American University in Bulgaria

American University in Bulgaria

Американски университет в България
Type	Private
Established	1991
Endowment	$17.4 million
President	Stratsi Kulinski
Provost	Steven Sullivan
Dean	Lucia Miree
Academic staff	78
Students	998
Undergraduates	1020
Postgraduates	22
Address	1 Georgi Izmirliev Sq. , Blagoevgrad , Bulgaria
Campus	Urban
Colors	White and blue
Affiliations	NEASC
Website	www.aubg.edu

American University in Bulgaria (or AUBG) is a private, selective, residential liberal arts university located in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Courses are taught in English by an international faculty. Established in 1991, AUBG enrolls 1,000 students from 40 countries.

History

AUBG was founded in 1991 as a joint endeavor between the U.S. government and the government of the Republic of Bulgaria "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. ".

As of 2015, 55% of AUBG students come from countries other than Bulgaria.

By May 2015, twenty one classes of around 4,000 students had graduated from AUBG.

Mission

AUBG fulfills its mission by providing scholarships and financial aid to deserving students from the region and beyond.

The university has three sources of funding: its endowment (which came largely from gifts from the United States Agency for International Development and the Soros Foundation), gifts, and tuition. Friends from all over the world, among them, John Dimitry Panitza, Anna Tchaprachikoff, Minko Balkanski, Atanas Zamphiroff, the America for Bulgaria Foundation, have supported the university throughout the years.

Accreditation

Baccalaureate degrees conferred by AUBG are accredited in both Bulgaria and the United States. AUBG has its school accreditation in the United States from New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The University also issues a European Diploma Supplement (part of Europass), which confers automatic recognition of the AUBG degree throughout Europe.

Rankings

The graduates of the American University in Bulgaria are some of the most sought-after specialists, and receive some of the highest incomes in their fields, according to a national ranking system maintained by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education.

All five of the academic programs at AUBG that were listed in the 2014 survey – Economics, Computer Science, Business Administration, Political Science, and Journalism and Mass Communication – were ranked among the top in the country, with Business Administration and Journalism rated as Bulgaria’s best.

File:Blagoevgrad - American University 2011.jpg

Main building of AUBG

The Bulgarian University Ranking System, maintained by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education, compares academic programs in accredited domestic higher education institutions. The system ranks programs based on more than 50 indicators, such as teaching and learning conditions, scientific research, career development opportunities, prestige, and material resources.

Academics

The university follows the classical liberal arts model of education. AUBG students receive individual attention in small classes (23 students per class on average), and they have many opportunities to interact one-on-one with faculty, both during open office hours and in informal settings. Around half of graduating seniors complete double majors, while many undergraduates supplement their main field of study with a minor in one of 19 disciplines offered at AUBG.

The university employs 79 faculty members from 15 countries.

AUBG maintains close relationships with universities both in Bulgaria and abroad. In the United States, AUBG students can choose to spend a year or a semester at one of several hundred universities through the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). In Europe, AUBG is the holder of a standard Erasmus Charter and has bilateral Erasmus Programme agreements with over 50 institutions.

Undergraduate programs

The university offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in 12 programs:

• Business Administration
• Computer Science
• Economics
• European Studies
• History and Civilizations
• Information Systems
• Journalism and Mass communications
• Literature (Secondary Major)*
• Mathematics
• Political Science and International Relations
• Self-designed Major (Secondary Major)*

Secondary majors are those that are accredited in the United States and result in an American diploma only.

The university offers 15 minor programs:

• Anthropology
• Computer Science
• Economics
• Entrepreneurship
• European Studies
• Film Studies
• Fine Arts
• History
• Information Systems
• Integrated Marketing Communications
• Journalism and Mass Communication
• Literature
• Mathematics
• Modern Languages and Cultures
• Philosophy and Religion
• Political Science and International Relations
• Public Policy
• Southeast European Studies

Graduate programs

In addition to its undergraduate program, the university started an Executive MBA program in 2003. EMBA classes take place in Elieff Center in Sofia.

Non-degree programs

The university offers non-degree-granting programs that includes technical training at the government level for participation in EU programs and English language, business, entrepreneurship and computer skills courses. Most of these are offered at the Elieff Center for Education and Culture, which is the university off-campus facility in Sofia.

The Blagoevgrad-based English Language Institute offers English-language instruction at all levels and for all ages year-round. It is also a certified Internet-based TOEFL testing center.

Tuition and scholarships

AUBG enrolls students who are at the top of their high school graduating class, among them national mathematics competition champions, language contest winners, sports talents, high school gold medalists, and students who have distinguished themselves at community service projects.

AUBG offers spring and fall semester admission on a rolling basis.

The university offers need- and merit-based aid to deserving students. AUBG is one of few universities who award scholarships for further study to their graduates: the Tchaprachikoff scholarship provides funding for study at any of the top 20 U.S. universities.

University campus

The Skaptopara campus in Blagoevgrad is home to the university undergraduate programs. It includes three residence halls; Balkanski Academic Center, which houses classrooms, computer labs, and offices; Panitza Library, the largest English-language library in Southeast Europe; and unique Student Center. According to results from Bulgaria’s official University Ranking system, AUBG has the best residential facilities in the country.

AUBG is the first institution in Bulgaria with an American style housing system. Undergraduate students live on campus as part of the university mission.

The residence halls are smoke-free, disability accessible, and were built with funding from USAID/ASHA. Activity areas include aerobic rooms, gyms, music practice rooms, multipurpose rooms, billiard and ping pong areas, several television lounges, outside decks, kitchens, and cafes.

John Dimitry Panitza, a Bulgarian philanthropist and AUBG founder, is the patron of Panitza Library. Through Panitza’s efforts, the library developed into a modern center of learning and the largest English-language library in the region. Panitza Library’s modern facilities are equipped with computers, Internet, audio-visual center, and supporting copying services. Access to electronic resources is organized through the library web portal.

The Balkanski Academic Center bears the name of physicist Minko Balkanski The center was dedicated to Professor Balkanski and his family in 2010.

The America for Bulgaria Student Center won first place in the Education and Sport category at the "Building of the Year" contest. The 10,000 square meter Student Center offers a career center, an advising and counseling center, and medical services. The center features a performing arts center, a professional gymnasium and fitness center, and dining facilities and cafes.

Student life

AUBG students join a club, a student publication, a sports team, or an activity such as theater, AUBG Choir, debating, Model United Nations simulations, and public service.

Student government

Established in 1991, the AUBG Student Government provides a venue for students to practice the tenets of democracy and make a difference in campus decisions. It is a directly elected representative body of the students at AUBG. The Student Government holds its sessions weekly. It has a yearly budget, which is allocated among the student clubs and organizations.

Clubs

AUBG hosts chapters of international organizations, such as People to People International, AIESEC, the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society, and the Association for Computing Machinery. Social and sports organizations, such as the AUBG Olympics, Basketball Club, Debate Club, Chess Club, Women in Business Club are also available.

The Computer Science Student Union organizes practical workshops and invites guest speakers on campus year-round. The union was awarded chapter status with the Association for Computing Machinery in 2008 and has won several chapter excellence awards.

Better Community Club members work on community projects. Their activities include a multi-year educational project at Blagoevgrad’s "St. Nikolay Mirlikliyski" orphanage; fundraising campaigns for local centers for people with disabilities and a local family afflicted with serious health problems; and others.

Students from the Business Club invite business figures, politicians, and economists, to talk to students on business-related topics. In 2010 alone, BC members brought two acting Bulgarian government ministers on campus.

Assets Trading & Management (AT&M) is a student organization which operates as an investment fund where students learn analytical framework for the analysis of the financial markets. In 2014 Mr Bylgarski, Chairman of Bulgarian Stock Exchange gave lectures at the Assets Trading & Management club at AUBG

AUBG Choir brings the music talents of AUBG and the local community together. It was created in 1993 by its director – Associate Professor of Music Dr. Hristo Krotev. The choir has received numerous national and international awards.

The Broadway Performance Club stages musicals for the students and faculty every year. The AUBG community has already seen Chicago, West Side Story, Hairspray, Moulin Rouge, Grease, Memphis, All Shook Up and Burlesque. After its performances in Blagoevgrad, the musical goes on a tour around the country.

Research and innovation

Students participate in conferences and competitions worldwide, such as the Carroll Round International Student Research conference at Georgetown University, USA and the annual Microsoft’s Imagine Cup competition. The Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program has repeatedly recognized AUBG students’ potential. AUBG hosts its own research conference every year, where students and faculty present research projects.AUBG students have engaged in robotics and computer science development at The CSSU.

Student media

There are several student media on campus (broadcast, print, and electronic) which chronicle university events and town life: AUBG Daily, FlashNews weekly, Radio AURA, De facto , and Verve magazine.

Athletics

Every year AUBG holds its own Olympic games. In the AUBG Olympics, students compete in sports disciplines, such as long jump, soccer, basketball, volleyball, arm wrestling, tug-of-war, horseshoe throwing, and boxing. The university has its own American football team, the AUBG Griffins. Residence halls host table tennis, billiards, aerobic fitness rooms, and gym facilities. Those interested in skiing, hiking, horseback riding, boxing, kickboxing, aerobics, volleyball, baseball, yoga, tae kwon do, softball, and karate have formed student clubs and intramural teams. Every semester there are soccer and basketball intramural competitions and the Bulgarians vs. Internationals tournament.

Lecture series

The university hosts business practitioners and public figures year-round. Zhelyu Zhelev, Bulgaria’s first democratic president and recipient of an honorary doctorate from the university, visited AUBG twice as part of the Ambassador Elena Poptodorova Distinguished Lecturers series. Bulgaria's EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, was another guest lecturer in the series.

Notable people

• Martti Ahtisaari, President of Finland (1994–2000), 2008 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Honorary AUBG Doctor of Humane Letters (2005)
• William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America (1993–2001), Honorary AUBG Doctor of Humane Letters (1999)
• Claude Jansen, Trustee Emeritus, Honorary Chair of the International Council and Chair of the Board, INSEAD, Paris, France
• Elizabeth Kostova, former AUBG Board Member, AUBG University Council member since 2011, author of the bestselling novels The Historian and The Swan Thieves
• John Dimitry Panitza|John Dimitry "Dimi" Panitza (1930–2011), AUBG founder and board member, Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation founder, Former Managing Editor of Reader's Digest, Paris, France.
• Ralitsa Vassileva, anchor for CNN International, Atlanta, USA, AUBG Doctor of Humane Letters (2001)
• Zhelyu Zhelev, first democratically elected president of the Republic of Bulgaria (1990–1997), AUBG Doctor of Humane Letters (1995)

Notable alumni

• Georgi Iliev, AUBG graduate, Class of 1996, author of The Life and Death of Mr. Iliev (2006) and Holy Fool: Dogtown (2010), recipient of the 2010 Book of the Year award in Bulgaria for his novel Holy Fool.
• Stefan Ivanov, AUBG graduate, Class of 1995, CEO for Brazil at MRP International.
• Uładzimir Katkoŭski, founder of the Belarusian Wikipedia, who worked for the Belarusian edition of Radio Free Europe
• Ivailo Linev, Class of 2001, Vice President, Merrill Lynch, USA
• Lynne Montgomery, AUBG graduate, Class of 1995, Dean, Academy of Diplomacy and Security, Montenegro
• Evgeny Morozov, AUBG graduate, Class of 2005, author of The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom (January 2011); a contributing editor to Foreign Policy, contributor to The Economist, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, Le Monde, and many others
• Vicky Politova, AUBG graduate, Class of 1995, Chief Operating Officer, bTV Media Group, Bulgaria
• Boriana Treadwell, AUBG graduate, Class of 1995, Executive Producer, CNN International, USA

See also

• Balkan Universities Network

External links

• Official website
• AUBG Alumni Association
• Independent AUBG Student Forum
• AURA - student-run broadcasting radio station
• DeFacto - student-run newspaper and online publication
• FlashNews - student-run online publication
• "The More-Honors" - annual original show created by AUBG students
• AUBG Debating Society - a student club for competitive debating
• The Computer Science Student Union / AUBG ACM Student Chapter - student-run organization of the CS department
• AUBG Musicals official website