CORNELIU DINU

Born on 13 February 1944 in Ploiesti, Romania, prof.dr. Corneliu Dinu was raised in a Christian family that provided him with an advanced education. After the primary and secondary school, he followed the Theoretical High-School “Nicolae Balcescu” where he finished the studies in 1961. In the same year, he started as a student the Faculty of Technical Geology at the Oli and Gas Institute of Bucharest. He finished the university in 1966 with a geological engineering diploma.

Between 1967 and 1969, Corneliu Dinu worked for the Geological Prospection Company (the present  Prospectiuni SA) in Bucharest, in the Geological Section. During his employment here, he worked for hydrocarbon and salt geological prospecting in the Eastern Carpathians thin-skinned nappes in the areas of Trotus, Bicaz and Bistrita valley, but also in the SE Carpathians bending area.

In 1970 he was selected for the position of Assistant Professor at the Oil and Gas Institute of Bucharest, partly incorporated later in the University of Bucharest in what is presently the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics. Corneliu Dinu has finished and defended with success his PhD studies in 1978. He remained in the faculty and successfully promoted passing through all the academic positions until the nomination of University Professor.

Prof. Dinu was elected in 1990 as Dean of the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, where he remained in this management position for 14 years until 2003. Prof. Dinu is the creator of the modern structure of the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, where he led the Professorial Council. During this time, prof. Dinu was a member in the Administration Council and Senate of the University of Bucharest. In this period, he has continuously changed and adapted the faculty to ever changing demands and he has educated and led a large number of young researchers and specialists who are currently employed or lead institutes, companies or academic institutions worldwide, in particular in geo-resources, academic teaching and advanced research.

During his entire academic career, prof. Dinu has initiated and taught fundamental courses in Geosciences, such as Structural Geology, Tectonics, or Sedimentary basin analysis. He advanced research in these domains with remarkable success in the international scientific community. He has initiated and contributed significantly to the MSc Basin Analysis at University of Bucharest. He organised numerous successful international scientific programmes with top universities in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, or the USA.

Prof. Dinu has an extraordinary publication record that includes 103 papers, 6 books and book chapters and editor of 5 scientific volumes. He has participated in numerous international conferences and is well known in the international scientific community. Prof. Dinu has received the “Gregoriu Cobalcescu” prize of the Romanian Academy of Sciences and he was elected a member of Academia Europaea already in 1995.

Prof. Dinu has remained very active at University of Bucharest after retirement, where he led during his long career more than 100 successfully completed PhD studies, while leading many of these studies as promoter in foreign universities. In parallel, he functioned as Director General of Raffles Energy, Romania branch. He also functioned in the Council of Administration of GeoEcoMar Research Institute (16 years), SN Petrom SA (2 years) and the Romanian National Salt Company (12 years).

It is very difficult to write with completeness the activity of the geologist, structural geologist, tectonic person, sedimentary basins analyst, but also of the professor leading doctoral studies, manager and Romanian geology school creator Corneliu Dinu. His 50 years of activity have generated a major impact on the Romanian geology and geological school, an activity well recognised nationally and internationally.