The Dean of the Faculty of Slavic Studies Prof. Panayot Karagyozov opened the ceremony by the statement that Sofia University is not only a building of education but also the most appropriate institution to host the jubilee as it has preserved and developed Prof. Shishmanov's ideas.

Prof. Ilchev, the Rector, spoke about the time, when, in 1878, only 5% of the population of the liberated country was literate. A couple of decades past, more than 80% were the literate citizens. Prof. Ivan Shishmanov was among these visionary public people to support the the establishemnt of Sofia University, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Art Academy and many other educational institutions. Prof. Ilchev cited the great Bulgarian's words to bridge the heritage and contemporary education, economics, academia and politics: 'Education does not serve to make the citizen a state employee but to improve the welfare of the country'