CAREER EXPO MEETS STUDENTS WITH BUSINESS

05 December 2023

A career expo was held today at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar". The event is part of the project 'Innovative Model for Modernization of Higher Education by Creating an Academic Ecosystem VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar - Technical University - Varna - Plovdiv University Paisiy Hilendarski University of Plovdiv', which started exactly two years ago.

The event was opened by Prof. Dr. Petar Hristov, rector of Varna Free University, who welcomed the students on the eve of the Student's Day, December 8th: "Students are the bearers of hope for a better future. I am optimistic that today's young people will have a better life than that of their parents. I am sure that the students from Varna Free University will be able to make the most of the challenges and opportunities of the rapidly changing world," he said.

The rector awarded distinguished students who contributed to boosting the prestige of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" in sports and social activities. They are as follows:
► Polina Galinova - 5th-year student, majoring in Psychology, who won a bronze medal at the world kickboxing championship in Portugal. She is also a two-time world junior and cadet kickboxing champion; multiple champion of the country and part of the Bulgarian national kickboxing team.

► Tervel Chorbadzhiyski - 2nd-year student, majoring in Psychology. With his team Jambo 2006 he was placed in the TOP 3 of the 32nd edition of the Danube Arrows archery tournament held in Ruse. Tervel successfully combines university studies with sports, music and arts!

► Kristiyan Yordanov - 2nd-year student, majoring in Protection of National Security. Together with Polina Galinova, he won four gold medals at the National Kickboxing Championship, which was held in Stara Zagora. The students placed the university in the TOP 3 of the championship organized by the Association for University Sports "Akademik".

► Yoanna Hristova – 3rd-year student, majoring in Graphic Design. She was placed in the top three of the Transformations translation competition, organized by the Faculty of Philology of VTU "St. St. Cyril and Methodius". The competition is held with the assistance of the Ministry of Education and Science.

► Merhat Osman – as a 4th-year student in Finance and Accounting, he received the special award at the 12th edition of the National Auditing Competition for students 'Young Audition' for 2023, organized by VUZF. Merhat's prize is an internship at the Audit Chamber of the Republic of Bulgaria. Merhat is now a Master in Tax and Customs Control.

► Gergana Atanasova - 4th-year student, majoring in Law. She is part of the Bulgarian team that represented our country in #ConSIMium - a simulation of the work of the Council of the European Union. 200 students from all EU member states participated in the simulation. Gergana is also the recipient of the Student of the Year Award of the National Student Councils for 2022.

► Alessandro Tankis – 3rd-year student, majoring in International Business in English. Together with Gergana Atanasova, she was part of the six-member team that represented Bulgaria in Brussels during the #ConSIMium simulation. The Bulgarian team managed to achieve a "change" in the final text of the document concerning the reduction of carbon emissions in the field of transport.

► Totyo Bonev - 3rd-year srudent, majoring in Construction of Buildings and Facilities - as a mentor of the student team "Boomerang" from Haskovo, which made a movable bridge from spaghetti at the 10th edition of the creative skills competition "Varna Spaghetti Engineering". The bridge can withstand a load of more than 10 kilograms.

► Dilyana Parusheva - 4th-year student in Construction of Buildings and Facilities and mentor of the Varna student team, which also entered the top three of the creative skills competition "Varna Spaghetti Engineering".

► Melih Isufov - 3rd-year student in Construction of Buildings and Facilities - also a mentor of a student team. Melih showed special skills in managing and encouraging the students to win in the Varna Spaghetti Engineering creative skills competition.

Within the framework of the Innovative Model for the Modernization of Higher Education Through the Creation of an Academic Ecosystem, VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" - Technical University - Varna - "Paisiy Hilendarski" University of Plodvid, just a few days ago, the first students who studied in the master's programmes established under the project graduated programmes '3D Technologies for Design and Production' and 'Eco-technological Systems in Industry' graduated. 'The university has its first "engineers in additive technologies" and "masters in eco-technological systems', said the dean of the Faculty of Architecture Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Rositsa Petkova - Slipets . The career expo is the final stage, which provides an opportunity for students to meet experts from the largest companies in Varna, including "Solvay Sodi" AD and "Hidrostroy" AD.

"Solvay Sodi" Ltd. - one of the largest industrial enterprises in Bulgaria and the largest producer of calcinated soda in Europe, offered scholarship opportunities to the students of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar", and the third-year and fourth-year students received an invitation to hold a paid three-month internship. As an employer, the company supports the training of students in the field of production, maintenance and construction.

At the Hidrostroy AD stand, the company's team spoke about the internship programmes and job vacancies. The representative of the company, Desislava Toncheva, wished the students to take stock of the knowledge and skills that were acquired at the university and that open the way to successful professional development. "Here, at Varna Free University, the connection with business is real", she said.

The career expo is part of the university's activities to support students in their professional realization and to establish lasting connections between education and business. The event is held within the framework of the project BG05M20P001-2-016-0026 "Innovative Model for Modernization of Higher Education by Creating an Academic Ecosystem VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar"- Technical University - Varna - "Paisiy Hilendarski" University of Plovdiv, financed under the operational programme "Science and Education for Smart Growth".