site.btaEducation Minister, Local Authority Discuss Establishing University in Vidin

Establishing a university in Vidin is key to positioning the region as an educational and spiritual centre, caretaker Education and Science Minister Prof. Sergei Ignatov said during a working meeting with the municipality leadership here on Tuesday.

The minister noted that the main emphasis of the conversation with the local authorities is the need to build a higher education institution in the town. "A spiritual fortress must be built in Northwestern Bulgaria. There must be a university in Vidin that will be a fortress of Bulgarianness here," Ignatov commented. He pointed out that the lack of such a centre leads to an outflow of young people to closer educational institutions outside Bulgaria.

The creation of a university requires a targeted policy, the minister stressed, adding that a critical mass of scientists and teachers must be created in the region. According to him, it is necessary to build a campus and provide good living and working conditions in order to attract specialists. Ignatov also emphasized the strategic importance of Northwestern Bulgaria, pointing out that the region is an important transport corridor to Europe and its development is related to the construction of infrastructure.

Ignatov said that the number of universities in Bulgaria will not be reduced administratively, but on the basis of competition between them, and noted that university funding can be combined through state support and various projects.