There Is Sense to Dream in Bulgaria – business supports universities

• There Is Sense to Dream in Bulgaria – business supports universities

  
  
   
  
  
  There Is Sense to Dream in Bulgaria is a new program that aims at the good practical training of the students, who have to respond to business needs and requirements. The initiative comes from the newly created Society for Loyalty that unites leading companies from different branches in Bulgaria. The organization will try to implement and popularize good business practices in this country and to cooperate to the business – education dialogue. It is a fact that programs of Bulgarian universities are not oriented towards the demands of business and barely 1/5 of their graduates succeed in finding a suitable job, according to their skills. Mr. Krassimir Raikov, representative of Society for Loyalty gives the details. 
  “Many young people choose foreign universities due to the vague and insecure options in Bulgaria. That was why we created the program for support of our universities. We are convinced that our joint efforts may prove to young people that their staying, studying and working here makes sense. The Society for Loyalty will support Bulgarian universities via its exclusive program with two main goals: initiating of practical training programs and participation at the training of future university graduates, so that they can respond adequately to the needs of the business. The newly created Accounting and Control Master’s Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration with the “St. Kliment Ohridski” Sofia University for the 2011-2012 session is the first step in that direction. Visiting lecturers from different companies share their experience with 20 students. A full scholarship will be provided for a student from this faculty, as well as internships for 5 future experts in those companies that created the Society for Loyalty. We plan good cooperation over the next year with a total of 9 universities.” 
  According to Educational Minister Sergei Ignatov one of the reasons why many young Bulgarians opt for studying abroad is their adventurous spirit, the chance for meeting a different world, for making new friends. They are pragmatic – the diploma from a foreign university will open more doors to them and will provide better salaries. However, this trend is a signal for the existence of a problem in Bulgaria’s educational sphere, the minister says.
  “We have to modernize it, he underlines. We already have universities that are walking this way in a slower or quicker manner. Bulgarian university education should become more pragmatic and related to real business and economic life. The educational institutions and the business need a dialogue and the latter should press us, otherwise we won’t figure it out. I think that the direction is the right one. Some EUR 45 mln. should be allocated for internships and practices. Some EUR 30 mln. of those are provided for the universities, the rest of the money is for professional high schools.” 
  According to Chair of the National Representation of Student Councils Petar Chaushev, the funding for the universities should be aimed at those specialties that are well-placed on the market.
  “You should consider the creation of mechanisms, allowing young people to enter entrepreneurship programs, while studying at the university, Secretary General of Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vassil Todorov addressed the Society for Loyalty. It is possible a young man to give a brilliant idea that can be implemented on the market. The application of young people for funding of business plans and the creation of joint partnerships should be considered too. A signal of that kind towards young people and their entrepreneur skills – that they can enter the market not only as employees, but as owners or co-owners of a business – that, I think, would be a nice focus for such an initiative.” 
  
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