valuemd (Admin) Hațieganu's founding role is central to the university's identity. This thread explores how his legacy is honored, what the institutional culture he built looks like in practice today, and whether students feel a connection to that founding tradition of innovation.
andrelewis6639 (Alumni) i think what strikes me most about hatieganu as a founder is that he was not just an administrator, he was someone who actively brought new disciplines into romanian medicine for the first time. introducing radiology and medical semiology in 1919 was genuinely forward thinking for that era. the question is whether that spirit of being first and being innovative is still something the university carries or if it has just become a name on a building
lilyb441 (Student) From my experience being here it is more than just a name on a building. there is a real sense of institutional pride in that founding story and you hear it referenced a lot, at orientation, in department introductions, even sometimes in lectures when professors are contextualizing why certain specialties are strong here. Radiology in particular has a very well regarded department and people connect that back to hatieganu starting it.
andrelewis6639 (Alumni) that is good to hear lilyb441 (Student) . i was a bit worried it would feel like empty ceremonial stuff but if it actually shows up in how departments position themselves and how faculty talk about the university then it sounds more genuine
chrisjordan6611 (Alumni) the history of medicine being introduced as a discipline by hatieganu is something i find underappreciated. a lot of medical schools treat history of medicine as a throwaway elective but when your founder specifically introduced it as a serious discipline there is more weight to it. at cluj it is taught with actual seriousness and i think that reflects the founding philosophy that understanding where medicine came from matters for where it is going
