Home / The University / Faculties / Faculty of Economics and Business Administration / News / Two Guest Lectures Held for Students in the Master’s Program “Customs and Tax Control”

   

23.01.2025

 

On January 18 and 19, 2025, Mrs. Vasilka Tochkova, Deputy Director of the Territorial Directorate "Customs Sofia" and Mr. Stefan Bakalov, Head of the "Drug Trafficking Control" Department at the Central Customs Directorate - Customs Agency, were guest lecturers for the students of the Master’s program "Customs and Tax Control", led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tsvetan Madanski. The guest lectures were part of the course "Customs Regimes and Procedures".

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Mrs. Vasilka Tochkova presented the topic “Authorized Economic Operators” (AEO). In the context of globalization and the evolving international landscape, customs authorities and economic operators play a key role in ensuring the security of the supply chain while facilitating legitimate trade. Her highly engaging and informative presentation was delivered professionally and addressed topics such as mutual recognition of AEO certifications, security and safety threats, AEO status, participants in the international supply chain, and their responsibilities. Additional discussions included the AEO application process and the specific requirement for applicants to have completed training on customs legislation, corresponding to their level of involvement in customs-related activities. Such training must be provided by either the customs authorities of a member state or an educational institution recognized by the customs authorities for this purpose.

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Mr. Stefan Bakalov, on the other hand, delivered a captivating lecture titled “New Psychoactive Substances, Global Drug Trafficking, and Emerging Risks”. He professionally explored the expanding and increasingly complex global drug market. A fruitful discussion ensued between the lecturer and the students, focusing on narcotics transported via postal and courier shipments, as well as the concept of “controlled deliveries”.

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The students were very pleased with the guest lecturers, both of whom have over 35 years of experience in customs administration.

The Master’s program employs modern approaches where students actively participate in the learning process. For the first time, Mrs. Ivana Malinova, a student, delivered a presentation on the topic “Customs Representation”. The topic is highly relevant and tied to the professional qualification in "Customs Representation" which is directly related to meeting the criteria for becoming an Authorized Economic Operator.

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