81st Academic Year Opening Ceremony at Technical University of Sofia

The inauguration of the 81st academic year of Technical University of Sofia gathered esteemed guests from academia and industry, representatives of various institutions, diplomats, the University’s senior officials, students, and parents.

Among the distinguished guests were Acad. Nikolay Vitanov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science; Mihaela Karadimova, Deputy Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry; Mira Yosifova, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation; H.E. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Republic of Bulgaria; H.E. Marie Dumoulin, Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Republic of Bulgaria; Vasil Velev, Chairperson of the University’s Board of Trustees; Ivan Goychev, Deputy Mayor of Sofia, as well as rectors and vice-rectors of higher education institutions.

“Today, more than 11,000 students are studying at the University, and throughout its history, the Technical University of Sofia has trained over 170,000 engineers and experts,” said the Rector of TU-Sofia Prof. Dr. Georgi Venkov in his welcoming address.

“Being an engineer is not merely a profession. Being an engineer is a vocation, a responsibility, a promise to the future,” he said, addressing the first-year students. According to him, in the age of artificial intelligence and automation, it is engineers who are called upon to preserve the balance between innovation and human values.

Acad. Nikolay Vitanov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science also urged students to use new technologies intelligently, and to rely on their knowledge of mathematics, physics, and engineering sciences. He stated that Technical University of Sofia is Bulgaria’s most important higher education institution in the fields of technical and engineering sciences.

According to Mihaela Karadimova, Deputy Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry, the role of engineers and technical specialists is becoming all the more important in an environment where artificial intelligence, digitalization, and green technologies are transforming the way we work and live.

Mira Yosifova, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation stated that innovation and technological development are fundamental for a thriving society. She urged first-year students not to be afraid to make mistakes. “Choose the courage to experiment, to ask questions, and to seek new paths”, said Deputy Minister Mira Yosifova.

Vasil Velev, Chairperson of the University’s Board of Trustees, said that today the greatest race is taking place in the realm of engineering and technology, which is why the industry is counting on the graduates of TU-Sofia in this race.

Welcoming remarks also made H.E. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Bulgaria; H.E. Marie Dumoulin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to the Republic of Bulgaria; and Benjamin Coester, Head of Communications & Culture, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sofia. They spoke of the University’s international orientation and its mission to train engineers and researchers who are competitive on a global scale.

The ceremony concluded with the performance of folk dances by the Technical University of Sofia Dance Troupe.