Cătălin Baba, PhD
Professor, Director of PhD School Administration and Public Policy
Director PhD SchoolBiography
Professor Cătălin Ovidiu Baba serves as Director of the Doctoral School of Administration and Public Policy at Babeș-Bolyai University’s College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. With a distinguished career spanning academia and government service, he has held prominent positions including Minister of Education, Research, Innovation and Youth (2012), Deputy Minister (2011-2012), and Secretary of State in the Romanian Government.
Professor Baba’s research expertise centers on public health policy, healthcare accessibility, and administrative sciences. His work has significantly contributed to understanding medical deserts, health information access in rural settings, and evidence-based policymaking. He has coordinated major European research projects including REPOPA (Research into Policy to Enhance Physical Activity) and DIYPES, securing over €6 million in research funding.
A Fulbright Scholar (2007-2008) at the University of Delaware, Professor Baba has published extensively in prestigious international journals and has presented at numerous European conferences.
Research Interests
Current Projects
- DIYPES - Do it yourself! A participative approach to increase participation and engagement of high school students in physical education and sport classes (2017-2018), Role: Coordinator
- EUNETHTA - European Network for Health Technology Assessment (2016-2018), Role: National Coordinator
- JANPA - Joint Action on Nutrition and Physical Activity (2015-2018), Role: Researcher