Consortium Meeting on the Project STUDIES-DIG Was Held at the UNWE

The first Consortium meeting on the project Models and Instruments for Transforming Higher Education Systems through Transnational Multi-Sector Links was held at the UNWE in the period 19^-20 February 2024.

Representatives of academic and non-academic organizations from Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania, Morocco, Turkey and Egypt took part in a meeting at the UNWE which marked the official start of the research activities related to the project No.101131544 STUDIES-DIG - Models and Instruments for Transforming Higher Education Systems through Transnational Multi-Sector Links.

The UNWE is the Coordinator of a Consortium of 14 partners - universities, public and private organizations as well as representatives of the non-governmental sector in Europe, Asia and Africa. The project is part of Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation /2021-2027/ under the funding scheme of Marie Sklodowska–Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange – RISE. The project implementation started on 1 January 2024 and its main objective is to study and establish successful contemporary models and instruments that contribute to the transformation of higher education and the sustainable and effective adaptation of higher education systems in the digital era. The project participants think that the education is the main way of achieving sustainable development goals. The project partners participate in a research and staff exchange programme for a period of 48 months.

The meeting at the UNWE was initiated by the Coordinator and marked the beginning of team work related to the execution of the work packages on the project and the participants’ ambitions are to develop international, interdisciplinary and multisector partnership links not only during the project execution but also to mark the beginning of new joint initiatives. 

Prof. Dr. Polya Katsamunska, Project Coordinator and meeting moderator, delivered a welcoming speech and presented the project. She emphasised that the successful application for the funding of the project was possible due to the exceptional effort of all consortium partners. She introduced the official guests: H. E. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Marocco to Bulgaria and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Bulgaria,  H. E. Ana Maria Ribeiro da Silva, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Portugal to Bulgaria, Mr. Mostafa Khamis, Counsellor and Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Bulgaria, Mrs. Ceren Özkan, First Secretary at the Embassy of Turkey in Sofia, Mr. Radu- Calin Moldovan, Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Romania in Sofia, Dr. Milena Glavcheva, Science Directorate, Ministry of Education and Science in Bulgaria. Prof. Katsamunska emphasized that "the UNWE collaborates with over 187 universities, our university is a successful partner in many educational and research projects as parts of programmes funded by the Bulgarian government and the European Union, and has a Research Center for Big Data Processing".

Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova, Vice Rector for Educational Activity, delivered welcoming speech on behalf of the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov. She said that ‘"the objectives of our university are part of its long-term strategy for achieving sustainable integration in the European and international education and in this respect the project plays a crucial role for the realization of the UNWE Strategy".

H. E. Mrs.  Zakia El Midaoui outlined the importance of the project for the future development of higher education, business, and society because "we live in an era of unprecedented digital transformation which impacts on all aspects of higher education. That is why we need innovative solutions for transforming the system of higher education in this digital era, we need solutions providing greater chances for extending the access to higher education".

Assoc. Prof. D.Sc. Michael Musov, Acting Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs, presented the UNWE’s research activities and international partnership. He emphasized on the fact that "the UNWE is the oldest, the most prestigious business university in Bulgaria and South-Eastern Europe and a leader among Bulgarian universities with the highest institutional accreditation - 9.80 /out of 10/ which indicates the quality of education provided by the respective university in our country according to the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency".  

On behalf of Dr. Milena Damyanova, Head of the Science Directorate of the Ministry of Education and Science, welcoming address to the participants of the project was delivered by Dr. Milena Glavcheva. A welcome speech was given by Assoc. Prof. Ekaterina Tosheva, Vice Dean for Scientific and Research Activity at the Faculty of Applied Informatics and Statistics, also member of the project team.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Tosheva, H. E. Zakia El Midaoui, Prof. Dr. Polya Katsamunska, Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova, Assoc. Prof. D.Sc. Michael Musov, Dr. Milena Glavcheva /from the left to the right/

Welcoming speeches were also delivered by the other project partners and by the representatives of the diplomatic missions of the countries which are consortium partners. The event continued with panel discussions on issues related to the research activities in work packages, srategies for their execution, mobilities timeline and plans for the first reporting period.

Participants, part of the Consortium, as beneficiaries, and associated partners