Meeting with the National Agency for Erasmus Plus Programme

A working meeting with representatives of the Centre for Human Resources Development /CHRD/ of the National Agency managing the EU Erasmus Plus Programme was held at the UNWE.

The Rector Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov welcomed the guests from the CHRD, introduced the participants from the UNWE and noted that Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kamelia Assenova is the new Director of the University Center for Students and Lecturers Mobility /UCSLM/ and the Institutional Erasmus Plus Coordinator at the UNWE. The efforts of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Hristozov, UNWE Secretary General for International Cooperation, for the organization of the meeting and the formulation of the important working topics between the two institutions were also highlighted.

Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov

"We, as a university, has an objective to develop mobility activities under the Erasmus Plus Programme. We are working with other similar centers and we would like to achieve synergy between them", underlined Prof. Dimitrov. He also added: "The COVID–19 crisis obstructed the active work on the Programme but the potential for success is great and this is the direction we should strive for. We have resources, facilities and other activities so we can be mutually helpful in achieving these objectives. We look to the future with optimism".

The Rector and Mihail Balabanov, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Resources Development

"I would like to express thankfulness to the University of National and World Economy for the invitation. A meeting like this provides an opportunity to discuss many important issues concerning the Erasmus Plus Programme and the challenges to mobility. The pandemic, caused by Covid-19, has had a serious impact on the Programme. Universities have been forced to transform their forms of mobility from face-to-face to hybrid and fully online. Not all higher education institutions were prepared for such a transformation. I see that the UNWE has an excellent infrastructure in this respect and has the necessary facilities", said the Executive Director of the Centre for Human Resources Development Michail Balabanov. He also declared: "In the future we would like to take action for improving the coordination on the project. Thus the programme will strehgthen its good image. The objective is to attract more students to take advantage of the opportunity for intercultural exchange".

Assoc. Dr. Yanko Hristozov and Mihail Balabanov

In the framework of the meeting were discussed actual issues related to the opportunities set up in the new Erasmus Plus Programming period, issues related to the implementation of student and lecturers mobility in the context of COVID-19 pandemic and force majeure consequences, accountability and budget of the Programme, preparation of information brochures and materials.

The meeting was attended by Prof. Dr. Miroslava Rakovska, Vice Rector for Educational Activities, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Hristozov, UNWE Secretary General for International Cooperation, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kamelia Assenova, Director of the University Center for Students and Lecturers Mobility /UCSLM/ and UNWE Institutional Erasmus plus Coordinator, Chieg Assist. Dr. Dimitar Damyanov, Deputy Director of the UCSLM, Atanas Dimitrov, Director of the Inter-University Centre for Career Development and experts from the UCSLM.