History and traditions

The “Economics of Natural Resources” Department is the successor of the "Agricultural Economics” Department, created in 1921 at the Agronomy Faculty at Sofia University. Its founder and first director was the famous Bulgarian scientist Prof. Yanaki Mollov, a renowned social figure as well.

During its existence of more than 80 years, it has been one of the major research and teaching centers of several generations of researchers in the field of agricultural economy at Sofia University "Kliment Ohridski", the "Higher Agricultural Institute”, Sofia, and since 1976 – the “Higher Institute of Economics”, which later became the University of National and World Economy.

A significant number of scientific and applied research studies have been carried out in the Department, and more than 200 doctoral dissertations have been defended by representative of 4 continents (Europe, Asia, Africa and America).

Graduates of the Department are more than several thousands of Bulgarian specialists in Agricultural Economics, who have found professional realization at different levels of government, regional and municipality administrations, in the management of companies, agricultural cooperatives, various NGOs, etc.

Academic potential

The “Economics of Natural Resources” Department includes in its team 16 scientists, among which there are 3 professors, 12 associate professors and 1 assistant. The professors are doctors of economic sciences, and the remaining 13 teachers have doctoral degrees in economics and agricultural sciences.

The research interests and the teaching activity of Department staff are in the field of agrarian economics and marketing, agrarian policy, farms’ management, entrepreneurship, stock trading and mart trade, sustainable development, rural regions development, technologies in crops and livestock breeding, economics of the environment and natural resources, ecology, environmental policy, eco-tourism, etc.

Members of the Department have specialized in prestigious universities, academies and research institutes in the UK, USA, Japan, Germany, France, Russia, Greece, etc., they teach courses at other universities as well. They combine successfully their teaching and research activities with consulting and expertise performance. At various periods, they have been involved as advisers or experts in the Agriculture Committee at the National Assembly, the Presidency, the Council of Ministers, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Environment and Water, and other government bodies at central and regional level.

Education/Training

The Department team trains specialists, Bachelors and Masters, in the field of agrarian business and eco economy, and every year there are more than 50 Bachelor and 20 Master graduates.

In recent years, the Department has hosted 15 PhD students from Bulgaria, Japan, Libya and Vietnam.