Софийски университет "Св. Климент Охридски"

In 1906 professor Petar Noikov and his assistant N. Aleksiev have established a Scientific-Research Laboratory within a Department of the then Faculty of History and Philology. It was the first scientific-research Laboratory in Sofia University and it was unique for Bulgaria. Since the academic 1907/8 year, the Laboratory was included in the regular program of lectures of Sofia University. According to existing information, in 1943, the Laboratory was temporarily moved in the city of Pirdop due to the bombing attacks over Sofia. Later it was returned back in Sofia University. There is no available information about the Laboratory after this period. Its last director was professor Dimitar Katsarov until 1948 when the Laboratory was closed due to ideological reasons.

In 1994 professor D. Vassilev has defended the need to rehabilitate the work of the Laboratory and its activities were renewed. In 2004 a Centre for Professional and Carrier Development and a Scientific-Research Laboratory on Experimental and Professional Pedagogy were established.

During a session held on 15 January 2008, the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Education has decided Prof. Dr. Petar Noikov to be the patron of the Laboratory and has chosen for its present director Prof. Dr. of pedagogic sciences Yana Rasheva-Merdzhanova.

Goals

To cover a wide range of disciplines related to professional orientation, education and development of students in the Bachelor and Master Programs in “Education” and “Social ” of the Faculty of Education (in regular and facultative programs) such as professional orientation and counseling, professional and experimental pedagogy, professional and carrier development and others.
To create opportunities for implementation of expert and consultative activities of the team such as publications, scientific and professional development, acquiring scientific degrees, qualifications, different specializations.
To involve students to work and participate in projects and in the academic community life, to support their professional development and practical qualification, their scientific-research activities; to provoke their interest in science and in realization of different ideas and initiatives.

Partners

Our partners are a wide range of state and nongovernmental organizations. Some of them are:

Carrier and pedagogic centers (within University of National and World Economy and Sofia University; National Center on Education);

Professional and private high schools (Henry Ford and Helios);

Institutions for children;

Non-profit organizations (for citizenship education, TEAM and others);

HR agencies (Fortune, ACE HR and others);

Departments on Labour;

Child Protection Departments;

Local Commission for Combating Anti-Social Acts of Children - Vrabnitsa

The Team

Prof. Dr. of pedagogical sciences Yana Rasheva-Merdzhanova

Prof. Monika Bogdanova, Dr.Habil.

Prof. Bontcho Gospodinov, PhD

Assoc. Prof. Silviya Tsvetanska, PhD

Assoc. Prof. Iliana Petkova, PhD

Assoc. Prof. Vladislav Gospodinov, PhD

Asst. Prof. Bilyana Garkova, PhD

Asst. Prof. Daniel Polihronov, PhD

Asst. Prof. Anna Varbanova

Actual Projects

Year 2007–2008

Diagnostics of children and youth with mental retardation

Training of young people in Sign Language – Project “Friends in Silence” (The project was rewarded with the prize “Project of the year” 2007 of the National Agency for Youth and Sports).