site.btaSmolyan Branch of Plovdiv University Opens New Academic Year

The Smolyan branch of Plovdiv University opened the new academic year with a solemn ceremony on Thursday. Over 400 students are studying in the nine bachelor's specialties at the branch, said Prof. Dr. Elena Nikolova, Director of the Smolyan branch. She noted that there are over 100 first-year students, but the admission to the hybrid pedagogical specialty and the Marketing specialty continue until the vacant places are filled.

Nikolova addressed the freshmen to their new academic home, which was built nearly 65 years ago, then known as the Smolyan Teachers' Institute. Twenty-eight years ago, the institute joined the structure of Plovdiv University as its branch, becoming an integral part of the academic community of the largest university in Southern Bulgaria, she pointed out. Over the years, the Smolyan branch has established itself as a unique scientific and educational centre, an authoritative institution that has earned the trust of the public and employers, Nikolova emphasized.

The entire team of the branch has walked a difficult path over the years to become a significant educational and scientific centre in Smolyan Region, said Prof. Plamen Stoyanov, who made a greeting on behalf of Plovdiv University Rector Prof. Rumen Mladenov. 

In the 2024/25 academic year, 16,995 foreign students, including from EU Member States, enrolled in Bulgarian universities. The largest number of international students came from Greece (3,277), the United Kingdom (2,235), Ukraine (2,151), Germany (1,532) and Italy (990). A growing number of international students and doctoral candidates, including from Western Europe, are choosing to study in Bulgaria, with 779 additional enrolments in 2024/25 compared with the previous academic year.

BTA has signed indefinite agreements for ongoing collaboration with 45 of Bulgaria's 51 universities to provide copyright-cleared materials and student internship opportunities.