The First Course of the Business Academy of UNWE and Kaufland Successfully Graduated

At an official ceremony in the presence of the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov the students from the first class of the joint Business Academy between the UNWE and Kaufland received their certificates of completion of the programme. Within nearly 3 months 30 students had the opportunity to become part of the first of its kind fully business-oriented academy conducted by experts of the largest trade chain in our country.

Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Prof. Dr. Tsvetana Stoyanova, Vice Rector for Institutional and Business Cooperation and Student Policies of UNWE, Ivan Chernev, CEO of Kaufland Bulgaria

"We work on many joint projects with Kaufland and and the realization of this Academy is a natural extension of our long-standing partnership. Looking at the young people here and their emotion after graduation, I am confident that we are on the right track and this programme has been not only useful but also interesting. Kaufland Business Academy provides great opportunities for our students. The percentage of students who will stay at Kaufland in the various programmes is also quite high so we look forward to the next Kaufland Business Academy season in the autumn", these were the words the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov greeted the graduates.

"It has been my personal dream to implement this academy as I strongly believe that professionalism is gained with practice. I am grateful to the UNWE headed by Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov who gave us his trust and gave us the freedom to develop a programme that is entirely business-oriented. I am happy to announce that about 1/3 of graduates of the first course will have the opportunity to start a long-term internship programme at Kaufland and I am convinced that the percentage of those who will then start their first job at Kaufland will also be high. It means that we have succeeded not only in imparting knowledge to these young people but also in inspiring them to have the will to be part of one of the most dynamic business sectors in our country", declared during the closing ceremony the CEO of Kaufland Bulgaria Ivan Chernev.

In the ceremony took part also the Vice Rector of UNWE for Institutional and Business Cooperation and Student Policies Prof. Dr. Tsvetana Stoyanova who was part of the jury assessing the final projects presented by the participants. "As part of the jury, I would like to outline the diligence of students in their tasks. It is a direct reflection of the diligence they have approached to the whole programme, and this, I am sure, is a consequence of the great dedication of the Kaufland lecturing team", emphasized Prof. Stoyanova.

Kaufland Bulgaria and the UNWE launched the first retail Business Academy in the country - Kaufland Business Academy in early 2023. Within nearly three months it trained 30 students who acquired practical knowledge and skills. A key part of it is the opportunity to interact directly with key proven professionals in different areas of the retail sector in the country.

The training of the students is in the form of specially developed by Kaufland Bulgaria business modules, the content is divided into 6 thematic sections with a total of 15 presentations on topics relevant to the market, including building identity and brand, positioning a super brand, innovation and investment, success planning and building a strong team. All Academy students who have attended at least 80% of the required 15 lectures, participated in the business case studies and successfully completed their internship also receive a cash scholarship. 1/3 of Kaufland Business Academy graduates will continue their participation in various internship programmes within the company.

About Kaufland Bulgaria

Kaufland Bulgaria is a leader in the retail sector in the country with an annual turnover of nearly BGN 1.9 billion and one of the largest employers in the country with a team of over 6600 employees. For five consecutive years the company has been certified as a Top Employer by the international independent Top Employers Institute. In the past year Kaufland Bulgaria's employer brand recognition was also evidenced by nearly 25 awards in the most contested categories of significant competitions such as b2b Media's Employer Branding Awards, Career Show Awards, Career Show Index 2022, ICAP's True Leaders and others.