Memorandum of Cooperation between The UNWE and UniCredit Bulbank

Memorandum of Cooperation between the UNWE and UniCredit Bulbank was signed by Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Statty Stattev, Rector of the university and Levon Hampartzoumian, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of the bank. The document was signed at the opening of the First Business Master Class of UniCredit Bulbank at the Large Conference Hall of UNWE where attended lots of students and lecturers.

Prof. Stattev, Mr. Hampartzoumian and Mr. Minniti (from the right to the left) after the signing of the Memorandum

At the event attended also Assoc. Prof. Dr. Radko Radev, Director of the Center for Business Competencies Development - Innovations and Competitiveness (u2b), Prof. D.Sc.(Econ.) Yosif Iliev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Elders and Professor Emeritus of UNWE, Hana Chitbayova, Human Resources Director at the UniCredit Bulbank.

Assoc. Prof. Radev, Prof. Iliev, Prof. Stattev, Mr. Hampartzoumian, Mr. Minniti, Mrs. Chitbayova (from the right to the left)

It`s a special honour and pleasure of being here with Levon Hampartzoumian, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of UniCredit Bulbank as well as Chairman of the Association of Banks in Bulgaria (ABB) and Enrico Minnity, General Manager and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of UniCredit Bulbank. We are here to legalize our longstanding “family co-existing”, pointed out Prof. Stattev. The Rector reminded that Mr. Hampartzoumian had been an alumnus of UNWE and defined him as “one of the titans of the Bulgarian banking system”.

Today the bank concludes an agreement with the largest Bulgarian university whose students are more than 22 000 and lots of its alumni already traditionally participate in the internships and practice trainings at the UniCredit Bulbank, declared Prof. Stattev. According to his words the Memorandum will strengthen the bilateral relations. I am convinced that by the signing of the document we will do all that is possible to make the cooperation between the UNWE and UniCredit Bulbank successful at all levels, explicitly said the Rector.

The Rector (on the right) is speaking about the good interaction between the UNWE and UniCredit Bulbank.

“The modern world develops so fast that sometimes the academic world cannot be in step with what happens as technology, processes and development of a certain field”, outlined Levon Hampartzoumian. Through the cooperation we will make the bilateral process easier – the students will successfully orient in their professional way and we will find out among them the “rising stars” of the financial horizon. The banker expressed his thankfulness to the UNWE Managing Body for the useful interaction and emphasized on the fact that the enthusiasm for it had been mutual.

In the Large Conference Hall

It`s a very special event for me, pointed out Enrico Minnity. He exposed three reasons for that: the important resource for student scholarships, opportunity for the bank managers to know the young people better and the chance to share with them the necessary knowledge and ways of work. “This is what we, the bankers need. The better we know the young generation and its demands the better we can work together”, said Mr. Minniti.

You inspired us for this programme because at the UniCredit Bulbank more than 500 students per year carry out their internship. One of our best experts are here and we are glad that they will share with you their experience and knowledge, pointed out to students also Hana Chitbayova.

Hana Chitbayova (on the left) and Enrico Minniti

The cooperation between both institutions provisions the conduction of lectures, seminars, round table conferences and business forums, providing opportunities for career development and professional realization of students from the UNWE through internship programmes and employment, organization of competitions for young people, etc. In the document is written also the organization of joint empirical research, preparation of expert appraisals, participation of bank officials in the academic and scientific research process of the Industrial Business Department, etc. The cooperation will encourage also the joint application on projects and programmes, joint participation in scientific forums, etc.

Representative and Coordinator on the implementation of Memorandum from the UNWE is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Radko Radev, Director of the Center for Business Competencies Development – Innovations and Competitiveness (u2b) and from the UniCredit Bulbank – Hana Chitbayova, Human Resources Director.