On 19 November, the official opening of the Annual Conference of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” took place. Under the theme “Transforming Futures: Sustainability, Innovation, and Governance” the event brings together leading researchers, business representatives, public policy experts, and students to discuss the intersections between sustainable development, innovation models, and contemporary governance in a global context.

The opening ceremony was held in the “Nikola Popov” Hall and began with welcome addresses by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Georgiev – Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Todor Yalamov and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marina Stefanova – Vice-Deans of the Faculty. “This year, the Faculty celebrates its 35th anniversary, which commits us to continuously improving our educational approaches. Gamification is a method that allows us to reach a broader audience – to inform, to build a community, and to expand our circle of like-minded people”, emphasized Assoc. Prof. Georgiev.

In his address, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Todor Yalamov placed strong emphasis on technology, ethics, and the visual representation of global policies through digital art. He presented the program of the event and launched the upcoming five conference days, which will welcome participants from Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, China, Libya, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Ukraine, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Montenegro, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Japan, and others.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marina Stefanova highlighted the power of art to unite, inspire, narrate, and reach people’s hearts, even when discussing the future of the world. “I am delighted that we will have the opportunity to work with our students on and through G80, prompting ideas, reflections, and arguments about what our sustainable future might look like. I see it as an important step to have access to art here in an educational environment and to be part of the future-oriented discussion supported by scientific reasoning”, she noted.

A special guest was the Swiss artist Marc Dubois, co-founder of the artistic collective Fragmentin. “Yes, art belongs in museums, but we do everything possible to bring it outside so that it reaches more people. What better place for this than the university — a space for discussions on multidisciplinary and complex topics? G80 inspires and enables each person to experience, through their own worldview and senses, the world it creates through its 80 variables embedded in the gamified approach of the installation”.

The highlight of the first conference day was the official presentation of the interactive G80 installation, placed in the Faculty building, with the participation of all guests and conference attendees. A welcome address was also given by Todor Zhekov, Executive Director of HPE Bulgaria – the company that supported the purchase and installation of G80 at the Faculty.

Following the official presentation of G80, participants had the opportunity to join the interactive workshop “Create Your Future”, led by Marc Dubois. During the session, they worked in small groups on their own web-based versions of G80, rethinking the original variables of the installation and linking them to informational, social, or ethical resources. The exercise aimed not only to demonstrate the complexity of global systems but also to encourage critical thinking about the role of technology in shaping public decisions.

In parallel, the panel session “From Real Options to Real Impact: Innovation, Housing Policy, and Higher Education in a Changing World” took place in the “Nikola Popov” Auditorium. International researchers presented analyses on economic dynamics, the role of generative artificial intelligence, the housing sector, and the future of higher education. This panel complemented the conceptual framework of the day, emphasizing applied knowledge and the practical dimensions of systemic change.

The opening day concluded with an artistic performance at Aula Magna of the Rectorate, featuring Reiko Nomura and Soheil Soheil. The conference continues until 23 November 2025, and the full program is available here.

About the G80 Installation

G80 is a contemporary art piece offering a new interpretation of Richard Buckminster Fuller’s visionary “World Game” — an attempt to model global processes with the aim of fair resource distribution. Comprising 80 motorized sliders, each representing a global variable—from economic indicators to climate parameters and social metrics—the installation allows visitors to experiment with “managing the world” only to discover that every action triggers new and unexpected reactions. This artistic simulation underscores the limitations of placing excessive trust in mathematical models and technocratic solutions when confronting real societal challenges.