Our University Celebrated 103 Years of Creation and Rise with Solemn Academic Council

By Solemn Academic Council headed by the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov was celebrated the 103th Anniversary of the University of National and World Economy.

On 21 May 1920 eleven prominent professors, businessmen, public figures, historians, sociologists and lawyers founded the Free University of Political and Economic Sciences /FUPES/. On this date the founder Prof. Stefan Bobchev - European graduate, patriot, Minister of National Enlightenment, corresponding member of several foreign academies of sciences, summoned the first session of the initiative committee for the establishment of a new specialized high school in Sofia and since then we count the years of creation and rise of UNWE - already 103.

"Dear colleagues and supporters in the steep road we have walked in the last three years! I open this Solemn Academic Council with words of pride, gratitude and optimism!”, addressed to attendees the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and outlined: "Pride, because when we look back, we see the complex path of inevitable changes that we walked together. The pandemic that marked the beginning of my tenure has confronted us with a real threat to the educational process and the prospective student campaign. We have had to complete our digital face with tremendous speed and to seek out our prospective students online in ways we had never used before. We have learned to be innovative in a way that is completely different for us. And the results didn't take long. In the face of the danger of being wiped out, we excelled. Gratitude is the second key phrase in my keynote address. It is not by chance that I pronounce "Thank you" in front of you, the representatives of the Academic Council. You are the nucleus that transposes this progress. The engine that has created the favourable conditions for its development", said Prof. Dimitar Dimtrov and emphasized: "The third topic I want to talk about - Optimism! We are the successors of a personality who has received incredible, not only national, but also world recognition. Our founder Prof. Stefan Bobchev has been a corresponding member of academies of sciences all over Europe, a level that today we maintain with dignity and must expand. We are now part of ENGAGE.EU, the European most prestigious alliance of elite business universities, and we actively work to continue the project. One of our important tasks for the future which was also included in my election programme is to expand the University to the world. In times of adversity, the universities are those that have lifted up the nations.

This is the mission I see before us all. To be that beacon of wisdom and knowledge that in times of unspirituality gives direction to the misguided and brings back the reprobate.

Happy Anniversary to our university, dear colleagues!

Happy 24 May - the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian alphabet, education and culture and of Slavonic literature.

The Spirit Makes the Power! Let us carry the UNWE in our hearts!", wished the Rector at the end of his solemn speech.

During the Solemn Academic Council the Rector awarded the commemorative medal Prof. Stefan Bobchev - Founder and First Rector of the UNWE to the Chairmen of the General Assembly, the Control Council and the Academic Ethics Committee of UNWE and to the Deans of the eight UNWE Faculties.

"I am honoured to receive this medal, it obliges me a lot. In such cases, the number of medals is limited but the merit is broader. As President of the General Assembly and as a member of the collective for long years I can say that never and in no case a leader of a certain structure can achieve this success if there is no support, empathy and understanding from the collective. I accept this award as a prize for the UNWE General Assembly. The path that I have walked as a President is a path of giving the status of independence, of power to this Higher Body of UNWE, which elects all", said the President of the UNWE General Assembly Prof. Dr. Lalko Dulevsy at the awarding ceremony.

Prof. Dr. Daniela Feschian, Chairperson of the UNWE Control Council expressed thankfulness to the Rector and the Academic Community and said: "I was touched by your words about the extremely difficult situation we went through but we showed that we are a great team and that together we can do everything. We changed the rules, we rewrote the bylaws, we created an organization through which we did what was necessary to be done but the more important, we did it with dignity, legality, integrity and publicity".

"I would like to thank to the UNWE Managing body that really respects the work we put in to make our University our pride. My professional journey is related only with our University and I assure you that I have always been proud of that. Happy Anniversary to all! Let`s be safe and sound and success", said Prof. Dr. Galina Mladenova, Chairperson of the UNWE Academic Ethics Commission.

"I'm really excited because after so many difficult situations that we have successfully overcome, we can now greet ourselves with real success. We are all very proud that we have succeeded. Of course, first of all, I would like to thank to the Rector who found a lot of courage in himself to be able to lead us out of this situation which no one has experienced before", said Prof. Dr. Margarita Atanasova, Dean of the General Economics Faculty of and outlined: “I would like to express special greetings all the Heads of Departments of General Economics Faculty who have been the main energy for the successful overcoming of serious challenges".

"I would like to express my thankfulness for this high honour. I accept this award as a sign, a recognition to the Finance and Accounting Faculty and to the whole academic community which managed to cope in these years of very serious and difficult challenges and we were at the level of expectations of our students. Happy Anniversary and Happy 24 May", commented the Dean of the Finance and Accounting Faculty Prof. Dr. Rumen Brusarsky.

"I accept this medal as a recognition of the hard work and the fact that our Faculty coped with the problems", said at the awarding ceremony Assoc. Prof. Dr. Silvia Terezova, Dean of the Economics of Infrastructure Faculty.

The Rector Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov expressed his gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Venelin Boshnakov, Dean of the Applied Informatics and Statistics Faculty, for his assistance in the realization of the specialties in two new professional fields of Computer Science and Pedagogy. He drew attention to the fact that in September it will be opened the admission to the specialties Cyber Security and e-Government, Computer Processing and Data Analysis as well as Pedagogy of Education in Economics and Informatics which he described as a huge success.

"I accept this medal as gratitude for the efforts of all my colleagues from the Applied Informatics and Statistics Facult who had to prepare the documentation in a short time to realize these two new professional fields," said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Venelin Boshnakov and added: "I have always said that these are strategic decisions that the Rector's Managing body took for the good and the future of the University. Our University establishes itself as a higher education institution with a broader palette of specialities in some useful and modern for the society programmes".

"At celebration are always said very nice words and we heard them from everyone who spoke before me. So there's not much to add besides to confirm that we have indeed lived in some interesting times in which we and the Managing body have managed to cope. I wish the Managing body for the next term to also manage in interesting but not so turbulent times. I would also like to express my gratitude to my colleagues from the Business Faculty for we have managed well, really. Thank you, dear colleagues, this recognition is for you", emphasized Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Blagoev, Dean of the Business Faculty.

I am pleasantly surprised by the award for which I thank you. As Dean of the Law Faculty, I almost always speak after others because our letter is at the end of the alphabet. I am placed in the favorable or unfavorable situation to speak after such charming speakers as my colleagues", said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zahary Tormanov, Dean of the Law Faculty and outlined: "I think the biggest positive thing during my tenure as Dean has been the opportunity to work with all of you collegially, professionally, and I dare to say friendly. The motto of UNWE is The Spirit Makes the Power and the spirit is made when you have like-minded people, when you have friends, when you have support. Be safe and sound, I am sure that our university will go ever forward".

Prof. D.Sc. Simeon Zhelev, Dean of the Management and Administration Faculty and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Bakalova, Dean of the International Economics and Politics Faculty were prevented from attending and will be awarded at the next Academic Council.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Stoilov, Head of the Physical Education and Sport Department, announced that the UNWE will be awarded the trophy for the third place in the final comprehensive ranking of the National Student Universiade in Stara Zagora for 2023 and pointed out: “It is the consecutive great success for our university in the field of sport. The UNWE has a serious role in the academic sport development and this year marks the 100th Anniversary of foundation of the first student sports club".

Prof. Dr. Spas Stavrev, lecturer at the Physical Education and Sport a Department and member of the Management Board of Academic University Sports Association and Marina Terziiska, Head of Sports at the Association, awarded the Cup and the Badge of Honour of the National Universiade to the Rector Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov and the Rector's Managing body.

"On behalf of Academic University Sports Association, I would like to award this Cup. It is of special value because this year is the 30th Anniversary of this association, which is the organizer of all domestic, international, student championships and tournaments. This success would not have been possible without the support of the Rector's Managing body", pointed out Prof. Dr. Spas Stavrev.

The Rector's Managing body with the Honorary Badge of the National Student Universiade: Prof. Dr. Tsvetana Stoyanova, Vice Rector for Institutional and Business Cooperation and Student Policies, Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova, Vice Rector for Educational Activity, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector, Prof. Dr. Michail Musov, Vice Rector for Research and International Affairs, Prof. Dr. Rosen Kirilov, Vice Rector for Digitalization and Cybersecurity, Prof. Dr. Kiril Stoychev, Assistant Rector of UNWE /in picture below from the left to the right/.

After the Solemn Academic Council in front of the Monument to the Founder and First Rector of UNWE Prof. Stephan Bobchev wreaths and flowers were laid by the Rector's Managing body, university lecturers, the Student Council, the Trustees Council, students and guests of the celebration.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Lilyana Valcheva, Chairman of the Trustees Council of UNWE and Chairman of the Higher Education and Science Syndicate at Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, Petar Andronov and Martin Petkov, members of the Trustees Council, also laid flowers in front of the monument to the founder and first Rector of UNWE Prof. Stefan Bobchev /in the picture below from the right to the left/.

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