Prof. Dr. Gabriel Garcia-Parada Arias from the University of Granada: Young People Should Be Flexible

Prof. Dr. Gabriel Garcia-Parada Arias from the University of Granada, Ceuta Campus, Economics, Finance and Accountancy Department delivered public lecture on the Economic Development from the Entrepreneurship Point of View. Spain/Bulgaria – Comparisons and Opportunities on the Erasmus Programme. Moderator for the event was Prof. Dr. Daniela Koh-Kozhuharova, Head of the Foreign Languages and Applied Linguistics Department.

Prof. Daniela Koh-Kozhuharova and Prof. Gabriel Garcia-Parada Arias

Prof. Koh presented the Spanish guests Prof. Garcia-Parada Arias and Prof. Aguado Romero from the same university and emphasized on the longstanding fruitful academic exchange between the lecturers and students from the UNWE and their colleagues from the University of Granada. The Head of Foreign Languages and Applied Linguistics Department announced the good news that 5 Spanish students from the University of Zaragoza had chosen to study at the UNWE during the winter semester of academic year 2018/2019.

In his presentation the lecturer had an objective to make parallel between the economies and living standard of Spain and Bulgaria. He pointed out various data as well as some statistical data for 2017 proving that the income per capita in Spain is higher than in Bulgaria but due to the longstanding EU aids.

One of the problems of Spain is the ageing population (the country occupies the second place after Japan for the life expectancy) although for the health care in Spain are spent 5 times higher amounts than in Bulgaria, outlined Garcia-Parada.

In the Small Conference Hall

Many Spanish entrepreneurs come to Bulgaria because of the various opportunities, pointed out the lecturer. The new technologies boom and the change of business rules impose on young people to develop flexibility, outlined the Spanish guest. He gave as example Alexander Naydenov`s success published on the first page of Forbes magazine. The entrepreneurship is a challenge and the formula of company success includes competencies plus knowledge multiplied by the attitude to what we do, said the lecturer. His presentation contained citations by Steve Jobs, Socrates, Plato interpreted and adapted to our modern times by Garcia-Parada.

The guest-lecturer ended his presentation with a film devoted to the Spanish enclave in North Africa, Ceuta city where the University of Granada, Ceuta Campus is located. The film contained also statements in wonderful English by the UNWE students who had visited their Spanish colleagues on the Erasmus Programme.

At the event attended lecturers in Spanish and English language from the Foreign Languages and Applied Linguistics Department as well as Maria Jose, representative of the Education Office at the Embassy of Kingdom of Spain and Begonya Ubieta, representatives of Cervantes Institute in Sofia (in the picture below), students and guests. After the lecture the Spanish guest went to the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) for a wide-ranging radio interview.

Prof. Dr. Gabriel Garcia-Parada Arias has graduated Entrepreneurship at the University of Málaga. He is Master of Science in Management and Administration of Tourist Companies. He has been a lecturer at the Financial Economics and Accountancy Department of the University of Granada, Ceuta Campus. Prof. Garcia-Parada is also a teacher in a course for secondary pupils on accountancy, financial and insurance products as well as on financial mathematics and administrative management process and he is a Head of numerous projects. Prof. Garcia-Parada is also a lecturer at the National University of Distance Education (UNED) in Spain. He has three children.