Official Assembly of The Law Faculty on The Occasion of Its 25th Anniversary

Sunday, 17 April 2016 20:45

The Law Faculty of UNWE held an official assembly on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of its establishment. At the event in Maxima Aula attended the Rector of the university Prof. D.Sc. (Econ.) Statty Stattev, Ekaterina Zaharieva, Minister of Justice, Maya Manolova, Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jivko Draganov, Dean of the Law Faculty as well as representatives of the legal science and practice, alumni of the Faculty occupying high positions in the society, lecturers, graduates and official guests.

The Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, the Dean Assoc. Prof. Jivko Draganov, the Rector Prof. Statty Stattev and the Ombudsman Maya Manolova (from the left to the right) at the opening of the official assembly 

It is a high honour for me on behalf of the Academic Managing body of UNWE and personally to greet you on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Law Faculty, said in the crowded hall Prof. D.Sc. (Econ.) Statty Stattev. “Today we celebrate a quarter of a century from its establishment although 96 years ago when the Free University of Political and Economic Sciences had been established - the glorious predecessor of UNWE where even in the first academic year nine legal disciplined had been studied”, pointed out the Rector. He reminded that the founder and first Rector of UNWE Prof. Stefan Bobchev had been an eminent jurist, authoritative lecturer and scientist in the field of Bulgarian, Slavonic and canonical law. He had also been one of the founders of the Law Faculty at Sofia University as well as one of the founders and Chairman of the Law Association and Chief Editor of the magazine Legal Review.

In Maxima Aula

Lecturers at our university are eminent scientists in the field of the law science, erudite and extroverted personalities having a high sense of moral values, people of honour who loyally work for a new Bulgaria, outlined Prof. Stattev and emphasized that the time of nearly a century had been the time of “priceless experience and university tradition in the legal education at the UNWE”.

According to the Rector the past 25 years had been the time of academic growth and selfless efforts of its founders – a constellation of authoritative and honest lecturers and researchers filled with love to students and university. Prof. Stattev expressed his deep respect and gratitude to their work.

he Rector is greeting the lecturers and alumni of the Law Faculty.

“Today as their worthy followers you work with your minds and hearts for our common noble cause. We owe to you, dear colleagues, the integration of the Law Faculty, one of the eight faculties of UNWE, to our large academic family”, emphasized Prof. Stattev. He pointed out that the authentic evidence for success had been the indisputable achievements in the academic and scientific research activity and in the academic growth of young colleagues, the high quality of education, excellent accreditation assessments, huge interest of prospective students, the first places of student teams of law in the most prestigious international competitions in the world, the successful career of the graduates occupying key positions in the legislative, executive and judiciary powers. “The past and the present of the Law Faculty and its three Departments – Private Legal Studies, Public Legal Studies and Criminal Legal Studies – are an explicit guarantee that the academic staff of the Law Faculty will give worthy answers to challenges also in the future and will work as it has always worked – ambitiously, honestly and professionally for the noble mission of our favourite university”, outlined the Rector and wished success and new achievements to all the lecturers, students, graduates and officials from the Law Faculty.  

During the Anniversary celebration

The Rector Prof. Statty Stattev awarded to Assoc. Prof. Jivko Draganov the Commemorative Medal of Prof. Stephan Bobchev – Founder and First Rector of UNWE which was conferred on the Law Faculty “for achievements in the academic and research work and on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of its establishment” (in the picture below). The Rector outlined that Assoc. Prof. Draganov had been the first Dean graduated from the Faculty who “has reached his youth but mature age”.

The Rector awarded the statuette of Prof. Stephan Bobchev – Founder and First Rector of UNWE to Prof. Emil Zlatarev – one of the founders and first Head of the Law Department “for loyalty to the academic traditions, for lecturers and scientific dedication and on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Law Faculty establishment” (in the picture below).

Prof. Stattev awarded the same prize also to Prof. Lyuben Karanikolov – one of the founders and first Dean of the Law Faculty and Chairman of the UNWE General Assembly (in the picture below).

For the contribution to the cooperation between the UNWE and the Ministry of Justice the Rector awarded to Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva the Commemorative Medal of Prof. Stephan Bobchev – Founder and First Rector of UNWE (in the picture below).

The Commemorative Medal was awarded by Prof. Stattev also to the Ombudsman Maya Manolova “for merit to the protection of rights of Bulgarian citizens”.

The Anniversary which we celebrate today is nearly a quarter of the time when the lecturing in law at the UNWE had been developed, outlined in his greeting speech the Dean of the Faculty Jivko Draganov. The Law Faculty is a successor of the decades of traditions of the Legal Department established in 1954 where the legal sciences had been lectured ever since the establishment of the Free University in 1920, pointed out the Dean. “The Faculty is our temple, our professional and spirit community”, outlined the Dean and expressed his thankfulness to all who had contributed to that community for being among the best ones.

The Dean of the Law Faculty Assoc. Prof. Jivko Draganov

Lecturers from the Law Faculty contributed to its development were distinguished by plaques. The Dean Assoc. Prof. Draganov awarded to Prof. Lyuben Karanikolov and Prof. Emil Zlatarev the distinct for entire contribution to the establishment and development of the Law Faculty. The same distinction was awarded by the Dean also to Prof. Hristina Balabanova, Dean of the Faculty for two electoral terms, Prof. Zlatka Sukareva, Professor Emeritus of UNWE, long-standing lecturer and Chairwoman of the Law Faculty General Assembly, Prof. Ivan Vladimirov, Prof. Bozhana Nedelcheva, former Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies and long-standing lecturer. Plaques were awarded also to Prof. Simeon Tachev, Prof. Nikola Filchev as well as to Prof. Atanas Vasilev and Prof. Philip Rachev.

The Minister of Justice Ekaterina Zaharieva greeted the lecturers and graduates from the 25th alumni of the Faculty. Remember the ambitions and dreams which you have started the road of your legal education. Don`t stop being thirsty for new knowledge and never forget the letter of law but also the spirit of law, said the Minister. “Never choke the voice of your conscience”, was the appeal of Zaharieva to the students.

“Dear lecturers, congratulations for the high position which the Law Faculty has occupied in the academic history of Bulgaria. Your Faculty is the only one which prepares jurists in the field of micro and macroeconomics. I think that the legal and economic knowledge of your alumni will provide them not only larger range of views but also more huge confidence and stimulation to work for an honest and qualitative jurisdiction”, outlined also Zaharieva. She admired the success of the UNWE team ranked at the fifth place in the most prestigious competition in investment law in March in Frankfurt.

Minister Zaharieva awarded to the Dean Assoc. Prof. Draganov the Honorary sign of the Ministry of Justice. “I am convinced that after 25 years my place will be occupied by some of your students”, said the Minister.

The Honorary sign of the Ministry of Justice for the Law Faculty

I always come back to the UNWE with great excitement and respect to my lecturers, declared Maya Manolova, alumnus of the Law Faculty. Behind every successful person there is a successful university, rephrased the well-known expression the Ombudsman and outlined that the UNWE is among the most prestigious, most worthy and confirmed higher schools in Bulgaria.

Over my long career I have observed the major principles I have learnt here, pointed out Manolova. Besides being competent I have also learned being a good and worthy person and never to forget that except the laws and legal principles I have to fight for fair causes, said the Ombudsman and wished the students to follow their worthy professional and life road.

Maya Manolova awarded to Assoc. Prof. Jivko Draganov the Plaque of Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria (in the picture below).

Petya Tyankova, Secretary for the Legal Issues of the President, alumnus of UNWE, read the Greeting Letter by Rosen Plevneliev. In his greeting is pointed out that the success of the Law Faculty is measured by the successfully educated jurists, awards won by the students, scientific achievements of lecturers team but mostly by the conscience for law built up by the generations. The Faculty has not only an educational mission but the mission to form knowing and thinking people, future jurist who will protect the human rights and major freedoms with professionalism and developed sense of justice. “I wish the Law Faculty being preferred by the best prospective students and talented and ambitious young people to educate at it. Be active, be persistent, stand up for the democratic principles of the law state even in the process of education and over the entire professional road which I am convinced will be fruitful and successful”, is pointed out in the Greeting Letter by the President.

Petya Tyankova

Greeting Letters to the Law Faculty were received also by the Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court Boris Velchev, the Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov, the Chairman of Sofia City Court Kaloyan Topalov, the Law Faculty of Climent Ohridsky University of Sofia and Law Faculty of the South West University of Blagoevgrad, by the Faculties and Departments of UNWE. Greeting Letters were also sent by the Managing bodies of the Supreme Bar Council, National Investigation Office, Administrative Court Sofia City. Her greetings to the Faculty delivered also Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lilyana Valcheva, Chairwoman of the National Branch Syndicate of Higher Education and Science at Confederation of Independent Syndicates in Bulgaria (NBS HES – CISB). 

In an official ceremony the Law Faculty graduates were given their diplomas. The Rector Prof. Stattev awarded diplomas and certificates to the excellent Masters of Science. For the highest result (5,97) was awarded Daria Georgieva. The best graduates were given prizes also by the UNWE Alumni Club.

The Rector is awarding diplomas to excellent graduates.

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