Innovative Doctoral Practice at The Economic Sociology Department

Alexander Panayotov is the new Doctor in Sociology of the Economic Sociology Department who has successfully defended his dissertation work 1 year and 3 months earlier than the expiry of his Doctoral programme. A scientific jury comprised of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andrey Nonchev, Chairman, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Stoyanova, Scientific Advisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sasha Todorova, Prof. D.Sc.(Soc.) Anna Mantarova and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zdravka Toneva conferred on him the Educational and Scientific Degree of Doctor for his dissertation work on the Policy to Control the Drug Addicted People in Bulgaria: Management Efficiency in the Terms of New Information and Communication Technology.

The Head of Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Andrey Nonchev declared: “The Department is proud of such alumni. The achievement of Alexander Panayotov is success also for the Scientific Advisor, for the Department, Faculty and university. It is a proof of tradition in the joint scientific research work with Doctoral students, creative climate and responsible attitude to young people. Now at the Department study nine Doctoral students, four of them are in the process of completion of their dissertation work and five new Doctoral students has been taken on during the Department session on 16 March. I wish all such a great success as the Alexander has achieved!”

Aleksander Panayotov (on the left) with Assoc. Prof. Nonchev and Assoc. Prof. Stoyanova

Assoc. Prof. Sasha Todorova, reviewer of the Doctoral student pointed out: “The success of Panayotov is due to the correctly chosen and applied methodic that corresponds the subject and object of research as well as to the very good theoretical preparation of Doctoral student, his practical experience as a Senior Expert at the National Focus Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, huge information base used skillfully, strongly expressed applicable direction of the dissertation work reflected in the recommendations for improvement of social practice. The application of social evaluation on policies to control the drug addicted people in Bulgaria I assess as a pioneer work”.

Assoc. Prof. Maria Stoyanova shared: ”Alexander Panayoutov has elaborated a dissertation work having an innovative direction. His scientific contribution regards the development of full system of indexes and indicators for assessing the policy efficiency for controlling the drug addicted people in Bulgaria. He has elaborated and applied a model for evaluation of the policy whose use will contribute to the optimization and improvement of results. On the base of approbation of the model to one of the strategic tasks namely the improvement of access to treatment and psycho-sociological rehabilitation for people using drugs the Doctoral student made a specific analysis having a high applicable value. On this ground recommendations and possible solutions for the social management bodies are formulated. I think the dissertation work elaborated by the Doctoral students has enriched the scientific knowledge as well as the research approaches and methods in the field of social evaluation and the approbation of the model approved its necessity for the Bulgarian social practice”.