UNWE and UNICEF Bulgaria Signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Support of Children's Rights

The UNWE and UNICEF Bulgaria have established a long-term partnership aimed at strengthening and promoting children's rights through education, science and public engagement. The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed by the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and by the representative of UNICEF Bulgaria Christina de Bruin.

"Today we take an important step towards building a significant partnership between the UNWE and UNICEF, which goes beyond the formal framework of signing and opens up space for a real work in the field of children's rights and social responsibility", said Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov and emphasized: "Through this memorandum the University declares its readiness to integrate the topic of child welfare into its curricula, research and public initiatives, so that students develop not only knowledge, but also sensitivity to socially significant problems. I would like to express thankfulness to UNICEF for its trust and for the shared vision. I am convinced that the upcoming activities will build a sustainable foundation for the development of competent and socially engaged young leaders".

The UNICEF representative in Bulgaria Christina de Bruin expressed her contentment with the signing of the Memorandum with the UNWE and emphasized that the organization highly appreciates the opportunity to partner with one of the leading universities in the country. She expressed confidence that the cooperation will open up wide opportunities for joint work in the field of education, research and youth initiatives, contributing to a deeper understanding and protection of children's rights in Bulgaria.

The document envisages the implementation of joint initiatives in several main areas, including the organization of conferences, thematic discussions and seminars dedicated to children's rights, with the participation of lecturers, experts and practitioners. Within the framework of the partnership, training seminars will be held for lecturers to expand their knowledge of topics related to children's rights, as well as specialized courses and training modules will be developed to be integrated into university curricula. Particular attention is paid to students' engagement, encouraging their participation in traineeships and volunteering initiatives related to children's rights. Student projects and initiatives aimed at advocacy and protection of children, as well as academic exchanges, scholarships and research opportunities on topics related to children's rights will also be supported. An important focus in cooperation is also the development of research through joint projects dedicated to key issues in the field of children's rights and well-being. It is planned to create mentoring programmes that will connect students with professionals and experts in the field of child protection, as well as support for publications and advocacy for policies aimed at improving child protection systems.

The event was also attended by Assoc. Dr. Yanko Hristozov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of UNWE, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ralitsa Veleva, Scientific Secretary of the Public Administration Department, Boryana Gidikova, Director of Communications at UNICEF Bulgaria.

Доц. д-р Ралица Велева, проф. д-р Димитър Димитров, Кристина де Бройн, доц. д-р Янко Христозов, Боряна Гидикова

The event was also attended by Assoc. Dr. Yanko Hristozov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of UNWE, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ralitsa Veleva, Scientific Secretary of the Public Administration Department, Boryana Gidikova, Director of Communications at UNICEF Bulgaria.