On 14 September, the Agricultural University was the first among all other higher education institutions to open the new academic year.
While observing anti-epidemic measures, the Rector, Prof. Hristina Yancheva, delivered a special address to the first-year students and wished them great success and professional fulfilment. In her speech, she noted that the Agricultural University, with the degree programme „Crop Science”, is once again among the leading institutions in the ranking of the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA) for professional fields of higher education institutions.
This year again, the tradition of welcoming the new intake with the presentation of the Basket of Fertility was observed. First-year student Georgi Ivanov received a symbolic gift for success from graduate student Hristo Kozarev. Miglena Georgieva, who is entering the university for the first time in the degree programme “Plant Protection”, has the highest admission score – 23.74.
The official guests at the ceremony included Karina Angelieva – Deputy Minister of Education and Science; Assoc. Prof. Yanko Dimitrov – Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; the Mayor of Plovdiv, Zdravko Dimitrov, district mayors, and rectors of other Plovdiv higher education institutions.
Along with the modernly equipped lecture halls for student training, the Agricultural University can also boast a newly opened digital laboratory of botany and a computer room. The pride of the university – the digital laboratory of botany, which is equipped with special microscopes with tablets, is a donation from the company “Corteva”. The computer room, equipped by “Seeburger Informatik”, is intended for the new degree programme “Animal Engineering and Information Technologies”.
From the academic year 2020, the university continues to deepen its cooperation with other educational institutions as well. For this purpose, two additional Master’s programmes are being launched. „Essential Oil and Medicinal Crops” will be a programme focusing not only on the agro-aspects of these crops, but will also teach students how these crops are processed and used from a medical point of view. To this end, part of the lectures will be delivered by faculty members of the Medical University and the University of Food Technologies.
The other new Master’s programme is „Digitalization and Management of Agricultural Holdings“, where 20% of the training will be entrusted to representatives of leading companies in the sector.
According to the new policy under the Higher Education Act, all rectors must coordinate their policies with the Ministry of Education and Science and implement specific tasks through which the quality of their work will be assessed at the end of their term. In this respect, the Agricultural University in Plovdiv has envisaged that 30% of its training will be conducted in digital form, as well as an increase in the number of lecturers from practice, in order to stimulate the link between higher education institutions and business.
Along with updating curricula, introducing new degree programmes and laboratories, and digitalization, the strategic programme of the Agricultural University also includes expanding partnerships with Bulgarian and foreign universities. The first steps in this direction have already been taken through the joint work between lecturers from the Medical University and the University of Food Technologies and lecturers from the Agricultural University. Further partnerships with Plovdiv University and even with the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts are forthcoming – lecturers from the academy will assist in courses related to tourism, where they will train students in folklore, folk art and the arts, in the context of opportunities for cultural tourism. There are also agreements for joint work with the University of Forestry, the University of Ruse and other foreign higher education institutions.
We wish all students and lecturers at the Agricultural University a successful academic year! All the best!
