UNWE and Northern Illinois University - USA Officially Opened the First in Bulgaria Double Master's Degree Programme in Business Administration

"I believe our university will be a great partner. It was not easy to start this Programme, it was a huge challenge. The UNWE has several other dual programmes but we want to see more and more of them. Sometimes it is difficult for foreign students to come and study in Bulgaria that`s why we create these Bachelor`s and Master`s degree programmes", said the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov.

The Dean of NIU Dr. Rajagopalan expressed his thankfulness to  Prof. Dimitrov for the provided opportunity and outlined: "I am happy that we have the chance to start this dual Master's Degree Programme because for our university it is the first dual programme with a university in Europe. We have partnerships with universities in Italy and Germany but it is the first time we will be starting a joint programme. We have such programmes in Asia and South America but we don't have one in Europe so it is a historic moment for our university that we are starting a joint programme with a Bulgarian university."

"I am glad to be at the UNWE at this historic moment because I know very well what it means to create and organize a joint programme with a foreign university, I have experience in this", said Prof. D.Sc./Philology/ Genka Petrova-Tashkova and pointed out: "It is remarkable for me that you have managed to solve the problem of issuing a double diploma which is really of great benefit to students. I wish success to the new Programme, it is a huge achievement because it is strategic, both for our country and for the university I graduated from 30 years ago, for our students. I wish you to attract many international students. Good luck!"

Annie Filipova, a longstanding banker and former Chief Operating Officer of Citibank Treasury and Trade Solutions in Asia, presented the programme in details. "One of my goals was to contribute to the community and after a series of chance encounters we have come to this point, so I want to thank everyone who has made the project possible", said Mrs. Filipova and added: "The Programme will allow young people to develop their entrepreneurial skills because the future is in entrepreneurship. It is focused on very important disciplines for our time one of which is the digital transformation and it happens when you have an entrepreneurial spirit. This Programme will prepare young people for the future."

The event was also attended by Mark Nordberg, Counselor for Political and Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the United States of America in Bulgariaq Sofia. He greeted the representatives of both universities on the occasion of the opening of the Programme and read a Greeting Address on behalf of the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria H. E. Herro Mustafa to Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov.

At the opening of the Programme attended also Prof. Dr. Miroslava Rakovska, Vice Rector for Educational Activity, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mihail Musov, Vice Rector for Research and International Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rosen Kirilov, Vice Rector for Digitalization and Cybersecurity, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Radko Radev, Director of the UNWE Alumni Center.