AUBG Today Magazine Summer 2010

The Magazine of the American University in Bulgaria

Issue 44, Summer 2010

IN THIS ISSUE: Farewell, Graduates!

Robot ArtI is Born

Balkanski: At AUBG Students Learn to Be

More-Honors Production Showcases Student Innovation and Creativity

Citizens of the World

Noted Israeli writer and historian Michael Bar-Zohar was this year’s keynote speaker at Commencement 2010 and recipient of AUBG’s honorary doctoral degree

Editorial Board Pavlina Stoycheva Sylvia Zareva Albena Kehayova

Student Writers

Simona Atanasova Marzhan Doszhanova Boryana Gotsova Georgi Kerpedzhiev Kiril Kuculoski Baasanjav Ochirkhuyag Adelina Pavlova Yumjirmaa Ser-Od Yavor Stratev Nadzeya Zhuk

Photos

AUBG’s largest class to date received their Bachelor of Arts diplomas at the Sixteenth Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 16, 2010

Alexander Acosta Osorio Theophan Konstantinov Bilguun Tsogtbaatar Sylvia Zareva Ivailo Filipov Published by AUBG with the participation of AUBG student writers. For more information please see the contact information on the back.

The auditorium in the Balkanski Academic Center was officially named Andrey Delchev Auditorium in recognition of the former trustee’s 15-year service to AUBG

Copyright 2010 AUBG. All rights reserved.

Contents: CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE AUBG Recognizes Student Achievements Adelina Pavlova: Concentrate on the Journey, Not on the Final Destination Where Are They Now?

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FAREWELL, GRADUATES! Biggest AUBG Class Ever Receive Diplomas, Lesson on Passion and Vision Marina Ceprazova: Senior Speech AUBG Gave Me...

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LIBERAL ARTS IN ACTION Journalism in the IT Age State-of-the-Art Library Resources Enhance Learning at AUBG The Use of Technology in the Classroom: A Global Perspective Robot “ArtI” Is Born

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NEWS @ AUBG News Roundup International Week: Unity in Having Fun Top Employers Look for Talent at AUBG Students Show off Athletic Prowess at AUBG Olympics

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A VIBRANT COMMUNITY More-Honors Production Showcases Student Innovation and Creativity Student Musical Becomes Instant Hit with Bulgarian Audiences Our Unique Campus - What Students Say about It Exchange at AUBG Is on the Rise Green Living Is High on AUBG’s Agenda

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THEY MAKE US PROUD Alumni Reunion 2010: Welcome Back!

Melon Inc.: A Community of Shared Beliefs and Talent

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EMBA Vladimir Borachev: A Leader Is Only as Strong as His Team

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FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS Balkanski: At AUBG Students Learn to Be Citizens of the World

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AUBG Recognizes Student Achievements One thing we pride on at AUBG above all else is our multitalented, ambitious, and active student body. There are few heights AUBG students have not braved and the list of their accomplishments will continue to grow. Presenting at a top international economics conference alongside Ivy League researchers? Check.

Becoming a top programmer at Microsoft? Yes! Starting up their own successful businesses and competing with the biggest names in the industry? Our students have done that too. Writing for the New York Times, Economist, and the International Herald Tribune? You do make us proud!

To encourage a spirit of friendly competition and stimulate performance, AUBG recognizes its outstanding students at Honors Convocation ceremony every year. We reward excellence in all its forms – academic performance, creativity, community service, research, and athletic prowess, to name a few. In 2010, 143 students earned a place on the President’s List for achieving a GPA of between 3.8 and 4.0 for two consecutive semesters. Every academic department at AUBG recognized its excelling students with several seniors earning accolades in more than one discipline.

I was a tutor in linear algebra and really enjoyed giving lectures, which is why I decided to work at the Academic Advising Center. As a Student Adviser I not only help students in different disciplines, but also organize many workshops on teamwork, major/minor selection, and course selection. This experience has highly improved my communication and organizational skills.

Irena Palamani ’11, Albania Economics and Mathematics on President’s and Dean’s Lists for Fall and Spring 2009

I have written many research papers, but the most challenging of them was my senior thesis project – a comparative analysis of Bulgarian history textbooks from 1944 until now. The thesis was undoubtedly a great step towards the type of research that I would have to do in my graduate program at Oxford, for which I feel confident and prepared. I feel really proud that my work and love for history have been recognized.

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Filip Lyapov ‘10, Bulgaria History Outstanding Achievement in History Will Attend Oxford University to pursue an MA in History

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE

Keynote speaker at the event was Deyan Vasilev, a 1995 AUBG graduate and president of the software company FinZoom.

Vasilev was an active student at AUBG serving as Student Government president for three mandates. In his speech, he called AUBG a “black swan,” a rare and unexpected occurrence that has a major impact on the course of human history.

The key to success is in one’s ability to work with people, and the Broadway Performance club definitely helped me a lot in that.

Moreover, extracurricular activities are what shapes you as an individual, what makes you stand out of the mass. They give you the freedom to express yourself and develop your personality.

Antoni Stoyanov ’10, Bulgaria Business Administration Al Cyrus Theater Award

I have participated in many international seminars, summer schools, and conferences.

Most recently I presented my senior thesis at a Midwest Political Science Association conference in the U.S. My competitive spirit and constant quest for self-development motivate my involvement in such projects and were most certainly cultivated by the dynamic AUBG education.

Sofiya Tsvetkova ’10, Bulgaria European Studies, Political Science and International Relations Outstanding Achievement in European Studies, Michael and Louise Easton Endowed Scholarship

The excellent education, the dedicated professors, and the international environment prepare AUBG students to be successful in competitions. I won the prestigious Goldman Sachs Global Leaders award, which rewards academic excellence and leadership potential.

My participation in extracurricular activities also helped me and three other colleagues reach the final round in the Challenge Future International Sustainability Competition.

Zhikica Pagovski ‘11, Macedonia European Studies, Political Science and International Relations, on President’s and Dean’s Lists for Fall and Spring 2009

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Adelina Pavlova:

Concentrate on the Journey, Not on the Final Destination

By Nadzeya Zhuk

Having to pack writing a research paper, preparing for a test, seeking out sponsorship for community and artistic initiatives, and attending to her internship responsibilities into the space of a single day is routine for Adelina Pavlova. This year’s recipient of the Presidential Medal, the highest honor AUBG bestows on deserving students, thrives on action and is deterred by no obstacle.

Always radiating energy and enthusiasm, Adelina was the driving force behind some of this academic year’s major student initiatives, such as the Hairspray musical, the campaign against domestic violence and human trafficking (covered in AUBG Today’s Winter 2010 issue), and the activities of the student-run Business Club, which brought two acting Bulgarian government ministers to campus. Adelina also managed to complete two demanding majors, European Studies and Business, with flying colors and found time in her busy schedule to work for the InvestNet.bg project, an initiative co-founded by AUBG that encourages investment in Bulgaria.

“I couldn’t have done all this elsewhere,” Adelina says in a tribute to her alma mater, which she says she will miss greatly after graduation.

Four years ago, little did the senior from Pleven, Bulgaria know that AUBG would open up so many new opportunities, but she had a definite idea of what she wanted of an educational institution. “I didn’t want to go abroad, and AUBG offered an American style education – it was just a perfect match,” she says.

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“At AUBG I felt at home from the very beginning,” she reminisces about her freshman days.

In time, she developed an emotional connection to the place and its people.

The AUBG experience is all about people, she says: other students one meets in class and through extracurricular activities, the professors who are dedicated to their work and students, and guest speakers and friends of the University who attend community events.

AUBG is also the place where many of Adelina’s dreams came true. She had always wished to visit Ireland, and the University gave her a chance not only to tour around the island but also to live and study there for five months.

During her sophomore year, Adelina participated in the Erasmus Exchange program and spent a semester at the University of Limerick.

“The exchange program gave me the opportunity to experience the culture of Ireland and to enjoy its breath-taking nature. I had the chance to explore the European educational system under the guidance of experienced and recognized faculty. At the same time, the semester I spent away helped me appreciate the advantages of the small AUBG community where I live, study, and enjoy college life with my friends,” Adelina recalls.

AUBG gave Adelina many opportunities to apply her abilities and energy in the service of the wider community. She joined the AUBG chapter of People to People International in her freshman year and has been an active member

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE

for the past four years. True to PTPI’s aim of promoting “international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities,” Adelina has helped organize several educational panels and communityoriented drives, including the campaign against human trafficking in November 2009.

During the awareness-raising campaign last fall, AUBG volunteers visited high schools in Blagoevgrad, acquainting adolescents with the gravity of the phenomena of trafficking and domestic abuse and educating them on where and how to get help in an emergency.

A panel of NGO and government representatives talked about ways to curb domestic violence and human trafficking

I couldn’t have done all this elsewhere,” Adelina says in a tribute to her alma mater, which she says she will miss greatly after graduation.

Adelina is also a member of the student-run Business Club, writer for AUBG Today magazine and news website, and ballet and Latin American rhythms aficionado.

But what became perhaps the stellar moment of her extracurricular involvement at AUBG was her role as PR manager for the wildly successful musical Hairspray.

Performed by an all-student cast, Hairspray has become a byword for the talent, ambition, and organizational potential of AUBG students.

Adelina’s job was to contact potential sponsors, fundraise, and coordinate public and media relations activities. Adelina admits that the task was challenging, but that she had started out with some preparation: The lessons learnt in organizing the anti-trafficking campaign had proved useful in running a PR campaign for an artistic project as well. Her part in the musical was recognized at the Honors Convocation ceremony in April 2010 in addition to all her other achievements.

Adelina has worked hard all her life; yet prizes were never an incentive to her. In fact, she thinks that “you have to concentrate on the journey, not on the final destination. If you set your eyes too hard on something, it may not

happen and you may be disappointed after that.”

Her journey has so far been eventful and exciting.

Getting recognition for it was not so bad either, she says, smiling, and remembering Honors Convocation, adds: “I won’t lie: I was very happy when I heard my name.”

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AUBG Today tracked down three former presidential medalists and asked them about their life now.

By Simona Atanasova

Volunteer work is Serik Sharipov’s way of doing something meaningful for society. This year in May AUBG’s 2008 Presidential Medalist will be participating in the Red Cross Almaty Earthquake Preparedness Project, which aims to educate the local population on how to behave when a natural disaster strikes. Serik says he is excited about the project and finds it very important since the city of Almaty is situated in a very earthquake-prone area.

AUBG taught Serik that serving people is a rewarding occupation. Ever since he first set foot here in 2004, Serik has tried to be of service to the community he lives in. He has represented students to the AUBG Board of Trustees, served in the Student Government, and volunteered in various community projects as a member of the Better Community Club.

After graduation, Serik’s commitment to public service led him straight into a job at the World Bank. When he first submitted his resume to the AUBG Career Center back in 2007, he didn’t expect to be chosen for the internship program of the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. The IFC promotes sustainable growth in developing countries by advising governments and stimulating private business. Starting as an intern at the IFC’s Sofia office, Serik was promoted to consultant in the organization’s Almaty, Kazakhstan office a year later.

Serik believes that AUBG not only gave him sound education and invaluable skills, such as critical thinking, time management, and analytical skills, but also helped him develop as a person. Therefore, he calls on current students to get involved in substantive as well as in just-for-fun extracurricular activities because of their character-forming value. Expertise is

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in demand, but well-rounded individuals are in even greater demand. Or as Serik often says, “People are interested in persons, not in know-it-all robots.”

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE

Her brightly colored hair tells you at first sight that Nita is an open-minded person with a lively temperament. During her AUBG days, she was actively involved with student media and the Student Government, gaining a wide gamut of skills. What followed were a prestigious graduate program and a blooming career.

Today Nita works as a consultant at the World Bank Institute on international trade issues in Washington, D.C. She got the job right after graduating from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in May 2009 with a degree in International Affairs. Nita says that getting a consultancy position can be rather challenging since it requires a lot of networking and contacts. However, she likes working for a big organization and can easily identify with its mission of alleviating poverty around the world.

While at Johns Hopkins Nita was a volunteer with Young Readers Now, an NGO that tries to establish reading habits early on in kids.

Nowadays Nita is a participant in the Human Rights Campaign’s phone bank for repealing the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law, which prohibits gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the U.S. military. “Working on human rights is something that I see myself doing in the future as well, either at a direct grassroots level, or at least through volunteering,” Nita says.

AUBG paved the way for her numerous subsequent successes, the 2007 Presidential Medalist says. Her leadership positions in the student media helped her develop good writing skills and taught her to keep deadlines. “Through participating in various extracurricular activities, I had a chance to work on my interpersonal and leadership skills, both crucial not only for my professional success, but success in every aspect of life.”

Nita’s recipe for success is balancing among extracurricular activities, school, and social life: “There were many sleepless nights at AUBG when I thought that maybe doing less of something might be good,” she admits, “but it was all those things together that made me happy and made AUBG the wonderful experience that it was.”

Did You Know?

The Presidential Medal is modeled on the University Medallion. Worn by the President, the Medallion features the Sun of Enlightenment, which shines on the Horse of Grace, the Lion of Power, and the Owl of Wisdom. The circular shape implies that there is no end to learning. The original Medallion was designed by Hristo Apostolov, a Blagoevgrad artist.

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Presidential Medal. On the contrary, it is the added value that makes his job not just a great way to help others, but also a daily test that keeps him in top shape. Says the former Presidential Medalist, “I am extremely interested in international development and the IFC provides a great platform for that on a global scale.”

By stimulating the private sector in developing countries through investment projects and advisory services, the IFC helps with the countries’ overall development.

Despite his demanding professional engagements, Alban finds the time to pursue his personal agenda of promoting the Balkans in the United States and raising awareness of the plight of underprivileged groups worldwide.

Alban proudly calls himself an informal ambassador of Kosovo and the Balkans in Washington, and also rarely misses an opportunity to talk to friends and associates about the difficulties disadvantaged people, such as women and children, face in the world.

A fervent debater and an international development activist, Alban Pruthi participated in numerous conferences, political simulations, and club activities at AUBG. His involvement with various projects helped him prepare for the highly competitive environment in Washington, D.C., where he works today.

As a consultant in the advisory services department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), he mingles with people who speak numerous foreign languages, have impressive educational histories, and sport resumes full of extracurriculars, internships, and work experience. However, a little competition does not intimidate the 2005 recipient of the AUBG

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A concern for his fellow citizens and an open mind are the best presents AUBG gave Alban.

He says, “AUBG served as a good foundation in helping me develop a greater appreciation for the diversity of people, thoughts, and approaches, namely to think outside the box and be able to adapt, survive, and aim to thrive.”

Here he also learnt “valuable skills such as leadership, communications, and language skills” in addition to developing intellectual curiosity and “an appetite for diversity.”

Although far removed from his academic pursuits and from what he does today, the AUBG memories Alban cherishes the most are related to artistic projects – organizing an art workshop in which students had to communicate only through drawings, and co-organizing a body painting workshop with Nita Gojani, the 2007 Presidential Medalist. But that’s AUBG for you: offering “a wealth of things,” allowing students to engage in different activities and discover their true passion, razing physical and mental boundaries, and yes, recognizing those who – like Alban – made the most of it.

FAREWELL, GRADUATES!

Biggest AUBG Class Ever Receive Diplomas, Lesson on Passion and Vision

By Sylvia Zareva

AUBG’s largest class to date received their Bachelor of Arts diplomas at the Sixteenth Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 16, 2010.

The 2010 Class is also one of the more successful classes in AUBG’s history: Many of the 281 graduating seniors are soon boarding planes to destinations where they will engage in graduate study or exciting jobs in IT, communications, advertising, and consulting, among others.

Every second senior completed a double major at AUBG, with Journalism, Economics, Business Administration, and European Studies topping the list of popular fields of study.

During the ceremony on Sunday, 28 students received diplomas from AUBG’s Executive Master of Business Administration program in Sofia, bringing the total number of AUBG graduates to 2,915.

U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria James B. Warlick, Jr.’s passionate charge to the graduating class struck a responsive chord with graduates and attending relatives alike, who cheered at the ambassador’s humor and impeccable pronunciation in Bulgarian. Recounting his own comingof-age story, Ambassador Warlick urged the graduates to go out into the world with passion, find a vision, and “listen to your mothers.”

This year’s keynote speaker and recipient of AUBG’s honorary doctoral degree was the noted Israeli writer and historian Michael Bar-Zohar. Born in Bulgaria, Bar-Zohar has had a distinguished career as a writer and has won numerous awards, including the BenGurion award; France’s Knight of the Legion of

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Honor; Bulgaria’s Order of Madara; the French Academy Award; and the Sokolov Award for journalism.

Bar-Zohar is the official biographer of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding father, and recently published an extensive biography of Shimon Peres, President of Israel. Bar-Zohar is the author of many books of history and fiction, based upon his own extensive research. Among them are the following: Suez Top Secret; The Hunt for German Scientists; The Avengers; Embassies in Crisis; The Paratroopers; and Beyond Hitler’s Grasp: The Heroic Rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews.

Ms. Petya Evtimova, Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Science, extended greetings to the graduating class on behalf of the Bulgarian government. Another official guest at the ceremony was Blagoevgrad’s mayor, Kostadin Paskalev.

The student Commencement address in 2010 was delivered by Moldovan Marina Ceprazova, who will be doing an internship with Google this summer. Ceprazova described AUBG as “the place where young minds challenge the status quo every day by opening up to people and experiences, previously foreign and unacceptable to them…” (Full speech reprinted here.)

A double major in Journalism and Business Administration, Ceprazova will be coming back in the Fall to take more courses. Throughout her University career she has also been editor-in-chief of Verve, the student-run feature magazine, co-president of the More-Honors Academy, Vice President of the Student Government, and co-organizer of the Ambassador Elena Poptodorova Distinguished Lecturers Series.

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Marina Ceprazova, May 16, 2010

Student Commencement Speech Dear friends, They say opposites attract. Nonsense! They don’t!

They don’t because we often are too closeminded to get to know those who are different.

They don’t because we are not going to listen to the arguments that run contrary to our beliefs. They don’t because we are not going to step outside our fluffy-pink comfort zone and discover what’s happening in the big real world.

But luckily, they do, for the communities that live outside this comfort zone. One of them is particularly dear to me, because it’s the place where young minds challenge the status quo every day by opening up to people and experiences, previously foreign and unacceptable to them.

Every year, a new crowd of overly excited and naïve freshmen, gets exposed to experiences that are not easy to digest, let alone to accept.

Nonetheless, they are crucial to our maturing

FAREWELL, GRADUATES!

and changing for the better. We used to be those freshmen, remember? Big smiles, confused faces, ID cards hanging around our necks, the struggles with Exposition essays and Statistics quizzes, the willingness to believe everything a senior tells us? It is hard to imagine it now, but these people are only four years away.

And today, I want to talk to you about four years of change. I want to talk about how yesterday’s confused teenagers became today’s confident adults.

It didn’t happen at once. First, we adopted a new lifestyle. We learned to co-exist and, shortly after, to enjoy living with our roommates in Skapto, got used to the marathon style study-group nights and never-ending party seasons. We befriended Dyuner v Pitka and Valyo Faetona. We joined the Underground cult on Thursday nights and accepted the fact that people definitely have more than one great love.

We learned to say “Cheers” and “I love you” in 10 different languages. These are just a few of the snowballs that started the big avalanche, also known as our college life.

Then, the time came for us to change. We stepped outside the comfort zone and faced the diversity of opinions, people, and backgrounds.

We made geography personal and put the faces of our friends to the most remote countries in the world. We found a new home in Bulgaria, and several summer jobs on Cape Cod. We learned to make the best out of all worlds: We dropped majors, added minors, some of us joined More-Honors, some took over SG, others chose the student media or discovered a passion for theater and sports. We learned to listen to those who disagreed with us, and accept those who were different. All of that happened here, at AUBG, with professors who had the vision to foster change in us, and with parents who had the wisdom to be there for us through all the changes.

Little by little, as the saying goes, change became the only constant. We stopped embracing loneliness and started cherishing diversity.

We got rid of stereotypes and prejudices, and as Dewar puts it, we opened up our minds like parachutes, and weren’t afraid to fall anymore.

And even though I admire change, and I have just wasted five minutes of your time praising it, there is one thing that I never want to change: my AUBG friendships. I want them the way they are: sincere, 24/7, and long-distanceresistant.

Maybe, in some places opposites still don’t attract. But, for all the opposites that became friends here, at AUBG, and for the new me, I thank you!

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AUBG Gave Me...

Tons of friends, a great experience, skills, knowledge, and a very open mindset. I am going to Google in Poland to do an internship in their online sales department.

Marina Ceprazova, Moldova Business Administration and Journalism and Mass Communication

Knowledge about the Balkans, a region I didn’t know much about before I came here. And then it taught me how to get rid of my prejudices. Now I have friends from so many nationalities and this year I lived with a Russian, a Romanian, and two Bulgarians, and with Albanians in the past – and it was great. I am planning to do a master’s degree in Gender Studies at Central European University, Budapest, and then to pursue a Ph.D. in the U.S. Anna Kadnikova, Russia European Studies

Personal experience: I met wonderful people of different nationalities and backgrounds and enjoyed getting to know their cultures. Students and professors at AUBG enjoy warm relations, which is unique. I did a variety of extracurriculars and rediscovered my passion for theater. I am moving to Dubai this July to pursue a career in PR. Anca Cighi, Romania Business Administration and Journalism and Mass Communication

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Victoria Kotova, Russia Business Administration

A chance to meet different people, exposure to different opinions, the ability to work in a team, and as the U.S. ambassador said in his speech – vision. I think every professor in every major told us that we have to have a vision and a plan if we want to be successful.

Aleksandar Miletic, Serbia Business Administration

FAREWELL, GRADUATES!

AUBG has been very important in my life. The transformation I’ve experienced during the past four years is huge and amazing. It gave me a good start in life. I am going for a summer school in the U.S. and then I will go back to work in my country.

Great new friends, a fantastic experience, and a lot of practical knowledge. I will pursue a master’s degree in European Studies at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands.

Ivan Kalchev, Bulgaria European Studies and Business Administration

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Journalism in the IT Age

By Marzhan Doszhanova

Bill Gates in his essay, “Shaping the Internet Age,” written 10 years ago, talked about the impact that the Internet would have on us in the future. He wrote, “In the years ahead, the Internet will have an even more profound effect on the way we work, live, and learn. By enabling instantaneous and seamless communication and commerce around the globe, from almost any device imaginable, this technology will be one of the key cultural and economic forces of the early 21st century.”

As it turned out, the owner of Microsoft got it right once again. Most of the Western world and a big part of the developing world today cannot imagine their lives without the World Wide Web. The Internet has shaped the way we connect with each other, receive information, and even entertain ourselves. It often serves as a replacement of a phone, a television set, and a newspaper. As long as you are connected, a vast amount of data is available to you at a single click. Without the need to refer to any other medium, the information you need is free and instant.

These developments have had a huge impact on the world of journalism. News organizations used to employ whole armies of reporters and editors to do news gathering and writing.

With the emergence and spread of the Internet, newscasters worldwide have had to make quick adjustments – including massive layoffs – to survive.

One of the major changes in journalism has been the emergence of a new type of journalist.

In the past, journalists were first and foremost good writers and, secondarily, notorious gas guzzlers, who were willing to drive 50 miles

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for a single quote. Modern journalists require more than just writing skills and a driver’s license to be successful. They have to learn a lot of additional skills, such as photography, some web design, and video editing, among others, to be able to adapt content to the various formats in which news consumers receive information nowadays: podcasts, email digests, blogs, Twitter posts, and video streaming.

Many educational institutions have tried to adapt their curricula to meet the demands of a changing journalism market. As an institution offering a well-respected communication program, AUBG reviews its program offerings periodically to ensure that they are relevant and meet the highest academic standards. Over the past year, the Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) Department at AUBG has worked on a major revision of the JMC curriculum. New courses have been designed to prepare adaptable, multi-skilled professionals to fill journalism and communication positions throughout the region. The new curriculum includes Visual Communication Theory and Practice, Multimedia Journalism, Digital Photojournalism, and Advanced Communications Design, to impart a relevant skill set to JMC students. The new courses remain faithful to the longstanding mission of journalism to provide relevant, timely information in a clear, concise, and well-written way and in the most impartial manner possible. The curricular novelties are in the areas of visual and audiovisual communication.

Sandra Earley, a journalism professor at AUBG and a former department chair, notes that in the past the JMC curriculum focused mainly on print media, TV, and radio. Unless initiated by

John Dyer, who has worked in journalism for 17 years, juggles teaching at AUBG and freelancing for various news media. He says that journalism nowadays gives journalists more freedom and flexibility: Armed with a set of skills, some tools (such as a mini cam), and access to the Internet, a journalist can report from any part of the world. Future journalists, he predicts, will be even more innovative and could, for example, successfully combine working for an NGO, keeping blogs, and contributing to news media. The traditional staff reporter job working on a specific beat will become ever rarer and more prestigious.

“The Internet hasn’t changed journalism fundamentally, it has changed news delivery, making it more intense,” Dyer says, adding that Internet news has become shorter and more concise because users cannot spend that much time on news consumption. “If you are too discursive people will lose interest.” News pieces are “far more to the point, straightforward, short, compartmentalized.”

The Internet is no better or worse than any other medium of news transmission, Dyer says.

It actually empowers news consumers by giving them access to comprehensive news coverage with text, visuals, and video and exposing them to different opinions.

State-of-the-Art Library Resources Enhance Learning at AUBG

LIBERAL ARTS IN ACTION ACADEMICS

individual professors, teaching up-to-date journalistic practices was not a requirement. The new curriculum recognizes the world beyond traditional media, whose future is inextricably connected to technological development, Earley explains.

By Yavor Stratev

“With its carefully crafted interiors that emphasize functionality and comfort, the library provides cutting-edge facilities. The furniture and spaces are all attractive and elegant.” – Thomas Celli, President, Celli-Flynn Brennan Architects and Planners, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, and AUBG Board of Trustees member Most people think of libraries as dimly lit, airdeficient Victorian-style storage houses of rows upon rows of dust-covered shelves of musty volumes. AUBG’s Panitza Library could not be further from this description.

Just like an open mind lets through the enriching rays of knowledge, the Panitza Library makes the best use of natural sunlight, which streams in through vast windows encircling wide-open spaces. When sunlight recedes in the evenings, additional light sources gradually kick in for the benefit of students preferring research in the evenings. The oversize windows are not only an innovative and efficient architectural choice;

The essential skill necessary for becoming a true journalist today is having an entrepreneurial spirit – a “fire in the belly” in Dyer’s words – and the drive to strike up on your own – by starting a blog, pitching stories to news websites, Twittering about a breaking story, etc. So long as young journalists remain truthful and unbiased in reporting news, the world is full of possibilities. Dyer anticipates that someday someone might win a Pulitzer for reporting on current events on their blog. And why not an AUBG student?

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they symbolize AUBG’s openness to the world and its students’ thirst for knowledge.

Occupying a total area of 2,100 sq. m. (appr.

22,604 sq. ft.) on four floors, the library is equipped with reading halls, an information and circulation desk, two group study rooms, compact shelves, a print and copy center, and a technical support office. It moved to its current location on the Skaptopara campus in September 2008, while in May 2009 it was officially named Panitza Library after Dimi and Yvonne Panitza, whose support over the years helped the library develop into a modern center of learning.

A well-equipped library is a must for an academic institution encouraging research. With its extensive collections of books, periodicals, and other resources, the Panitza Library is an integral part of the educational process at AUBG. Its offerings include 105,000 books, 3,000 reference materials, 300 periodical subscriptions, 15,000 volumes of bound periodicals, 47,000 electronic books, and 25,000 electronic journals. The library’s webpage (www. aubg.bg/library) serves as an access point to all collections, research tools, and services.

Tapping into this wealth of information is quick and easy. All information sources such as books, newspapers, and magazines are accessible through the library’s online catalog, available on the Web, from library terminals, and from students’ personal computers via the University’s wireless network. Every member of the AUBG community can access the system through their online patron account. The library also has an electronic reporting system that monitors the status of borrowed resources and notifies staff if they are overdue or are being requested by another patron. A special function notifies library patrons of due dates and overdue materials.

In addition to in-house resources, the Panitza Library has access to some of the world’s largest online databases, such as EBSCO, JSTOR, Science Direct, ProQuest Central, Columbia International Affairs Online, CEEOL, World Bank databases, and online reference tools, which offer access to thousands of full-text scientific journals and other periodicals. All these titles are conveniently organized and searchable through the Electronic Journals Portal, which allows for simultaneous search in all the databases by title or subject. All electronic

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resources are available through the university network, and some are accessible even remotely. The biggest databases, ProQuest Central and Ebrary, can be accessed from a distance through a personalized password.

Even with all the ease of modern technology, students sometimes need to be lent a helping hand. Access to library staff has never been easier: In addition to more traditional means of communication, patrons can now make use of the library’s live chat system, accessible via the library’s website, which makes receiving answers faster than ever before.

The Panitza Library enables users not only to produce quality work but also to enjoy a quiet and comfortable environment while reading a magazine or organizing a study group in one of the two specially designed study rooms. Apart from terminals, 10 public computers throughout the building, 200 reading spaces, and a study room for students with disabilities serve library patrons. During the school year, the library has extended working hours and is open on weekends.

The Use of Technology in the Classroom: A Global Perspective

By John Galletly, Professor of Computer Science

Twelve or so years ago, it was considered pretty cool to show videos in class. Other technologies and learning paradigms such as web-based content management systems, e-portfolios, e-learning, distance- and blended-learning have gradually eased their way onto the educational stage. AUBG itself introduced the dotLRN content management system six years ago, and it is still being used today.

But it was during the past five years when things really started to change in the classroom environment. This is when so-called Web 2.0 technologies hit the streets and started to create a major sea change in the classroom. The popularity of these technologies was assisted

with the advent of Internet broadband access, coupled with wireless and mobile computing.

Audio and video are still popular, and important, teaching tools for the classroom. But Web 2.0 opened new vistas in terms of how teaching and learning develops, based upon the notions that foster user-generated content, user interactivity, collaboration, and information sharing via – and this is important – the web.

So what is Web 2.0 and what are Web 2.0 technologies? Web 2.0 is a term describing the innovations in the use of the web and web design that aim to enhance creativity, information sharing, and collaboration among users. Technologies (or “apps”) such as social networks, blogs, wikis, mashups, instant messaging, etc., are all examples of this trend.

Many educational institutions, and service departments such as libraries, especially in North America, Western Europe, and Australia, are using some of these technologies on their web pages. An example is the use of blogs and RSS web feeds instead of newsletters, and the provision of podcasts of public lectures or high-profile special events, which can be downloaded after the event from the institution’s website.

And the use of Web 2.0 technologies is not limited to just universities – K-12 schools have also embraced them.

LIBERAL ARTS IN ACTION

Many teachers all over the world have started to incorporate the use of one or more of the Web 2.0 technologies into their courses. This has been notable for liberal arts courses such as in history, English, modern languages, and art appreciation. For example, social-bookmarking technologies may be used to manage course reading lists, perhaps in a collaborative way so that students can benefit from others’ discoveries of relevant material. Blogs may be used as course web pages, encouraging discussion and collaboration. A wiki set up for a particular course embraces pedagogies such as collective research, group writing, document editing, information literacy, discussion, and knowledge accretion.

As Professor Gardner Campbell from Baylor University in the USA wrote about his course on New Media Studies: “For this class, I’ve assembled an online learning environment out of several Web 2.0 components, including the social bookmarking site Delicious, a wiki site at wetpaint.com that hosts the class’s interactive syllabus, and an instance of WordPress MultiUser as a platform for publishing and aggregating student blogs, blog comments, and Delicious bookmarks. The goals are to make the students’ learning visible and shared, to permit agile teaching and learning in response to the course as it unfolds, to afford collaborative workspaces to students, and to set up feedback or recursion loops to catalyze engaged and inquiry-based learning.”

Students’ learning may also be supported by specially-produced podcasts of lectures, known as “profcasts.” These audio files may be loaded onto students’ own mobile devices, especially MP3 players such as iPods, and listened to while students are on the move. Students themselves, brought up in the Internet age, have readily taken to this culture of openness, transparency, sharing, and p2p. These examples are just a few – the list is long and varied. As educational consultant Kim Cofino once said, using technology successfully in the classroom is a mindset, not a skill set.

So, what will the future hold for the classroom?

According to researchers, newer forms of Web 2.0 technologies will appear. Personal learning environments, and virtual or immersive environments will become popular, with much more use being made of 3D technologies, along with smart pens and smart phones and e-book readers.

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Robot “ArtI” Is Born

By Baasanjav Ochirkhuyag

On April 10, 2010, AUBG’s fourth annual Student Faculty Research Conference took place in the Balkanski Academic Center. Titled “Fellowship of the Mind,” the conference attracted first-rate scholarly work by students and professors on a wide array of subjects.

Over 50 presenters explored questions in classical philosophy, literature, politics, economics, modern European history, journalism, mathematics, astronomy, physics, finance, and artificial intelligence during 18 sessions moderated by students and faculty. Most presentations were based on work fourth-year students had done to meet Senior Thesis requirements.

A number of third- and second-year students also presented research papers, most notably students from the Economics and Literature departments.

Lydia Krise, Dean of Students and four-time organizer of the research forum, said that more students than ever participated in this year’s conference, which goes to show that the event has been gaining in popularity. It is actually no surprise since “the research conference is a tremendous benefit in terms of students getting practice for either graduate school or employment,” Krise said.

During the keynote panel of the conference, History Professor Markus Wien, European Studies

Professor Cosmina Tanasoiu, and Philosophy Professor Diego Lucci talked about why undergraduate research is beneficial for students.

“Creativity and new knowledge are a fundamental purpose of higher education. And above everything else, research is an exciting intellectual exercise,” is how Professor Tanasoiu pithily summarized the benefits of research.

A high point of the conference was fourthyear student Boyan Barnev’s demonstration of a robot he programmed to navigate a maze and veer left just before it reached an obstacle.

Barnev, a student in Professor Volin Karagiozov’s Artificial Intelligence class, programmed robot ArtI’s behavior from scratch using a demo robot kit and sensors.

“It’s every boy’s childhood dream to work with robots,” Barnev said, laughing, when asked why he decided to work on this particular project.

On a more serious note, Barnev said that working on robot ArtI (for Artificial Intelligence) taught him that there are unlimited possibilities in programming robot behavior. “It’s all up to your imagination,” Barnev said, adding that for his next project he would like to experiment with speech recognition techniques.

Professor Karagiozov said that it is really important for students to work on hands-on projects. Several other students have worked on behavior programming over the years. One of them, Vassil Bakalov, now works for Microsoft. Bakalov programmed a robot to follow light sources and navigate a maze.

My research on Balkan Identity for my Balkan Literature class was life-changing for me. I developed a passion for Balkan Studies and Literature and also had a chance to present my work at the annual research conference, which resulted in many enjoyable moments.

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Bulganchimeg Bayasgalant, Mongolia

NEWS @ AUBG

News Roundup Computer Science Students Win Website Excellence Award During a political science session, fourth-year student Ivaylo Vasilev, from Bulgaria, analyzed the rationality of political participation in Eastern Europe. Vasilev, who has been accepted to both Vanderbilt University in the U.S. and the London School of Economics to pursue a graduate degree, said that “the conference is a cornerstone of undergraduate research.”

Fourth-year student Diana Dimitrova from Bulgaria distinguished herself by delivering two excellent expositions at both a European Studies and a Literature panel. Her outstanding performance in German was recognized at the following day’s Honors Convocation ceremony.

Ukrainian Antonia Davydenko, a senior honored with an Outstanding Achievement in Economics award at Honors Convocation, presented her paper on the Ukrainian banking system.

Her work has been accepted for publication by the prestigious Carroll Round International Student Research conference at Georgetown University, USA. Davydenko is also the recipient of the University Council Essay award this year.

In addition to individual work, several group studies were presented as well. Business Professor Alf Eastergard and his students presented their findings on the effects of sales variability on firms’ financial ratios. After the presentation, Professor Eastergard said that “seeing our students develop presentation skills and analytical thinking is what I get as a professor.”

One of the more stimulating presentations was delivered by Bulganchimeg Bayasgalant, a fourth-year student from Mongolia, who discussed the issue of identity in Balkan literature. Bayasgalant’s work was yet another proof that research enables students to “communicate with people on the other side of the world and helps us to open our horizon larger than we had ever believed.”

Students from the AUBG’s Computer Science Student Union have won the prestigious Student Chapter Excellence distinction from the U.S.-based Association for Computing Machinery. The award was given in recognition of the students’ work on the Union’s new website feature on Women in Computer Science.

Board of Trustees Parts with Deputy Chair In May 2010, Andrey Delchev, Deputy Chair of the AUBG Board of Trustees, stepped down from the governing body after 15 years as a trustee. The auditorium in the Balkanski Academic Center will bear the former trustee’s name in recognition of his service.

Economy Minister Traykov Visits AUBG Traycho Traykov, Bulgaria’s Economy, Energy and Tourism minister, gave a talk at AUBG on April 22, becoming the second acting minister to visit the University in the past four months.

AUBG Programmers Distinguish Themselves at National Competition An AUBG team of three students, Vasil Vasilev, Ergys Ristani, and Erand Smakaj, ranked second among 24 teams at the 22nd Republican Student Programming Olympiad held in Rousse, Bulgaria on April 17.

Choir Conductor Hristo Krotev Turns 50 This year AUBG Choir Conductor Hristo Krotev turns 50 and also celebrates 25 years of professional activity. Special performances in Blagoevgrad and Sofia marked the double occasion.

High School Students Learn Debating at AUBG The annual AUBG debate tournament this year took place on March 25-28 and featured a high school competition in addition to the traditional universitylevel debating challenge. The junior tournament attracted around 30 high school students from all over Bulgaria.

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Celebrated Scholar Gyorgy Schopflin Discusses Modernity Gyorgy Schopflin, a notable Hungarian scholar and European parliamentarian, visited AUBG on March 26 as part of the Ambassador Elena Poptodorova Distinguished Lecturers series. He talked about the concepts of modernity and modernization and discussed how globalization has changed our world.

Noted Journalist Elena Yoncheva Opens Student Conference at AUBG Award-winning Bulgarian journalist Elena Yoncheva was the keynote speaker at a student Model United Nations conference held at AUBG on March 19-21. Conference participants had a chance to see a part of Yoncheva’s documentary Somali Pirates and talk to her about piracy, a central issue at the conference.

Pulitzer Winning Journalist Coaches Students in Feature Writing For a week in March, AUBG hosted Madeleine Blais, a distinguished journalist and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. Blais taught classes and gave students tips on reporting and writing features.

Radio AURA Turns 17 Radio AURA staff and friends celebrated the radio’s 17th birthday with a bash on March 12.

Ambassador Ivan Stancioff on Being a Diplomat Bulgarian diplomat Ivan Stancioff talked at AUBG on February 9, urging students to work in service of their countries.

Finance Minister Djankov Talks at AUBG Simeon Djankov, Bulgarian Finance Minister, gave a lecture at AUBG on January 22. More than 200 people attended the talk.

For news updates check out our website at www.aubg.bg

Students dressed in traditional Mongolian outfits serve typical dishes

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International Week: Unity in Having Fun

By Nadzeya Zhuk

At AUBG, no one is surprised to see Turkmens and Belorussians making origami under the guidance of a Bulgarian tutor. Naturally, this doesn’t happen every day, but it’s exactly what occurred during the opening night of the 2010 International Week.

That, and much more: On a Saturday evening, community members chatted excitedly while nibbling on Bulgarian banitsa (a savory pastry with an egg and cheese filling) as an appetizer, then moved on to Mongolian buuz (a stew with meat, cabbage, onions, and carrots), and finished with an Albanian kek me molle (apple cake sprinkled with powdered sugar) washed down with a sparkling Georgian wine. And earlier in the week, the whole community traveled vicariously to Colombia, India, and Germany in one night during the Country Presentations event.

Does all this require a leap of the imagination?

Not at AUBG. The University is home to 1,100 students from 37 countries who came together in March 2010 to celebrate their differences with a week-long lineup of events including a taste fest, a talent show, a games & arts evening, a movie marathon, and an evening of country presentations.

“The goal of International Week is to celebrate the unique environment at AUBG and bring the students together,” said third-year student Martin Ilievski from Macedonia, who helped organize this year’s celebration.

Aylar Batyrova, a firstyear student from Turkmenistan, remarked: “As an international student here

NEWS @ AUBG

at AUBG, I believe that International Week is very important because it unites all students over one goal: to tell people about your country and culture. It is not only very entertaining but also very educational.”

The 2010 edition of International Week kicked off with a games and arts evening featuring origami and charm bracelet–making workshops. Participants also had a chance to play a German children’s game by courtesy of History Professor Markus Wien, who explained the rules, in addition to testing their agility at Twister and their acquisition acumen at Monopoly.

Day 2 of the international happening was devoted to debunking national, gender, and cultural stereotypes through a mock debate. On day 3, students watched films that deal humorously with the subjects of diversity and a clash of cultures.

During the rest of the week, the AUBG community literally saw, heard, and tasted diversity as over 150 students and professors cooked typical dishes, danced and sang songs from their parts of the world, paraded national costumes and jewelry, played folk instruments, and talked about their countries.

The Week’s closing – and undoubtedly most popular – event was the International Taste Fest. According to Belorussian student Darya Ramanava, “the Taste Fest was the most exciting event during International Week – and not only because of the abundance of different cuisines. It gave students a chance to show their culinary skills and imagination. The number of participants was really impressive and this event proved once again that AUBG is a real community.” Indeed, many AUBG students

Enthusiastic International Week participants show off their talent

spent the whole day in steamy kitchens trying really hard to impress their classmates and professors with elaborate main courses, mouthwatering desserts, and palate-tickling sides.

Furthermore, as homemade food is what students miss the most when they are away from home, the taste fest gave them all a chance to fight homesickness in a constructive way.

“The unifying factor is everybody’s willingness to have fun and to learn more about other countries,” Ilievski said. The eagerness to explore and learn more about one another and the ability to make fun of and bring down communication barriers distinguish AUBG students as a true community.

International Week 2010 was organized by the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society at AUBG with the support of the Student Services office. Local and national media covered the event, with Bulgarian Standart daily publishing a full-page story on the subject.

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Top Employers Look for Talent at AUBG

By Kiril Kuculoski

Twenty-seven companies participated in the 17th Annual Job Fair at AUBG held between March 30 and 31, 2010. At a time of job cuts and hiring freezes, more than 40 representatives from different companies came to look for talented AUBG students to fill full-time and internship positions. Companies such as Deloitte, Johnson Controls, Marcus Evans Europe, JobTiger, and PricewaterhouseCoopers offered entry-level positions in their offices across Bulgaria and the region.

Participating firms were medium-sized to large and represented a variety of industries – from banking and IT to real estate and foodstuffs.

Most companies were returning participants in the fair, but a few new firms were also present, said AUBG Career Center Coordinator Ivaylo Aksharov.

One such firm was Marcus Evans Europe.

Sylvia Michael, a 2000 AUBG graduate and a recruiter for the company, said she was impressed with the quality of current students. A production director at Marcus Evans, Michael has hired AUBG graduates before and hopes to welcome more AUBG-ers on board. “I’m looking for talented graduates with razor-sharp minds and passion for research, artful communicators with first-class business writing skills, individuals with an innovative spirit and a highenergy personality,” she said.

Despite hiring freezes even on entry-level hiring at many companies, AUBG graduates are still in demand, a testament to which is the enduring attraction AUBG job fairs have for employers, Aksharov said. The main reason our

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students get job offers while still in college is the practical preparation they receive in small classes under the guidance of our excellent, dedicated faculty, he added.

“The global economic crisis has had its impact on the employability of AUBG students, but these effects are quickly being alleviated by the flexibility and resourcefulness that comes with liberal arts education and its demands,” said third-year student Aleksandar Skubev, who left a few resumes at the fair. This style of learning allows students to take courses in a wide variety of fields, expanding their knowledge and sharpening their intellectual capacity.

Ivan Eftimov, another junior, also sees the broad-based AUBG education as an advantage on the current employment market. “Companies are laying off very specialized people and replacing them with younger employees who can do more than one thing. The double major at AUBG has never been more appreciated than in these times,” Eftimov said. By pursuing a double major, students specialize in two different fields – for example, accounting and public relations – which gives them more career options.

Not all students who came to the fair were set on finding jobs. For most participants, the fair is an exercise in networking. “All of these names could be business contacts and partners in the future,” said Viktor Ilijev, another AUBG student.

AUBG pioneered job fairs in Southeastern Europe, beginning in 1994 when the first institution-exclusive fair was held. Since then 17 job fairs have taken place on an annual basis under the supervision of the AUBG Career Center. The AUBG Job Fair is organized specifically for the benefit of AUBG students, making it the only such event in the region. The Career Center holds special workshops where students do mock job interviews and get help writing cover letters and resumes.

NEWS @ AUBG

Students Show off Athletic Prowess at Fifth Annual AUBG Olympics

By Yumjirmaa Ser-Od

During the last weekend in April, the University community took a break from worrying about final exams and projects. It was a day dedicated to sports and a fitting conclusion to the week-long ecological initiative by AUBG students encouraging healthy living.

The fifth annual AUBG Olympics took place on a rarely sunny and mostly windy day with the occasional drizzle bringing temperatures even further down. However, the fickle Blagoevgrad weather did not diminish the athletes and spectators’ enthusiasm. Nothing could prevent students, faculty, and staff from fully immersing themselves into the competitions, feeling the adrenaline rush, cheering for friends, and enjoying the beautiful scenery in Bachinovo Park.

Dressed in bright orange T-shirts, members of the AUBG Olympics Committee provided additional cheer and made sure everyone felt part of the big day. In addition to helping all tournaments run smoothly, the Committee held a charity game to raise funds for the reconstruction of the basketball field in the orphanage in the town of Yakoruda, Bulgaria.

This year’s Olympics included 12 sports disciplines. AUBG professors, staff, and Blagoevgrad community members participated in the tournaments alongside student athletes. Competition in the various disciplines was fierce with close rivalries in almost every category.

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More-Honors Production Showcases Student Innovation and Creativity

By Yumjirmaa Ser-Od

After much anticipation on campus about who would win in which category, who would get the More-Honors scholarship, and who would host the show, the AUBG community was finally treated to the best More-Honors program in the show’s history.

The 13th annual More-Honors show took place on the chilly evening of April 16, 2010, with eager spectators rushing in to get a good seat – as well as a good laugh – as early as two hours in advance. The two-hour entertainment show regaled the audience with innovative videos featuring skilful camerawork, editing, special effects, and skits by students and professors, as well as amusing exchanges as the show’s two hosts – Montenegrin Marko Lubarda and Kosovar Arber Kuci – bantered with nominees and award presenters.

Nominations in each category were introduced by hilarious, catchy videos, which, because of their technical quality, skillful editing, and creativity, often seemed to have come straight out of an Oscar production. Perhaps most memorable was the video for the Lazy of the Year nomination, which in addition to eliciting roars of laughter from the audience also reminded them that “procrastination always catches up with you.”

A long-awaited moment was the announcement of the More-Honors Scholarship winners. Cash prizes were awarded to three teams of talented producers: Angel Ivanov for the heartfelt video “Flashback”; Evgenia Rud for “Her List”; and Mirian Jugheli and Alexander Pirlya with the intriguing video “Timelapse.”

The alumni-funded More-Honors scholarships strive to promote digital creativity among AUBG students.

The Freshious prize, which celebrates rookies, went to first-year student Yana Mushkova while

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the Coolest Non-Student award was snatched

by Business Law Professor Asen Parachkevov.

Winners in the other 11 categories were: Prosper Goering (Alcohol Friendly), Ivan Angelov (Lazy), Antonio Guenovski (Casanova), Alan Hickman (Art Vader), Alexandru Panici (Future Leader), Maria Droganova (Public Enemy), the Turkmen community (Thing of the Year), Eva Pillossof (Sport Off ), Svetozara Davidkova (Lick-a-fessor), Emiliya Koteva (Artificial Intelligence), and the entire AUBG Community (Gossip of the Year).

The special Lifetime Achievement award went to European Studies Professor Cosmina Tanasoiu, who recently rejoined the community after a sabbatical at Harvard University.

All statuettes given out, More-Honors Academy Presidents Marina Ceprazova and Ivan Botev came out on stage to enthusiastic applause from the audience. Months of hard work and cooperation had finally paid off as guests seemed to enjoy themselves to the full.

Although the award categories were tonguein-cheek, the show took tens of sleepless nights over the past year to prepare.

Eric Halsey, a U.S. exchange student at AUBG, said: “The pre-party, the planning, the videos put into it, the statues and every single thing was so professional and clear step above anything I’ve ever seen in my high school and University back in United States. These guys did a really great job, and it was a great show.”

Literature and Writing Professor John Mullen pointed out that the More-Honors show has an educational value. He said that the show’s opening clip was a perfect example of satire, adding that he plans to use it in class next semester to illustrate the concept.

A VIBRANT COMMUNITY

Student Musical Becomes Instant Hit with Bulgarian Audiences

By Adelina Pavlova

Music that makes you dance in your seat, dance numbers that make you gaze in delight, catchy tunes that you end up humming for days, beautiful, smiling young people whose only goal is to make their audience happy: If you have seen the show, you will have recognized it immediately from those lines. If you missed it, you probably heard your friends talk incessantly about this year’s student production Hairspray.

AUBG-ers’ rendition of the famous Broadway musical was what anyone in the community could talk about in April. The Blagoevgrad Drama Theater’s main hall filled each night as spectators rushed to see the musical’s multinational all-student cast deliver electrifying performances. Student artists sang and danced along to the rhythm of such memorable tunes as “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat!”

Hairspray is the AUBG Broadway Performance Club’s third musical project after the successful rendition of West Side Story last year and Chicago in 2008. AUBG students were the first amateur troupe in Europe to get performing rights to Chicago and West Side Story and the first amateur troupe in the world to be allowed to perform Hairspray. The show took seven months to put together and featured a cast of 50 students from 11 different countries. In addition to the student performers, an organizing crew of 15 students helped with promotional activities, fundraising, and logistics.

The Broadway Performance Club was established in 2007 by AUBG students, passionate about dancing, singing, and acting, and its

Smajo Bajramspahic and Anna Alexeeva had lead roles in the musical

activities have become a byword for student talent and hard work at AUBG. Club members chose Hairspray because the show sends a strong message of tolerance and love while at the same time remaining enjoyable for the audience. Hairspray is the story of Tracy Turnblad (played by third-year student Anna Alexeeva in the AUBG production), a curvy teenager who dreams of becoming a TV dance star. Tracy’s pursuit of her dreams is intertwined with her fight against racial segregation in 1960s Baltimore, Maryland, the United States. Tracy and her new friends are ready to fight the prejudices of their time and show the world that everything you need to make your dreams come true is a little bit of rhythm and lots of hairspray.

Tickets for Hairspray’s premiere sold out a week before the show, and the two subsequent performances drew in sizable crowds as well. In addition to three performances in Blagoevgrad, the student troupe went on a national tour, performing in front of audiences in Varna, Plovdiv, and Sofia. The musical’s seven performances were seen by more than 3,000 viewers as once again AUBG students proved that “when you follow your own beat, the world will follow you!”

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AUBG offers an incredibly unique opportunity to be immersed in a very diverse community. The students, faculty, and administration come from all over the globe. This creates a one-of-a-kind environment for expanding our point of view, increasing our knowledge of other cultures, and learning how to work with people from different backgrounds.

Lacey Cope ‘11, USA Political Science and International Relations

I work as a Resident Assistant, so I guess I’m one of those lucky ones who dive deeply in the international experience from day one on campus, and it does feel great knowing that you have all these friends and contacts who are so different and at the same time alike, and all of them are great people.

Boyan Barnev ‘11, Bulgaria Computer Science and Business Administration

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A VIBRANT COMMUNITY

The AUBG community is special mainly because it’s small: it’s not like huge universities where you don’t even get a chance to learn your classmates’ names! AUBG-ers know how to relax, but at the same time they are able and willing to work hard when they are engaged in something challenging. JMC Rocks, More-Honors and student-run media are the best examples of how motivated and hard-working our community can be.

Nadzeya Zhuk ‘13, Belarus Journalism and Mass Communication

The information resources and services available at AUBG are splendid. We have a magnificent library with more than 40,000 titles in every area of study. Everybody is always more than willing to help, and answer all your questions. All you have to do is ask.

Smajo Bajramspahic ‘13, Montenegro Political Science and International Relations and Economics

AUBG offers students many services for free such as the Student Advising Center, Career Center, Counseling Center, etc. The Panitza Library is a treasure: I have always been able to find whatever material I needed and the librarians have helped to guide my research.

Irena Palamani ‘11, Albania Economics and Mathematics

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Exchange at AUBG Is on the Rise

By Georgi Kerpedzhiev

“I’m coming home.” This is what Markus Wallner, an Austrian student who spent the Fall 2009 semester at AUBG, announced on his Facebook profile page before a trip to Blagoevgrad in April 2010. Markus’s moving statement has been echoed by hundreds of college students from all over Europe and the United States over the past several years. These students spend a semester or a year away from their home universities and choose AUBG as a host institution. Exchange students have different reasons for coming here but they all leave a trace and, as in Markus’s case, many friends behind.

And these students’ impact is bound to grow. More exchange students attended AUBG in the past academic year than in the university’s entire history and the numbers are set to rise. AUBG’s growing reputation for excellence and new opportunities for student mobility are part of the explanation.

Twenty-three Erasmus exchange students alone spent the Fall 2009 semester at AUBG, a record for the University. Funded by the European Union, the Erasmus program facilitates educational exchange in the 27 member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Turkey. Since Bulgaria’s accession to the EU in 2007 the program has been gathering pace and has attracted a total of 75 students, as opposed to 12 in the preceding two years. From 12 Erasmus partnerships in 2007, AUBG now has agreements with 54 universities in 25 countries. In the recent Second Annual Meeting of the Erasmus Partner Universities of AUBG in March, representatives from seven partner institutions came to AUBG to get acquainted with the place and took back impressions and AUBG information packages to their home institutions.

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One student who has benefited from the Erasmus program is Matthias Fischer, from Germany.

After spending the whole 2009-2010 academic year at AUBG, he speaks highly of the University.

Matthias learnt about AUBG from his Bulgarian friends and was impressed by the very idea of a liberal arts institution in Eastern Europe. He went on to establish a link between AUBG and his home university in Konstanz, Germany. Small classes, a student-centered approach, club system, and oncampus living are the characteristics that attracted Matthias to AUBG. Apart from an increase in incoming Erasmus exchange students, the University has been attracting a growing number of U.S. students, too. AUBG is a member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), a network of 300 higher education institutions in 42 countries around the world, including the USA. It has alsoCampus. signed bilateral agree- were healthy Its main themes ments with two U.S. institutions the University living – through sports, correct eating of Maine and the State University of New York, habits, and environmental conservaFredonia. Through these exchange agreements, tion. more than 100 U.S. studentsInhave come toforAUBG preparation the event, paintings in the last six years.

by AUBG students were hung in one of the residence hallswho while posters proJesse Haines is a repeat visiting U.S. student moting the occasion spent the Fall 2004 semester at AUBG, follow- were put up in the residence hall lobbies. ing the advice of an ISEP coordinator.

Jesse likedThroughout the week students were able to take part the place and the people so much that he decided in a host of events such to come back to AUBG for a second semester in as the “I walk” which encourages 2005. After that Jesse stayedinitiative, in Bulgaria and during walking the summer of 2006 interned at the Institute for Balkan Studies as a research assistant.

Jesse came to be challenged, and his expectations were fully met. In the various classes he took at AUBG – which ranged from Microeconomics to Literature – he had to apply himself thoroughly in order to do well. What helped him is AUBG professors’ unique approach to teaching which includes spending time with students individually.

“I was impressed by the quality of leadership and the willingness of professors to spend extra time outside of the classroom for help with class work or even just to chat,” Jesse says.

The number of first-year and transfer students coming from Europe and the U.S. has also been rising steadily. Around 50 students fit that category in Spring 2010 alone while in Fall 2009, 11 undergraduates from the United States transferred to AUBG – an unprecedented event in the history of the institution.

One of the transfer students is Prosper Goering, who comes from San Antonio, Texas. He came across AUBG after a web search and immediately found the place intriguing. “If I was going to study International Relations and Political Science I had to do it in a foreign country. And AUBG had everything I wanted – cheap tuition, accredited pro-

Lydia Krise, Dean of Students at AUBG, predicts that the number of incoming West European and U.S. students in particular will continue to grow.

There is increasing interest in the ISEP exchange program from both incoming and outgoing students. Erasmus students are also on the rise. No doubt, Bulgaria’s accession to the EU put AUBG on the world education map and opened the doors for many Westerners looking for a top educational experience in Europe.

Green Living Is High on AUBG’s Agenda

By Georgi Kerpedzhiev AUBG has long promoted environmentally sound practices both within the University and among the larger Blagoevgrad community. This year, AUBG students, staff, and faculty took a whole week to affirm their commitment to green living.

Environmental Week 2010 was held April 19 through 24 and was organized by the student-run Better Community Club, People to People International, and the Green Group on Campus. Its main themes were healthy living through sports, correct eating habits, and environmental conservation.

In preparation for the event, paintings by AUBG students were hung in one of the residence halls while posters promoting the occasion were put up in the residence hall lobbies. Throughout the week

students were able to take part in a host of events such as the “I walk” initiative, which encourages walking instead of driving cars. On Tuesday, a T-shirt drawing workshop was held and on Wednesday AUBG professors and a member of the Bulgarian Green Party had a debate on the spread of GMOs, a topical issue in Bulgaria. The pavement drawing initiative the following day gathered students from AUBG, South-West University, and the Mathematics High School, as well as children from the local orphanage, who painted pictures expressing human beings’ connection with the environment.

A VIBRANT COMMUNITY

grams, and diverse student body.” Prosper goes on to describe the diversity at AUBG as “unique” and concludes that “in American universities there are foreign students but you rarely have the chance to talk to them. Here you are constantly surrounded by people from various cultures and nationalities.”

On Thursday, Professor Dinka Spirovska showed students how to prepare quick healthy food and treated them to a sumptuous Middle Eastern rice and lentils delicacy. “It was really interesting. I have never thought of what I actually eat,” said one of the student participants.

A two-day tree-planting campaign began on Thursday. First, students from the graduating class planted a cypress tree, a tradition that coincided with this year’s Environmental Week. The greening initiative continued on the following day as community members planted more trees on campus.

BCC President Biliyana Vacheva said she was happy with the large turnout at the different events and the great enthusiasm participants showed.

This is not the first time AUBG organizes a major ecological initiative. In 2009, when Environmental Week was first celebrated, AUBG became the first higher education institution in Bulgaria to implement a recycling system on campus. Over the past several years, AUBG community members have undertaken clean-ups of various parts of Blagoevgrad, including the Bistritsa river bed and local parks. Furthermore, the University’s third residence hall and the academic facility housing the Balkanski Academic Center and Panitza Library are both energy-efficient buildings utilizing the latest in energy-saving technologies.

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THEY MAKE US PROUD

More than 100 AUBG alumni traveled from different parts of the world to attend the 2010 Alumni Mega-Reunion in Blagoevgrad in May. All sixteen AUBG classes had representatives at the get-together while turnout from the classes with 5-, 10-, and 15-year anniversaries and the 2009 EMBA Class was especially high. Deyan Vassilev, a 1995 graduate and former AUBG trustee, received the Distinguished Alumni Award for outstanding contribution to the development of the University.

I learnt something at AUBG that they don’t teach you in other places and that’s professional ethics. I came to AUBG to study Political Science and when I got back home, I was lucky to get a job that was related to my Political Science degree. For the past 12 years I have been working in public administration, in the area of policy reform, more concretely anti-corruption.

Codru Vrabie ’98, Romania National Integrity Council member, civil society representative

Andrey Bachvarov ’01, Stilyana Kandjeva ’09, Borislav Stefanov ’01 (Bulgaria)

An AUBG education is very broad and in addition to technical skills, AUBG graduates acquire soft skills, such as communication, presentation, and writing skills.

These skills make technology specialists very valuable to employers. AUBG Computer Science majors have a very developed understanding of all aspects of running a business: They can understand their superiors’ as well as their customers’ perspectives; they can appreciate all the challenges that come up and the work other departments within a company do.

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Rozalia Pandauzova ’04, Bulgaria IT Department, Globul, Bulgaria

Deyan Vassilev ’95, Bulgaria President, FinZoom, former AUBG Trustee, co-founder with AUBG of InvestNet.bg, an initiative aiming to encourage investment in Bulgaria Distinguished Alumni Award 2010

THEY MAKE US PROUD

My life during my AUBG years and after I graduated was marked by the creation of new things – I started new businesses, I became an entrepreneur. The entrepreneurial acumen I owe to AUBG as well…

As we, AUBG graduates, advance in life, I would like to see us giving back to the University – because of all it gave us – be it financially, be it by helping recruit new students or by involving AUBG in different initiatives that give it social weight.

AUBG gave me the confidence that I can do anything and helped me develop a civic consciousness, attain knowledge, and learn to be adaptable and to not be afraid of new, unfamiliar things. AUBG graduates provided guidance at the beginning of my career. Now I work in the sphere of renewable energy production.

Sylvia Zareva ’04 (Bulgaria), Daniel Secareanu ’00 (Romania), Codru Vrabie ’98 (Romania), Mihai Matei ’01 (Romania), Nikolay Arnaudov BA ’00, EMBA ’09 (Bulgaria)

Sevdalina Yontcheva ’05, Bulgaria NRG Construction, Business Development Manager

AUBG helped me in many ways become the person I am today. It provided me with great education and analytical thinking which enabled me to launch a successful career in the financial advisory sector. More importantly, AUBG provided me with a worldview based on the values of tolerance, openness, and respect for others that will last a lifetime. It was truly a life-changing experience.

Kenan Dizdarevic ’04, Serbia Vice President, KBC Securities, Kenan’s sister, Lejla Dizdarevic, will begin her AUBG studies in Fall 2010

Graduates from Class ’95, AUBG’s first, participate in a teleconference reunion

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THEY MAKE US PROUD

Melon Inc.: A Community of Shared Beliefs and Talent

By Boryana Gotsova

Huddled on a narrow, sunny street in downtown Sofia, an unpretentious signboard announcing its location, Melon Inc.’s main office belies the significance of its occupants and their work. Nor do the office spaces inside feel very much like major business transactions take place there. The small teams of young people, quietly clicking and drumming on keyboards at neighboring tables, seem almost too relaxed and casual to be designing and developing software and multimedia products for Nokia, Philips, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Coca-Cola Hellenic. A closer look at the numerous framed certificates on the wall also gives away that Melon Inc. has been a certified partner of Microsoft for years.

The company, simply referred to as Melon by its employees, most of them in their late twenties or early thirties, stands out in Sofia’s business world not only because of its tremendous success but also because of its welcoming, non-corporate atmosphere and egalitarian company culture.

“Being a people-oriented rather than a processoriented company, I think we’ve managed to build an environment where people feel they are an important part of the company and this makes them happy,” said Krum Hadjigeorgiev, Melon CEO and an AUBG graduate.

This spirit is partly a result of the company’s history. “The three companies which merged during the last ten years to become Melon were founded by good friends who shared common ideas,” said Vasil Dimov, Chief Technology Officer and another AUBG graduate. The first two of these were AdVenture, a new media and design studio, and WebLang, a software company, both of which were founded by AUBG alumni. Anguel Anguelov, Valentin Velikov, and Hadjigeorgiev started AdVenture, while Antony Ivanov, Dimov, and Stanislav Angelov founded WebLang. After working together on several successful projects, the companies merged into Melon Technologies in 2003. Five years later, the new company merged with WebGate, a mobile applications vendor, to form Melon Inc. “I like to believe that much of the romance that comes from working in small

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companies from which Melon emerged is still a part of the atmosphere,” said Petar Svarc, Marketing Manager and Head of the Interactive Media Department, former AUBG trustee, and ex-president of the AUBG Alumni Association.

Today, the company has over 100 employees working in three offices – two in Sofia and one in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. However, only a quarter of Melon’s business comes from the Bulgarian market; the majority of their clients are spread out all over the world. The diversity of products and services the company offers has also grown over the years, with mobile applications, e-learning packages, and software components for websites forming the three main categories. Melon also provides high-quality services in outsourcing, website development, multimedia solutions, and brand design. Some of their most recent projects include an online game promoting energy efficiency, a corporate website of an architecture and design studio, and a mobile application for call management.

Because Melon works with a wide range of clients – among them well-established corporations, start-ups, and government organizations – adaptability is a defining trait of the company and its employees. As Dimov explained, “In Melon we do not have very strict job descriptions, we teach people that everybody should try to help with everything, and the management is a good example. I work with my colleagues, do trainings, discuss projects and technical solutions with my teams. I also work with clients, sometimes help writing offers, participate in sales meetings. And of course I play table football and table tennis with the people, which is not only fun, but is also important for the good atmosphere in the office.”

Melon employees agree that flexibility is vital because their work usually has far more aspects than their job titles suggest. Hence, the company has brought together people from a variety of backgrounds: Computer Science, Business Administration, Applied Economics, Mathematics, Journalism and Mass Communication, and Fine Arts. That many of them are AUBG graduates is no surprise.

Over the years, Melon has kept its connection with the University, and not only by hiring AUBG alumni. As Hadjigeorgiev explained, “All of the AUBG alumni at Melon never miss a chance to visit Blagoevgrad and have some fun, be it at a homecoming event, a More-Honors weekend, or an ad hoc weekend trip. We have also been helping AUBG with whatever we can – personal time, professional work, fundraising initiatives.”

Self-fulfillment is the reason why Melon employees love both their alma mater and their mother ship: like AUBG, Melon gives its people not just a sense of professional accomplishment but also a sense of personal fulfillment. Svarc said it best, “I have never had extremely high goals for my career. I just wanted to be able to use what I have learned to keep on growing as a person, to have a comfortable, happy life with the people around me. Of course, one cannot feel at ease with himself if his career is not

developing, so this too is a part of my expectations. But, as I said, my goal is not to be the richest guy on the block, just the happiest guy.”

Through AUBG and Melon, that goal became a reality.

THEY MAKE US PROUD

“Liberal arts education brings not only practical knowledge, but also teaches you to be creative, to experiment and meet challenges with an open mind,” Dimov said. “AUBG graduates have good technical knowledge, and usually they have many other interests and expertise which we can use. Since most of the management is formed by AUBG graduates, people from AUBG fit very well into our atmosphere and mindset,” he added.

Melon also made that possible for AUBG alumna Marina Petrova, the firm’s senior designer. She described Melon not simply as a workplace, but as a space of shared beliefs.

“There is this understanding that we need to add value, that we need to do the job better, without any pressure, just for the fun of it, because this is who we are and because we like what we do,” she said.

And buoyed by a few sips of mid-morning coffee taken on one of the company’s cozy terraces, AUBG-ers from Melon had much advice to offer to current students. “Open your eyes, open your mind and try to see, discover, experience, understand, enjoy as much as you can,” Petrova said. Dimov similarly encouraged students “to have fun while at AUBG, and seek professional realization which will be even more fun. It’s possible.”

Hadjigeorgiev had the definitive counsel: “Start up a company! It’s great fun and it’s truly rewarding to see it grow and know that it’s because of you. And know that AUBG has a lot to do with who you are.” He should know.

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EMBA

Vladimir Borachev, Class of 1995:

A Leader Is Only as Strong as His Team

By Sylvia Zareva

An important point Vladimir Borachev emphasizes in his Business Communications class is that to be effective team leaders, managers have to be good team players. Successful leadership hinges on building relationships of trust and support with peers and subordinates, rewarding hard work and discouraging arrogance.

Borachev wants to shape leaders who are not only good professionals but also good people.

Lively and forthright discussions characterize his classes in AUBG’s Executive MBA program, where for the past semester he has trained junior managers pursuing a master’s degree in Business Administration. He keeps his students on their toes by throwing challenges at them in the form of provocative case studies and enjoys their undivided attention during long weekend sessions by striking a careful balance between topic introductions, group work, exercises, and class discussions. Through a mix of theory, anecdotes, and personal examples, Borachev illustrates good and bad managerial practices.

Borachev’s own life story is a how-to guide on managerial success. A risk taker, he enrolled in the newly opened American University in Bulgaria in 1991 after studying philology for a year at the University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.

English-language instruction by quality American faculty in an environment that promotes initiative, leadership, and critical thinking, and involvement in hands-on projects opened up many opportunities for him. It was there that he first learnt the value of teamwork: As group projects are an integral part of the educational process at AUBG, being able to work with classmates of different interests, abilities, and backgrounds was essential for producing good results. Borachev got further practice in teamwork and leadership as a captain of AUBG’s Sharks baseball team.

“What attracted me to AUBG was the opportunity to be part of something new and different.

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The University gave me a lot and I dare say that it is the best institution of its kind in Southeastern Europe,” Borachev says.

He graduated in 1995 with a degree in Business Administration and shortly afterward joined Xerox Bulgaria’s team as a sales representative where he distinguished himself as a stellar account manager. A few months into the job, he won the Xerox European Cup Challenge over hundreds of other company employees.

Following the maxim that if you are not moving forward, you are falling behind, Borachev embarked on a two-year Business Administration program in Barcelona, Spain, earning an MBA degree in 1999. During his stay in Spain, he interned with Procter & Gamble, working on one of the company’s most famous brands.

During the following six years, he built an impressive international career after proving himself capable of undertaking an increasing number of projects covering an ever-wider geographical area. By the time he left Xerox in 2005, he was responsible for the company’s Xerox Wide Format strategy, sales, marketing, and business development in nine countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and North Africa. In addition to his business responsibilities, he has also taught in several training programs at educational and business institutions in Bulgaria over the years.

Borachev’s Avon appointment began in 2005 and quickly grew in scope and responsibility: He started as a sales director for Bulgaria to become the company’s commercial director for six East European countries in four year’s time. Parallel to his rise in the company’s ranks grew his recognition in the wider business community in Bulgaria and the region. In fact, students in Borachev’s class this spring stated that instruction by business practitioners of his caliber is one of the main reasons they chose

Most students are immediately taken with Borachev’s openness and enthusiasm. “He is very open, down-to-earth, friendly: He immediately grabs your attention,” said Evgenia Gencheva, a manager at Pireus Bank in Sofia and 2000 AUBG BA graduate who took Borachev’s course this spring. Silvia Ranova, another student in the class, said she was impressed by Borachev’s dedication to his job and his forthright attitude. “He has a passion for his job” is the impression Ranova took away from her interaction with Borachev during the course.

Another aspect of the course students value is its practical approach. Students analyze real-life situations and identify ways they can improve their performance as team leaders. But more than any case study or group discussion, Borachev’s teaching style is a prime lesson in leadership: He looks straight into his interlocutor’s eyes, affirming, through body language, his interest in what they are saying. A twinkle in his eye betrays a lively mind ready to engage.

He smiles when he disagrees with a comment, and presents his disagreement respectfully and with tact. As a group leader, he exudes mild confidence and plenty of energy, making it impossible for anyone to disconnect from the discussion or stray too far off topic. But if speakers drift, he will gently reel them back in and help them focus.

Leadership may not always produce smooth exchanges of this kind, but a true leader will always aspire to them in order to bring out the best in his people. For Borachev this is crucial because “a leader is only as strong as his team.”

Balkanski:

At AUBG Students Learn to Be Citizens of the World

FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

AUBG’s EMBA program. Borachev’s motivational and straightforward style, in particular, is recognized and admired by students, friends, and colleagues alike.

By Sylvia Zareva & Albena Kehayova

The world-renowned physicist Professor Minko Balkanski made a generous donation to the American University in Bulgaria. At a ceremony on May 15, 2010 featuring AUBG administration, faculty, and students, members of the Balkanski family as well as guests, the New Academic Building on the Skaptopara campus in Blagoevgrad officially became the Balkanski Academic Center in honor of the Balkanski family.

“This is the fulfillment of a very long-time dream,” Balkanski began his speech. Building a community of educated, ambitious, and socially engaged youth in Bulgaria is Minko Balkanski’s dream.

This happens to be his long-time friend Dimi Panitza’s dream as well.

Panitza, one of AUBG’s founders, trustee, and patron of the Panitza Library, introduced Balkanski to AUBG, which the latter visited for the first time in 2008. But it wasn’t until the physicist met with several AUBG graduates through one of his Bulgarian projects that he decided to give to the University. He described the alumni he met as “young people eager to create, to do, to work.”

Prof. Balkanski and his long-time friend Dimi Panitza

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FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS

Furthermore, AUBG students possess “hard work, ambition, responsibility, morals, and ethics… That gives me hope that we have here in Bulgaria a place where something happens, where young people learn how to be real citizens of Europe and the world,” Balkanski added.

AUBG alumnus and Melon CEO Krum Hadjigeorgiev’s wholehearted response to a call for support by Balkanski’s foundation touched the professor in particular. “This is the reason why I prize so highly what this University is doing for Bulgaria.”

Balkanski went on to thank his son Alex Balkanski for his support for his projects in Bulgaria and in particular his generous donation to AUBG. Fourth-year student Marina Ceprazova, who was also this year’s student Commencement speaker, extended words of thanks on behalf of AUBG students. Referring to the newly named Balkanski Academic Center, she said that this is “the place where brave discoveries are made, where hard work goes along with building friendships and communities, where permanent intellectual growth is a lifestyle, and where maybe a new youngest professor of all times will spend long caffeine-pumped research nights.”

In AUBG, Professor Balkanski found a worthy partner whose values reflect his personal commitment. The University’s mission “to educate students of outstanding potential in a community of academic excellence, diversity, and respect and to prepare them for democratic and ethical leadership in serving the needs of the region and the world” matches his own aspirations. Professor Balkanski’s faith and support will help the University continue to be a leader in offering high-quality liberal arts education in Southeastern Europe. Furthermore, philanthropists’ contributions like Professor Balkanski’s represent sustaining gifts that enable AUBG to grow and become a model of academic excellence in the 21st century.

“Professor Balkanski’s gift endorses yet again AUBG’s reputation for academic excellence.

Thanks to supporters like him, we can offer one of a kind academic and residential experience to our students. Home to 1,100 students from 37 countries, the University’s residential campus is an integral part of

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the AUBG education, which aims at nurturing socially responsible leaders capable of crosscultural communication,” said AUBG President David Huwiler.

Professor Balkanski’s biography includes many impressive accomplishments. Born in 1927 in Oryahovitsa, Bulgaria, he emigrated to France in 1945. At 28, he became a professor of physics at the Sorbonne and the world’s youngest professor at the time. Throughout his life, Professor Balkanski has been actively involved with research and academic activities. For his contributions to science, Professor Balkanski received France’s highest distinction, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor of France, as well as Chevalier of the National Order of Merit of France.

He is also the recipient of Poland’s Commander Cross with Star of the Order of Merit, the prestigious Von Hippel prize, Bulgaria’s highest distinction, the Order of Merit Stara Planina, and India’s highest honor for service to the country

by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Currently, Professor Balkanski is a professor emeritus at the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris and a visiting professor at the University of California.

Since 1993 Professor Balkanski has focused most of his efforts on educational projects in Bulgaria. He is the founder of the Minju Balkanski Foundation, which is dedicated to his father. The organization works for the betterment of Bulgarian education and helps talented young Bulgarians develop and receive quality education at prestigious universities. Professor Balkanski’s entire range of activities centers on the goal of cultivating an elite of educated young Bulgarians who will spearhead Bulgaria’s transformation.

Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov gave a lecture at AUBG on Jan. 22, 2010

An AUBG team of three students earned second place at the 22nd Republican Student Programming Olympiad in Rousse, Bulgaria in April 2010

Radio AURA staff members and friends celebrated the radio’s 17th birthday with a bash on March 12, 2010

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