The academic educational program for postgraduate qualifications in "Economics and Management of the Water Utilities", which has established itself as a leader in the water industry, launched its 16th edition in a pleasant and environmentally friendly atmosphere in the renovated halls of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of SU "St. Kliment Ohridski". The successful partnership between the Training and Qualification Center at Utilities Services and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration contributed to the development of the program in 2023/2024.

The academic program was officially opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Assoc. Prof. Atanas Georgiev and Mr. Teodor Daskalov from Utilities Services. In his welcome to the participants of the Water Academy, Assoc. Prof. Georgiev recalled that the topic of infrastructure economics has been present in the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration since the end of the 90s of the 20th century with the first course on "Project financing for infrastructure, energy and utilities", led by the guest lecturer Nikolay Minkov, who is also the first director from the business of the master's program for economics and management in the energy and utilities sector. Subsequently, the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration created sectoral master's programs and several trainings on these topics, and this process was naturally complemented by the opening of the new edition of the Water Academy.

For two semesters, with the help of professionals from the water sector and professors from the university, participants are going to go through the organizational, economic, legal and management specifics of this utility industry. On December 7, on the eve of Student’s Day in Bulgaria, 15 managers from companies in the sector of the regions Sofia Region, Yovkovtsi, Stara Zagora, Blagoevgrad, Lovech, Shumen and Pernik entered the economic disciplines of the water industry.