site.btaNew Bulgarian University Opens Its 35th Academic Year

With a solemn ceremony New Bulgarian University (NBU) kicked off its 35th academic year on Tuesday. The NBU welcomed 2,200 new undergraduate students.

NBU Rector Prof. Plamen Doynov wished the students “to feel shared joy, devoid of selfishness, at the home of joy”, as he called NBU.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Olesya Ilashchuk was among the official guests at the ceremony. Prof. Doynov addressed the ambassador, expressing hope that one day the faculty and students at NBU would celebrate the end of the war against Ukraine.

Traditionally, NBU welcomes the academic year with an inspiring speech from a prominent figure. bTV journalist Svetoslav Ivanov addressed the gathering this year. He drew attention to the challenges of modern society, where "the information flow is accelerating. We have taken up a different role of guardians of reality."

The festive day continued in the university yard. At the initiative of George Tekev, NBU Executive Director, 6 oak trees were planted in front of the building, symbolizing wisdom, freedom and independence.

In the 2024/2025 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.