Transforming a personal dream into a collective mission
The beginning of Upgrade Education is a story about the courage to look back home and transform a personal dream into a collective mission. Our founder, Tinu Bosînceanu, embarked on this journey a few years ago, after spending almost seven years in the United States, where he graduated from Harvard.
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His first day back in Romania in 2017 was a defining moment.
Tinu was sitting in an apartment on Speranței Street, a street that, much like this story, was filled with possibilities. Thinking about the future, he spent the entire night talking with an old friend about life, choices, and the uncertainties of the present. That night, he made a decision that would change the course of his life: to bring the innovative learning methods he had experienced at Harvard back to Romania to shape the future of the country’s youth.
And so, Upgrade Academy was born. But like any success story, the beginning was not easy. Many viewed his return to Romania as a step backward, and the idea of changing the local education system was met with skepticism. Tinu faced rejections from investors and questions from acquaintances: “Why would you leave America for Romania?” Despite these obstacles, he kept going. With nothing to lose, he went from classroom to classroom at Tudor Vianu High School, trying to convince students that there was another way to learn, another way to build their future.
After many attempts and challenging moments, Tinu’s dream began to take shape.
In 2022, Upgrade Academy evolved into Upgrade Education, expanding not only into mentoring for admission to top universities but also offering academic courses based on alternative pedagogy. The students who participated in these courses shared that they had experienced an education far beyond the norms they were used to in Romania.
By 2024, Upgrade Education had grown, learned and transformed into an academy of the future, focused on offering each student the opportunity to reach their full potential, not only through academic preparation but through a holistic approach to education.
As we guided students toward top universities, we realized that academic success alone was not enough for their lifelong achievements. They needed durable, adaptable skills that set them apart in a rapidly changing world. This led us to pivot our focus to building a meta and soft skills framework, known as the HUMAN Framework, which emphasizes Heuristic Learning, Understanding Communication, Mentorship in Problem-Solving, Agility in Collaboration, and Navigating Change. Through HUMAN, we aim to empower students with the skills essential not only for university but for thriving in life and leadership.
The results speak for themselves
2017
Offers: 64
Present
Offers: 5000+
Total Students | Number of offers per student | Total Offers |
---|---|---|
1500+ | 3+ | 5000+ |
This is not just a statistic. It’s proof that mentorship and personalized education work when driven by passion and dedication.
Upgrade Education is not just about preparing for admission but about empowering young people to become the leaders of their own destiny. That’s why we continue to innovate and create programs that meet the needs of today’s youth, teaching them to discover and cultivate their passions in a constructive and authentic way. And what truly unites us is not just the extraordinary team of mentors but the community of students we work with – students who inspire us every day to become better and to always rise to the mission we’ve set for ourselves.