Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilyana Tomova Won the Icarus Award for Lecturing Activity

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilyana Tomova, Director of the UNWE Scientific Research Center for Media Research, Audiovisual Policy and Cultural Industries and lecturer at the Media and Public Communications Department which has a statute of UNESCO Chair on Media and Information Literacy and Cultural Policies for Sustainable Development, was honoured the Icarus Award for her lecturing activity. Assoc. Prof. Tomova will receive the prestigious award of the Union of Actors of Bulgaria at the official Icarus 2024 ceremony on the World Theatre Day - 27 March 2024.

"I heartily greet Assoc. Prof. Bilyana Tomova. Our university has never won an Icarus award so far. We are honoured that the Union of Actors of Bulgaria has appreciated the thorough and consistent scientific and lecturing work for the development of cultural policies", said the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stella Angova, Head of the Media and Public Communications Department, also greeted Assoc. Prof. Tomova: "The Icarus Award for lecturing activity is a great recognition for the long and dedicated work of Assoc. Prof. Bilyana Tomova in the field of cultural industries. She is both an outstanding researcher and a contributor to adequate cultural policies. The academic members of Media and Public Communications Department appreciates that the Union of Actors awarded our colleague the prize because it means that her work has been recognized as socially significant and influential. Her work is also visible internationally through the development of the cultural pillar of the UNESCO Chair on Media and Information Literacy and Cultural Policies for Sustainable Development. I wish her to continue lecturing as heartily as always about the cultural industries and their funding!"

In 2022 the Media and Public Communications Department acquired the statute of UNESCO Chair. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilyana Tomova has actively worked for the Department to become one of the three UNESCO Chairs in Bulgaria and the only one at the UNWE.

From the left to the right: Assoc. Prof.  Svetla Tsankova, Chief Assist. Ivan Valchanov, Assoc. Prof. Bilyana Tomova, Chief Assist. Diana Andreeva-Popyordanova, Chief Assist. Maria Nikolova, Assoc. Prof. Stella Angova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of UNWE, Angel Stoykov, President of the Alumni Club at UNWE Student Council, Prof. D.Sc. Ivaylo Hristov, Assoc. Prof. D.Sc. Michail Musov, Acting Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs, Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova, Acting Vice-Rector for Educational Activity, Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kirillov, Acting Vice-Rector for Digitalization and Cyber Security, Chief Assist. Iliya Valkov

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilyana Tomova, Director of the UNWE Scientific Research Center for Media Research, Audiovisual Policy, and Cultural Industries and lecturer at the Media and Public Communications Department, participates in a study on the media economic contribution for the period 2008–2021 and says: "We want to cover the whole audiovisual sector as it is the name of our Center. In addition to music and cinema today we will also revew the media. We are witnesses of great changes due to the dynamic times we live in and we will also see them as dimensions in numbers. It shows that we move to new business models. The data is for a very long period, which is exceptional in the field of cultural economics. They enable us to talk about trends and what pleases us is that these numbers become part of cultural policies. It is the greatest task of a university or a research center".

The UNWE Research Center for Media Research, Audiovisual Policy and Cultural Industries holds seven forums on the film industry sustainable development where topics such as the budget, changes in the Film Industry Act, European policies and their implementation in Bulgaria as well as issues in the field are discussed.

"For mе the culture has always been at the first place", says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilyana Tomova who has been lecturing for many years and enjoys the affection and respect by her colleagues and students who eagerly attend her lectures. With her dedication and lecturing style as well as with her scientific research activities she completely deserves the Icarus Award.