Professor Romeo V. Turcan
Romeo V. Turcan is a Professor at Aalborg University Business School, Adjunct Professor at the Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and Visiting Professor at the University of Cambridge, UK. Romeo’s main research interests include legitimation of newness and theory building across diverse disciplines and contexts.
Since Romeo joined AAU in 2010, he has developed, singly and jointly, several substantive (contextual) and general theories. Substantive theories: Theory of goal alignment; Theory of legitimation; Theory of captivity; Theory of bubbles; Process theory of legitimation; Theory of scoping; Theory of comfort zoning; Theory of newness co-emergence; Theory of insider-outsider perceptions of leadership authenticity. General theories: Theory of hype; Metatheory of bubbles; Theory of knowledge and structure; Theory of search for meaning. Currently, Romeo, in close collaboration with Norman M. Fraser, focuses on building new foundational frameworks for the Sociology of Knowledge.
Romeo is the founder and coordinator of an inter-disciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-technology and international collaborative research programme, Theory Building Research Programme (TBRP, www.tbrp.aau.dk). Since the foundation of TBRP in 2012, Romeo has attracted, as main applicant, EU funding of over 7.4 million EUR, and acted as coordinator of 5 EU funded projects.
Romeo has served as Danish National Expert to Horizon Europe; EU key expert to the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova; and advisor to the Yukon Government, Canada. Prior to commencing his academic career, Romeo served in a range of positions involving public policy intervention in the restructuring, rationalisation and modernisation of both the private and public sectors, including the energy, military, management consulting, ICT and higher education industries.
Romeo earned his PhD (2006) and MSc (1999) from the University of Strathclyde’s Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Marketing Department, respectively, in Glasgow. He earned his diploma in English philology (1995) from the Moldova State University in Chisinau and mechanical engineer diploma (1992) from the Air Force Engineering Military Academy in Riga.
Select publications
- Fraser, N. M. & Turcan, R. V. (2025). Reconstructing the Social Construction of Reality. British Journal of Sociology.
- Turcan, R. V., Reilly, J. E., Jorgensen, K. M., Taran, Y., & Bujac, A. (2023). The Emerald Handbook of Authentic Leadership. Emerald Group Publishing.
- Turcan, R. V. (2023). The Search for Meaning: Redefining or Undermining Authenticity? In R. V. Turcan, J. E. Reilly, K. M. Jorgensen, Y. Taran, & A. I. Bujac (Eds.), The Emerald Handbook of Authentic Leadership (pp. 375-391). Emerald Group Publishing.
- Turcan, R., Juho, A., & Reilly, J. (2021). Advanced Structural Internationalization of Universities is Unethical. Organization, 28(6), 1059-1067.
- Turcan, R. V., & Reilly, J. E. (2020). Populism in Higher Education Curriculum Development: Problem Based Learning as a Mitigating Response. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Turcan, R. V., & Fraser, N. (Eds.) (2018). The Palgrave Handbook of Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Entrepreneurship. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Turcan, R. V. (2018). Sociology of Knowledge Perspective on Entrepreneurship. In R. V. Turcan, & N. M. F. (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Entrepreneurship (pp. 433-455). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Turcan, R. V., Reilly, J., & Bugaian, L. (Eds.) (2016). (Re)Discovering University Autonomy: The Global Market Paradox of Stakeholder and Educational Values in Higher Education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Dholakia, N., & Turcan, R. V. (2014). Toward a Metatheory of Economic Bubbles: Socio-Political and Cultural Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Select awards
- “Legitimation of Newness and Its Impact on EU Agenda for Change”, Marie S. Curie project (2020-2023, www.lnetn.aau.dk)
- “International Entrepreneurship Network for PhD and PhD Supervisor Training”, Strategic Partnership (Erasmus+) project (2019-2022, www.ietn.aau.dk)
- “Introducing Problem Based Learning in Moldova: Toward Enhancing Students’ Competitiveness and Employability”, ERASMUS+ Capacity Building national project (2015-2019, www.pblmd.aau.dk)
- “Enhancing University Autonomy in Moldova”, ERASMUS+ Capacity Building structural project (2012-2015, www.euniam.aau.dk)