28.02.2025
The doctoral seminars organized by the Department of Business Administration at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, have established themselves as a key platform for scientific exchange, critical feedback, and building an academic community among the department's doctoral students.
The seminars are held on the last Tuesday of every month in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in person at the faculty or online via a virtual platform. This flexibility ensures the participation of doctoral students residing abroad, as well as members of the academic community who are unable to attend in person.
What makes these seminars special?
Every doctoral student has the opportunity to present their academic progress at least once a year, receive feedback from peers and faculty members, and actively participate in discussions on their colleagues’ topics. A key feature of the seminars is that presentations follow the format of scientific conferences — with clear structure, time limits, and moderated discussions.
Thematically, the seminars cover a wide range of current topics in business management, entrepreneurship, innovation, digital transformation, sustainable development, marketing, and many other fields.
Highlights from 2023 and 2024
Over the past two years, the doctoral seminars featured presentations on topics reflecting the diverse research interestsof the doctoral students, including:
- The impact of business process management systems on employee motivation
- Generational differences in individual and corporate entrepreneurship
- Global brand expansion strategies in the fast-moving consumer goods sector
- University ecosystems for entrepreneurship and innovation in Vietnam and Bulgaria
- The future of volunteerism in Kenya
- The impact of digital leadership on companies’ innovative capacity and competitiveness
- Gift-giving as part of business protocol and etiquette in multicultural environments
- Development of the SME sector in Kosovo and the role of institutional factors
- Strategic development of employer branding and its impact on business growth
Topics for 2025 – what’s ahead?
The seminars scheduled for 2025 already outline an exciting scientific agenda, covering topics such as:
- Strategies for digital transformation in organizations
- Innovations in the real estate sector
- Sustainable leadership and greenwashing in the context of ESG transformation
- Communication models in digital leadership
- Business and organizational agility
- Methodological issues in empirical research
- Practical demonstrations on referencing and indexing tools
- Managerial behavior in developing strategies in critical situations
- Innovations and transformation in the banking sector
Benefits for doctoral students and the department
The doctoral seminars are more than just presentation opportunities — they serve as a platform for building scientific culture and fostering academic collaboration. For doctoral students, the seminars offer a chance to receive constructive criticism, improve their presentation skills, and align their research with academic standards.
For the department, the seminars provide a valuable mechanism to monitor the progress of doctoral students, identify potential for joint publications and research projects, and promote interdisciplinary research.
A shared scientific environment
All presented materials are stored in a dedicated cloud folder, accessible to doctoral students and faculty members. This creates a digital archive of the research progress and facilitates access to resources and ideas.
Looking ahead
The Department of Business Administration remains committed to this valuable academic tradition. In 2025, the department will explore opportunities to invite guest lecturers, organize thematic workshops, and host joint sessionswith doctoral students from other universities — both in Bulgaria and abroad.
Stay tuned for more news and invitations to upcoming events!