03.10.2024
On October 1, 2024, the official opening of the new academic year for the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration took place in the Aula Magna of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. The event was specially dedicated to the newly admitted first-year students in the bachelor's programs and brought together representatives of the entire academic community, faculty, students, and partners of the faculty.
The official ceremony was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Georgiev, who welcomed the new students with an inspiring speech. He emphasized the importance of education at the Faculty and encouraged the freshmen to make use of all the opportunities the university offers to prepare themselves for successful careers. Assoc. Prof. Georgiev expressed his gratitude to the faculty staff for their contribution to maintaining a high-quality educational process, despite the challenges of recent years.
The ceremony was led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Angelov, Vice Dean for MBA Programmes and Executive Education.
Among the guests was Mr. Atanas Raykov, Vice President of Global Marketing and Growth at Rakuten Viber and an alumnus of the Faculty. He shared personal experiences from his student years and gave valuable advice to the new students. Mr. Raykov highlighted the importance of being active and participating in student initiatives, citing his experience in the student organization "Business Club".
Mr. Vladimir Dokov, CEO of EGT, also addressed the students, sharing details about joint initiatives with Sofia University and wishing them a successful academic year.
Hristo Stoyanov, FCCA – Partner for Advisory Services in Finance and Accounting at Ernst & Young Bulgaria, congratulated the students and highlighted the opportunities business offers young professionals, as well as the collaboration with the Faculty. He also announced that he would be a guest lecturer in the master's program in Accounting and Audit, teaching courses in auditing.
Adriana Branicheva, Chair of the Business Club at the Faculty, invited the new students to join the organization’s initiatives and participate actively in the Welcome Week events, organized especially for them, as well as in an informal gathering later the same day at the Faculty building.
Mr. Alexander Alexandrov, Chair of the Alumni Club of the Faculty, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deyan Radev, Vice Chair of the Alumni Club and Director of Alumni Relations at the Faculty’s Career Center, also shared their greetings. They spoke about the support that the Career Center and the Alumni Club offer to students during and after their studies.
Chief Assistant Dr. Venelina Tsvetkova from the Department of Sports encouraged students not only to take part in the mandatory sports activities but also to join Sofia University’s sports teams if they wish to pursue a sports career.
After the official part, the freshmen received their student books and had the opportunity to meet their professors, senior students, as well as representatives of businesses and partners of the Faculty.
The day concluded with an informal event at the Faculty building, organized by the Business Club, the Alumni Club, and the MBA program.
The attendees enjoyed performances by the musicians of the “Dixieland All-Stars” and talented students of the Faculty, including Viktor Vladkov, who played a piano arrangement of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, and Darina Atanasova, who presented her version of “Fly Me to the Moon” in Bulgarian.
The event marked the beginning of the new academic year at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, filled with enthusiasm and ambition for future success across the academic community.