The official closing ceremony of the 63rd Summer Seminar on Bulgarian Language and Culture for Foreign Bulgarian and Slavic Studies Scholars took place in the Aula of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". One of the most established international educational events is organized by the Faculty of Slavic Studies of the Alma Mater with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The seminar is intended for lecturers, researchers, and students of Bulgarian and Slavic studies, translators, and everyone interested in the language, literature, history, and culture of Bulgaria.
In this year's edition of the Summer Seminar, which took place from July 14 to August 1, 89 representatives from 29 countries participated. The seminar combines intensive language training, cultural-historical lectures, thematic workshops, and a rich accompanying program presenting contemporary and traditional Bulgarian culture. Participants had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the living environment of the language, work with leading lecturers, and build international academic contacts.
The Director of the Summer Seminar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanas Atanasov from the Department of Bulgarian Language at the Faculty of Slavic Studies, pointed out that the three weeks they spent together passed in the blink of an eye.
The Dean of the Faculty of Slavic Studies, Prof. Amelia Licheva, expressed her hope that the participants were satisfied with everything they experienced and learned during the lectures on language, literature, history, and culture, as well as the extracurricular activities.
She stated her hope they felt the spirit of the university and the spirit of Sofia, and that many of them would return to the seminar again as Erasmus students, specialists, or even as future master's students at the Faculty of Slavic Studies.
Prof. Licheva stressed that it is important for the faculty team to maintain this connection and conveyed the expectation that the participants already feel like a community, with future translators of Bulgarian literature among them.
The Dean thanked the University’s leadership and adminstration, the seminar's organizing team, all language teachers, specialized seminar instructors, and previous lecturers who were also an important part of building the seminar's philosophy.
The Summer Seminar is among the oldest and most prestigious initiatives in the region, attracting participants from dozens of countries. It was founded in 1962, and to date, more than 6,000 students and lecturers from various universities in Europe, Asia, and the Americas have been trained in it. Over the years, it has transformed into a key platform for promoting the Bulgarian language and culture and for building sustainable academic partnerships. The seminar reinforces the role of Sofia University as a leading center for Bulgarian studies and international cooperation. Through its combination of training, cultural exchange, and scholarly work, it supports the development of a new generation of specialists—ambassadors of the Bulgarian language and Bulgarian culture around the world.
The seminar's program includes language courses at various levels, led by lecturers from the Departments of "Bulgarian Language as a Foreign Language" and "Bulgarian Language" at the Faculty of Slavic Studies, as well as lectures and discussions on Bulgarian language, literature, history, and culture, practical translation workshops, conversation practice, creative writing, and interactive language learning methods. The cultural program included visits to museums, historical sites, meetings with artists, screenings, and themed events. Through excursions across the country, the Summer Seminar participants had the opportunity to discover the richness of Bulgaria's natural and cultural heritage.
The seminar is organized under the financial auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science. The overall preparation, organization, and conduct of the Seminar are entrusted to the Faculty of Slavic Studies at Sofia University.
