Excellent Performance of Participants from the UNWE at ENGAGE.EU 2023 Summer School
At the height of summer seven UNWE students participated in the 2nd edition of the ENGAGE.EU European University Summer School at the University of Economics and Business in Vienna. After a selection process conducted by the host university, Alexandra Guzleva /Media and Journalism/, Victoria Ilieva /International Economic Relations/, Gabriela Metodieva /International Economic Relations/, Diana Stankova /Entrepreneurship/, Ioana Petkova /Accounting and Control/, Martin Stoyanov (/Business Economics and Management taught in English/ and Nikolay Boshnakov /Law/ were selected to participate in the Summer School. Over the course of two weeks the participants had the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills on the topic Transformation Towards Sustainability: Challenges and Solutions. Together with students from eight other ENGAGE.EU partner universities, they worked intensively on a range of topics related to sustainable development, climate change risks, contemporary challenges in economics, law, international relations and politics as well as demographic change.
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43 students from 9 universities participated in the 2nd edition of the ENGAGE.EU Summer School |
The academic programme was implemented with the participation of leading lecturers from the ENGAGE.EU Alliance: Prof. Filiberto E. Brocetti /Luiss University, Rome/, Prof. Paul Pelzel /NHH Norwegian School of Economics/, Prof. Michael Wolfesberger /Vienna University of Economics and Business/, Prof. Lorenz Tinhoff /Vienna University of Economics and Business/ and Prof. Dr. Mariana Murgova /UNWE, Sofia/. Through their assistance the students were encouraged to work actively in teams, to research current issues and to present the results of their research in relation to the principles and practices of sustainable development. Each of the students worked in teams with colleagues from the other universities which provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences as well as to stimulate intercultural communication with the aim of enriching knowledge and skills through the exchange of perspectives and experiences. At the end of the Summer School the team projects were presented bringing together the creative solutions and ideas developed in response to the problems and case studies set by the teachers.
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Participants from the UNWE /from the left to the right/: Ioana Petkova, Martin Stoyanov, Nikolay Boshnakov, Alexandra Guzleva, Diana Stankova, Gabriela Metodieva and Victoria Ilieva |
During the two weeks of the Summer School the participants enjoyed both an academic and an intensive social and cultural programme. The highlights of the programme included: a lecture by Mrs. Laurence Boone, State Secretary of France for European Affairs and Chief Economist of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; a lecture by Mrs. Elisabeth Wagner from the Austrian Data Protection Authority; visits to the UN Office in Vienna and the Parliament of the Republic of Austria. The two company visits - to the modern Spittelau Waste Incineration Plant in Vienna and to the leading telecommunications company Magenta - were of particular interest. These companies implement working models and innovations that support the Sustainable Development Goals.
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The UNWE team together with the State Secretary of State of France for European Affairs – Mrs. Laurence Bo |
An impressive part of the Summer School programme was the cultural evening where each group of students had to present the country they came from. The team of Bulgarian students - representatives of UNWE - shared with their foreign colleagues the richness of Bulgarian culture and nature as well as traditional Bulgarian food and drinks. At the end of the presentation Gabriela Metodieva performed a beautiful Bulgarian folk song.
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| The Bulgarian participants during the cultural evening |
The second ENGAGE.EU Summer School has established itself not only as a useful and engaging educational programme, but also as a transformative experience for the participating students. This initiative broadens their horizons and deepens their understanding of the critical issues facing our planet and how to make informed decisions. The message from the Bulgarian participants can be summarised as follows: "We are grateful to the organizers and to our colleagues from different countries for the rich experience we have gained which will certainly shape our professional and personal paths in the future!”.
