History

The Beginning Agriculturally-oriented training emerged more than 140 years ago, based on the long experience and good practices of generations of farmers. Bulgarian gardeners significantly contributed to the development of vegetable growing in Austria, Bohemia and Hungary. After the Liberation in 1878, Bulgaria had its first scientists in the field of agriculture, who graduated from esteemed European Universities in France, Germany, Austria. Today it is the only specialized state-funded university in Bulgaria in the field of agricultural and life sciences, a university with high national, European and international prestige. AU provides training for the three educational degrees – Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD. Lifelong learning opportunities enhance the qualification of the professionals. The major structural units are the four faculties - Faculty of Agronomy, Faculty of Horticulture with Viticulture, Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, Faculty of Economics and the Department of Languages and Sports. The favorable climatic conditions, specific geographic location and biodiversity richness of Bulgaria are a prerequisite for the development of agriculture as a strategic economic sector and they have contributed to the establishment of our country as a desirable tourist destination. Farming always has been the main means of living ever since the founding of the Bulgarian state. The hard labor, the strong dependence on the climatic conditions throughout the years, the technological advance of the processing industry, the growing customers’ requirements to the quality and safety of the products, the competition on a regional and world scale, have imposed the need for continuous enrichment of the century-old traditions. The key challenges facing agriculture are the diversification of the crops grown, mitigating the climatic change impact, control of plant diseases and pests, environmental protection against pollution and satisfying the growing demand for typical local food and organic products in Europe. Nowadays the Agricultural University is the successor of that first university situated outside the capital Sofia. The history and traditions of the University have invariably followed the political and cultural development of the country, experiencing dynamic changes.