Bulgaria the Unknown Challenge

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Bulgaria the Unknown Challenge
Angelina Ivanova IIZ/DVV Sofia, Bulgaria
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IIZ / DVV Sofia Office, Bulgaria

• Project office established in 2000 the office is
  a
• SEE regional office (SerbiaMontenegro,
  Macedonia, Albania, Romania, BosniaHerzegowina,
  Kosovo, Croatia and Slovenia) since 2003
• Project manager Johann Theessen 2000-2003 SEE
  Regional director - since 2004
• Project manager of the IIZ/DVV Sofia Office
  
• Maria Todorova since 2004
• Partners Ministry of Education and Science,
  Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the
  Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the
  German Bulgarian Chamber of Industry, the
  Foundation Tschitalischta, the Confederation of
  the Independent Trade Unions, the Znanie
  Association, the Association of the German
  Teachers, Bulgarian adult education
  organisations, vocational training centers,
  universities, schools, municipalities,
  foundations, NGOs

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IIZ/DVV Sofia Office - Activities

• Offers in the field of general and vocational
  adult education lobbying for the adult education
  in Bulgaria
• Implementation of the European certification
  standards for computer literacy and foreign
  language skills
• Consulting and support of adult education
  organizations
• Support of passing of laws on adult education and
  lifelong learning
• Educational offers for marginalized population
  groups the unemployed, minorities and disabled
  people

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IIZ/DVV Sofia - Projects

• Regional Projects
• The SMILE - Project Exchange and dissemination
  of multi ethnical and intercultural learning
  experiences
• The History Project Innovative teaching
  methods, teacher training, reconciliation and
  human rights in SEE countries
• Xpert Computer Passport Computer literacy and
  certificates
• Xpert Personal Business Skills Key
  competences that are of use to companies, public
  administration and NGOs
• TELC The European Language Certificate
  Certification of foreign language skills
  according the European frame for the languages

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IIZ/DVV Sofia - Projects

• Projects in Bulgaria
• The Second Chance School Alphabetization and
  educational courses for Roma in Plovdiv and Sofia
• The Project Social Inclusion 01.2004 07.2004
• Alphabetization courses for Roma in 6
  Bulgarian schools
• 150 course participants
• The TUM Project Exchange of learning
  experiences about the following issues -
  tolerance, understanding, dialogue, innovative
  methods in the adult education and intercultural
  learning
• Master program in adult education at the New
  Bulgarian University Sofia
• Vocational training in Bulgaria

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IIZ/DVV Sofia Contact addresses

• IIZ / DVV Project Office
• 147 Knjaz Boris I Street
• 1000 Sofia
• BULGARIA
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail info_at_iizdvv-bg.org
• Web www.iizdvv-bg.org

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Bulgaria Geography Facts

• Bulgaria is situated in the southeast part of
  Europe, in the east part of the Balkans
• Territory 111 000 sq km
• Population 7.8 Million (statistics in 2003)
• Minorities Turks 650 000
• Pomacs 250 000
• Roma 600 000 750
  000
• State form Parliamentarian republic
• Capital Sofia
• Official language Bulgarian
• Alphabet Cyrillic

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The Seven Rila Lakes
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The Nature of Bulgaria

• Climate gentle continental climate,
  transitional climate
• Landscape 1/3 of the territory is covered by
  mountains (total 16 mountains)
• Big mountains in Bulgaria Rila, Pirin
  (with alpine nature), the Rhodops, the Balkan
• Mussala 2 925 m the highest peak
• Length of the coast - 378 km
• 3 national parks, 9 reserves
• Water sources 1200 rivers, 400 lakes (there are
  over 330 lakes in the high mountains)
• Over 600 natural mineral sources

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The Natural Wonders of Bulgaria

• Unique natural wonders with variety of forms
  rock formations (bridges,
• karst gorges, rock pyramids), a world of caves
  (over 2000), canyons,
• majestic waterfalls

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Culture and Traditions are still alive

• Traditions are an important part of the modern
  life in Bulgaria
• Practiced handicrafts copper craft, wood
  carving
• Many folklore festivals of authentic Bulgarian
  dances and music
• 20 000 cultural monuments Thracian tombs and
  cult places from the 4th, 5th century B. C.,
  medieval fortresses, 162 monasteries, medieval
  rock monasteries, 330 museums and galleries,
  ethnographical and historical reserves
• 7 Bulgarian cultural monuments in the Unesco list
  the Bojana church, the Rila monastery, the
  monastery in Ivanovo, 2 Thracian tombs, the
  Madara rider, the town of Nessebar

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The Bulgarians heirs of the Thracians, Slavs
and the Great Bulgarians

• The Thracian civilization (5th century B.C.)
  the oldest of these territories
• The heritage of the Thracians tombs and golden
  treasures, which are evidence for their high
  developed civilization
• The Slavs came in the 6th century.
• The Great Bulgarians (nomads from middle Asia)
  seized the territories of the todays North
  Bulgaria in the 7th century
• 681 establishment of the Bulgarian state by
  Khan Asparouh

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The History of Bulgaria

• 864 the Christianity became an official
  religion independence of the church
• 855 the brothers Cyril and Methodius created
  the Slavonic alphabet
• 866 the students of Cyril and Methodius found a
  protection in Bulgaria establishment of the
  Slavonic Bulgarian alphabet and script
• 7th 14th century First and Second Bulgarian
  Kingdom cultural bloom, economic and political
  growth (own coins) Bulgaria belonged to the most
  influential states in medieval Europe, 3
  sea borders
• 14th 19th century Bulgaria is a part of the
  Ottoman Empire a standstill of the political,
  economic and cultural development of Bulgaria
  aggressive policy of Islamisation against the
  Bulgarian nation

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The History of Bulgaria

• 1762 1878 the Bulgarian Renaissance
  liberation movements, an independent Bulgarian
  church, a bloom of the culture and monasteries
• 1878 liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman
  slavery by the Russian troops
• 1878 1944 Bulgaria is a constitutional
  monarchy with a parliament a partition of the
  country by the congress in Berlin 1885 the
  reunification of Bulgaria the Balkan wars an
  attempt to solve the problem with Macedonia and
  Thracia
• Until 1912 the Bulgarian Economic Wonder
  construction of factories, establishment of
  vocational schools and universities, banks and
  insurance companies, extension of the economic
  infrastructure, inclusion of Bulgaria in Europe,
  ethnical tolerance
• 1941 the joining of Bulgaria to the Triple
  Coalition rescuing of the Bulgarian Jews
• 08th September 1944 the Occupation of Bulgaria
  by the Red Army

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The Communist Regime and the Transition Period

• 15th September 1946 Bulgaria became a peoples
  republic
• 1944 1989 Bulgaria in the socialistic period
  the state and the party are merged,
  overpowering of the opposition parties copying
  of the Russian economic model, nationalizing of
  the industry, expropriation of the land
• 10th November 1989 the gentle revolution
• Until 1997 instability, the first economic
  reforms
• 1997 - an economic and political stability
  establishment of the currency board
• 2001 2005 - the last king of Bulgaria Simeon
  the Second became a prime minister

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The History of Bulgaria in Pictures
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The Development in the Last Three YearsPolitical
Situation and Living Conditions

• Bulgaria is a parliamentarian republic (one
  chamber system).
• The President Georgi Parvanov (the president is
  elected every 5 years)
• The Prime Minister Sergei Stanischev
• One chamber parliament with 240 members who are
  elected every
• 4 years
• The government after the elections in June 2005
  a coalition of the BSP (Bulgarian Socialistic
  Party), the NMSS (National Movement Simeon the
  Second) and the MRF (Movement for Rights and
  Freedom)
• Employment rates
• Total number of employed Bulgarians in 2004
  2 922 200 43.7 (53 men and 47 women) 2/3
  of Bulgarians are employed in the private sector
• Unemployment rates in 2004 399 800 Bulgarians
  12 (55 men and 45 women)

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Living Conditions in Bulgaria

• Decrease of the unemployment rates compared to
  2003 (449 100 13.7)
• Forecasts Unemployment decrease until 2010 -
  10
• Average gross monthly salary in 2004 154 Euro
• (private sector - 136 Euro)
• Minimum monthly salary 82 Euro - 2006
• Expenses of a family in 2004 39.3 for food
  13.8 for house expenses, water, electricity
• 57.2 of the families use mobile phones, 9.6
  internet and 14.6 of them have a computer at
  home (Most of the Bulgarians use computer and
  internet in the office!)
• Survey period January March 2004
• Total savings of the population in the banks in
  2003 3.4 Billions Euro (12.6 increase compared
  to 2002)
• Consumer bank credits (Percentage from the all
  credits) 2001 20.8, 2002 20.04, 2003
  23.58

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The Bulgarian System of Education

• Kindergarten 3 - 6/7 aged children ( 1 year
  pre-school in the kindergarten)
• Primary school 1th-4th class and 5th-8th class
  (obligatory)
• Secondary school 8th 12th class
• General education schools Language schools
  and specialized schools (art, sport, mathematic
  and other) only with entrance examinations
• Vocational schools (i.e. technical schools)
• School graduation examinations Bulgarian
  and literature 1 other subject for the
  vocational schools examination on a profession
• College 3 years after college graduation a
  qualification Specialist
• University (with entrance examinations) 4 years
  Bachelor 5 years Master 3 years after the
  Master degree PHD
• University graduation state examinations or a
  master thesis

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The Education A Priority in the Life of the
Bulgarians

• The education is a priority in the life of the
  Bulgarians, it is considered an investment that
  ensures a future prosperity.
• A big number of well educated Bulgarians a
  precondition for an economic and social growth
• A high quality of human resources 71.4 of the
  Bulgarians aged 25 64 have a secondary or
  university education
• 2003 43 300 Bulgarians graduated an university

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Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning

• Minorities educational level
• Turks 2.7 UND, 23.7 SSD, 53 PSD, 3.5
  Illiterates statistics in 2001 Illiterates in
  1946 77.2
• Roma 7.2 UND and SSD, 44.9 PSD, 27.4
  (1th - 4th class), 7.8 - no school graduation
  (25-64 aged), 12.7 Illiterates
• Causes Unemployment, the education does not
  play an important role in the value system of the
  Roma
• Measures A strategy of the government for
  the integration of the children from the
  minorities, alphabetization programmes
• Continuing education in Bulgaria
• 22.2 of the employed and 11.2 of the
  unemployed people were involved in continuing
  education programmes (formal, non-formal
  continuing education and personal development)
  2nd quarter 2002 2nd quarter 2003
• Causes lack of HR investments in the BG
  companies, financial reasons, lack of adequate
  educational programmes in the labour offices

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Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning
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Foreign Languages and Computer Literacy An
Important Part of the Professional Profile
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The Economic Development of Bulgaria

• Investment sectors in 2004 Energy, gas
  industry, water sources, telecommunications,
  trade, financial services, real estates
• Investments sectors of the German companies
  consulting, electrical engineering and machinery
  construction, cosmetics, building and
  architecture, tourism industry, food industry
• German direct investments in 2004 208.85 Mill
  EUR
• Top 4 of the foreign investors in 2004 Austria
  37, Czech Republic 15, Holland 14, Germany 10
  - percentage from all investments

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The Tourist Industry the Future of Bulgaria

• The mass tourism is still more popular than the
  alternative tourism
• The German tour operators like CN, ITS renovate
  the hotels at the Black Sea coast or build new
  hotels 10.6 Mill. USD CN resort Zlatni
  Pjassazi (a system investments for services)
• The alternative tourism is gradually getting more
  popular but it is not supported by the state
• The EU - Phare programme infrastructure
  building, training and PR
• Forms trekking, canyoning, rafting, bicycle
  tours, culture, wine, ride tours, cave tours,
  bird watching, rural tourism
• Preconditions unique nature, countless
  historical monuments, traditions, unique cuisine
  and hospitality

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Pictures from Bulgaria
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2006 Decision and Perspectives

• 2005 Measures and Facts
• 10 Unemployment Q2/2005 2 decrease compared
  to Q2/2004
• 5 increase of the populations incomes
• Family taxes decrease of the year tax base of
  one of the partners 184 Euro (1 child), 399
  Euro (2 children), 583 Euro (3 and more children)
• 87.3 of Bulgarian companies are in a
• good or satisfactory economic condition
• Privatization sectors in 2005 telecommunications,
  metal industry, military industry, oil industry,
  transport
• What remains 10 water electric plants, the
  tobacco company, sea transport companies etc.
  (the most companies are already private property)
• October 2005 BTK has the license for mobile
  communication services

• 2006 Measures and Facts
• 5.5 economic growth
• Minimum monthly income which is not
• taxed - 92 Euro
• 6 decrease of the social insurance base
• 300 Mill. Euro free financial resources in
  the private sector
• Programmes for qualification, continuing
  education for 24 000 persons
• Employment programmes for 70 000 persons
• 10 reduction in the state institutions
• 972 Mill. Euro are planed for the education (4.2
  of the GDP)
• 12 export growth
• Excise duty increase (fuel, cigarettes, alcohol)

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The Access to the EU The Great Expectations
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The Access to the EU Hopes and Reality

• Activities of the Government 2006
• Support of the employment, social activities -189
  Mill. Euro
• Ecology 370 Mill. Euro
• Infrastructure projects 551 Mill. Euro
• Support of the competitiveness of the companies
  innovation projects and improvement of the
  quality of the services for the business
• Reduced participation of the state in heating
  companies and other state companies higher
  level of the competitiveness, free market
  conditions, better quality and convenient prices
  of the services
• Increase of the effectiveness of the law system -
  168 Mill. Euro

• The Reality
• Only 10 of the Bulgarian companies are prepared
  for the access to the EU
• Only 18 of the companies have calculated their
  costs for the adaptation to the EU standards
• There is still a strong state support of the
  companies i.e. for the railway company (38
  Mill. Euro in 2006)
• The ecology standards the most difficult task
  for the Bulgarian economy
• Until 2014 the Bulgarian companies should invest
  45 Mill. Euro per year in the ecology .
• The unemployment rates are still high, a slow
  raise of the living standard

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Bulgaria a Member of the EU Why ?

• Political reasons
• Bulgaria exemplifies ethnical tolerance and
  political stability
• on the Balkans
• Good relationship with the neighbour countries,
  active support of
• the stability and the tolerance in the region
• Economic reasons
• Very good investment conditions and active
  support of the state
• Sectors without foreign investments (i.e.
  automobile industry)
• The alternative tourism the undiscovered
  territory
• Highly qualified, flexible and motivated labour

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Information for Tourists

• About the country
• www.bulgariatravel.org (EN)
• www.discoverbulgaria.com (EN)
• www.bgglobe.net (EN)
• www.perperikon.bg (EN)
• www.etar.hit.bg (EN, DE)
• www.go.to/bgmountains (EN)
• www.bulgarianmonastery.com (EN)
• www.unesco-objects.hit.bg (EN)
• www.melnikwine.bg (EN)
• www.picturesofbulgaria.com (EN)

• Holiday in Bulgaria
• www.beachbulgaria.com (EN)
• www.bulgariaski.com (EN)
• www.rodopi-bg.com (EN)
• www.rilanationalpark.org (EN)
• www.ruralbulgaria.com (EN)
• www.leshten.hit.bg (EN)
• www.bulgaria-hotel.net (EN)
• www.bulgarien-reise.de
• www.pirin-np.com (EN)

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Information for Business Partners

• www.president.bg
• www.government.bg
• www.mi.government.bg
• www.evropa.bg
• www.nacid.nat.bg
• www.bnb.bg
• www.bfia.org
• www.bcci.bg
• www.nsi.bg
• www.btch.org
• www.bse-sofia.bg
• www.ahk-bg.org

• www.uni-vt.bg/2/ndefault.asp
• www.uni-sofia.bg
• www.hrdc.bg
• www.novinite.com
• http//news.dnevnik.bg
• http//www.capital.bg/weekly
• www.econ.bg
• www.lex.bg
• www.aresearch.org
• www.digsys.bg/ngo
• www.women-bg.org
• www.sofia.bg

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Visiting Bulgaria

• experiencing the incredible nature
  and
• getting to know people and
  culture