New Bulgarian University in Sofia
New Bulgarian University pulls many young people ready to take up the knowledge.
You can feel the dreams and hope in the air.
The variety, the freedom, the contemporary university…. NBU …
Article by Ali Grigorova
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I am sitting at the coffee shop in New Bulgarian University. Something runs through my legs. I’m looking under the table.
The snow white kitty is yawning and stretching its paws. I’m bending down to caress it, but it doesn’t pay attention to me.
I lift the kitty and put it on my knees. It knows what is going to happen – blessed combing on the neck.
That situation makes me restore the time of my first lecture at the new Bulgarian university.
At that time I saw this cat in the corridor for the first time.
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I hugged it and the worry of the unknown place that I was at and that would have become my second home for the next my 6 years disappeared.
And all thanks to that little beast. I have been studying at new Bulgarian university for 5 years, and since 5 years this fluffy little creature has been enjoying (and avail) my attention.
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If there were diplomas for pets, this catty would be the first to take one.
Its black nose has poked in the every room; its white paws have walked around every corridor.
This is the cat of the New Bulgarian University.
The girls are sitting on the table next to me. They are younger than me.
They are looking stressed – „rookies”. The catty stands up and with one quick jump landed on the girls’ table.
One of the lass is hugging it, the white snow beast is looking into her eyes. What does it want to tell her? If only it can speak…
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The performers are changing, but the song is the same. There is a sound of turning the pages of the book, pens are rattling rhythmically on the folder.
Somewhere someone is drumming with fingers on the keyboard of his PC. Laughter and dozens of voices are filling the air with energy.
Students are walking past each other, meet each other, say hello to each other and talk to each other. This is the song of New Bulgarian University.
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Although the façade of the building is cool, the welcome is warm. So it was the same when I first came here and entered inside.
No one had bad attitude to me, no one has been rude to me.
Since then, year after year, I have been watching how the students are changing, make progress and succeed. We are helping each other because we are one big family”…
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The girls are smiling.
The kitty jumps pleased on the ground and yawns again.
It seems that it has spoken with many students and it’s tired.
“Don’t be afraid of the variety” it says with eyes to the two girls and steps towards the corridor.
Facts about New Bulgarian University (NBU)
NBU was established in 1991. It’s a private university. Annually, 12 000 students and single-course students are studying in it. NBU is the first university in Bulgaria that introduced the credit system.
The students choose by themselves which disciplines to study and for how long to fulfill the necessary number of courses for university education. NBU is the most liked and at the same time the most hated university. And the reason for both is the same – it’s not afraid from the variety.
The main base of new Bulgarian University is situated in two buildings in Sofia, named First and Second frame. The students are educated in 38 bachelors, 59 masters and 17 doctors programs.
In 2004 the university was accredited by The Open University in Great Britain. The studies are carried out in two semesters, each with duration of 15 study weeks. The autumn semester starts on 1st of October and the spring semester – on 1st of March.
NBU provides training in programs and courses for qualification and prequalification. The form of study may be full-time, distance and virtual. The full-time form of study provides in-class and extra-mural activities.
The distance form of study provides training through a system of teaching aids – textbooks, multimedia, audio and visual products. The virtual training system of the New Bulgarian University functions by means of three alternative modules: Moody, ISDO and Veda.
It provides virtual lectures and opportunity for participation in training forums for virtual discussions on topics, given by the teacher. Some of the significant national and international art events include Master class of Raina Kabaivanska and annual students’ cinema festival where products of the Department of Performing Arts are presented.
Raina Kabaivanska first master classes took place in 1992 near Turin. She was a prestigious coach at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, at the Accademia in Osimo and at the Opera Real in Madrid.
Every year, students from NBU have the opportunity to participate in an interdisciplinary event, to be taught by Raina Kabaivanska and to appear in a gala-concert with a symphony orchestra. The best among them may continue their studies in opera singing by winning a scholarship from Raina Kabaivanska Fund.
NBU has its own theatre called “Teatar na golia ohliuv” (“Theatre of the naked snail”) and huge library. Ne varietatem timeamus – “Not to be afraid of the variety” is the motto of the New Bulgarian University.
