I have so many ideas that may perhaps be of some use in time if others more penetrating than I go deeply into them some day and join the beauty of their minds to the labor of mine. G. W. Leibniz (1646–1716)

Life is too short to tolerate indecisions ©2012 by Romeo V. Turcan

Romeo’s research interests lie in: Creation and legitimation of new sectors and new organizations; Late-globalization, de-globalization, de-internationalization; Bubbles, collective behavior; High impact international entrepreneurship; and Cross-disciplinary theory building

Business experience

Prior to commencing his academic career Romeo worked in a range of posts involving public policy intervention in restructuring, rationalizing and modernizing business and public sectors such as power, oil, military high-tech, management consulting, ICT and higher education. He founded, started and as CEO led a branch of an international NGO.

He has been a member of various boards, including the board of Enterprise and Parliamentary Dialogue International, London, UK (2013-2019) and the board of the International Society of Markets and Development (2019-present). He is the Chairman of the Organization of Moldovans in Denmark.

Research programme

Romeo is the founder and coordinator of an inter-disciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-technology and international collaborative research programme, Theory Building Research Programme (TBRP), www.tbrp.aau.dk. 

Funding portfolio

Since the foundation of TBRP in 2012, Romeo has attracted, as main applicant, EU funding of over 7.3 million EUR, and acted as coordinator of 5 EU funded projects:

• “Legitimation of Newness and Its Impact on EU Agenda for Change”, Marie S. Curie project (2020-2023, main applicant and coordinator, www.lnetn.aau.dk)

• “International Entrepreneurship Network for PhD and PhD Supervisor Training”, Strategic Partnership (Erasmus+) project (2019-2022, main applicant and coordinator, www.ietn.aau.dk)

• "Extra staff mobility to contribute to the implementation and sustainability of PBLMD project", Learning Mobility of Individuals (Erasmsus+) project (2017-2018, main applicant and coordinator, www.pblmd.aau.dk/spillover-effects/extra-staff-mobility)

• "Introducing Problem Based Learning in Moldova: Toward Enhancing Students’ Competitiveness and Employability", ERASMUS+ Capacity Building national project (2015-2019, main applicant and coordinator, www.pblmd.aau.dk)

• “Enhancing University Autonomy in Moldova”, ERASMUS+ Capacity Building structural project (2012-2015, main applicant and coordinator, www.euniam.aau.dk)

Awards

2021: PBLMD project I coordinated, was selected by EACEA among CBHE projects that were implemented during 2015-2020 to offer a training based on the achieved project results during the CBHE Virtual Fair to a worldwide audience

2017: 1st Degree Diploma – from the Government of the Republic of Moldova for “remarkable success achieved in professional area and active promotion of the image of the Republic of Moldova in the Kingdom of Denmark”

2017: Emerald Award for Excellence for Highly Commended paper with Norman M. Fraser “An Ethnographic Study of New Venture and New Sector Legitimation”

2014: Emerald Awards for Excellence for Highly Commended paper with Nikhilesh Dholakia “Bubbles: Towards a Typology”

2001: Scholarships from Department of Marketing (University of Strathclyde) and University of Strathclyde to pursue my PhD study

1999: Scholarship from Scottish Development International (Scotland) and travel grant from Soros Foundation (Moldova) to pursue my MSc study

Recent publications

Turcan, R. V., & Reilly, J. E. (2020). Populism in Higher Education Curriculum Development: Problem Based Learning as a Mitigating Response. Palgrave Macmillan.

Turcan, R. V., & Fraser, N. (Eds.) (2018). The Palgrave Handbook of Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Entrepreneurship. Palgrave Macmillan.

Turcan, R. V., Reilly, J., & Bugaian, L. (Eds.) (2016). (Re)Discovering University Autonomy: The Global Market Paradox of Stakeholder and Educational Values in Higher Education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Dholakia, N., & Turcan, R. V. (2014). Toward a Metatheory of Economic Bubbles: Socio-Political and Cultural Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Education

PhD in International Entrepreneurship (2006), Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK

MSc in International Marketing (2000), Department of Marketing, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK

Diploma in Philology (1995), Department of Post-University Studies, Moldova State University, Chisinau, Moldova

Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (1992), Air Force Engineering Military Academy, Riga, Latvia

Carsten Wehrmann (General Manger International, Tchibo GmbH) "Exploring Internationalisation Effects on Firm Performance: Quantitative Empirical Study among German, Swiss and Austrian Listed Companies" (2019)

Matthias Zach (Head of NPD, Roche Diagnostics) "Exploring the Emergence of New Product Concepts under Uncertainty: A Case of Cross-Functional Teams in the In-Vitor Diagnostics Industry" (2020)

Demet Schaefler (CEO, Spital Heiden, Switzerland) "A study of Authentic Leadership in Organizations: A Case of Public Hospitals in Switzerland” (2022).

Laurie Prange-Martin (Capilano University, Canada) "The Process of Creation and Legitimation of New Industries in Remote Regions: A Case of Yukon" (2023)

Jackson Kinyanjui (Halmstad University, Sweden) “Competing for Legitimation” (2024)

Olga Pojiltov (Aalborg University, Denmark) “Fluid Ethics and Legitimation of Newness” (2024)

Cristian Ziliberberg (Aalborg University, Denmark) “Analysis of Change Narratives and Diffusion” (2024)

Louis Lines (Aalborg University, Denmark) “Brexit, New Europe and Newness Chasm: Cross-Channel Conceptualization of Newness and Tradition” (2024)

Department Council, Department of Business and Management

Professor Council, Department of Business and Management

EU Funding Task Force, Faculty of Social Sciences