The Rector Signed Memorandum of Cooperation for Support of Women Entrepreneurs

The University will work with the Entrepreneurship and Startup Council at Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry /BCCI/ and the Foundation “For Good Examples in Business”.

The document was signed by the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Gena Sabeva as Co-Chair of the Entrepreneurship and Startup Council at BCCI and Victoria Karaabova-Stoyanova, Executive Director of the Foundation "For Good Examples in Business".

"What your organizations do can be very useful for our students as an example, experience and sharing of best practices in terms of entrepreneurship because we want to give the young people a gateway to real business and to learn them be entrepreneurs in their student years", said the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and emphasized: "In order to develop the entrepreneurial and innovation skills of our students and to help them start a business, we have opened a university Startup Hub at the UNWE. In it the young people can learn about the opportunities for funding startups, can learn how to prepare business plans and how to present their ideas to investors and they will also receive legal information. The policy of UNWE is to develop close cooperation with the business and to bring training closer to practice. It gives many opportunities and advantages to our students to experience the real business environment, we have already successfully implemented business academies with Kaufland and A1".

"For fourth consecutive year our organizations have run a mentoring programme for women entrepreneurs. The objective of the initiative is for them to come with their idea and for us to help them make it happen. Each year the number of mentors increases, currently there are 19 but we will have 5 new ones", said Gena Sabeva and added: "We learn our participants in the mentoring programme to business practices, we don't teach skills, we make them think and support the development of their ideas. This memorandum is a natural extension of that programme. We believe that we can work together with the UNWE to implement postgraduate qualifications and we will not restrict these only to women but will give the opportunity to all those who want to join the courses".

"We come to you with the confidence of people who have already seen what the business demands and because we see that what we do makes sense. Together with you, we can take another step forward for all those who are ready to start their own business", emphazised Victoria Karaabova-Stoyanova.

The Memorandum covers the trilateral cooperation in the preparation and subsequent implementation of joint projects, informing UNWE students about internships, public events, job opportunities, improving their practical skills training, including mentoring programmes organised by the Entrepreneurship and Start-up Council at BCCI and the Foundation "For Good Examples in Business" and their partners.

The document also stipulates that the organizations will cooperate by informing each other and exchanging information and publications on the activities and major events organized by the members of the Entrepreneurship and Startup Council at BCCI, the Foundation "For the Good Examples in Business" and the UNWE in Sofia and in the country. These include - the specialized national forum for startup entrepreneurs "Arena of Women's Business", the monthly thematic events "Evening of the Woman Entrepreneur", the meetings with successful entrepreneurs under the title "Evening of Success" as well as the forum for career guidance and development "What to become when I grow up", etc.

The UNWE will support the participation of representatives of Entrepreneurship and Startup Council at BCCI and the Foundation "For the Good Examples in Business" in presentations to students, in lectures, seminars, conferences, meetings or other events of our University.

The Entrepreneurship and Startup Council and the Foundation "For Good Examples in Business" will support the participation of professors and other representatives of UNWE in meetings, lectures, expertise, consultations, statistical and other studies and events of both organizations.

It is envisaged to provide opportunities for training in Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degree programmes and post-graduate qualification courses, mentoring programmes, etc. designed for professionals from the public and private sectors, business leaders and entrepreneurs at the UNWE, professionals and employees of small and medium enterprises, partners and members of Entrepreneurship and Startup Council and the Foundation “For Good Examples in Business”.

The three countries will also join efforts to organize other specific activities and events such as academies, round tables, business forums, thematic discussion meetings, expert councils, conferences on issues of mutual interest related to the country's economic situation, business development, entrepreneurship, stimulation of youth development, students and startups.

The Coordinator of the Memorandum from the UNWE is Dr. Nikolay Tsenkov, Gena Sabeva is the Coordinator from the Entrepreneurship and Startup Council and Victoria Karaabova-Stoyanova – from the Foundation "For Good Examples in Business".

Prof. Dr. Tsvetana Stoyanova, Vice Rector for Institutional and Business Cooperation and Student Policies of UNWE also attended the event.

Gena Sabeva, Prof. Dr Dimitar Dimitrov, Prof. Dr Tsvetana Stoyanova, Victoria Karaabova-Stoyanova /from the left to the right/