Gilda Lazăr, an Ambassador of Romanian Culture, Between Journalism, Social Responsibility, and Cultural Diplomacy

We live in times when culture is often pushed to the periphery, and authentic journalism is suffocated by superficiality and media noise. In this fragile landscape, Gilda Lazăr stands out as a figure of reference, a benchmark of professionalism, refinement, and responsibility in the Romanian public sphere.

Her nomination for the Romanian Excellence Trophy, within the Romanians of Excellence in the West Campaign, 2025–2026 edition, is not merely an acknowledgment of an outstanding professional career. It is also a reaffirmation of the values she upholds and embodies, discreetly yet powerfully: dignity, consistency, independence, and a profound loyalty to the idea of culture as a national identity expression.

Gilda Lazăr belongs to the first generation of journalists trained after the 1989 Revolution, quickly establishing herself as a distinctive and influential presence in the Romanian media. With over 5,000 articles published in print and broadcast media, and a remarkable activity in the service of truth and freedom of expression, Gilda was honored in 1995 with the title of Romania’s Most Valuable Woman Journalist. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with prestigious institutions such as România liberă, Dreptatea, Radio Free Europe, Lumea liberă (New York), Tele7abc, and TVR, solidifying her reputation as an accomplished media professional.

Yet Gilda Lazăr’s professional path did not end with journalism. She served as spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1996–1997) and as representative of the National Forum Foundation / Freedom House for Central and Eastern Europe, playing an active role in supporting press freedom and democratic values in the region.

Subsequently, for almost three decades, she headed the Corporate Affairs & Communications Department of one of the most important multinational companies in Southeastern Europe, shaping a strong vision in strategic communication and corporate responsibility.

Since 2025, Gilda Lazăr has held a position emblematic for the cultural prestige of contemporary Romania: Communications Director of the George Enescu International Festival, a symbol of artistic excellence and cultural diplomacy at the highest level.

Perhaps her most notable contribution to Romanian journalism is the initiation and coordination of the JTI Journalism Fellowships, a program run uninterrupted for over 25 years. More than 300 journalists have benefited from international professional training, and the standards promoted through this endeavor have strengthened a model of responsible, courageous, and well-informed journalism in a constantly evolving society.

Without any exaggeration, Gilda Lazăr is one of the most influential promoters of Romanian culture in the past three decades. Through vision, perseverance, and an authentic sense of value, she has directly supported, or through JTI, some of the most prestigious Romanian festivals: George Enescu, the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, TIFF, and Anonimul.

She has supported leading institutions such as the George Enescu Philharmonic, the Radu Stanca National Theatre, the Madrigal National Choir, and the Bucharest National Opera, and has been a constant advocate for emblematic Romanian museums: the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, Brukenthal, and the National Museum of Art of Romania.

Her involvement has extended to restoration projects (such as the refurbishment of Rubens paintings), support for the performing arts, and educational or intercultural initiatives, including: the Japanese Garden in Herăstrău, the Romanian–Japanese Studies Center, and the Japanese Culture Days. Not least, Gilda Lazăr has coordinated and supported editorial projects, art exhibitions, documentary films, and specialized publications, all contributing to the consolidation of a vibrant and relevant cultural landscape.

A special chapter in her activity is the “JTI Meetings” event, which she has turned over time into a true national cultural brand dedicated to contemporary dance. For 26 years, this project has run uninterrupted, offering consistency, international openness, and excellence to an artistic field often overlooked in post-transition Romania, a rare achievement in the national cultural scene.

For this exceptional work, carried out with discretion and rigor for more than three decades, Gilda Lazăr has been awarded numerous honors and distinctions: the Order of Cultural Merit (Knight rank), the Civic Responsibility Award, the People for People Diploma, the Women’s Leadership Award, as well as the Ambassador’s Diploma granted by the Embassy of Japan for promoting Japanese culture in Romania.

Gilda Lazăr is a founding member of prestigious organizations such as ACTA – Association for Communication, Transparency and Art, the Association for the Museum of the Romanian Peasant, and the Romanian Public Relations Professionals Association. She serves on honorary boards or strategic advisory teams for numerous impactful cultural and social initiatives.

A graduate in Philology, with a thesis on the doctrine of Cubism under the supervision of Professor Dan Grigorescu, Gilda Lazăr has continued to pursue lifelong learning in fields essential to contemporary society. She has completed a Master’s in Business Law, a Mini-MBA, and high-level international specialization programs in leadership, strategic communication, and public relations in the USA, Germany, the UK, and Belgium, confirming a solid, multidisciplinary intellectual path attuned to a constantly changing world.

In today’s world, recognition is often obtained through compromise or loud self-promotion, but Gilda Lazăr has chosen dignified discretion, quiet work, and unwavering loyalty to the principles that have defined Romanian journalism and culture at their highest moments of integrity. Today, when Romania’s image in the diaspora needs authentic, enduring, and credible points of reference more than ever, her contribution is all the more valuable, not only for what she offers, but for how she inspires.

Occidentul Românesc nominates her for the Romanian Excellence Trophy not only for what she has achieved, but above all for what she embodies: continuity, loyalty to values, and the deep conviction that journalism, culture, and responsibility can together build a dignified Romania—beyond borders and beyond temporary circumstances.

Images: Personal archive of Gilda Lazăr

Author: Kasandra Kalmann Năsăudean

Founder of Occidentul Românesc, journalist, and editor with a public vocation, Kasandra is a lucid and steadfast voice of journalism rooted in responsibility and dignity in the diaspora. Since 2010, she has been tenaciously building a bridge between Romania and the West, offering readers not only information but also a point of reference, not only articles, but also conscience. Through every signed text, she promotes essential values: dignity, responsibility, and mutual respect, in a landscape where clear voices are becoming ever rarer, but all the more necessary.