UNWE Participated in the First Meeting of Bulgarian Universities with Prospective Students from the Republic of North Macedonia

The University of National and World Economy opened a stall ат the advertising event of the universities in the Republic of North Macedonia organized by the Ministry of Education and Science /MES/ at the suggestion of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Skopje, our Consulate in Bitola and the Cultural Information Center in Skopje. It is the first presentation of Bulgarian universities in direct meetings with students of such a large-scale. In previous years the Ministry has mainly advertised the way to apply to the Bulgarian universities.

Gergana Kirilova, Director of the Rector's Office, Atanas Dimitrov, Director of the Inter-University Center for Career Development and Desislava Paunska, Head of the Public Relations and Marketing Division, met with the prospective students in Bitola on the Students Day – 8 December.

The Ministry of Education and Science, main organizer of the Bulgarian participation, was represented by Mrs. Galina Drenovska /in the picture above/, Director of Higher Education Directorate.

For the UNWE website Mrs. Drenovska said: "It is the first year the Ministry of Education and Science organized a presentation of Bulgarian universities in three cities that traditionally addmit and train students from the Bulgarian communities in Macedonia and citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia. The campaign aims to attract a greater number of prospective students who traditionally during this period make a decision where to continue their education”. Mrs. Drenovska explained that a presentation in this format had been done once many years ago without enjoying such increased interest and noted that the universities are exseptionaly prepared in the current year.

"Usually this type of presentation differs from the traditional presentations that we organize which are rather information campaigns introducing the prospective students to the application opportunities, mechanisms, the way of taking the exams, deadlines, tests and rather have technical parameters. Now the universities have had the opportunity to present themselves. I believe that this experience was very successful and the presentation should become a tradition in order to create a mindset in the Macedonian community to expect this event", explained Mrs. Drenovska  from the Ministry of Education. The event was widely reported by the local media.

Mr. Kiril Yanchev, Plenipotentiary Minister of Bulgaria in Bitola, also a graduate of the UNWE, was a guest at the stall of our university /in the picture below on the left/. The informal ambassador of the University for the event became Angela Mitrovska, Master of Science in International Project Management and Bachelor of Science in International Economic Relations - IER /in the picture below on the right/ who joined the team to share personal impressions of her studies with the students from Bitola.

The representatives of the Bulgarian universities also visited the Macedonian-Bulgarian Friendship Association in Bitola and left advertizing and informational materials and gifts. The President of the Society Marinela Petreska is an active consultant for young people who want to study in Bulgaria.

During the meeting in the town of Strumica hundreds of young people, lecturers and parents showed interest in the campaign to promote Bulgarian higher education in North Macedonia.

The future prospective students from North Macedonia got introduced to the opportunities for obtaining higher education in Bulgaria - by the two decrees of the Council of Ministers - for the educational activities among Bulgarians abroad and for the admission of citizens of North Macedonia as students in the state higher education institutions of Bulgaria.

The stall of the UNWE was very well attended. Our Consul General in Bitola Nikolay Dimitrov also took part in the meeting in Strumica town. "The purposefulness of this presentation is multidimensional. It provides opportunities through education to bring the two countries closer together", said Mr. Dimitrov, adding that our educational standards are well accepted in the Republic of North Macedonia and Bulgaria is one of the preferred destinations for further studies. "We need to be more active in presenting ourselves. It is a form of developing а brand Bulgaria - to be recognizable through its higher educational institutions", declared Mr. Dimitrov.

The UNWE team and the Consul General in Bitola Mr. Nikolay Dimitrov /the second man from the right to the left/ and the principals of two schools in Strumica - Mr. Zoran Petkov, Principal of Nikolay Karov Technical School and Mrs. Yasmina Tsambulev, Principal of the Dimitar Vlahov High Vocational School with a medical-social profile

12 universities participated in the presentation. Besides the UNWE in the event in the Republic of North Macedonia took part the Prof. Asen Diamandiev Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts - Plovdiv, the American University in Blagoevgrad, N. J. Vaptsarov Naval Academy - Varna, University of Telecommunications and Posts - Sofia, Medical University - Pleven, Vasil Levsky National Sports Academy, St. Climent Ohridsky University of Sofia, Technical University in Varna, Trachian University in Stara Zagora, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy in Sofia and Neofit Rilski Southwestern University in Blagoevgrad.

At the beginning of February 2024 representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad will again visit the Republic of North Macedonia for an information campaign in which they will point out the specific procedure and conditions for applying and studying in Bulgarian universities in the upcoming academic year 2024/2025.