More than 30 graduates of the ten classes of the Entrepreneurship specialty, who created and developed their own businesses, took part in the conference entitled „100 years of UNWE - a school for entrepreneurs of the new century“, organized by the Institute of Entrepreneurship of UNWE on October 23, 2020.

Restrictions in connection with Covid-19 did not allow a number of other successful business graduates to join the forum, as well as to invite a wider range of participants - colleagues and students of UNWE.

The event, which lasted all day, was honored by the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Dr. Boyko Takov, Executive Director of the Executive Agency for Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Vladimir Danailov, Executive Director and Member of the Management Board of Fund Manager of Financial Instruments in Bulgaria EAD (Fund of Funds), Ms. Nina Tsaneva, Advisor to the Minister of Economy, Mr. Vasil Karaivanov, Chairman of the Management Board of Sofia Tech Park, Mr. Zheng Zhong, entrepreneur and Director of Terraland Group , Ms. Irina Beleva, Senior Adviser of the Bulgarian-Chinese Association for Business Development and Former Consul General of Bulgaria in Shanghai, Ms. Maya Gesheva, Director of the National School of Finance and Economics (NSFE), and Mr. Angel Stoykov, Chairman of the Student Council of UNWE.

“I am glad that despite the difficult situation we are here together to celebrate both the 100th anniversary of UNWE and the contribution of the specialty in creating entrepreneurs, so necessary to meet the challenges of the new century.” With these words, Assoc. Prof. Kostadin Kolarov, PhD, Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship, opened the conference.

In the Great Conference Hall

 

Before the greetings of the official guests with a minute of silence the conference participants honoured the memory of Prof. Kiril Todorov, D.Sc., founder of the Center for Entrepreneurship Development (1997), Department of Entrepreneurship (2006), Entrepreneurship specialty (2007), and Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship until his death.

The Rector Prof. Dimitrov welcomed the participants and pointed out that despite the complicated situation by Covid-19, the tradition of using modern information technologies and involving students and doctoral students in the activities of the university continues at UNWE. “The presence of so many interested people today proves that the Institute of Entrepreneurship is on the right track and has huge potential for development. You know that UNWE celebrates its 100th anniversary in a special atmosphere, but this has made us more enterprising and use what we have not used so actively so far,” said the Rector. “Since the beginning of the school year there were a series of conferences, which outlined prospects, a desire was expressed to continue to develop, to improve what we teach, research and do with business and society,” said Prof. Dimitrov and wished success to the conference and to young entrepreneurs. 

 

The Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov

 

The event was attended by current students of the specialty, as well as students from the NSFE and Tsar Simeon the Great Private Higher School – partners of the Institute of Entrepreneurship.

Special thanks were extended to the conference sponsor Geotechmin Ltd.

“It should be emphasized that the admission of the first class of entrepreneurship students in 2007 was preceded by over 15 years of systematic accumulation of knowledge through research on Bulgarian practice and transfer of achievements of colleagues from other countries. With the introduction of a bachelor's programme in entrepreneurship, UNWE has overtaken not only universities in Eastern Europe, but also a number of Western European universities. Entrepreneurship training itself was started by Prof. Kiril Todorov in 1991 (for the first time in the country) and we can boast that in 2003 we trained a group of American students in International Entrepreneurship from the Florida International University, Miami - a practice that we continued with other foreign universities.”

At the end of his speech, Assoc. Prof. Kolarov stated with confidence “that the time will not be far away when the wall with the names of our graduates, entrepreneurs of the new century, will surpass the one with the names of Bulgarian statesmen associated with UNWE”, and addressed the current students with the words: “We rely on your knowledge, talent and ambitions. I am sure that in not so many years UNWE will be proud of you.”           

Two of the Institute's many long-term foreign partners, Prof. Ken O'Neill, Professor Emeritus of Entrepreneurship at Ulster University, the first person awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion – Lifetime Achievement Award (2005), and Doctor Honoris Causa of the UNWE, and Dr. Mark Potts, Director of the Program for Personal Financial Planning at the Central University of Michigan, USA. They congratulated the university on its 100th anniversary and wished success to Bulgarian entrepreneurship and business.

 

Prof. Ken O’Neill

 

Dr. Mark Potts

 

Dr. Boyko Takov expressed his hope that this year the book "History of Bulgarian Entrepreneurship", in the development of which members of the Institute of Entrepreneurship participate, will be completed and used as a textbook. “Today, more than ever, entrepreneurship needs to be encouraged because of its extreme importance and its potential to pull us out of the recession we are already in.” said Dr. Takov in his address.

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Dr. Boyko Takov

 

“I know from your eyes that you have gathered here people who have decided to change their lives, the lives of their families and the environment around them.” With these words Mrs. Nina Tsaneva addressed those present in the hall. “The entrepreneur is the one who does not wait to consume a change made by another, but the one who resolutely creates it. Your first supporters are your teachers, but don't stop there and keep in touch with your colleagues. At the Ministry of Economy, we are trying to support the growing community of entrepreneurs and start-ups,” she said.

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Mrs. Nina Tsaneva

 

Mr. Vasil Karaivanov shared three important things about entrepreneurship: looking for opportunities, the use of new technologies and the availability of partners. “Start with the partner inside you and so attracting your next partners will be much easier,” advised those present Mr. Karaivanov and assured them that they can count on the support of “Sofia Tech Park”..

 

Mr. Vasil Karaivanov 

 

Mr. Zheng Zhong wished the UNWE and the Institute of Entrepreneurship to continue to create professionals that will become a sound ground of the Bulgarian economy. As Confucius said many years ago, wise people put the right people in the right positions, and weak leaders put the loyal and do everything themselves,” he said and wished the graduates of the Entrepreneurship specialty to be very successful entrepreneurs.

 

Mr. Zheng Zhong

 

Mrs. Irina Beleva congratulated UNWE on the anniversary and on the rich traditions in entrepreneurship education. “In the new conditions in which we are forced to work, the entrepreneurial spirit is the basis of all our actions,” she said and wished the students to maintain their entrepreneurial spirit, seek support and rely on their sense of business. “Because there are always opportunities for the one who takes a lot of steps.”

 

Mrs. Irina Beleva

 

Mrs. Maya Gesheva noted that some of the students of NSFE have already made their informed choice to continue their education at UNWE in Entrepreneurship specialty. „I am confident that our high school and the UNWE give the knowledge and courage to their graduates to realize their ideas“, said Mrs. Gesheva..

 

Mrs. Maya Gesheva

 

“When I read the program of the conference, I was extremely impressed by how many graduates of UNWE will make presentations of companies created by them,” said Mr. Angel Stoykov. “We, the young people, have proved that we are not only the future of the country, but also its present.”

 

Mr. Angel Stoykov

 

In a special session, Mr. Vladimir Danailov presented the activities of the Fund of Funds and specific programmes to support entrepreneurs. Questions from the audience followed, to which Mr. Vladimirov answered and called on young entrepreneurs to be active in communication and seeking assistance from the Fund's experts.

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Mr. Vladimir Danailov

 

The work program of the conference included three sessions with a presentation of the businesses of the graduates of the Entrepreneurship specialty, with emphasis on the path travelled, the achievements, lessons learned, new ideas and inspiration. Enterprises from almost all spheres of the economy were presented - high technologies, knowledge-based services and traditional industries. The former students shared how they applied the knowledge gained and the skills acquired during the training in the specialty in their business practice.

The conference was a meeting of young entrepreneurs from different classes of the specialty, who discovered mutual interests for business cooperation.

And although the time for presentations provided in the programme turned out to be insufficient, the conference ended with advice expressed by the guest Mr. Zheng Zhong, useful summaries made by Assoc. Prof. Kolarov, increased enthusiasm and clearly stated desire of young entrepreneurs for future similar initiatives.

 

 

A small part of the entrepreneurs presenting their businesses