Prof. Dr. Nadia Mironova: We Actively Work for Stimulating the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Students Through the CO WORKING Project

Prof. Dr. Nadia Mironova is the Director of the UNWE Regional Centre for Distance Learning in Haskovo. We talk to her about how to stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit of students and young people in Haskovo.

Prof. Mironova, do young people in Haskovo have the desire to stay to work in the city and to develop their own business there after they have passed the training at the Regional Center?

We do our best to encourage them to start and implement their business ideas in Haskovo. I'll give you an example of how it happens. For a year and a half we have been working on a project funded by the INTERREG Programme Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020. It is entitled Promoting Entrepreneurship by Supporting Perspective Innovative Ideas Through the Creation of Pre-Incubation Mechanisms /CO WORKING/. As the Director of the Regional Center for Distance Learning in Haskovo, I coordinate all activities. The Head of the project is Prof. Dr. Nikolay Shterev, Head of the UNWE Industrial Business Department. Since last summer we have also been working with the Ministry of Regional Development which is the principal of the INTERREG agreement for Bulgaria. We have a contract with their experts.

Who are your partners by the Greek party?

The Head of the project is the Innovative Zone Alexander in Thessaloniki - the largest innovation zone in Southern Macedonia. By the Greek party in the project participates also Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - the largest public university. There we work with the colleagues from the Faculty of Economics, Finance and International Politics. By the Bulgarian party in addition to the UNWE, participant in the project is also the National Company of Industrial Zones /NCIZ/.

Where do the project activities are implemented?

On the territory of the Regional Centre for Distance Learning in Haskovo and in Kardzhali. On the territory of the industrial zone which is located in Kardzhali and which is part of the NCIZ offices will be built to promote the entrepreneurship among young people.

What is the biggest challenge you face in the implementation of this project?

The biggest challenge to the UNWE and the project is aimed at fostering the entrepreneurial spirit of our students. And specifically the task of the UNWE is to make sure that it supports the entrepreneurship not only in the cross-border area but also to promote the academic and student entrepreneurship in the city of Haskovo. And all the events planned by the project are related to our students even to those who are currently enrolled in their first year at the Center as well as to those who complete their undergraduate and graduate courses with us.