AU LAUNCHED THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR

The Agricultural University - Plovdiv launched the new academic year in front of the Rectorate, observing the measures related to the extraordinary epidemiological situation.

The celebration was attended by: Karina Angelieva – Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Assoc. Prof. Yanko Ivanov – Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Ivanka Todorova – Secretary General of the National Agricultural Advisory Service, Evelina Apostolova – Deputy Regional Governor, Alexander Darzhikov – Chairman of the Municipal Council – Plovdiv, Zdravko Dimitrov – Mayor of Plovdiv Municipality, Brigadier-General Yavor Mateev – Chief of the Joint Special Operations Command, Kostadin Dimitrov – Mayor of Trakia district, diplomats, members of the Board of Trustees of AU, business partners.

In her academic speech, the Rector Prof. Dr. Hristina Yancheva welcomed the first-year students, underlying that the Agricultural University celebrates its 75th Anniversary this year and assured them that they will receive high quality training, guaranteing them knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence for successful career development. ‘As part of the digital generation, with your inherent youthful spirit and as innovators, you will work to meet the goals set in the new Common Agricultural Policy after the year 2020, as well as in the European strategy ‘From farm to fork’ for modern, green and safe agriculture’, said Prof. Yancheva. She assured the students that with joint efforts, responsibility and discipline we shall overcome the challenges of living, working and studying in a pandemic.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Karina Angelieva, noted that the coronavirus pandemic is a serious challenge and test for the academic world as well. ‘Nowadays, however, universities work together and exchange good practices with colleagues from around the world. I hope that we will tackle the difficult months to come and we shall even improve the quality of teaching by developing new skills. A week ago a new call for application was published on modernization of higher education institutions for BGN 50 million. The aim is to create more academic and research partnerships in Bulgaria and abroad. Because whether the challenge will be COVID, whether it will be the climate changes, the universities should deal with the problems together’, said the Deputy Minister Angelieva.

The students were greeted by Assoc. Prof. Yanko Ivanov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, who put a stress on the importance of the sector in the national economy and the role of the Agricultural University for modernization and addressing the challenges faced by Bulgarian agriculture.

The tradition of handing over the symbols of fertility by the graduates to the newly admitted students was marked this year, too. The Chairman of the Student Council Hristo Kozarov handed over a basket full of fruits, vegetables and cereals – a gift of our fruitful motherland – to Georgi Ivanov, a first-year student in Agronomy.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Mrs. Karina Angelieva, presented personally the student’s book to Miglena Gercheva, who was admitted to the specialty of Plant Protection with the highest score of 23.74.

The students, the University staff and the formal guests applauded the musical performance of the popular Plovdiv band ‘Kerana and the Astronauts’.

The Student Dance Ensemble ‘Thracian Youth’ of AU-Plovdiv, winner of national and international awards from folklore festivals and competitions in Bulgaria, Russia, Turkey, Slovakia, greeted the audience with an enchanting folk dance.

The celebration continued at the Faculties, where the Deans handed the students’ books to the newly admitted students, after which students and teachers entered the lecture halls to start the regular classes.

This year the Student Council invited again all the first-year students to a garden party with music and delicious fruits and organized for them the first wine tasting of boutique University wines.