Yveson Chan, Excellent Graduate of Speciality International Relations: the Success Requires Motivation, Support, Love to the World and Freedom

He is an excellent graduate of speciality International Relations and he also completes his medical degree. He is one of the students the UNWE is proud of and the face of the campaign with our excellent students. We talk to him about the cross points between these seemingly different specialities, about the choice to stay in Bulgaria, the formula for success, and how he rests after his busy schedule.

How did you choose to study two difficult specialties at the same time?

Childish enthusiasm, moderate curiosity and a bit of randomness, I would say. In my family I have direct impressions of both environments as well as more than a few advices about redirecting into another field. However, over time I have clearly developed my own attitudes towards both international relations and medicine which played a part in my choice.

I also pay importance to my inclination to experiment, my desire to be useful to society and my belief in the inherent multifaceted growth of human beings. It practically worked out as Leonardo da Vinci have said: "The best way to know life is when you love many things”.

In academic circles and science, in general, there is such tendency towards specialization leading to expertise but often the extreme focus in one field limits our horizons and some of the world's colorfulness remains in the unseen spectrum. I believe that the collaboration between the sciences is necessary in order to more effectively and comprehensively cover the phenomena of the day.

And we must not forget that ontologically the sciences did not arise independently, on the contrary, historically we introduce this division between them in order to study and systematize them more effectively.

Where are the cross points between the international relations and medicine?

In the international relations we talk about international actors, in medicine we talk about patients but in fact it is about people and their interactions with the world just considered on different planes. When we bring them together we get a three-dimensional image of Man - the triad of body, soul and social relations which in international relations is consequently carried exponentially to supranational formations.

If I should list purely applied intersections these include the health diplomacy, global health security and governance as well as the interdisciplinary studies of interest to me with hybrid applications of methods and methodology specific to the two sciences separately, such as neuropolitics.

In today's global world, challenges - economic, political, environmental, health – constantly arise and require responses and solutions at international level. In this sense, the international organizations - political-economic and health – will play more significant role in the future.

How do you manage to study two serious specialities and get excellent grades?

The quick answer, with a wink of course, is reading. The truth is that several things have an important role to play. Firstly, the motivation, deriving mainly from daily international turbulence and an ailing society. Secondly, the support from the family, helpful colleagues and worthwhile professors. Thirdly, the love of the world that keeps you up at midnight handing of course projects and that makes sessions containing sometimes more than 15 exams, if not a pleasure, at least bearable. I should also add the Freedom as the hallmark of the higher education from the compulsory secondary one. The latter functions in such a way that it forms a framework in which the university assists us to place our own work, painted in our own style and in a palette of the colours of the disciplines studied.

Tell us more about yourself - what did you study before higher education, what do you like to do outside of studying, what genres of books do you like, what music do you listen to, what inspires you?

I have completed an International High School where I graduated with a Bulgarian and an International diploma of secondary education. I won't hide that my intentions during my five years of high school were to study abroad. In my 12 grade I proceeded to apply to Western universities such as Cambridge where I was invited for an interview, King's College London and others but despite the successful outcome of the application I decided to stay in Bulgaria and continue my education here.

Outside of academically related activities, I have had a passion for the applied arts since I was young, involving modelling and making things with my hands - from wood, metal, plaster or stone.

I love to travel, ride my bike, play with my dog, and when I'm out of town I do some plant growing and land amelioration. The agronomy and being close to nature, in general, gives peace of mind, normalizes our physiological indicators that have been displaced by the hustle and bustle of the day.

I read both specialized literature and fiction. In my childhood I read adventure stories by authors like Jules Verne, I like the scientific-philosophical view of Umberto Eco, the social themes of Orwell. I enjoy with interest the brilliant works of medical writers - among them are Arthur Conan Doyle with his Sherlock Holmes, Michail Bulgakov and also our own Valery Petrov and Dimitar Dimov.

Of course, I also listen to music, especially when I'm on the road. I don't limit myself to a certain style, on the contrary I listen with interest to different music regardless of the era of creation.

In addition to art, I also derive inspiration from my family, the people around me, my teachers, and the colorful situations we inevitably encounter in our daily lives.

What does lie ahead of you?

First of all, I must finish what I have started. I have to complete my medical education which would only be a formality having in mind the endlessness of medicine. Also the Master's degree in Economics and Law that I currently study which has lived up to my expectations of theoretical and practical knowledge of the application of economic principles in the context of the legal system. The UNWE, on the background of already established specialities provides more and more new programmes, competitive and in full synchronization with the Western universities.