10.07.2025
Between May 25–28, 2025, representatives of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Todor Yalamov, Vice-Dean for Research, Innovation and Projects, and Chief Assist. Prof. Martina Arabadzhieva, faculty member – took part in a training visit to the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
The visit was organized within the framework of the project TWIN4ECO – Twinning for Excellence: Stimulating the Sustainable Energy Economy and Promoting Research in the Field of Innovation Management in Bulgaria, funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), project No. BG-RRP-2.005-0001.
The program included a series of training and discussion sessions focused on academic publishing, research project development, access to data, and the effective use of methodologies in both qualitative and quantitative research.
Key highlights of the visit included:
- A presentation by Prof. Dr. Florian Noseleit on intellectual property and research funding strategies, with emphasis on building sustainable academic ecosystems and implementing innovative approaches to IP portfolio development.
- A training session led by Dr. Jitse Doijsters, dedicated to quantitative data collection and analysis, featuring examples such as meta-analysis and social network analysis combined with firm-level panel data.
- A presentation by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Todor Yalamov, who shared insights on access to public data in Bulgaria, including the integration of various sources – from European and national funding data to corporate information and territorial characteristics.
- A seminar on “Qualitative Research and the Case Study Approach” delivered by Dr. Isabel Estrada(University of Groningen), which addressed challenges, good practices, and quality criteria in case study research, including the role of justified research design, validity, and data triangulation.
The visit strengthened the partnership between the two academic institutions and laid the foundation for future joint research, academic mobility, and co-publications within the framework of the TWIN4ECO project.
The Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” expresses its appreciation to the colleagues at the University of Groningen for the excellent organization and for sharing their expertise in a highly professional and engaging manner.