Ionel Haiduc, former President of the Romanian Academy, dies at 89

Ionel Haiduc, a prominent Romanian academic and chemist, has passed away at the age of 89. He served as the President of the Romanian Academy from 2006 to 2014 and led the Cluj-Napoca branch of the Academy between 1995 and 2006.

A former rector of Babeș-Bolyai University, Haiduc was a highly influential figure in the field of chemistry, particularly in organometallic and supramolecular chemistry. His scientific legacy includes over 350 published works and nine books. Notably, his 1999 volume, ‘Supramolecular Organometallic Chemistry’, was prefaced by Nobel laureate Jean-Marie Lehn.

Colleagues and academic institutions have praised Haiduc as a rare model of a scientist who combined international research impact with generosity toward students and peers. He held memberships in several prestigious organizations, including the Academia Europaea and the Academy of Sciences of Moldova.