Today, education together with culture are among the most powerful means of improving the quality of life. The focus of the Celebration of the Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology of the Agricultural University in Plovdiv was the topic “Plant Protection and Ecology – with Responsibility for the Future“.
The Faculty Day this year, following long-standing tradition, was again held on the Feast of the Equals-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius – 11 May. This choice is imbued with much symbolism, special feelings and noble intentions. The hostess of the event, Prof. Vili Kharizanova, the new Dean of the Faculty, welcomed in the emblematic Lecture Hall 7 the academic elite of the Agricultural University – the Rector Prof. Hristina Yancheva, the Vice-Rectors Prof. Krasimir Ivanov and Assoc. Prof. Svetla Yancheva, Prof. Malgozhata Berova, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Dimitar Grekov, Director of the University Centre for Continuing Education, the Functional Dean of the Centre for Master’s and Doctoral Students Prof. Nevena Ganusheva. Honoured guests of the event were the recent lecturers of the Faculty – Professors Stoycho Karov, Rada Angelova, Angel Kharizanov, Troya Babrikova, Georgi Neshev, Ivanka Lecheva, Boris Nakov. The business sector, the responsible partner of the Faculty, was represented by Mr. Detelin Kutsarov, Head of the Commercial Unit of Syngenta–Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro, Mr. Varban Varbanov, Regional Sales Manager of BASF for Southern Bulgaria, Mr. Borislav Rangelov, Executive Director of Green Ground Ltd., Mr. Pavlos Bolkans and Ms. Zdravka Smilenova from Amititsa Ltd.
Also present were many students and alumni of the Faculty.
In her address to the participants in this exciting event, Prof. Hristina Yancheva highly praised the achievements of the Faculty, established 33 years ago, now a key segment of the National Plant Protection System. The Faculty is proud of the indisputable fact, emphasized Prof. Yancheva, that the programmes it offers are preferred by prospective students and that the graduates of the Faculty accordingly have no difficulties on the labour market and enjoy successful professional realization. Rector Yancheva did not fail to note that the high evaluation of the programme accreditation is the result of the efforts and high competences of the entire staff of the Faculty. According to her, this is an indication of the existence of an effective strategic concept with horizon and perspective.
The first official public appearance of Prof. Vili Kharizanova in her capacity as Dean of the Faculty was awaited with great interest and curiosity. Taking into account the occasion of what was happening in Lecture Hall 7, she formulated, in the most appropriate and modest manner, the mission of the Faculty in the conditions of today’s economic environment and phytosanitary situation. Prof. Kharizanova emphasized her personal conviction that today education together with culture are among the most powerful means of improving the quality of life. The mission of our University and, in particular, of our Faculty, she stated, is to provide knowledge in the field of plant protection and ecology, to develop skills and abilities for proper analysis of situations and formulation of the correct decisions, and to encourage a creative approach to work. In Prof. Kharizanova’s management programme, a starting point is to continue at a high pace the work on introducing new tools for implementing the most effective, rational and balanced plant protection in Bulgarian agriculture, which would increase its level of resilience in an uncertain climatic environment while observing all environmental standards.
