Approved scientific projects in 2021

In 2021, the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication has submitted documents for participation in different scientific projects. The approved scientific projects up until the end of September 2021 are the following:

PROJECT

“Innovative Education in the Humanitarian and Social Sciences through digital transformation and modernization of curriculums at the University of Veliko Tarnovo “St. Cyril and St. Methodius”, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, and Technical University in Gabrovo in co-operation with foreign universities from Greece, Poland and Romania”

Procedure for gratuitous financial aid BG05M2OP001-2.016 “Modernization of High Education Institutions” on a Priority Axe “Educational and Whole Life Learning” of Operative Program “Science and Education for Intelligent Growth” 2014 - 2020

Total budget of the project: 4 175 484. 34 BGN

Source of Financing: Operative Program “Science and Education for Intelligent Growth” 2014 – 2020, financed by the European Social Fund

Duration: 30 months

Expected initial date: July 2021

Project Status: Signing of a financial contract

Partner Universities from Republic of Bulgaria:

• University of Veliko Tarnovo “St. Cyril and St. Methodius”;
• Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”;
• South-West University “Neofit Rilski”;
• Technical University – Gabrovo;

Partner Universities from abroad:

• Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland;
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece;
• University of Pitesti, Romania.

Main goal of the project: Achievement of a dynamic compliance between the demand and supply of specialists with high education through the integration of innovative education in humanitarian and social sciences – all of this based on a competent model, multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity in education, through a broad offering of digital transformation of education. Specific goals of this project are:

• Encouragement of an innovative educational process in humanitarian and social sciences through lecturers and students mobility for the application of innovative education;
• Modernization of curriculums and introduction of digital educational content, digital resources and cloud technologies in the educational process, which will contribute to the improvement of the access to high education in these majors, especially for potential students to whom the physical presence on lectures is difficult or impossible;
• Professional development of lecturers and improvement of their skills for usage of innovative educational technologies that are based on information and communication technologies.
• The integrated character of these activities will lead to an optimal usage of partners’ resources through sharing of lecturers for the joint educational programs, usage of joint digital resources and digital libraries, as well as access to a modernized material base for innovative education. As a result of the project’s realization, partners will improve the level of digitalization in teaching, which will lead to the establishment of flexible methods for distant learning and mixed types of learning and will improve the possibilities for life-long learning.

The project envisions the development and introduction of 6 innovative interdisciplinary joint curriculums that are based on a competency model and that will lead to modernization in the teaching process in priority professional qualifications (PQ) 2.1. “Philology”, 2.2. “History and Archaeology”, 3.4. “Social Activities”, and 3.5. “Public Communications and Information Sciences” in the participating universities – VTU “St. Cyril and St. Methodius”, SU “St. Kliment Ohridski”, NWU “N. Rilski”, and the Technical University in Gabrovo. The project envisions the introduction of digital educational content, digital resources and cloud technologies in the educational process for teaching in the humanitarian and social sciences; professional development of lecturers and improvement of their skills for using innovative educational technologies that are based on information and communication technologies; development of the innovative potential of VTU through internationalization and network participation. A part of the project is the establishment of 6 programs with digital educational content (a total number of 77 study disciplines), and of a joint study program for foreign language education with the associated partners – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland), and the University of Pitesti (Romania), which will contribute very much for their high quality and international validity.

The following eight activities are envisioned by the project:

1. Activity 1. Development and introduction of two joint study programs “Digital Culture: Language, Literature, Communication” in the Educational and Qualification Degree “Master” – with duration of 2 and 4 terms, in professional qualification 2.1. Philology. In this activity will participate VTU, SU, and NWU;
2. Activity 2. Development and introduction of two joint study programs in the Educational and Qualification Degree “Master” in professional field 2.2. History and Archaeology – “New and Contemporary Bulgarian History: Problems, Models, Methodology” and “History and Culture of the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean in the late Antiquity and the Middle Ages”. For the development of the disciplines that are included in the new joint programs, 20 lecturers will be engaged – 10 lecturers from the academic staff of VTU and 10 lecturers from the academic staff of SU.
3. Activity 3. Development and introduction of a joint study program “Digital Communications and Media” in Educational and Qualification Degree “Master” in professional field 3.5. Public Communication and Information Sciences.

This activity is fulfilled by the two partner universities – VTU and SU. The program envisions the introduction of innovative forms of teaching and training simultaneously in the two partner universities in PQ 3.5., the usage of joint study recourses in the conditions of digital medium and open access, cloud technologies, virtual auditoriums, etc., in a part-time form of education with a duration of two semesters. In terms of its structures, the educational program envisions the introduction of 7 compulsory courses. The compulsory courses are rounded out with 4 elective optional disciplines that enhance students’ knowledge and skills in the field of: Media language and style, Persuading communication, Communication techniques and skills, Sociology of communication. A total amount of 11 disciplines will be developed – led by 3 lecturers from VTU’s team and 8 lecturers from SU’s team.

1. Activity 4. Development and introduction of a joint study program “Social Innovations and Social Policies” in the Educational and Qualification Degree “Master” in professional qualification 3.4. Social Activities.
2. Activity 5. Development, introduction and implementation of programs with digital educational content, including content for distant education. Provision of software and equipment for information and communication technologies.Activity 6. Creation of conditions for professional development of lecturers. Qualification for improvement of digital skills – training of lecturers from the participating partner high education institutions, as following:

1.1. Basic training for lecturers on digital based information and communication educational technologies 80 classes (level 1) – a total amount of 260 participants; VTU – 100, SU – 110, NWU – 40, TUG – 10.

1.2. Training for lecturers on digital skills (level 2) – 80 classes – this includes the following modules: “Information and Communication Technologies based innovative educational technologies” and “Creation and management of digital resources” – a total amount of 250 participants, of which from VTU – 100 participants, SU – 100, NWU – 40, TUG – 10.

2. Training for improvement of the foreign language skills of lecturers (160 classes).

The provided short-term specializations of lecturers abroad at the associated partner universities, which are honoured with the “Erasmus” Charter for high education, include:

- Conduction of short-term specializations in professional field 2.1. “Philology” for lecturers from VTU, SU, and NWU at the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and at the Adam Mickiewicz University – Poland;

- Conduction of short-term specializations in professional field 2.2. “History and Archaeology” for lecturers from VTU and SU at the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and University of Pitesti (Romania);

- Conduction of short-term specializations in professional field 3.5. “Public Communications and Information Sciences” for lecturers from VTU and SU at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and at the Adam Mickiewicz University – Poland;

- Conduction of short-term specializations in professional field 3.4. “Social Activities” for lecturers from TVU and TU at the University of Pitesti (Romania).

1. Activity 7. Career orientation for students.
2. Activity 8. Creation of conditions for incoming and outgoing mobility for students and lecturers.

In the summer of 2021, FJMC submitted documents for application for four competitions that are financed by the Bulgarian National Scientific Fund (BNSF) of the Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Bulgaria. One project offer is already approved – the contract for its financing is signed by the participating members.

The approved project offer is for the conduction of an international scientific forum on the topic of “Practical Aspects of Media Literacy”, which is a part of the competition session of the Bulgarian National Scientific Fund, Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria, for financial support of international scientific forums that are conducted in Republic of Bulgaria. The number of the signed contract is KP-06-MNF/ 16 from 24.08.2021.

PROJECT

for an international scientific forum on the topic of “Practical Aspects of Media Literacy”

Competition session of the Bulgarian National Scientific Fund for financial support of international forums that are conducted in Republic of Bulgaria

Project status: approved documents and signed contract

Contract KP-06-MNF/ 16 from 24.08.2021

Abstract of the project

As a result from the “oversaturation with information”, which is marked by H. Simon as a trend back in the 70s, media literacy has a growing importance in contemporary world. The impossibility for work with information and processing of the received data even from the news leads to loss of human lives during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria and abroad. The lack of rational analysis of political messages led to curious phenomena in international aspect like Brexit and Trump’s election for president of the USA. These are only a small part of the numerous signals that our society needs to make an effort to become a platform for a meeting between theory and practice that are linked to this problem in Bulgaria. Organizer of this event will be the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication of Sofia University
“St. Kliment Ohridski” – the oldest and most prestigious high education institution in Republic of Bulgaria.

AGREEMENT

for co-operation between the German – Bulgarian Industrial and Commercial Chamber and the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication

On June 22^th, 2021, the German – Bulgarian Industrial and Commercial Chamber (GBICC) and the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication signed an additional agreement for partnership with an aim of deepening the co-operation and mutual collaboration according to Art. III of the Co-operation Contract between GBICC and Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” from September 29^th, 2017. According to the Agreement, GBICC ensures, announces and leads practices of students and PhD students at FJMC in the field of media, publishing activities, public communication and communication management.

Media Incubator Journalistic Seminar organized by FJMC and Goethe Institute

Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication and Goethe-Institute in Bulgaria in co-operation with “Trust for Social Alternative” Foundation organize the Media Incubator Journalistic Seminar, the participation in which is entirely free. This event will be conducted between October 2^nd and 7^th, 2021. The focus of attention will be on the analysis of the ways, through which minority groups – mostly Roma people – are presented in the audiovisual media. One of the most important problems both in Bulgaria and in Europe is the question about Roma minority, its place and role in society and in public processes, and the question about the guarantee of human rights and basic freedoms of Roma people. Media play a key role in the public debate on these topics.

The seminar will consist of two parts – a practical one and a theoretical one. In the theoretical part the participants will be presented with the latest discoveries of the Antiziganism Research Unit at the Heidelberg University. The research is based on Radmila Mladenova’s work, which encompasses over 120 feature films and over 35 documentaries during the whole history of cinema.

The participants will have a task to create their own short films and reports during the practical part of the seminar. They will also have a group discussion on the ethics and the instruments of the visual presentation of minorities.

The training has an aim to pay attention on the continuity of the anti-gypsy constructions and to show to the participants how even a simple change in the perspective, lightening, camera settings and other elements actually have a key role in the presentation of characters in the audiovisual world.

Seminars will be accompanied with a film program.