There are plenty of opportunities to make the most of the school and university in Bulgaria
"Study in Bulgaria? No way!" a teenager exclaims when asked in a radio interview about continuing her education in the country. The numbers agree with her: each year more than 10,000 Bulgarian students enrol at universities abroad and then praise their educational system when asked. This follows logically after a 12-year stay in badly run state schools with overburdened and underpaid teachers, everchanging curriculum and discouraging feedback.
But when it comes to actually studying in Bulgaria, do not let the poor current condition of the education system shape your opinion. Historically, Bulgarians pride themselves on the role that education has played in keeping national consciousness alive and preparing Bulgarians to square up with the world. The system has borrowed liberally from France and Russia along following unique South Slavic traditions, and has been infused with the holistic concepts such as visionary Maria Montessori and Bulgarian spiritual leader Petar Danov. Disillusioned teachers abound in state schools, which many of the best have already left to found their own private schools and studying centres. You would be well off planning the education of your children or your own with some of these institutions, which have already gained serious recognition for their years of existence.
Some of the newly-established private schools carry the old traditions of Bulgarian education – worldliness, depth and diversity. Private school Lotos is such an example, having been founded by Professor Mihail Petrov. Interpersonal relations between pupils and teachers shape up the process of learning all the way from primary to high school, while the curriculum combines European standards with Eastern language studies and martial arts training. The competent education team strives to provide a great experience for the students, creating a special atmosphere of respect and etiquette.
Established in 1992, for 20 years now ESPA school has successfully contributed to building and bringing up highly educated, tolerant and humanistic persons. The reputation of the school rests not only on its solid traditions and the achievements of its alumni, but also on its innovative spirit. ESPA students receive education and certificate that give them access to the most prestigious learning institutions in Bulgaria and abroad. They are multifaceted young people to whom ESPA gives a chance to develop all aspects of their potential. The children grow up in an intellectually stimulating environment, friendly atmosphere and open-minded school, where they feel loved and happy. They called their school School of Joy and World's Eight Wonder themselves.
If you love learning new things, but you are still not sure what exactly you want to do, why not try a foreign language? English is the lingua franca of the modern world but any other language you acquire is a treasure that cannot be taken from you. Germanic languages look like some of the hardest to learn but the professionals in NordStudeo – School for Germanic Languages make it easy. The first of its kind in Bulgaria, the school has taught Norwegian, Dutch, Danish, Finnish and Swedish since 2001. NordStudeo caters for employees and managers of corporations, embassy staff and medical specialists.
In case your fancy runs to more widespread languages, trust the teachers from Book Language School to give you the best tutoring in Bulgarian, English, Spanish, German, Italian or Greek. Using the very best and renowned language teaching systems, the courses provide you with tools to improve your language abilities and augment your curiosity about the world.
Flexibility in work often means acquiring another degree for better knowledge or for the certificate itself. Whatever the reason, a degree in business always comes in handy, and you can have the experienced lecturers of the Professional College of Business and Finance to give you the distilled essence. The courses put the stress on hands-on experience, making business plans, training in foreign languages, working with information technologies to prepare you for a job in the field.
Private universities give you some of the best experiences in Bulgarian higher education.
The New Bulgarian University (NBU) is established in 1991 and is the first and biggest private university in Bulgaria. Its academic profile incorporates humanistic studies, natural sciences, new technologies and arts. It was created as a response to the need of developing an alternative, more dynamic and free higher education system. It was the first university in Bulgaria to introduce the credit system. NBU students can choose from abound 150 programmes taught in English, French and Russian. It offers professional, Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees through full-time, distance and virtual learning. NBU offers its students and employees a chance to participate in international exchange and mobility programmes, giving them many opportunities to study and teach abroad in famous universities all over the world.
Varna Free University Chernorizets Hrabar has gained the trust not only of its more than 27,000 students and graduates, but also of its multiple academic partners throughout the world. The university is the only one in the country to bear the European grades for quality of educational and research activity DS Label and ECTS Label and partners in 56 universities in Europe and the United States student and teacher mobility. For the 20 years of its existence, one of Bulgaria's first private universities follows its mission to be socially responsible in the civic society, oriented towards the students and their professional realisation.
European Polytechnical University (EPU) is a private university, founded in 2010. The various Bachelor degrees are taught in English, while Master degrees have an option for Bulgarian as well. University's policy is to encourage good students and those who have excellent marks study for free and the other receive bonuses based on the marks. Exchange programmes have been set up with partner universities from Europe, Russia and China in order to maximise the students' benefit and update their knowledge on the international scene. EPU gives students the opportunity to study one semester in a partner university abroad.
HRC Culinary Academy at International University College is a leader in the Eastern European region with its two-year programme in Culinary Arts. The students are from all over the world, so are the chef-instructors, and the instruction takes place in English entirely. The first-rate study base combines a wide-range practical training with internships in exquisite restaurants and renowned hotels in Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The Academy's base offers excellent conditions, and in their third semester of training students manage the only fine-dining teaching restaurant in Bulgaria named Talents and situated in the heart of Sofia.