching, capacity building, and research in the fields of corporate and public finance. In recent years, she has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Deposit Guarantee Fund in the Banking System, contributing to the decision-making and governance processes of the institution. Throughout her career, she has worked as a national expert in technical assistance projects financed by the European Commission and in international development programs. She has also provided consultancy to the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Moldova on financial analysis and medium-term public investment management. In parallel, she is actively engaged in promoting quality education and sustainability as key drivers of institutional and economic development. From a research perspective, Dr. Busmachiu has made significant contributions in areas such as budget liquidity management, financing of educational institutions, and corporate social responsibility in the Republic of Moldova. Through her teaching activity at ASEM and involvement in public finance reform projects, she stands out for her professional profile positioned at the intersection of academia, financial governance mechanisms, and institutional practices in transition economies.

Francisco FLORES MUNOZ, Professor

Prof. Francisco Flores Muñoz is a highly cited researcher with long experience in the area of Sustainability. He has been member for more than fifteen years, of the Sustainability Commission of the Spanish Accounting and Business Administration Association, and he has also cooperated with several regulators at national and European levels, including the Committee of European Banking Supervision, and the EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group) which oversees sustainability reporting good practices and new regulation across Europe. In addition to the dual aspect of academic research and knowledge transfer to society, Francisco Flores has taught Business, Economics, and Political Science related courses at four Spanish universities for eighteen years and has participated in numerous faculty mobility programs under the Erasmus+ program. As a result of these experiences, Francisco Flores has developed partnerships in the areas of teaching, research, and university management resulting in intensive mobility, co-authorship of papers, joint editing of materials, and other initiatives.

Dan LUPU, Associate Professor

He holds a bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Law, a master’s degree in Management of European Funds and holds a PhD in Finance since 2011. He teaches courses and seminars on Business Law, Fiscality, Public Investment and European Fund Management (for 1st and 2nd cycle). The doctoral thesis (published in 2011) has analysed the legislation and management of the firms in economic difficulties in EU countries, in general, and for Romania, especially. He has experience in international teaching activities (for students in Poland, Greece, Turkey, France, and Czech Republic), and in exchange of best practices to assess and compare the organization and functioning of Master Programs in Public Administration in the main universities from Romania. He published 2 books, 34 articles and presented 31 papers at international conferences. He participated, as coordinator or member, in research grants and in numerous projects involving European funds. He is Senior Lecturer at the host institution since 2015 and also a lawyer specialized in business law.

Dan-Pavel MATEI, PhD Student

Dan-Pavel Matei is currently a student enrolled in the Master ‘Finance and Risk Management’ at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași). Prior to joining the master programme, he completed his undergraduate studies in Finance and Banking, at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași). During his undergraduate studies, he completed one semester of International Economics at the University of Rijeka, Croatia with Erasmus+ programme. In the 3rd year of Finance and Banking he participated at Annual Session of Student Scientific Papers, where he achieved 2nd place with his paper called: “Basing the investment decision on technical and fundamental analysis: case study”, which also was published in ISF Working Papers. His current research focuses on stock market predictions based on sentiment analysis of the news published by the media. More about Dan-Pavel can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mateidan2000/

Ioana-Maria URSACHE, PhD Student

Ioana-Maria Ursache is a PhD student in Economics and International Affairs at the Doctoral School of Economics and Business Administration (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași). Her current research focuses on smart cities, particularly on cities’ sustainability and quality of life. Prior to joining the PhD programme, she completed her undergraduate studies at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași in Geography and Tourism. She holds an MSc in Urbanisation and Development from The London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA in European Studies and Eastern Neighbourhood the Center for European Studies within the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași. She is an interdisciplinary scholar who specialises in the economic, social and political dimensions of urbanisation, with a specific focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Alongside her academic endeavours, Ioana works as a project manager at UrbanizeHub, an NGO committed to building inclusive communities and creating innovative solutions for Romanian cities. More about Ioana can be found here.

Milena MÎȚU, Master’s Student

Melena Mîțu is a student enrolled in the Master’s programme Banking and Financial Markets at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași). Her current academic and research interests are centered on financial markets, banking performance, and the integration of innovative technologies within the financial sector. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Banking at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași). During her undergraduate studies, she participated in the Annual Session of Student Scientific Papers. In the 2nd year of Finance and Banking, she was awarded 2nd place for the paper entitled “Analysis of the Benefits and Risks of Integrating Artificial Intelligence Technologies in the Financial Sector: a Dual Perspective”. In her 3rd year, she achieved 3rd place with the research “Determinants of Banking Performance in Romania: an Empirical Study”. She has been involved in extracurricular projects and initiatives that enhance her academic training and support her professional development.

Virginia CERNOPOLC, Master’s Student

Cernopolc Virginia is currently a student in the Master’s programme Human Resource Management at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași. Prior to joining the master’s programme, she completed her undergraduate studies in Finance and Banking at the same faculty. In the final year of her bachelor’s degree, she participated in the Annual Session of Student Scientific Papers, where she was awarded 2nd place for her paper entitled “Economic and demographic determinants of public health expenditures in EU countries”. This research analyzed the impact of key economic variables and demographic structures on the evolution of public health expenditures in the member states of the European Union. Her current academic interests focus on human resource management, particularly workforce development, organizational adaptability, and the strategic role of personnel management in enhancing institutional performance. She is especially interested in understanding how demographic changes and organizational strategies shape sustainable growth and resilience within modern institutions.

Mihaela IZURIC, Master’s Student and NBM ec. coord.

Mihaela Izuric is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Bank Administration (at Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova) and is in the process of furthering her academic and professional development in the field of banking. She is from the Republic of Moldova and a graduate of the double degree programme between Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration) and the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova. She currently works at the National Bank of Moldova (NBM) as economist coordonator. Her academic and research interests focus on the development of the banking sector, with a particular emphasis on the integration of new technologies and the rise of FinTech companies. She has authored several papers, including “Fintechs: An Alternative to Digital Banking,” which received an honourable mention at the Annual Session of Student Scientific Papers, as well as “Effects of Innovative Financial Technologies (FinTech) on International Currency Markets” and “The Future of Traditional Banks and New Business Models in the FinTech Era.” In addition to her academic achievements, Mihaela is highly active in extracurricular activities, volunteering, and participating in various projects related to financial analysis and the banking sector.