A PRESENTATION OF THE: Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences /FESS/, University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria June, 2014

 The University of Plovdiv is the second largest in the country /after the University of Sofia/;  An interesting historical fact is that the first University of the country was meant to be the University of Plovdiv, but since Sofia was chosen to become the capital of newly liberated state about 120 years ago, all the documents were sent to Sofia, and based on these documents the University of Sofia was founded (1888).  Thus, the University of Plovdiv was initially founded as a two-faculties body in 1945 /Faculty of Medicine, and Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry/.  In 1962 the institution was transformed into Higher Teacher-Training Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences.  In 1972 the status of an “institute” was changed to a “university” one with the name of “Paisii Hilendarski” /after the name of a reputed Bulgarian monk and a scholar; /.  During the years the University evolved to an institution with 9 Faculties. 1.Faculty of Biology 2.Faculty of Education 3.Faculty of Physics 4.Faculty of Chemistry 5.Faculty of Languages and Literature 6.Faculty of Philosophy and History 7.Faculty of Law 8.Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics 9.Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences  The total enrollment for the academic 2014/2015 is estimated at 19,000 students.

 The newest Faculty at the University.  Founded in In 2014 the FESS will have a 20 years anniversary.  The FESS became a regional academic center for South Bulgaria for preparing economists, managers, and political scientists.  The FESS has the largest number of students in the University – about 4,000 /both full- time and part-time/(out of 19,000 total enrollment).

FESS provides education in the following accredited educational fields:  Bachelor Degrees 1)International Economic Relations 2)Macroeconomics 3)Marketing 4)Business Administration 5)Political Sciences 6)Finances /since September, 2012/  Master Degrees 1)Financial Management 2)International Trade 3)Accounting and Analysis 4)Business Administration 5)Human Resources Management 6)Business Communications and Public Relations 7)Corporate Management 8)Finance 9)Business Economy 10)Management of Corporate Security 11)International Business /in English only; from Fall-2014/  PhD Degrees 1)Political Economy 2)Economics and Management 3)History of Economic Studies

 FACULTY & STAFF 10 Full-Time Professors 24 Associate Professors 9 Head Assistant Professors with PhDs 8 Head Assistant Professors 6 Assistant Professors 8Staff Total: 65  A great share of the Faculty are experts and consultants in the problems of accounting, sociological and political researchers, management, entrepreneurships, marketing and others.

 In different years the FESS provides European programs for student exchange with universities from Belgium /Gent and VUB/, The Netherlands, Germany, France /Strasbourg and Lille/, Greece /Thessaloniki and Seres/.  Domestically, the FESS works closely on the exchange programs with the University of Sofia and the New Bulgarian University.  Some students take advantage of the Erasmus Program.  On the University level there is stronger international student exchange cooperation.

Within the Erasmus Framework, the FESS, at present, cooperates with: ◦ Belgium - Gent University; ◦ Germany – Senftenber – Lausitz University of Applied Sciences; ◦ France – Lille – University des sciences et Technologiesq Strasburg ◦ Greece – Thessaloniki – Technologikal Educational Institute

 The FESS provides education in three Bulgarian cities: Plovdiv, Kirdzhali, and Smolyan /under the hat of the University of Plovdiv/  The FESS provides education in Master Degree programs in Sofia through the MTM College,

 Higher School of Labour protection Management in Katowice (2012/2013)  Universidad Publica de Navarra (2011/2013)  University of Szeged (2008/2013)  Universite Lille 1 (2010/2013)  Alexander Technological Educational Institution of Thessaloniki (2008/2013)  University of Macedonia Economics and Social Sciences (2008/2013)  Technological Educational Institution of Serres (2008/2013)  Lausitz University of Applied Sciences (2008/2013)  Ghent University (2008/2013)

 Joint Master/PhD Program;  Student mobility through the Erasmus Program;  Academic Staff mobility;  Educational Partnership Projects;  Research Projects in labor markets, human resources, industry relations, EU-integration, other various economic, administrative, and managerial topics;  Joint EU-funded projects for educational excellence;  Various – subject to further talks;

Dean Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences Office Tzar Assen Str., University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski” Plovdiv – 4000 BULGARIA Tel.: Web-site: