The Chinese-Bulgarian Forum on Climate Changes Brought Together Prominent Alumni of the Economics of Natural Resources Department

The Economics of Natural Resources Department held an unplanned but remarkable alumni meeting during the Chinese-Bulgarian Forum on Climate Changes and Rural Areas Revitalization on 28^th August 2024 at the UNWE.

The event was implemented in the frameworks of the Joint Chinese-Bulgarian Laboratory for Adaptive Management of Rural Ecosystems under Climate Changes. Its head is Prof. Dr. Hrabrin Bashev /Institute of Agricultural Economics/ who is also graduate of the Department from Class of 1983. Among the official guests there were graduates of the Department: Dr. Lozana Vassileva /Class of 2001/, Interim Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boryana Ivanova /Class of 1999/, Rector of the Agricultural University in Plovdiv, and Prof. Dr. Bozhidar Ivanov /Class of 1999/, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Economics at the Agricultural Academy. The participants from the Economics of Natural Resources Department were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Terziev /Class of 1985/, member of the Advisory Group of the Joint Chinese-Bulgarian Laboratory, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanka Kazakova-Mateva /Class of 1999/, Director of the Research Center for Agribusiness and Natural Resources Use at the Department.

"You participate in an event and at some point you realize that most of the official guests are from your speciality and your department, and some are even from your class. Having in mind that the focus of the Forum is on rural areas and climate changes, it is natural the presence of our alumni at the event and yet the feeling is remarkable", says Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanka Kazakova-Mateva.

"The professional realization of our graduates from the specialties Agribusiness and Eco-Economics is at an extremely high level - Rector, Vice-Rectors, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Directors of institutes and private companies, farmers. And it is not a coincidence because the training in the specialties taught by the Department in the three levels of study - Bachelor, Master and PhD, prepare future leaders in the field of agriculture and natural resources management in the context of sustainable development", points out Prof. Dr. Zornitsa Stoyanova, Head of the Economics of Natural Resources Department. "We are proud of our graduates", adds the Head of Department.

Alumni of the Economics of Natural Resources Department /from the left to the right/: Prof. Dr. Dimitar Terziev /Class of 1985/, Prof. Dr. Bozhidar Ivanov /Class of 1999/, Prof. Dr. Yanka Kazakova-Mateva /Class of 1999/, Dr. Lozana Vassileva /Class of 2001/, Prof. Dr. Boryana Ivanova /Class of 1999/ and Prof. Dr. Hrabrin Bashev /Class of 1983/

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boryana Ivanova, Rector of the Agricultural University in Plovdiv, welcomed the participants in the Chinese-Bulgarian Forum on Climate Change and Rural Areas Revitalization

Prof. Dr. Hrabrin Bashev /Institute of Agricultural Economics/ and Prof. Che are presenting a report on Climate Risk Assessment in Rural Areas of Bulgaria developed within the framework of the Joint Chinese-Bulgarian Laboratory on Adaptive Management of Rural Ecosystems under Climate Changes

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanka Kazakova-Mateva is presenting the results of the assessment of rural areas readiness for climate change adaptation