Mirabela Grădinaru at Digital Education Summit Hosted by Melania Trump
Mirabela Grădinaru, the partner of Romanian President Nicușor Dan, is participating in a summit at the White House focused on global digital education for children, beginning Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The summit, convened by U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, brings together representatives from 45 countries, as well as tech companies including OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft, according to reports.
Grădinaru addressed the summit on Tuesday, expressing gratitude to First Lady Trump for the invitation. “I would like to express my gratitude to our host, the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump,” she stated, according to a transcript released by the Romanian Presidential Administration. She described the initiative as “extremely valuable, generating momentum, visibility and the dynamism so necessary in this field.”
Grădinaru emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to digital education, connecting education, innovation, and technology. “At the same time, it is essential to adopt an integrated approach that better connects education, innovation and technology,” she said. “I look forward to beginning to collaborate closely with First Lady Melania Trump and with all those present at this table, within this project, to develop concrete initiatives and achieve a tangible impact in promoting digital education, safe online practices and media education for children around the world.”
Accompanying Grădinaru to the summit are Vlad Ionescu, State Counselor for Foreign Policy, and Diana Pungă, State Counselor for relations with civil society, the Romanian Presidential Administration confirmed. Grădinaru also introduced two Romanian experts attending the summit: Andrada Morar, Vice President of Customer Experience and Global Partnerships at UiPath, a Romanian-founded automation company, and Robert Beza, Executive Director of Edge Institute Romania, a digital transformation think tank.
The summit aims to improve access to modern educational tools, including those utilizing artificial intelligence, for students, teachers, and parents, while also strengthening online safety. According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the delegation’s participation follows an invitation extended by Melania Trump as part of an international effort involving First Ladies from multiple nations.
The Romanian delegation’s schedule includes a working session at the U.S. Department of State on March 24th and a high-level meeting at the White House on March 25th, dedicated to digital education and child protection online. The delegation is also scheduled to meet with Lisa Choate, President of American Councils for International Education, to discuss educational exchange programs, and visit The Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities at Georgetown University to meet with director Matthew Biel and his team.
Mirabela Grădinaru arrived at the White House before President Nicușor Dan was scheduled to arrive in the United States in his official capacity, according to Mediafax.