Balgarianovinite.com Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski opened its 63rd Summer Seminar of Bulgarian Language and Culture for Foreign Scholars and Students here on Monday.
The seminar is one of the longest-running international educational events dedicated to Bulgarian studies and will bring together 89 participants from 29 countries, including students, lecturers, translators and researchers studying Bulgarian or specializing in Bulgarian studies. The programme combines intensive Bulgarian language courses with lectures on Bulgarian literature, history and culture, translation workshops, conversation classes and creative writing sessions. Participants will also attend museum visits, meetings with artists, film screenings and other cultural events, as well as excursions across Bulgaria.
Sofia University Rector Eliza Stefanova described the seminar’s foreign participants as “Bulgaria’s ambassadors around the world”. She noted that through their commitment to the Bulgarian language and Slavic culture, they are achieving what many others cannot, despite great efforts. “You spread the love for the culture and language of our peoples,” she said. Stefanova added that the foreign participants have the opportunity not only to experience and learn more about the Bulgarian language, but also to engage with Bulgarian culture. She thanked everyone who has contributed to ensuring that the seminar has continued for 63 years.
Sofia University’s Slavic Studies Faculty Dean Amelia Licheva said that among the foreign specialists in Bulgarian and Slavic studies are people visiting Bulgaria for the first time, as well as others who have chosen to take part in the seminar again. “For native speakers of a language as small as ours, having such a community of people studying it all over the world is an enormous privilege. I am especially pleased that interest in the seminar is much greater this year than it was last year,” she noted. Licheva added that Bulgarian studies at Sofia University has the country’s longest academic tradition. Over the years, the aim of the seminar has been not only to offer Bulgarian language courses, but also to turn these few weeks into encounters with Bulgaria – its history, literature, culture and art, the Dean underlined.
A message of greeting to the participants was sent by President Iliana Iotova. It was read out by Milena Dimitrova, Secretary to the Bulgarian President for Culture, Education, and Relations with Bulgarians Abroad. “The Bulgarian language is our unique heritage and a source of pride. Today, around 300 million people around the world use our alphabet. Literature written in Bulgarian attracts, challenges and has become an inseparable part of the world’s literary heritage,” it reads.
The seminar programme includes language courses at different levels taught by lecturers from the Slavic Studies Faculty. Lectures and discussions on the Bulgarian language, literature, history and culture are also planned, along with practical workshops on translation, conversation practice, creative writing and interactive language-learning methods. The cultural programme includes visits to museums and historical sites, meetings with artists, film screenings and themed events.
Excursions around the country will give participants in the Summer Seminar an opportunity to discover the richness of Bulgaria’s natural and cultural heritage. Diplomats, lecturers and students also attended the opening ceremony of the seminar in the Aula of Sofia University.
Founded in 1962, it is among Sofia University’s oldest international initiatives and has become an established platform for promoting the Bulgarian language and culture while fostering international academic cooperation. Sofia University Opens Its 63rd Summer Seminar of Bulgarian Language and Culture for Foreign Scholars and Students 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-13 16:38:45 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law