Inside AUBG

INSIDE

AUBG The Magazine of the American University in Bulgaria

IN THIS ISSUE

| LIBERAL ARTS IN ACTION

| THEY MAKE US PROUD

| ADMISSIONS HIGHLIGHTS

| EMBA NEWS

| A VIBRANT COMMUNITY

| FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

ISSUE 53 | 2015

CONTENTS:

PAGE

| NEW FACES, NEW PLACES

|01

| CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE

|02

| FAREWELL, GRADUATES!

|03

| LIBERAL ARTS IN ACTION

|04

| ADMISSIONS HIGHLIGHTS

|06

| A VIBRANT COMMUNITY

|06

| THEY MAKE US PROUD

|09

| EMBA NEWS

|10

| FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

|11

| COMMUNITY NEWS

|13

This is only a glimpse of what you will find in our magazine. The full version of Inside AUBG can be found electronically at www.aubg.edu/inside-aubg

AUBG GOES GREEN ty’s official magazine, Inside AUBG, in digital format available on the ISSUU viewer.

AUBG is committed to protecting the environment and has adopted a new way of producing its promotional materials. Since last summer the majority of the University printing materials are produced on recycled paper. Each ton of recycled paper will save 17 trees, conserve energy and in general make our planet a better place.

In addition to using recycled paper for communication materials, the Office of Communications and Marketing will continue to issue the Universi-

Published by: Office of Communications and Marketing © Copyright 2015 AUBG. All rights reserved.

Editorial Board Dimana Doneva, Teodora Georgieva, Albena Kehayova Consulting Editors Mark Wollemann

Through various initiatives, the University nurtures social responsibility in its students from the very start of their academic career. By engaging whole-heartedly in environmental activities, they are able to think of themselves as active citizens of the town, the region, and the world. The majority of AUBG students take part in eco activities, such as cleaning up urban areas and along the Bistritsa River, planting trees, and promoting recycling and healthy leaving on campus. As a result, they make a lasting impact on the wider community and prepare themselves to make a difference in the world after graduation.

Writers Aleksandar Cakic, Emanuil Dimitrov, Dimana Doneva, Diana Elagina, Martin Georgiev, Teodora Georgieva, Nikoleta Ilieva, Maria Markina, Nikol Meshkova, Anu Molor, Nelly Ovcharova, Daniel Penev, Sorin P ­ etrov, Aliaksandra Salanevich, Tatyana Ten, Toma Tetimov, Tsvetiana Zaharieva.

Photographers Veselina Apostolova, Anna Bashuk, Dimitar Bratovanov, Kristina Chernikova, Dimana Doneva, Katalina Dimitrova, Nikoleta Ilieva, Katerina Kostiuchenko, Bobby Manov, Rumina Mateva, Anu Molor, Ivan Sharkov, Tatyana Ten, Ekaterine Tchelidze, Tsvetiana Zaharieva, Anna Zahorodnyuk.

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES AUBG WELCOMES HOME ONE OF ITS OWN AS THE NEW PRESIDENT For the first time in its history, the American University in Bulgaria will have an alumnus for President. The Board of Trustees unanimously supported the election of Stratsi Kulinski, class of ’95.

President Kulinski has been a longstanding supporter of AUBG, and is an accomplished professional with global business and cross-cultural expertise. He was one of the very first students to attend AUBG in 1991 and graduated in 1995. President Kulinski holds an MBA from the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He brings to AUBG a global perspective, entrepreneurial mindset, people management focus, and a versatile skillset in partnerships, strategy and finance, legal and regulatory matters, and marketing.

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I am thrilled to come back home to AUBG,” President Kulinski said. “As a member of the first graduating class, my commitment runs on a deep and personal level. This is not merely a career shift – it is a reunion with my extended family that is the American University in Bulgaria. As I take on the role of President of AUBG, I am excited to contribute my time and energy and work closely with our students, faculty, staff, Board, University Council, supporters, and community stakeholders locally and worldwide to ensure the long-term success of our mission.

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RAMI MAJZOUB, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR I­NSTITUTIONAL ­ADVANCEMENT: “TOGETHER, WE CAN ACHIEVE GREAT ­DEVELOPMENTS FOR AUBG” AUBG’s new Executive Director for Institutional Advancement has traveled all the way from Lebanon to Bulgaria to become an integral part of the university’s development. A truly multicultural person and an established leader, Rami Majzoub found AUBG to be the appropriate place for his next career step.

“I am excited to be here and I look forward to great achievements for AUBG,” Majzoub said.

Majzoub has a rich experience in academia to guide his work at AUBG. He spent six years mastering the ins and outs of fundraising as the Associate Director of Development at the Lebanese American University (LAU).

Majzoub got his bachelor’s degree from LAU and acquired an MBA in Management from the ESA Business School. Prior to returning to LAU as a staff member, Majzoub worked as Media Manager at Thomson Reuters, Sales Director at Abu Dhabi Media Zone and Advisor to the Minister of the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications.

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ISSUE 53

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE AUBG CELEBRATES ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AT THE 22ND HONORS CONVOCATION A month before the end of the spring 2015 ­semester, the administration, faculty, students and guests gathered to celebrate academic excellence at AUBG. The 22nd Honors Convocation took place at the Dr. Carl Djerassi theater Hall on April 8.

The university has established the tradition of ­inviting a special guest for each Honors ­Convocation ceremony.

This year’s keynote speaker was Nita ­Gojani, an AUBG alumna of the class of 2007 and a presidential medalist for the same year. She is now a project coordinator for the United Nations ­Women in Kosovo.

PRESIDENTIAL MEDALIST TIMUR HUSEYNOV’15 The 2015 presidential medalist is Timur ­Huseynov, an Azerbaijani senior who has ­consistently ­maintained excellent grades but who has also served as president of the student ­government and ­exemplified high levels of social responsibility throughout his studies.

Having completed a three-month internship with Google in Wroclaw, Poland, last summer, ­Huseynov joined the tech giant as a full-time associate ­account strategist in June 2015.

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FAREWELL, GRADUATES! AUBG WISHES THE BEST OF LUCK TO ITS CLASS OF 2015 AT THE 21ST COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

The vice-president of the European Commission Kristalina Georgieva and the Bulgarian Minister of Education and Science Todor Tanev wished good luck to the AUBG class of 2015. 249 bachelors from 22 countries and 19 EMBA graduates tossed their mortar boards in the air at the Twenty-First Commencement Ceremony on May 17.

“It is a great honor to be with the class of 2015 on your commencement ceremony and for that there are two reasons,” Georgieva said. “First, I am a proud mother of an AUBG alumna and I know from first hand that you are graduating from a ­university with excellent academic credentials. And second, as the vice president of the commission in charge of human resources I am always on the lookout for people to hire.”

Boryana Petrova Bulgaria, BUS and INF, Valedictorian, Outstanding Achievement Award in Business Administration and Outstanding Achievement Award in Information Systems

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“AUBG opened my eyes for the innumerable opportunities waiting for us out there and gave me the chance to face and experience real-life challenges while developing and improving my personal skills.”

Bojan Mladenovski Macedonia, POS and EUR, Outstanding Achievement Award in European Studies “AUBG is a perfect place where you get to realize as much of your potential as possible.

My advice: take as many courses as you can, choose the field that you like, get involved in as many extracurricular activities as you can, and please, party and hang out with people as much as you can.”

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Klajdi Sallaku Albania, BUS, Outstanding Achievement Award in Bulgarian

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“Try to make friends with people from different countries, especially when your home country’s culture is opposite to theirs, so by the end of these four years you will be more open-minded, you will get to know different cultures and understand different languages.”

Viktoria Antonova Russia, POS and BUS, Outstanding Achievement Award in French

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“My advice to the future generations would be: apply what you learn in the classroom outside of it and bring great experience to other AUBG students by doing this.”

Veselina Apostolova Bulgaria, Outstanding Achievement Award in JMC and Award for Outstanding Resident Assistant

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“When you come to AUBG, or wherever you go, find something that you really, really love, and however hard it is at some points, this love is going to push you working on it.”

LIBERAL ARTS IN ACTION THE PROGRAM FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT AUBG: AN ­UP-AND-COMING ENDEAVOR AUBG laid the foundations of the program for Entrepreneurship in spring 2015. Eight business experts participated in a panel discussion on entrepreneurship in Sofia. Among the major takeaways from the forum was the power of ­entrepreneurship to create social impact and promote sustainability. The panelists also d ­ iscussed the university’s key role in c­ ontributing to the d ­ evelopment of an entrepreneurial mindset in Bulgaria, cooperating with partners and ­educational institutions across the region and uniting different ­disciplines for a diversity of ideas.

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AUBG INTRODUCES A MINOR IN MODERN LANGUAGES AND ­CULTURES AUBG students will be able to complete a minor in modern languages and cultures starting fall 2015. The team behind the new minor consists of associate professor of German Diana Stantcheva, instructor of French Krastanka Bozhinova, instructor of Spanish Yavor Gueorguiev, and adjunct instructors of Bulgarian Sabina Wien and Senem Konedareva.

FILM STUDIES MINOR NOW AVAILABLE TO AUBG STUDENTS The American University in Bulgaria has launched a new minor, film studies, which it hopes is attractive to both current and prospective students.

While the minor is new, film theory and production have played a prominent role on campus for several years. AUBG students have shot their own documentaries as part of journalism classes, Capstone projects or individual projects. Some of these documentaries have been screened at film festivals in Europe and the USA.

THE NEW MINOR IN INTEGRATED MARKETING ­COMMUNICATIONS: UPGRADE OF EXISTING KNOWLEDGE AND EXCITING NEW O ­ PPORTUNITIES Realizing the challenges of today’s world, AUBG students always strive to gain both v­aluable hands-on experience and in-depth theoretical knowledge. Eager to meet the students’ needs, the expert JMC faculty and the established ­professionals from the BUS department at AUBG joined forces to create a new minor in Integrated Marketing ­C ommunications (IMC).

AUBG LAUNCHES A MINOR IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

AUBG’s academic offerings continue to grow when the university’s Faculty Assembly approved a new minor in entrepreneurship starting fall 2015 ­semester. There have long been a number of student ­i nitiatives embracing entrepreneurship on campus and the minor in entrepreneurship has been specifically designed to benefit students from all majors.

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ADMISSIONS HIGHLIGHTS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AUBG’S NEW ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES

The university’s admissions office implemented a new selection procedure that includes TOEFL scores, high school GPA, portfolios and interviews. The interview process “has been beneficial for all parties involved,” said admissions director Boriana Shalyavska. “The interview can tell you a lot,” she said. “It’s a complement to everything else that the students have presented in their application in addition to their test scores.”

Following the new selection procedures, AUBG welcomed 225 high-achieving first-year students in fall 2015.

A VIBRANT COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL WEEK 2015: JOY, TALENTS AND CULINARY TREASURES

AUBG once again dived into a six-day diversity celebration marked with laughter, talented performances, fun games, and delicious food. The International Week, traditionally organized by the University Phi Beta Delta Honor Society, is the annual event honoring the atmosphere of respect and curiosity among AUBG’s multinational community.

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SHOW ME HOW YOU “BURLESQUE!” The curtains closed for the last time for ­“Burlesque”, but its spirit c­ ontinues to take over the campus and to live in the hearts of those who were part of it. “Burlesque” is the eight project of the Broadway Performance student club and is based on the musical movie with the same title, which starred Christina Aguilera and Cher.

JOB FAIR: JOINING STUDENTS AND EMPLOYERS

Fifty registered corporate recruiters offering positions in IT, marketing and finance ­highlighted the 22nd annual Job Fair organized by the AUBG Career Center April 1 at the ABF Student Center. The companies attracted students to their booths with offers for full-time employment, internships or training programs. Representatives of Bright Consulting, Coca-Cola and Gameloft said that they were looking for highly motivated students fluent in business English and capable of working in a team environment.

STARTUP CONFERENCE 2015: HOW TO GET STARTED? JUMP IN! Innovation, progress, success. Those are the goals every young entrepreneur pursues. But the path is rough and full of obstacles and it’s easy to get lost along the way. That’s where fourth annual StartUp Blagoevgrad conference comes in.

BEYOND AUBG AND BEYOND NATURAL: TEDX AUBG Anyone who has watched a TED Talk ­online is familiar with the adrenaline rush of ­sitting in front of the screen and breathing in the i­ nspiration. On March 14, 100 people experienced the TEDx phenomenon in person with the fourth annual TEDxAUBG: “Beyond Natural.”

This year’s event at the Dr. Carl Djerassi Theater Hall triggered imagination with talks ­ that i­ncluded gamification in education, press f reedom, misunderstandings in intercultur­ al communication, overcoming absence, and ­f inding happiness.

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AUBG OLYMPICS CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY AUBG students followed the flame of the 10th annual AUBG Olympics on Sunday, April 19 to ­ Blagoevgrad’s Porter Baseball Field for another ­ chance to show their athletic skill in competition with other students, alumni and faculty.

STUDENT RADIO AURA TURNS 22

A three-day-long birthday bonanza took over AUBG to celebrate the student-run Radio AURA’s 22nd anniversary. The first event was on March 11, when Radio AURA in cooperation with the AUBG Documentary Club hosted a screening of the documentary “The Voices Behind the Mike: The History of Radio AURA.” The movie was the Capstone project of Nevena Dragoshinova, who is also an alumna of the radio station.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF AUBG TALKS The people who are usually behind the cameras of AUBG Talks stepped into the spotlight to share a bit of knowledge about the group that has ­recorded and published more than 100 university-­related videos since it was formed in 2012. AUBG Talks ­records guest lecturers who come to campus so the students who are unable to attend can watch them later.

STUDENTS GO GREEN DURING ENVIRONMENTAL WEEK Turning trash into artistic treasures was one of the many activities that launched AUBG’s campus into environmental awareness March 22-28. The university’s Green Campus Committee sponsored the seventh annual Environmental Week at AUBG with the goal of reminding students of the importance of protecting our planet.

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Teodor Dimitrov ’14

“I would forever and ever advise AUBG students to do an exchange” Тhe university encourages all AUBG students to take part in an exchange program in Europe or the U.S. One of the AUBG students who dared to cross the globe and gain an unforgettable academic and cultural experience in the U.S. is Teodor Dimitrov (’14). Dimitrov spent a semester of his junior year at the Miami University of Ohio.

“I always wanted to get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself in a full American environment,” Dimitrov said.

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THEY MAKE US PROUD AUBG AWARDS THREE TCHAPRACHIKOFF SCHOLARSHIPS IN 2015 AUBG alumni Rostislava Ivanova (‘07), Daniella Gruwell (‘07) and Ani Gesheva (‘07) received the Tchaprachikoff Scholarship in 2015 for being accepted in top graduate programs in the U.S. Ivanova was accepted to the MBA program at the University of Virginia-Darden School of Business, Gruwell will pursue a Juris Doctor Degree at the prestigious school of law at the University of Texas at Austin and Gesheva will acquire an MBA from the Columbia Business School.

NEW YORK AREA ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP LOOKS TO BUILD A LEGACY Years after they have completed graduate studies and started successful careers, many AUBG alumni have found ways to show their gratitude to the university. Such is the story of the U.S.-based graduates who established the New York Area Alumni Scholarship, which continues to support some of the university’s brightest students.

KOSOVO ALUMNI ESTABLISH A NEW SCHOLARSHIP The announcement of a new scholarship created with donations from Kosovo alumni was the highlight of an Oct. 30 event for prospective students in Pristina. Current AUBG students, alumni, professors and staff members were there to share all things AUBG and to learn of the scholarship that will support future generations of Kosovar students.

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THE AUBG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFERS A SCHOLARSHIP FOR SOPHOMORE STUDENTS After a successful fundraising campaign at the Mega Alumni Reunion in the spring of 2015, the AUBG Alumni Association (AAA) continues to give back to its alma mater. The association recently announced two $2,500 scholarships will be available to all ­current sophomore students.

The students who receive this aid will also get the chance to work closely with the AAA. They will help with organizing alumni events on campus and be the bridge between the association and the student body.

EMBA NEWS THE EMBA PROGRAM: DEDICATION, PERSEVERANCE AND GROWTH, ONE WEEKEND AT A TIME It’s a sunny Sunday morning. It’s a few minutes before 9 a.m. and a group of people wearing smart clothes approaches the Elieff Center in ­Sofia. These are the 22 students in AUBG’s Executive MBA ­program. Among them are business people, d ­ octors, lawyers and PR specialists, and they’re headed to room 301 where the Managerial Accounting class is about to begin.

AUBG HOSTS THE FIRST EXECUTIVE MBA ALUMNI DINNER

AUBG Executive MBA graduates reunited with their colleagues and professors June 9 in a first of its kind EMBA Alumni Dinner in Sofia. All agreed the event featured a cheerful mood and inspiring presentations celebrating the EMBA program at Elieff Center.

EMBA GRADUATES REVEAL THE SECRETS OF COGNITIVE BIASES Why do we fear snake bites more than smoking?

Why do we stay in unsatisfying relationships? And how can we tell confident from competent? These were just a few of the questions that AUBG Executive MBA graduates Stoyan Nedin (2014) and Dr. Slaveyko Djambazov (2010) answered at the leadership seminar “Cognitive Biases in Business.”

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FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS THE ABF THEATER BECOMES THE DR. CARL DJERASSI THEATER HALL

In 2013, legendary scientist Dr. Carl Djerassi saw a performance of his play “Insufficiency” at the then brand-new America for Bulgaria Student Center.

The play was among the first few productions to be performed in AUBG’s new theater hall. It is only ­fitting, then, that the theater now bears Dr. ­Djerassi’s name.

ALARIC SECURITIES AWARDS AUBG STUDENTS WITH 5,000 BGN IN TRADING COMPETITION

AUBG students got a chance to apply their knowledge in finance to practice trading this past semester. In September, the Investment Portfolio Management Challenge was organized by the Asset Trade & Management Club at AUBG in cooperation with Alaric Securities trading company. For 12 weeks, the students bought and sold assets in order to make money online. All the trades were simulated, but the experience and the prizes that they got were real. Alaric Securities sponsored the winners with 5,000 BGN: 4,000 BGN for first place and 1,000 BGN for second.

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TRUSTEE ILIYA LINGORSKI: AUBG IS “LIVING UP TO ITS MISSION” AUBG’s 22nd Honors Convocation welcomed a special guest for the April 8 ceremony. AUBG Board of Trustees member Iliya Lingorski visited the campus and attended the official ceremony. In addition to being a member of the Board of Trustees, Lingorski is also a parent of a current AUBG student.

Being a member of AUBG Board of Trustees is “a great honor,” Lingorski said. “It is really an institution living up to its mission. It’s a university offering a new example in our country and in the region of ethical leadership and a positive enthusiastic vision of excellence.”

A SUCCESSFUL AUBG ALUMNUS MEETS WITH SCHOLARSHIP ­RECIPIENTS Whether as a speaker, board member, university benefactor, or proud alumnus, Elvin Guri continues to be devoted to AUBG’s liberal arts mission. That devotion brought him back to campus recently to speak at a conference and to meet with students.

Guri leads Empower Capital, an investment fund implemented under the EU’s JEREMIE Program, which has already funded more than 20 undertakings. Guri firmly believes that education is a powerful tool that can advance development in the region, and he said he fervently supports several educational initiatives and institutions like the American University in Bulgaria and Teach for Bulgaria.

ALBANIAN AMBASSADOR: AUBG EDUCATION IS A ‘GOOD I­NVESTMENT’ Albania’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Qirjako Kureta and Counselor and Consul Anita Shaqiri visited AUBG on March 17 and offered congratulations for the success of Albanian students and promised to build upon the strong relationship that exists between the school and the country.

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COMMUNITY NEWS TEDXBlagoevgradWomen 2015 SHOWCASES THE POWER OF WOMEN TO DRIVE CHANGE Six successful women from Blagoevgrad and the region shared knowledge and inspiration at the 2015 conference. The independently organized TED event gathered the Blagoevgrad community at AUBG’s BAC Auditorium on May 29.

Led by AUBG alumna Despina Koleva-Hristova (‘05), the event in Blagoevgrad is part of an initiative held across 68 countries and dedicated to the power of women and girls to be creators and change-makers.

BRIGHT MINDS FROM 29 COUNTRIES ARRIVE AT AUBG FOR THE 13TH INTERNATIONAL LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD High school students from 29 countries gathered for the 13th International Linguistics Olympiad hosted at the American University in Bulgaria July 20-24. The opening ceremony took place on Monday, July 20 at the Dr. Carl Djerassi Theater Hall where it brought together competitors, organizers and guests.

The International Linguistics Olympiad is one of 12 International Science Olympiads for high school students. Each year more than 100 students from around the world compete with each other in solving tasks in language and linguistics.

THE FRANCOFOLIES FESTIVAL, A PIECE OF FRANCE A traveling festival celebrating French culture, language, values and music made a three-day stop in Blagoevgrad Sept. 24-26 that featured big crowds on Georgi Izmirliev Square in Blagoevgrad city’s center. The festival, called Francofolies, is touring worldwide from New York to Buenos Aires to Berlin and now Blagoevgrad. Gérard Pont, a film producer, journalist, co-head of the Morgan group and the patron of the Francofolies organization, said the visit to a place like Bulgaria is a perfect fit for the festival that promotes French culture around the world.

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See more at www.aubg.edu

American University in Bulgaria Main Building 1 Georgi Izmirliev Sq. Blagoevgrad 2700, Bulgaria President’s Office: (+359 73) 888 307 Development: (+359 73) 888 366 Fax: (+359 73) 883 227 Admissions Office America for Bulgaria Student Center 12 Svoboda Bachvarova St. Blagoevgrad 2700, Bulgaria Phone: (+359 73) 888 111 E-mail: admissions@aubg.edu Elieff Center for Education and Culture 1 Universitetski Park St., Studentski Grad Sofia 1700, Bulgaria Switchboard: (+359 2) 960 7910 Fax: (+359 2) 961 6010 www.aubg.edu Read the full issue at www.aubg.edu/inside-aubg

AUBG

Goes Green

This brochure is printed on 100 % recycled paper

This brochure is produced on 100 % recycled paper.