The University of National and World Economy hosted the Summer School in Entrepreneurship organized by the Institute of Entrepreneurship, the Department of Entrepreneurship of the UNWE and L J University, Ahmedabad, India from 11 June to 4 July 2024. Special efforts for organization of the Summer School were spent by Assoc. Prof. Kostadin Kolarov and Dr. Silviya Georgieva (by the side of UNWE) and Ms. Urja Joshi (by the side of L J University).

Participants in the Summer School were a group of eight students studying various majors at L J University, as well as their mentors - Dr. Viralkumar Shah, CEO of Antrapreneur the Business Incubator and Executive Director of Lok Jagruti Kendra Trust and Dr. Jay Shukla, Asst. Prof. at L J Institute of Event Management.

The training was based on the Principles of Entrepreneurship curriculum, which has been studied for decades by students in the bachelor's programs of UNWE.

The summer school was solemnly opened on June 11, 2024 by the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov, the Ambassador of the Republic of India H.E. Mr. Sanjay Rana, Ms. Radostina Chaprazova, Regional Director of the Arete Foundation, Iliyan Chabukliyski, President of the Student Council at UNWE, Assoc. Prof. Kostadin Kolarov, Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and head of the Chair of Entrepreneurship and Dr. Jai Shukla. The ceremony was also attended by the vice-rectors Assoc. Prof. Maria Vodenicharova, PhD (VR for Research) and Assoc. Prof. Yanko Hristozov, PhD (VR for International Activity). Guests at the opening ceremony were young people supported by the Arete Foundation.

 

The course in Principles of Entrepreneurship covered a wide range of topics in the following areas:

• The Nature of Entrepreneurship
• The Entrepreneurial Process and Starting Up a New Business
• The Nature of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
• Management, Growth, and Internationalization of SMEs

In addition to the lectures in Principles of Entrepreneurship delivered by Assoc. Prof. Kostadin Kolarov, Dr. Silviya Georgieva, and Dr. Maria Vasilska, the summer school was saturated with visits to various economic, cultural and historical sites in the country – the innovative enterprises "Alpi Commerce" and "Bultech - 2000", Sofia Tech Park, the choir of the Bistritsa’s grandmothers, the National History Museum , the Asenova fortress, Old Plovdiv and others.

 

In some of the lectures, successful young entrepreneurs were invited – Mr. Vasil Chakardakov and Mr. Hristiyan Stoylkov – the last graduated Entrepreneurship specialty.

 

 

In the last week of the summer school, the students and their mentors from LJ University were invited by H.E. Sanjay Rana at a meeting at the Embassy of the Republic of India in Bulgaria, where issues related to the knowledge gained from the summer school, the entrepreneurial ideas of the participants in the training and opportunities for implementing these ideas, what was learned about Bulgaria and the European Union were discussed.

 

 

During the training, a tour was organized for the participants of the summer school in Romania, and after the training – another tour in Turkey.

 

On the basis of conducted control and examination tests and the implementation of educational assignments, the knowledge of the participants in the summer school was assessed and certificates were prepared with the awarded grades.

 

 

On July 4, 2024, the solemn ceremony closing the summer school was organized, the official participants of which were the vice-rector for educational activities of UNWE – Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova-Boshnakova and the commercial counselor and second secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of India – Ms. Soni Dahiya, who extended their greetings and wishes to the successful graduates of the summer school and handed over some of the certificates. Greetings were also given by Dr. Shah and Dr. Shukla, Assoc. Prof. Kostadin Kolarov and Dr. Silviya Georgieva, who also presented certificates for successful completion of the summer school.