The Economics Department Presented Its Annual Conference on the Economic Challenges: Crisis, Recovery, Sustainability

The special guest for the event was Mr. Atanas Pekanov, Deputy Prime Minister for European Funds Management. The Forum was attended by representatives of employers, trade unions, central and local government and NGO`s. Guests were also Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mihail Musov, Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rosen Kirilov, Vice-Rector for Digitalization and Cybersecurity.

"Assoc. Kristalina Georgieva who is the IMF Managing Director is also from the Economic Department which is another great recognition not only for the Department, but also for the University", added the Rector. According to him the UNWE has proven that the spirit makes the power so the objective is "to communicate so that our ideas are easier to reach those who make decisions. And those who make decisions to be convinced that good results will be obtained."

In his statement Minister Pekanov spoke on topics as the minimum wage, inequalities, the euro and monetary union which he identified as the three examples showing how through conferences, the shared opinion on a certain policy changes the knowledge in one direction or another.

Maria Mincheva, Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce /BIA/, expressed thankfulness for the opportunity to share what the business had faced over the last two years of Covid-19 pandemic. "I am deeply convinced that the political response to this health crisis will be the subject of scientific research for decades. I can compare the damages caused by the pandemic with those caused by the Second World War. No one was prepared for such circumstances", she commented. Mrs. Mincheva explained that “regarding companies and employers' organizations, the period was associated with non-stop efforts and work". After the initial shock, the situation gradually began to normalize". She said explicitly that "it is time to talk not only about a crisis and recovery but about sustainable recovery which goes through both transformation and new policies related to the digital and green transition".

"The presence of so many people representing different organizations is an evidence that the Conference has approved itself and gained public significance", said Dr. Lyuboslav Kostov, Director of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research, Chief Economist of CITUB / Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria/. He added that "the love to science is love to the truth and honesty is a fundamental virtue in the academic circles. The relation between the higher education and economic policies pursued by politicians should be strengthened and such forums are an appropriate format".

Greetings on behalf of Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry were given by its Deputy Chairman Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladimir Zinoviev, Director of the Center for Energy Business and Infrastructure at UNWE. "According to the analyses done by the Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry the current crisis has brought serious challenges for some companies and others have made a serious breakthrough", he commented. Mr. Zinoviev expects the challenges to remain in the forthcoming years so "the role of the university as a "think-tank" team will have great potential".

Mr. Ergin Emin, Chairman of the Association of Bulgarian Cities and Regions /ABCR/, greeted the participants in the Forum on behalf of the Management Board. He pointed out that having in mind that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan had been adopted a week ago the Conference was held on time so he expressed his hope that the cooperation between the UNWE and ABCR would continue developing fruitfully.

Daniel Parushev, Chairman of the National Representation of Student Councils, paid attention to the fact that the Forum is attended by the national elite of the country. He said that the Conference topics concerning higher education had provoked his interest. "These topics are extremely important if we want to be a good university and to prepare good specialists."

On behalf of the Student Council, its Chairman Angel Stoykov welcomed the participants in the Conference and its organizers. "For us, the Ph.D students, it is important to obtain new knowledge and skills and to have the opportunity to present our works at such forums."

On behalf of the Applied Informatics and Statistics Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Venelin Boshnakov assured that in the face of the Faculty, represented by him, the Economics Department could meet very good partners. "I think we have a serious future to work jointly on different research tasks and to report the results at these forums."

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexander Valkov, Head of the Public Administration Department, made a special note in his greeting that the Forum integrates searchings in three directions - research, practical economics and training - which is appropriate for a university with 100-years of history.

The focus of the 7th Annual Conference is on some of the most important and actual economic challenges in 2021 but also on the methodological issues of economic theory, its teaching and the educational literature development. The importance of the methodological part was also the emphasis in the Greeting Address presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Stoilov, Head of the Physical Education and Sports Department. He outlined the importance of the theory on innovative didactic approaches development that refracting through the prism of the subject area specifics and in the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic acquire primary significance. Wishing all participants in the Forum to embody the maxim "Men Sana in Scorpure Sano", Assoc. Prof. Stoilov wished also success to the Conference.