Private education in Romania has seen significant growth in recent years due to the underfunding of the public education system. Currently, approximately 7% of primary school students are enrolled in private institutions. Mark Twain International School (MTIS), the first private school in Romania to offer a dual curriculum, was founded 30 years ago and has become a benchmark for private education, providing a modern, student-centered learning environment with a full pre-university International Baccalaureate program integrated with the national curriculum.

Anca Macovei Vlăsceanu, founder of MTIS and a leader in educational entrepreneurship, was awarded the title of “Architect of Future Education” at the Women in Economy 2025 Gala for her contribution to the development of private education in Romania and for implementing international standards within the national education system.

The event, held at the Romanian Athenaeum, was organized by the National Confederation for Female Entrepreneurship in Romania (CONAF) and honored ten women who have redefined excellence in various industries through innovation and performance.

"Receiving the 'Architect of Future Education' award is, of course, an honor, but more importantly, it renews my responsibility and dedication to this chosen mission as an educator, entrepreneur, and leader in EDUCATION. Although it is an individual recognition, this award acknowledges the work and achievements of the Mark Twain International School community (students, parents, teachers) over the past 30 years, both in Romania and globally, as an International Baccalaureate World School. Alongside me in this achievement are Dan Macovei Vlăsceanu, my life and business partner, our children Ioana and Petre, the MTIS leadership team, and recently, our partners at Morphosis Capital, with whom we have ambitious plans for the coming years,” stated Anca Macovei Vlăsceanu upon receiving the award.

The development strategy pursued by the Macovei Vlăsceanu family and Morphosis Capital will focus on two key directions:

• Expanding the Romania Education Alliance (REA) – the first educational network of its kind in Romania, aimed at forming strategic partnerships with other successful private schools in Bucharest, Ilfov, and key cities such as Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Brașov, Sibiu, Constanța, Timișoara, and Bacău.
• Organic growth of the MTIS network within REA, through the opening of new, modern, and fully equipped campuses that will uphold the school’s values, principles, and best practices. These campuses will be developed in partnership with major real estate investors in Bucharest, Ilfov, and other university cities:
• The new Mark Twain IS Cosmopolis campus, located at the border of Tunari and Ștefăneștii de Jos, will cover nearly one hectare and include a sports field, playgrounds, and green spaces near Lake Crețuleasca. The campus will feature 8,000 square meters of educational buildings, hosting a Kindergarten, Primary School, and Middle School, serving over 800 students. The investment exceeds €10 million and is being developed in partnership with Opus Land Development. The opening is planned for September 2025.
• The Mark Twain International School Flagship Campus, located in the northern part of Bucharest, will be a pioneering educational ecosystem with a €20 million investment in partnership with Partener Construct Logistic. The campus will span 60,000 square meters on the lakeshore in Balotești, offering 15,000 square meters of academic, sports, and cultural facilities for over 1,200 students aged 2-18. The opening is scheduled for September 2026.
• Preliminary discussions are also underway for the construction of an innovative school campus as part of a large-scale urban renewal project in Bucharest. This 4,000-square-meter campus will serve 400 Kindergarten and Primary School students. The opening is planned for September 2027, with a total investment exceeding €5 million.

Between 1995 and 2025, over 5,000 students from Romania and 60 other countries have been part of the Mark Twain IS educational community. Currently, the school has around 650 students enrolled in two pre-university divisions: bilingual Romanian-English and international.

MTIS graduates have been accepted—many with merit scholarships—into more than 150 prestigious universities in Romania and over 30 countries worldwide, including UCLA, Stanford, Cambridge, London School of Economics, Berklee Boston, Guildhall School London, EH Lausanne, and Babeș-Bolyai Cluj.

About Mark Twain International School

Mark Twain International School is a private, independent, co-educational institution offering a dual curriculum for the entire pre-university educational cycle. The school provides students with a high-performance and stimulating learning environment, tailored to their individual needs, goals, and aspirations, fostering curiosity and lifelong learning while ensuring success, confidence, and creativity in tomorrow’s world.

MTIS is fully accredited to offer all three International Baccalaureate programs and is also fully accredited by the Romanian Ministry of Education.

*This is a Press release.