At a session of the Academic Council, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva was awarded the "St. Kliment Ohridski" Honorary Badge with a Blue Ribbon for her exceptional contributions to the development of Bulgarian-French partnerships at Sofia University and her work in establishing the French-language program in Economics and Management at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA). Assoc. Prof. Georgieva received this esteemed honor from Sofia University’s Rector Prof. Dr. Georgi Valchev.

Assoc. Prof. Georgieva expressed her deep gratitude, noting that it is a great honor for her to receive the honorary badge from the university where she completed her higher education and developed her long professional journey. "For me, the University, with a capital ‘U’, is a temple of knowledge, of responsibility toward generations, and of free thought. I thank my colleagues for their trust and for recognizing my contributions to the development of the French-language program in Economics, Finance, and Business Management, as well as FEBA as a whole", said Assoc. Prof. Georgieva. She also thanked her children, Damiyan and Bogdana, whose support gave her strength to continue forward with her head held high.

Assoc. Prof. Georgieva reminded the audience that the Day of the National Enlighteners is approaching and created a bridge between past and present. "The foundation of this bridge is one of the timeless values – charity, which acts as a compass guiding the direction of every society and reflecting its maturity", she said, adding that, historically, charity has been an integral part of Bulgarian society’s development in the decades following the Liberation. She mentioned the invaluable donations of brothers Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi and Dimitar Tsenev of Svishtov for Bulgarian education, recalling other benefactors whose desire was to build: to build libraries, orphanages, and the nation. In her speech, Assoc. Prof. Georgieva noted that the picture is not solely bright and that every process has its dark side – there was corruption, and people abused the trust and generosity of others. "But what we see clearly in those decades is creation—creation for the sake of a free Bulgaria. I dare say that, back then, most people were truer patriots than today. They didn’t need tattoos of Botev or Levski. The real difference between the beginning of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century lies in the behavior of much of society today, its leaders, and the behavior of the entire society dominated by tension". She pointed out that, at the same time, digitalization in all spheres intensifies individualism, isolation, and the potential for manipulation not only in Bulgaria but worldwide.

"If we look more optimistically at today, as in the past, the picture is not just black and white. We witness donations that are gaining momentum", said Assoc. Prof. Georgieva, recalling a significant donation received by FEBA from an alumnus. "On the eve of November 1st, I would like to emphasize that charity has a much broader dimension than purely financial support. In this sense, the creative spirit and empathy are the foundations of charitable activities now, as they were in the past. This is the essence of true charity, distinct from image-building", she said. She also noted that sharing knowledge, a book, or an engaged mind is a form of charity that leaves a lasting mark and serves as a compass pointing in the right direction. This is the mission and calling of Sofia University and its faculty members. She concluded with a quote from Victor Hugo: "The world is the compass of our soul" and once again expressed her gratitude.

Over 25 years of Assoc. Prof. Sonya Georgieva’s career have been connected with Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and FEBA, where she has held various academic and administrative positions. Since 2010, Assoc. Prof. Sonya Georgieva has headed the French-language program in Economics and Management at FEBA, combining it with other roles such as Head of the Department of Industrial Economics and Management (2015-2017), Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs (2015-2019), and Chair of the General Assembly of FEBA (2015-2023).

In 2016, for her contribution to developing Bulgarian-French partnerships, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva was awarded the Chevalier of Academic Palms honorary badge by the French Ministry of Education and Science.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva is a renowned specialist and lecturer in economic history in Bulgaria. Besides her academic training in this field from Sofia University’s Faculty of History, the Institute of Balkan Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and the University of Paris 1 - Sorbonne, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva is the author of numerous publications in Bulgarian and French on economic history, textbooks, and has created the joint curricula for courses between FEBA and the Faculty of History. Her academic and research work is complemented by participation in scientific and applied projects, conferences, and seminars directly related to building and strengthening institutional and academic partnerships with French universities in Lille, Poitiers, Bordeaux, and Paris.

Since 2019, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva has been a member of the LAREQUOI Research Center, ISM-IAE de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, and she is the founder of the National Office of the International Journal "Hermes" (Hermes, CNRS, Paris) for Bulgaria at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

The French-language program at FEBA began with the introduction of the "Business Management" major in French during the 1996/1997 academic year, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Armenouhi Piryan. A consortium was established between Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and French universities in Bordeaux, Lille, and Montpellier, which since 2001 has been coordinated on the Bulgarian side by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva. Together with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Armenouhi Piryan, they have worked tirelessly to provide new educational opportunities and professional perspectives for Bulgarian and French students and faculty members. Their joint efforts culminated in success with the establishment in September 2001 of a dual-degree bachelor’s program in Business Management with Montesquieu-Bordeaux IV University. As a result of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva’s active work with students in the French program, the Francophone Student Association at FEBA was founded in 2002. In 2005, at the initiative of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Armenouhi Piryan and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva, a French-language bachelor’s program in Economics with Bordeaux 4 University was established. In 2006, they successfully launched the French-Bulgarian Master’s program in Financial Management.

Under Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva’s leadership, the Licence in Economics and Management bachelor’s program taught in French with Lille 1 University was launched in the 2009/2010 academic year, remaining one of the few dual-degree programs in the country to this day. It is one of the most sustainable and successful international undergraduate programs at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" from which 246 students have graduated, many of whom have continued their studies in France and Bulgaria, finding success in Bulgarian and French/French-speaking enterprises. This period has also been marked by joint projects and initiatives with the French Institute in Sofia and the Francophonie University Agency with the direct involvement of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sonya Georgieva.