Alexandru Niculescu, a renowned linguist and academic, significantly contributed to the fields of Romanistics and Romanian studies in Romania from 1950 to 1984. His career was abruptly interrupted in 1984 when he sought political asylum in France. Following this, he had a fruitful scientific and academic career abroad, although his work remained largely unknown in Romania due to the country's isolation at the time.
From 1980 to 1993, Niculescu served as an associate professor at the University of Paris IV (Sorbonne), and from 1986, he was a full professor at the University of Udine, where he promoted Romanian values internationally and aimed to bring the Romanian language into the scientific realm of European Romanistics. His tireless efforts for Romanian science earned him numerous accolades, including the title of "Presidente di onore dell' Associazione Italiana dei Romenisti" (2000) and "Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana" (2004), as well as the title of "Officier des Palmes Académiques" in France.
After the Romanian Revolution, Niculescu re-engaged with the Romanian scientific and journalistic landscape. He was active in cultural magazines, notably "România literară," and played a crucial role in publishing volumes III and IV of the series "Individualitatea limbii române între limbile romanice" (Clusium, 1999, 2003) and the work "Creștinismul românesc. Studii istorico-filologice" (Spandugino, 2017).
In volumes III and IV, Niculescu shifted from pure linguistics to the historical and cultural aspects of Romanian individuality. This transition reflects his deep belief that examining the uniqueness of the Romanian language requires understanding the historical and cultural context in which Romanian Romanity crystallized and developed.
Niculescu's scientific method and approach reveal his unique intellect—an ever-curious mind capable of unexpected and intelligent connections, deeply engaged in the obscure beginnings of language. He advocated for interdisciplinary approaches, integrating linguistics with history, religion, and culture, recognizing that his methodologies diverged from contemporary linguistic frameworks.
Niculescu passed away recently at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy of works that advocate for a new integrative perspective in research, beneficial not only for linguists but also for historians and specialists in the history of Christianity and mentalities.
Throughout his life, Niculescu maintained a commitment to Romanian culture and language, seeking to illuminate the complex and often ambiguous beginnings of Romanian identity. His contributions continue to inspire future generations of linguists and researchers.
His remarkable journey from Romania to France and Italy, his relentless pursuit of knowledge, and his dedication to fostering Romanian studies abroad mark him as an exemplary figure in the world of linguistics.