For Second Consecutive Year the UNWE Awarded the Prizes for the Best Administration 2025
For second consecutive year the UNWE awarded the prizes for the Best Administration which distinguish state and local government institutions for outstanding achievements, efficient leadership, innovations and quality service to citizens and business. The official ceremony was held in Maxima Aula at the UNWE.
Among the distinguished guests at the event were the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev and the Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Education and Science Dimitar Zdravkov.
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The ceremony was opened by the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov who emphasized the importance of the initiative to promote good practices in the public sector. “Today we distinguish institutions that work daily for the development of the country and local communities, often far from the public attention, but with a clear awareness of their social responsibility. The role of the administrations in the conditions of dynamic economic and social processes becomes increasingly significant. Not only the successful implementation of the public policies, but also citizens' trust in the institutions depends on their efficiency, transparency and competence. That is why it’s important for good examples to be highlighted and encouraged", said the Rector. He highlighted the challenges facing the modern administration: “The state administration in Europe faces serious challenges related to the service digitalization, insufficient workforce, cybersecurity and the incorporation of the AI. Finding the balance between the efficiency, the transparency and the protection of civil rights becomes increasingly important. I would like to emphasize that for each of these challenges, the administrations in Bulgaria have a reliable partner and it is the UNWE. That is why these awards are so important to us”.
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In his welcoming speech, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev emphasized the significance of competent state administration and the necessity for its success to receive public recognition. “When a service becomes quicker, when the additional requirements are removed, when a citizen receives a prompt response, when a business knows what to expect without guessing - this is not only the result of political action. It happens because someone has done their job, has carefully interpreted the law, has seen when a process delays, has proposed change in the inefficient procedure and has taken responsibility. Precisely these people deserve recognition today”, said the Deputy Prime Minister and noted: “I’m not talking about an administration that mechanically fulfills its duties. I’m talking about an administration that thinks, that proposes lawful solutions, warns about the issues and carries institutional memory. The administrations with high professional expertise, without political bias and with a strong moral foundation are the country’s best immune system. The opportunities provided by AI require new work standards, but the technology cannot replace the responsibility. The signature on the electronic opinion remains human, even though it is digital".
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The Rector Prof.Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov awarded to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev the Medal of UNWE in recognition of his contribution to the development of public administration, his career as a statesman and leader, his consistent efforts to improve the public governance and to strengthen the relationship between the academic community and the state institutions.
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Galab Donev awarded the big prizes for the Best Administration 2025 which were conferred on a basis of comprehensive evaluation of the performance of public administrations.
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The grand prize for the Best Ministry Administration was awarded to the Ministry of Electronic Governance, which is now part of the Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation. The award was received by the Deputy Minister Atanas Maznev. “It’s a pleasure and a delight to receive this award, because as Deputy Minister of Electronic Governance I contributed towards it and today I receive it as Deputy Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation. We build on what we have achieved and hope to be again among the honorees next year”, said the Deputy Minister Atanas Maznev.
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The grand prize for Best National Agency Administration won the National Revenue Agency. The distinction was received by the Executive Director Boris Mihaylov. “As UNWE graduate, I feel very pleased to be here today. It is even more pleasant that we have been honoured with this high award. Behind it are the efforts of more than 8 000 employees who work tirelessly every day”, said Boris Mihaylov.
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The award for the Best Municipal Administration was for the Municipality of Burgas. It was received by the Municipal Council Chairman Michael Hadzhiyanev. “This award is the result of optimization, modernization and a strong team - qualities that are a trademark of Burgas Municipality and Mayor Dimitar Nikolov”, noted Michael Hadzhiyanev while accepting the prize.
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The grand prize for the Best Regional Administration was awarded to Sofia Municipality. The distinction was received by the Secretary General Diana Aladzhova, who expressed gratitude for the high evaluation and confidence shown by the organizers: “The continuity is of utmost importance to us. We will continue working with the same dedication in order to serve the citizens of Sofia with the necessary speed and quality”.
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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Hristozov, Director of the UWNE Institute of Economics and Politics and UWNE Vice Rector for International Affairs, outlined the Institute’s activities, the methodology that formed the basis of the study: “I am very happy that we award these prizes for the second time, particularly during an Anniversary Year for the Institute,” said Assoc. Prof. Hristozov and also share the University leadership’s vision for the role of scientific research institutions at the UNWE. “There are currently six active scientific research institutes, whose purpose is to support the University’s research activities by attracting and engaging researchers from beyond the UNWE academic community.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Hristozov reported on the substantial results achieved in recent years: “From just one or two Scopus-indexed publications per year, we now produce around 30 annually. Numerous research projects have been implemented, including the one that led to the establishment of these awards. A number of analyses have been prepared for the Ministry of Tourism and Bulgarian Energy Holding, as well as a study on hidden inflation during the adoption of the euro, together with the newspaper 168 Hours”. He pointed out that the Institute has been an active participant in the public debate on the introduction of the Euro. “These institutes do research not only for the university, but, above all, for the society. It is important for us to understand the real impact of our work on the social development“, emphasized Assoc. Prof. Hristozov and expressed gratitude to the Rector's Office Directorate for the excellent organization of the event.
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Prof. D.Sc. Borislav Borisov, Researcher at the Institute of Economics and Politics and creator of the Best Administration Awards methodology - registered as a UNWE trademark - spoke about the methodology of the study: “Some may find it strange that we announce the best administration at a time when the media is full of news about the discrepancies between the work of the administration, regulatory requirements and the public expectations. However, we believe that along with the criticism, we should also distinguish the good examples”, remarked Prof. Borisov and added that the state administration faces serious challenges, referring to the Report on Analysis and Assessment of the Administrative Capacity of the State Administration in Bulgaria for 2025. “The trend is clear, the administrative capacity of the state has been decreasing for years. This is one of the possible reasons why a number of experts in the public sphere propose various options for reducing the size of administration. But this cannot be an end in itself. The real objective is to improve the quality of public services, broaden their scope, reduce the regulatory burden and increase transparency in the administrative work. This can be accomplished by the modernization, digitalization, restructuring, strengthening the internal control and actual, rather than formal, risk management and today let us give deserved recognition to those state structures that have achieved better results in one area or another", concluded Prof. Borisov.
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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Hristozov and Prof. D.Sc. Borislav Borisov award the prize in the category Efficiency of Administration. Among the recipients were the Ministry of Finance, whose award was received by the Secretary General Tanya Georgieva; the National Statistical Institute, represented by the Chairman Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Atanasov; Burgas Municipality, whose award was received by the Municipal Council Chairman Michael Hadzhiyanev; and the Regional Administration of Targovishte, represented by the Regional Governor Eng. Ilko Iliev.
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The prizes in the category Innovation were awarded by the Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Education and Science Dimitar Zdravkov. The Deputy Minister Reneta Koleva accepted the award for the Ministry of Environment and Water. The Secretary General Nikolay Mishovsky accepted the award on behalf of the National Revenue Agency. The award for Plovdiv Municipality was received by the Deputy Mayor Eng. Haku Sakubov. The fourth winner in the category was Varna District Administration.
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During the ceremony, a special video message by the Regional Governor of Varna Mario Smurkov was broadcast, in which he expressed thankfulness to the organizers for the recognition and emphasized the importance of the innovation, digital solutions and good leadership for improving the quality of administrative services.
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In the category Ethical Behavior, Openness, and Transparency the prizes were awarded by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luboslav Kostov, Director of the Social and Trade Union Research at Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, and Chief Economist of the Confederation, who noted: “These awards contradict the current public narrative. They are not only timely but necessary, because behind every successful project, every new digital service and every policy of the executive branch stands the state administration. This is not merely a profession but a mission and these awards are a recognition of that”.
The winners in this category were the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, represented by the Deputy Minister Polya Zaneva-Dimitrov; the National Revenue Agency, whose award was received by the Secretary General Nikolay Mishovsky; Burgas Municipality, represented by the Municipal Council Chairman Michael Hadzhiyanev; and the Regional Administration of Stara Zagora, represented by the Regional Governor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaloyan Damyanov.
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The special award of the Rector of UNWE - The Spirit Makes the Power - was presented jointly by Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and the Director General of the Bulgarian National Television Milena Milotinova. The first winner of the award was Apriltsy Municipality.
When awarding the prize the Rector Prof.Dr.Dimitar Dimitrov emphasized: “Apriltsy Municipality earned the distinction for its role in the national celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the April Uprising. It showed how a community can turn the historical memory into a living cause, and unite people around values ??that remain timeless”.
"The Spirit Makes the Power. That’s why it’s an honour for me to award the municipalities that preserve the historical memory, Bulgarian culture and national identity. 150 years ago, young Bulgarians had a dream of a free Bulgaria, and with the strength of their spirit they changed the history. Today we recognize people and institutions that continue this work", said Milena Milotinova.
The Mayor of Apriltsi Municipality Eng. Tihomir Kukensky expressed gratitude for the recognition: “Due to the initiatives related to the 150th Anniversary of the April Uprising, Bulgaria finally learned about what happened here. I invite everyone to come to Apriltsi and see the history lively. You enter with administration and leave with admiration. In Apriltsy you walk in to deal with the administration, and you walk out with admirations”.
The second special award was given to Etropole Municipality. When awarding the prize the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov noted: “Etropole Municipality is an example of how the traditional and the modern management can work together. Its consistent efforts to develop the tourism, sports, social services and the smart management solutions demonstrate that a municipality’s true strength lies in the spirit of the people who work for its future. The award The Spirit Makes the Power is a recognition of this approach - to preserve memory, but at the same time to create conditions for development, innovation and a better life for the people".
The Mayor of Etropole Municipality Eng. Vladimir Alexandrov expressed thankfulness to the UNWE for the recognition and emphasized that all the achievements of the Municipality are the result of the work of a strong and motivated team that manages to combine the preservation of traditions with the implementation of modern solutions in local government.
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Greeting letters on the occasion of the official ceremony on awarding the prizes for the Best Administration 2025 were received from the Minister of Health Katya Ivkova, from the Rector of the University of Food Technologies Prof. D.Sc. Galin Ivanov, from the Rector of Bishop Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen Prof. D.Sc. Natalia Vitanova, and many others.
Before the ceremony the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov held a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev, the Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Education and Science Dimitar Zdravkov and the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation Atanas Maznev. During the meeting, issues related to the development of higher education, training of personnel for the demands of the public sector and business, digital transformation of education and the role of universities in building a modern and effective state administration were discussed.
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Dimitar Zdravkov, UNWE graduate, wrote in the University’s Golden Book: “I cannot explain the excitement that fulfills me every time I cross the threshold of my beloved university. It’s still so strong, absorbing myself, and it makes me feel responsible for the great pioneers of higher education in our country and for all those who continue to give knowledge to generations of young Bulgarians today. I wish you health, wisdom and energy for another century of history”.
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You can watch a video of the full ceremony HERE.
