Brunel University of London’s Dr Liana Nagy was among the Top 100 Romanians Abroad presented with their awards at a ceremony at the Palace of Parliament in Bucharest earlier this month.
The event, attended by the Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu and senate president Nicolae Ciucă, was the seventh annual celebration curated by Newsweek Romania, the country’s edition of the popular weekly news magazine.
It was part of the RePatriot Summit 2024, held from 3 to 6 October, which brought together the most impressive achievers from the country’s diaspora. The aim of the summit is to strengthen collaboration, launch new strategic and business partnerships and enhance the future of Romania.
The RePatriot Summit at the Palace of Parliament, Bucharest
Dr Nagy, who grew up in Blaj, qualified as an occupational therapist in the UK in 2010 and joined Brunel as a lecturer in the subject last year. Her award, in the Top 100’s health category, was in recognition of various projects which have led to an enrichment of the occupational therapy profession and of therapy centres in Romania.
One of these projects is the redistribution of disability equipment that would otherwise go to waste. “There are large amounts of unused disability equipment in the UK which are discarded, rather than reissued to patients, which isn’t great from a sustainability perspective,” Dr Nagy explained. “But there are some charities that refurbish this equipment and check it for safety so that it can be made available for people with limited access in low- and middle-income countries.”
“Since 2016 I have supported Romanian organisations who need equipment by forging a strong, honest and transparent partnership with one of the charities in the UK, PhysioNet. This global collaboration has reduced the inequity gap while also reducing waste: a win–win for both countries.”
Dr Nagy was also recognised for shaping the therapy process for children with chronic conditions in Asociația Maria Beatrice, a national centre, and for being part of a UK-based occupational therapist team who trained staff in Romania on several occasions.
“One of the aspects we focused on within the training, beyond improving competence, was ensuring integrated multidisciplinary work with shared goals for the child and family,” said Dr Nagy. “Establishing processes requires communication between professionals including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, medical and administrative staff. This is not typical in Romania at present.”
Commenting on her award, Dr Nagy said: “I’m honoured to have received a Top 100 Romanian Abroad award and that I was able to raise awareness of the ongoing needs of the children with chronic conditions and disabilities, and the occupational therapy input. I was inspired to meet many other Romanians from the diaspora who have made notable contributions to health or other sectors, and to hear about organisations in Romania, including universities, who are keen to develop partnerships with the UK in ways that can benefit both parties.”
Dr Nagy receiving her award
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Reported by:
Joe Buchanunn,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268821
joe.buchanunn@brunel.ac.uk