The French Institute in collaboration with Toud, a branding and design agency

The French Institute – A Light in the Darkness

Romania, Europe

We’ll start this article by saying that we, the small Toud team, sincerely believe in Romanian values, in our history, and in our culture. But we also believe that Romania’s place is in Europe and that today, more than ever (or rather, just as much as during all these 100 years of Greater Romania), we must remain close to the heart of this community. We also believe in the idea that a people can grow only if it is capable of learning and absorbing elements from other cultures, while preserving its identity, uniqueness, direction, and purpose. It’s the same as with a person. And when we say this, we’re thinking of Maestro Celibidache or Brancusi himself. Fortunately—or unfortunately (considering the pressure exerted by the communist regime)—there are many such examples.

The French Institute

Today, in this shadow of political confusion, media misinformation, and “fake news,” we have a strong need to learn, to interact with other cultures, and to strengthen our ability to distinguish between right and wrong, between oppression and freedom, between beauty and ugliness. In this time of darkness, the French Institute brings a glimmer of light to Romania. No, this isn’t a feel-good story or a PR stunt. NO!!! A team of over 20 people (that’s about how many we counted) works day in and day out, from morning until late at night, to bring this light of Western Europe to Romania as well. You might say it’s just a clever way for the French people to spread their culture. Nothing could be truer, but this initiative can only benefit us. All great nations do it, each with its own means—just think of the offensive launched by McDonald’s, Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Oracle . . . the American giants.

ISSUU, design, publishing design, French Institute in Romania, Toud

How did Toud get involved?

A few months ago, we joined the French Institute in this effort. We’ve also begun collaborating on several projects to “bring light.” We were pleasantly impressed to discover a team that is not only highly capable but also very hardworking. After these few months of collaboration, we don’t know what drives them, but their motivation is extremely strong. This is evident not only from the emails sent after 9 p.m. or on weekends, but also from the “impeccable” nature of their work.

A few projects carried out in collaboration with the French Institute

Although we didn’t have much time, we managed to work on a number of projects together.

The Cinema Elvire Periodical Guide

Every day, this movie theater—named after a Romanian woman, a great actress who won the hearts of both the French and the Romanians—Elvira Popescu, opens its doors to movie lovers. We were delighted to help edit the flyer containing the film schedule, as well as the ISSUU brochure.

The French Institute in Romania, design, poster, collaboration

France Alumni Romania Evening Event

Visual for promoting the event—Soirée France Alumni Romania—on November 28, 2018. The event aimed to bring together people who studied in France and are pursuing professional careers in Romania.

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France Alumni Romania Evening, design, graphic design, French Institute in Romania

MT180 – My Thesis in 180 Seconds

Toud created the visuals for the Romanian leg of this competition, which aims to share valuable information from doctoral students with the general public. “My Thesis in 180 Seconds” allows doctoral students to present their research topic—in French and in simple terms—to a broad and diverse audience. Each student must give a clear, concise, and compelling three-minute presentation on their research project—all with the help of a single slide!

In 2018, Romania took third place in this prestigious international competition thanks to the presentation by Ms. Veronica HAGI of “Ovidius” University in Constanța (Romania): “Linguistic Biography: A Multifaceted Pedagogical Tool”.

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MT180 - My Thesis in 180 Seconds, design, graphic design, French Institute in Romania

Brancusi PHC

Brancusi is the Franco-Romanian Hubert Curien Partnership (PHC). It is implemented in France by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and the Ministry of National Education the Ministry of Science, Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (MESRI) and Romania, by the Ministry of Research and Innovation (MCI). The objective of this program is to develop scientific and technological exchanges of excellence between research laboratories in the two countries by promoting new forms of cooperation and the participation of young researchers.

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PHP Brancusi, design, graphic design, French Institute in Romania

The story continues

We’re already working on several projects for 2019. We’ll keep you updated as things progress.

Article Author – Alexandru

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