INSEAI Network

0000-0002-9847-1200

  adriana.alexandru@csie.ase.ro

Professor at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (BUES) and a Senior Researcher at the National Institute for Research and Development in Labour and Social Protection (INCSMPS), with over 18 years of experience in socio-economic research and recognized expertise in the informal economy. She coordinates the Business Economics Data Science Lab (BEDSL) at BUES, integrating econometrics, data science, and predictive modeling into labor market research and public policy analysis, while also supervising Ph.D. candidates focused on informality. At INCSMPS, she leads the Informality Data Research Lab, developing quantitative and machine learning models to assess the scale and drivers of informality within the EU. As a Senior Expert on European Commission projects-such as the initiative supporting the European Platform Tackling Undeclared Work-she has conducted MIMIC estimations and multilevel analyses, delivering strategic policy recommendations. Additionally, she has directed five national projects on informal economy issues and has contributed to over 50 national and international projects, including EU-funded evaluations, advising institutions such as the European Commission and national ministries on inclusive and sustainable formalization policies.

0000-0002-5074-1419

  vasile.strat@bbs.ase.ro

Vasile Alecsandru Strat is a full professor at the Department of Statistics and Econometrics of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, where he also serves as Dean of the Bucharest Business School. His research focuses on statistical and econometric modelling, regional economic development, foreign direct investment analysis and policy evaluation. He combines academic leadership with an extensive research portfolio, leading multidisciplinary teams and contributing to the design of innovative programs in higher education, executive training and evidence-based public policy.

0009-0007-7097-3341

  ioana.birlan@csie.ase.ro

Ioana Bîrlan is a Teaching Assistant at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), teaching within the Faculty of Business Administration (FABIZ). She is also a researcher in the Business Economics Data Science Lab (BEDSL) and a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Cybernetics and Statistics. Her expertise lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, econometrics, and sustainability, with a particular focus on ESG metrics and their nexus with informality and governance. She applies data science methodologies, including natural language processing and large language models, to the study of sustainability reporting, transparency, and regulatory compliance. She is also actively involved as a researcher in INSEAI which is a Horizon project examining aspects of informality in the European Union and Latin America.

0009-0008-3642-715X

  bolboasamaria20@stud.ase.ro

PhD student in Cybernetics and Economic Statistics at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), Romania. She has been a Research Assistant at the National Scientific Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection (INCSMPS) since February 2024, Junior Researcher at the Informality Data Research Lab (IDRL) since November 2024, and Associate Researcher at the Business Economics Data Science Lab since January 2023.

She holds undergraduate and Master's-level training in Economics, Economic Cybernetics and Quantitative Economics from ASE. Her research combines microeconomic and macroeconomic foundations with advanced data analysis, data mining and machine-learning models.

Her research lines include labour informality, social protection, labour economics, taxation, labour costs, energy vulnerability and socioeconomic inequalities in Europe.

0000-0003-3589-1969

  margareta.florescu@ari.ase.ro

Margareta-Stela Florescu is a full professor at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, in the Faculty of Administration and Public Management, where she combines statistical and econometric approaches with the analysis of public policies and European development strategies. Her research focuses on sustainable economic development, regional competitiveness and urban policy in Europe, as well as the governance and financing of scientific research in universities. She has extensive experience in coordinating academic projects and editorial activities, contributing to the international visibility of Bucharest University of Economic Studies through numerous publications and research initiatives.

0000-0003-0705-0476

  geambasumaria14@stud.ase.ro

Geambasu Maria-Cristina is a PhD student in Cybernetics and Economic Statistics and a graduate teaching assistant at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, as well as a senior data analyst at Europanel Romania. Her research focuses on the determinants of informality and the measurement of the shadow economy at regional level, using advanced statistical and machine learning methods. As an associate researcher at the Business Economics Data Science Lab (BEDSL), she contributes to projects on informal labour, taxation and public sector performance, bridging academic research with real-world data analytics.

0009-0007-0500-5002

  diana.agafitei@csie.ase.ro

Marina-Diana Agafitei is a PhD student and teaching assistant at the Doctoral School of Cybernetics and Statistics of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, and a data analyst involved in several interdisciplinary research projects. Her research focuses on the informal economy, tax evasion, corruption and public policies, combining traditional statistical methods with data science and machine learning techniques. She is actively engaged in international collaborations and dissemination activities on labour informality and digital transformation, including contributions to INSEAI initiatives and thematic seminars in Europe and Latin America.

0000-0001-9693-8607

  eduard.manta@csie.ase.ro

Eduard Mihai Manta is a university assistant in the Econometrics and Statistics Department at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies and a Ph.D. student at the Doctoral School of Cybernetics and Statistics. His research focuses on the informal and shadow economy, sustainable development and governance, with recent work on embedding informality into sustainable development indices and profiling informal workers using machine learning methods. He also has extensive professional experience as a quantitative analyst in the financial sector, which he leverages to connect advanced statistical modelling with the analysis of public policies and economic risks.

0000-0002-0116-4950

  tamara.nae@economie.ase.ro

Assistant professor at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, in the Department of Economics and Economic Policy, and a researcher at the Business Economics Data Science Lab, where she applies econometrics and data science to the analysis of inequality, poverty and economic convergence in Central and Eastern European countries. Her research focuses on European integration, cohesion policy and labor market dynamics, with particular attention to sustainable development challenges and territorial disparities. She also works as an economist at the Romanian Ministry of Finance, bridging academic research with the design and evaluation of public policies.