Varna Free University will train profilers – the criminologists of the future
"Profiler" is an American crime series. It tells the story of a criminal profiler working in Atlanta, Georgia. Such specialists will be trained for the first time in Bulgaria. The Profiler is a criminologist, analyst who can make a psychological profile of the criminal only judging from the traces that are left at the scene of the crime.
The profiler works with methods of criminology, and also of psychiatry and psychology. Many believe that the profiler is a person who is simply born with this talent - to be able to penetrate the mind of the killer. Profilers are used by some airlines in the world to avoidpossible terrorists to board the plane.
Profilers will be taught for the first time in Bulgaria - elite criminal specialists who will solve crimes faster and easier than before. The new specialty "Profilering" will be introduced this year at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" which will dedicate the entire 2016 to its 25th anniversary.
"Profilering" is an integrated specialty between criminology and psychology. It will create the specialists of the future, who are supposed to be much more successful in detecting crimes, said in an interview for Darik Varna the Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar"- Prof. Valeri Stoyanov, PhD. The future profilers will be able to create professional psychological profiles of criminals and to better analyze criminal situations. "Just like in the hit US crime series."
In the new academic year Varna Free University will launch a total of 5 new Bachelor’s degree programs and 17 Master’s degree programs. The future students in "Business Administration and Management with Chinese" will spend several months in the Asian country, where they can establish contacts with the local businesses. VFU has established relationships with a private university in the twin city of Varna, the Chinese city of Ningbo, where the students will attend specialization courses. This in turn will enable them later to develop successful business with China. Another new specialty is "Intelligent Security Systems." According to Stoyanov the victims of the flood in Asparuhovo in 2014 could have been avoided if there were such specialists. "Intelligent security systems" combine information from many indicators that goes into one centre and is analyzed there.
"Israel has developed such systems and when bombing from Palestine starts, the people in the area which will be affected are notified. The same method can be applied to disasters and accidents, " said Stoyanov. Among the other new specialties are "Political Science and Journalism", "Digital Economy" and "International Law and Security with English". Total of 10, 000 students are studying at VFU, of which 350 are from abroad. They prefer the university in the sea capital of Bulgaria because of its discernability and its European certification, added the Vice-Rector.
This year Varna Free University celebrates its 25th birthday. On this occasion meetings with alumni will be organized in several regional cities. The initiative started in Silistra on 9 and 10 January and will continue in Razgrad, Targovishte, Dobrich, Rousse and Veliko Tarnovo.
You can hear the entire conversation with Prof. Stoyanov for Darik radio here: