30.03.2026
Representatives of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University took an active part in The 20th International Conference on Business Excellence “Driving Competitive Advantage through AI and Digital Ecosystems”, held from March 26 to 28, 2026, in Bucharest.
The conference was organized by the Bucharest University of Economic Studies and brought together researchers and experts from various countries working in the fields of business, digital technologies, and innovation.
Within the framework of the conference, two scientific papers, accepted for publication in proceedings indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, were presented by a research team working under a project funded by the Ministry of Education and Science through the National Science Fund – Fundamental Scientific Research Competition 2024, Contract No. KP-06-N85/3 dated December 5, 2024. The project focuses on the study of gamification in education and the workplace in the context of Industry 5.0, with an emphasis on developing innovative approaches to learning, enhancing engagement, and ensuring the sustainable development of human capital.
The first paper, titled “Using Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education in Marketing (a Didactic Experiment)”, was developed by a team consisting of Prof. Krаsteva, Prof. Davidkov, Dr. Potebnya, and K. Suleva. The second paper, “Is it Possible to Support the Transition from Education 4.0 to Education 5.0 by Gamification of Education?”, authored by Prof. Krăsteva, Prof. Davidkov, and K. Suleva, explores the possibilities of applying gamification as a tool to support the transition to Education 5.0.
Assistant Professor Teodor Daskalov also participated in the conference with the paper “On the Edge of the Drop: Water Stress and National Security in Bulgaria in the Context of Marketing-Based Approaches to Adaptive Water Governance”, presented within the mini-track “Circular Economy: A Sustainable Solution for a Sustainable Future”.
Other faculty members and PhD students from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration also participated with papers, either independently or in co-authorship, including Associate Professor Dr. Todor Yalamov, who not only presented a paper but also chaired a session at the conference, Chief Assistant Professor Dr. Irena Mladenova, Prof. DSc Zhelyu Vladimirov, Associate Professor Dr. Ivan Angelov, Assistant Professor Nikoleta Voynova, Chief Assistant Professor Emil Mitov, Prof. Dr. Albena Vutsova, Prof. Dr. Nadya Sokolova, Associate Professor Dr. Iya Petkova-Angelova, Assistant Professor Kiril Metodiev Velitchkov, Chief Assistant Professor Martina Arabadzhieva, and others. Their participation further highlights the active research work and international engagement of the academic community.
On March 27, 2026, Chief Assistant Professor Aleksey Potebnya participated in a radio program on “Horizont”, dedicated to gamification and the Faculty’s efforts in the field of innovative educational practices. The program also featured pre-recorded interviews with fourth-year students in Business Administration, who shared their impressions and positive practices related to their education at the Faculty.