THE ORGANIZATION

          The Romanian Association of Young Scholars (RAYS) is a recently founded non-governmental, non-profit organization that supports young researchers and promotes their involvement in academic and research activities. Two of its founding members, Cristina Manolache and Anamaria Elena Gheorghe, currently PhD. candidates at the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Bucharest had the initiative of this project. The idea of establishing an institutional framework for young researchers was determined by their personal observation of the academic environment in Romania, in general.
           After having been involved in the initiation and implementation of several projects and academic events they both coordinated for the Doctoral School of Political Science at the University of Bucharest, they became fully aware of the need for a platform which would enable young researchers (post-doctoral researchers, PhD. and MA students) to promote their research activity. At the same time, the Romanian Association of Young Scholars (RAYS) is the result of the enthusiasm shown by young researchers, who have proven keen on being involved in academic and research activities. 
          Even though the initiators' background pertains to the sphere of social studies, the specific of this organisation is oriented towards an overall inclusion of young research from all fields of study (including Mathematics, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, and so and so forth, in addition to those of the social-humanistic areas, such as History, Political Science, Law, Public Administration, Communication, Sociology and Philosophy).

OBJECTIVES

         The aim of this organization is to promote human rights and freedoms, particularly those regarding education and the principles specific to the rule of law state in the Romanian and international communities. In order to do so, RAYS sets the following objectives:

• the initiation and implementation of research and institutional development projects;

• to develop programs in collaboration with Romanian and foreign public authorities and institutions, as well as with international organizations and other entities;

• to organize different academic events (national and international conferences, workshops, seminaries, debates), as well as other kind of public manifestations according to law;

• to publish academic peer-reviewed journals, books, newsletters, brochures, working papers, policy papers, info-graphics, reports and other informative materials.