BrainMap

Mrs. Sonia-Doris Andras

PhD

Research Fellow - University of Pisa

Other affiliations

Associate Assistant Researcher - ACADEMIA ROMANA FILIALA CLUJ (Romania)

PhD Candidate - University of the Arts London, London College of Fashion (United Kingdom)

Researcher

Sonia D. Andraș is a postdoctoral researcher, MSCA Seal of Excellence recipient, and has a PhD from University of the Arts London. She authored “The Women of ‘Little Paris’: Fashion in Interwar Bucharest” (2024, Bloomsbury Visual Arts) and signed an editor contract with Bloomsbury for “The Enduring Influence of Paris in a Globalised World: Adaptation, Negotiation, Rejection.” As a member of PN-III-P4-PCE-2021-0688 (EDERA), she co-authored “Trailblazers of the Press: American War Correspondents in Interwar Romania” with Carmen Andraș and co-edited “Negocieri transatlantice. Cooperarea româno–americană în educație, cultură și arte/Transatlantic Negotiations. Romanian–American Cooperation in Education, Culture, and Arts” with Cornel Sigmirean, Carmen Andraș in 2024, “Creative Negotiations: Romania–America 1920–1940” with Roxana Mihaly, and “Romanian–American Negotiations in Education, Science, Culture, and Arts” with Cornel Sigmirean, Roxana Mihaly in 2023, all at Cluj University Press.

Web of Science ResearcherID: AEZ-2073-2022

Curriculum Vitae (26/09/2025)

Expertise & keywords

A History of Translations in Romanian 16th -20th centuries Call name:
O.M.E.N. nr. 3694/2019. 2019 - 2029

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE" DIN SUCEAVA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE" DIN SUCEAVA (); UNIVERSITATEA DE VEST TIMISOARA ()

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA "ŞTEFAN CEL MARE" DIN SUCEAVA ()

Project website: http://www.itlr.usv.ro

Abstract:

„O istorie a traducerilor în limba română – secolele XVI-XX (ITLR)” are ca obiectiv studierea traducerii ca parte integrantă a patrimoniului cultural și intelectual, analiza dimensiunii sale dialogice interculturale de conectare la patrimoniul universal.

Folosirea pluralului pentru cuvântul „traducere” are ca scop să atragă atenția asupra unicității fiecărei traduceri, a faptului că ea presupune o sumă de condiții concrete și, mai ales, activitatea și creativitatea constrânse de anumite limite ale unui traducător.

Cercetarea ITLR vizează traducerile în limba română elaborate și publicate în toate provinciile istorice românești (Moldova, Muntenia, Transilvania, Basarabia, Bucovina) sau în alte spații culturale românofone.

Este o cercetare deosebit de complexă (9-10 ani), de mare amploare (4-5 volume), care antrenează numeroși cercetători (aproximativ 100) din mai multe universități.

FIVE BUCharests in a Decade: Fashioning Romanian Urban Cultures, 1939-1949 Call name:
MSCA SoE@Unipi 2025 2025 - 2027

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: Department of Political Science, University of Pisa

Project partners: Department of Political Science, University of Pisa ()

Affiliation: Department of Political Science, University of Pisa ()

Project website: https://old.unipi.it/index.php/unione-europea/item/29648-msca-seal-of-excellence-unipi-2025

Abstract:

FIVE BUCharests in a Decade: Fashioning Romanian Urban Cultures, 1939-1949 (FIVEBUC) is an original, comprehensive, comparative investigation into the development and crisis of Bucharest’s identity over a decade as represented in fashion. It is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Seal of Excellence @Unipi (MSCA SoE@Unipi) research project proposal with Università di Pisa , supervised by Prof. Vincenzo Mele.

FIVEBUC redefines the landscape of historical and sociological research by employing an interdisciplinary methodology to examine five distinct periods of Romanian history simultaneously and comparatively. It adopts a novel approach by exploring Romania’s development from 1939 to 1949, focusing on the five different eras of Bucharest through fashion. It emphasises the influence of European social, cultural, and identity frameworks during this era. The project investigates how fashion reflected the prevailing Zeitgeist and how the evolving concepts of Bucharest’s identity became closely intertwined with Western influences.

The timespan covers five successive Bucharests over one decade, around and during the Second World War, across extreme ideologies. The 5 Bucharests are:

The last year of the interwar era, marked by significant shifts in Romania under King Carol II’s right-wing royal dictatorship. During this tumultuous time, the country experienced increasing austerity and severe censorship, restricting freedoms and stifling dissent. As the world braced for conflict, the shadow of World War II began to loom larger, with its onset reshaping political landscapes and igniting tensions across Europe. Between 1939 and 1940, these events paved the way for the unprecedented turmoil that would follow in the years of war ahead. This Bucharest can be traced shortly before and within the first year of the Second World War.

The Second Bucharest emerged as an extreme-right-wing militant autocracy. A significant event in this period was the establishment of the National Legionnaire State, which marked a shift in Romania’s political landscape. Romania officially aligned itself with the Axis powers, which resulted in a significant rise in racist, eugenic and antisemitic violence and the country’s participation in the Holocaust. This turbulent period lasted from 1940 to 1941, coinciding with the early years of the Second World War.

The Third Bucharest encompasses Romania under the right-wing military dictatorship of Ion Antonescu. This regime continued Romania’s involvement in the Holocaust, contributing to the tragic events and atrocities of the time. Romania played a significant role on the Eastern Front alongside the Axis powers, further entrenching its military presence in this critical conflict. This Bucharest occurred from 1941 to 1944, encompassing much of the later years of the Second World War.

During the Fourth Bucharest, Romania experienced a significant shift in its political landscape, marked by the transition from the Axis powers to the Allies. This change was catalysed by King Michael’s coup, which played a crucial role in Romania officially joining the Allied forces. As the conflict progressed, Soviet involvement in the region increased significantly. In the post-war period, a dramatic turn occurred as the Soviet Union solidified its influence. This led to the forced abdication of King Michael and the subsequent takeover of Romania by Soviet-backed forces. This Bucharest occurred during the pivotal years between 1944 and 1947, during the last years and shortly after the end of the Second World War.

The Fifth Bucharest period unfolded during the initial years of the Communist dictatorship in Romania. Among the critical events that shaped the nation’s future was the controversial election process, which set the stage for significant political change. The Popular Republic of Romania was officially born during this time, reflecting the broader shifts across Eastern Europe. This era saw the implementation of Stalinisation in Romania, as the government worked to align itself more closely with Soviet policies. This traumatic and transformative Bucharest period occurred between 1947 and 1949, shortly after the end of the Second World War, as the decade neared its conclusion.

The Ethos of Dialogue and Education: Romanian–American Cultural Negotiations (1920-1940) Call name: P 4 - Proiecte de cercetare exploratorie - PCE-2021
PN-III-P4-PCE-2021-0688 2022 - 2024

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: ACADEMIA ROMANA FILIALA CLUJ

Project partners: ACADEMIA ROMANA FILIALA CLUJ (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://www.icsumures.ro/proiecte-de-cercetare/PCE_2021_EDERA_Raport_stiintific_final.pdf

Abstract:

This project follows the complex cultural and educational negotiations between Romania and the United States as consequences of political and diplomatic debates in the interwar era. Its timeframe covers two crucial decades in Romania’s history, from 1920 with Romania’s recognition as a national state, until 1940 as Romania aligned itself with the Axis. Its theme continues the vast array of literature on Romanian-US relations from diplomacy, politics and sociology towards the realms of culture, art and education. It aims to decode and correlate negotiations on educational, intellectual, cultural, ethnic, religious, artistic or gender themes, to determine their effects and implications. It thus offers a clearer insight into how collective and individual identity was recalibrated at the end of the Age of Empires, amid turbulent power center shifts. The world’s new political configuration brought a much more solid and persistent redistribution of cultural and academic centers, with the United States in full affirmation. This contribution recovers the ignored or deliberately omitted facts regarding the interwar dialogues between Romania and the United States. It is based on the project director’s experience in the history of education, intellectual history and, the attendance of foreign universities by Romanian students. It is also based on the expertise of project members in cultural and intellectual history, cultural studies, history of religion, arts and political science.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader	Download (35.21 kb) 08/06/2026
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises	Download (16.48 kb) 29/01/2025
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects