The University of National and World Economy celebrated 10 years since the establishment of the only one in the world International Master's Programme in Nuclear Security with a scientific forum, a jubilee exhibition and a cocktail party.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noncho Dimitrov, Head of the National and Regional Security Department, Chief Assist. Dr. Ekaterina Bogomilova, former Head of the Master's Programme, the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov - the first Head of the Master's Programme, Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Spasov, Head of the Master's Programme and Director of the UNWE Nuclear Security Support Center

The events are implemented in a long-term partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency /IAEA/. The celebration is under the patronage of the Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov and the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov. The organizers are Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Spasov – Head of the Master`s Programme and Director of the UNWE Nuclear Security Support Center, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noncho Dimitrov, Head of the National and Regional Security Department. Sponsors of the events are the National Electric Company, Central Energy Repair Base /CERB/, ELIA Ltd., Electricity System Operator, Cantarelli Ltd. 

Before the start of the scientific forum the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and the Deputy Minister of Energy Georgy Samandov opened the jubilee exhibition presenting key moments, projects, and academic practices from the history and development of the Master`s Programme in the central lobby of the University.

The Deputy Executive Director of the National Electric Company Lyubomir Miladinov, Prof. Dr. Tsvetan Tsvetkov, Director of the UNWE Center for Strategic Studies in Defense and Security, the Head of the National and Regional Security Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noncho Dimitrov, the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, the Deputy Minister Georgy Samandov, the Director of the UNWE Nuclear Security Support Center Prof. Svetoslav Spasov and the Chairman of the Commission for Control of the Special Intelligence Means Plamen Kolev

The Scientific Forum on the Nuclear Security Education in the Context of Global Challenges was held in the Large Conference Hall.

The Director of the UNWE Nuclear Security Support Center Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Spasov, who was also the moderator of the forum, welcomed the guests and expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Ministry of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the Bulgarian Energy Holding, the State Agency for National Security, the Ministry of Education and Science, the ambassadors of countries from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world, as well as by a number of Bulgarian and international institutions that have contributed to the implementation of the Master's Programme over the years. He emphasized the enormous importance of their assistance in attracting students from all over the world and in developing the Programme over the past 10 years.

The Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, who is also the first Head of the International Master's Programme in Nuclear Security, launched in 2015, welcomed the guests, pointing out that the Programme is not only the result of the efforts of UNWE and the IAEA, but also of all the institutions that responded to the process of its establishment and development in order to create a unique Master's Programme in Nuclear Security. He told how the idea for the creation of the Master's Programme was born in 2013, the obstacles and challenges that had been overcome to get to the signing of an agreement between the UNWE and the IAEA in 2014, the admission of the first students of the Programme, and its launch on 10 November 2015.

“This Master's Programme is not only unique, but also the only one of its kind in the world, and the interest in it has been enormous over the years. It attracts not only Bulgarian and EU students, but also students from Asia, Africa and the Arab world and a large number of them subsequently find professional realization in the nuclear sector in their home countries and even in their governments, as well as in the IAEA, which is already an evidence of the Programme's success and the quality of education in it. For me, it is very important to have continuity in the management of the Programme. What I started as the first Head of the Programme was successfully continued by Chief Assist. Dr. Ekaterina Bogomilova, and for the past year the Program has been headed by Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Spasov. In this way new opportunities for upgrading and developing the Master's Programme are constantly sought", emphasized Prof. Dimitrov.

The Deputy Minister of Energy Georgy Samandov, graduate of UNWE, greeted the audience on the occasion of the Anniversary and wished another 10 000 years of success to the Master's Programme. He emphasized that “the main characteristic of the nuclear energy is the security, which requires well prepared professionals in the field of nuclear security” and pointed out some projects on which the Ministry of Energy has been working in recent years with the aim of developing the sector in line with the modern requirements and trends. He delivered a Greeting Address on behalf of the Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov, expressing confidence that the UNWE is the right place for preparation of highly qualified specialists in the field of nuclear security.

The Head of the National and Regional Security Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Noncho Dimitrov emphasized that “10 years is not a short time for the development of a curriculum, but after all the obstacles and challenges that have been overcome, we must consider how to make this program sustainable. Therefore, perhaps the biggest challenge is to pass on the knowledge and everything that has been done so far and to build on what has been achieved”. He expressed thankfulness to all institutions for their support over the years.

Greetings on the occasion of the Anniversary of the Master's Programme addressed also Valentin Velev, expert at the National Nuclear Regulatory Agency, who read a Greeting Address on behalf of the Chairman of the Agency Tsanko Bachiysky.

On behalf of the Chairman of the State Agency for National Security Denyo Denev a Greeting Letter was read by Petio Petkov.

The Deputy Executive Director of Bulgaria's electricity transmission operator Anton Adamov awarded to the Rector a Greeting Letter and a glass statuette on behalf of the Director of Electricity System Operator Kiril Georgiev /in the picture below/.

Greeting letters on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Master's Programme were received from the Executive Director of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant Ivan Andreev, the Executive Director of Bulgarian Energy Holding Valentin Nikolov, the Executive Director of the National Electric Company Georgy Dobrev, the Dean of the Finance and Accounting Faculty Prof. Rumen Brusarsky, the Head of the Economics Department Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivaylo Beev, etc. A video message was also received from the Head of the IAEA Nuclear Security Department.

The Scientific Forum was funded under the project No. NID NF-33/2025/A. In the scientific discussion took part Elena Buglova, Director of the IAEA Nuclear Security Department, Prof. Alexandra Ioannidou from Greece, Dr. Marina Dabetic from Serbia - long-standing international partners of the Programme, as well as Mr. Leonardo Andrade, Director for Europe at QS – Quacquarelli Symonds, the leading global organization in the field of university rankings, who will present the importance of the Master`s Programme in Nuclear Security for the international visibility and academic reputation of UNWE. During the forum the achievements of the Programme, good practices and prospects for the future development of education and scientific research in the field of nuclear security were presented.

The Forum was attended by representatives of embassies, as well as of Bulgarian and international institutions in the field of nuclear security and energy, including Arsen Abdrakhmanov, Secretary of the Embassy of Kazakhstan, Mr. Truong Ngoc Nam, First Secretary of the Embassy of Vietnam, Mr. Tamas Tovari, Advisor to the Embassy of Hungary, Mr. Tigran Harutyunyan, Secretary of the Embassy of Armenia, Lyubomir Miladinov, Deputy Executive Director of the National Electric Company, Kalin Stanukov, Deputy Executive Director of the Bulgarian Energy Holding, Dimitar Stoyanov from Kozloduy Nuclear Competence Center, Dr. Eng. Dimitar Beleliev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Central Energy Repair Base /CERB/, Peter Avramov, Executive Director of Phoenix Re, Ivaylo Ovcharov, Executive Director of ELIA EAD, etc.

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