Academy for National and Information Security Officially Opens 2025/2026 Academic Year in Plovdiv

Risida Dimitrova, BTA Correspondent Tanya Blagova

Academy for National and Information Security opens new academic year, Plovdiv, October 4, 2025 (BAT Photo/ Tanya Blagova)

Plovdiv,

04.10.2025 16:19

(BTA)

The Academy for National and Information Security (ANIS), formerly known as the Higher School of Security and Economics (HSSE) in Plovdiv, officially opened its new academic year on Saturday with a formal ceremony.

Professor Georgi Manolov, President of the Academy, announced that following 22 years of academic development, from the founding of the College of Economics and Administration, later transformed into HSSE, the institution has now, as of October 2, officially become ANIS, following a decision by Bulgaria’s National Assembly. With this, ANIS becomes the first private university in Plovdiv with a specialized focus on national and information security.

Today, the Academy employs over 100 lecturers, and more than 15,000 students have graduated from the institution over the years. This year, over 500 freshmen have enrolled, and over the past five years, student numbers have increased by more than 51%, with the most popular program being National Security, which accounts for 66% of enrolments, Manolov said.

He added that one of ANIS’s key goals is the continuous improvement of education quality by attracting top-tier academic staff in all relevant fields.

Among the official guests at the opening ceremony for the 2025/2026 academic year was Dimitar Gardev, MP of There Is Such a People and Chair of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds.

The ceremony continued with a symbolic “Key to Knowledge” handover, in which second-year student Plamena Mitkova passed the key to Raya Zhelyazkova, a first-year student majoring in Criminalistics.

Following the tradition, ANIS Rector Prof. Yordan Bakalov awarded the freshmen admitted with the highest entry scores. The celebration concluded with a group photo in front of the university building.

/RD/