Akademika.bg, our leader, enjoys popularity amongst great many people, who are interested in the topics of education, science, business.

In addition onlinematura.com supplies with information the 12 graders regarding the school-leaving examination.

Tonus.bg comes as a nice leisure getaway from everyday life. Its motto is “Live for pleasure” and the site covers the topics of health, travel and leisure activities.

Our brand new studentcity.bg is with a narrower scope which targets the university students in Bulgaria.

Through the years our motto has always been that positive thinking is a winning concept – in our everyday activities, our business, on all levels of communication.

Akademika BG Ltd. has created an educational center “Prized pupil”, which offers one-on-one consultations concerning the school leaving exams, college and university applications and career orientation.

Social responsibility

Each year, through its training programme, Akademika BG contributes to the development and further orientation of the young people. As a result of the last programme, came the publishing of the book “Let’s cook some news”. It received very good media coverage and was endorsed by the critics. In 2011, the trainees and our team prepared a „Best media title” list.

Our national campaigns “Be literate” and the simultaneous reciting of the kids’ favourite poem – “I am a Bulgarian” on June 1st , achieved great success and media coverage and now are greatly appreciated by the government and people of all ages.

Our brand new initiatives “The green Olympics” and “Bulgarian legends” are welcomed with interest.

- How many Belgians are currently living in Bulgaria on a permanent basis?

- Around 250 Belgian citizens are registered with the Belgian Embassy in Bulgaria. As Bulgaria is part of the European Union, it is however perfectly possible to live in Bulgaria for a longer period without being registered. Therefore, the actual number of Belgians living in Bulgaria on a permanent basis is even higher.

- Is there an increased interest towards Bulgaria since the country became a EU member?

- The Belgian interest in Bulgaria is not at all new. Even before its entrance in the European Union, Belgians were very interested in Bulgaria. Large events as the Festival Europalia Bulgaria, which attracted almost 400 000 visitors, took place in 2002, long before Bulgaria’s EU entrance. A variety of joint exhibitions has been organized, and this will continue in the future. Last year we had an exhibition on Belgian modern art (1880-1950). This spring an exhibition on Belgian Contemporary digital art was on display in Sofia. Further on there is an intensive cooperation in the social and the economic domain as well.

- What is the number of Belgian investors in Bulgaria?

- Belgium was among the first ten countries to start diplomatic relations with Bulgaria and has been an important investor in the country from the start. Since 1996 Belgian companies have invested more than 1.6 billion euro in Bulgaria. Belgium (or better BLEU: the Belgian-Luxemburg Economic Union) is the seventh foreign investor.

- In which fields?

- More than 140 Belgian companies out of which 70 investors are active in Bulgaria. After the changes the first large investors came to Bulgaria in the 90’s. They were among others active in the chemical sector and the copper industry, they engaged in mining activities and the brewery sector. More recently, other companies started working with Bulgaria in the sectors of textile, ICT, insurances etc. More recent large investments that came to Bulgaria were KBC group that entered the banking and insurance sector as well as food retailer Delhaize.

- What do foreigners not know about Bulgaria? (something that would attract them)

- There are many reasons why people should visit Bulgaria which are not sufficiently known to the general public. For nature lovers there is a large diversity of landscapes with some breathtaking natural sites and a rich fauna and flora. History buffs have a choice between Thracian tombs, Roman remains, Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, a large variety of monasteries and some interesting socialist style constructions. To top it all off, you have an authentic cuisine with high-quality ingredients, strong-bodied wines, an interesting selection of fruit-based spirits and the option to cure a hangover by enjoying a warm mineral bath in one of the many spa centers.

- What is the relationship between state universities and private universities in Belgium?

- There are almost no differences between private and state universities in Belgium. The awarded degrees have been fine-tuned. For postgraduate studies however, the restrictions are less stringent. The quality of the programs is not dependent on the type of university, but more on the content of the individual classes.

- What is the key to attract foreign students towards (the universities) in Belgium?

- There are different reasons why foreign students are attracted by Belgium. First of all, studying in Belgium means living in the heart of Europe with the European institutions in Brussels close by. Furthermore, Belgians are very proud on their knowledge of different European languages. Master or postgraduate studies can be followed in English or in French. And finally, the relationship between quality and price at Belgian universities is very good. The standards of learning are very high, and the cost is less than in most other surrounding countries.

- In what consists the cultural exchange between Bulgaria and Belgium?

- The cultural, scientific and educational cooperation between Bulgaria and Belgium is based on agreements between the authorities of the Flemish and French Communities of Belgium and the Bulgarian government. These agreements allow cooperation in almost every cultural domain: scholarships for specializations, language teaching, cultural exchanges, scientific cooperation, etc. In 2000 an agreement was signed between the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Flemish Foundation for Scientific Research. In total more than 60 scientific projects have been realized. The cultural agreement between the French Community of Belgium and the Bulgarian government includes among others the “Institut de la Francophonie pour l’Administration et la Gestion” based in Sofia.

Diana Trifonova
Photo: Embassy of Belgium in Sofia

- Hello Mr. Davies, how does the World Ahead program work? What does it consist of?

- What we are trying to do is reach people that don’t have computers. And we have programs that work in PCs. Sometimes for example we help design a child’s PC in school or for healthcare. You need to be connected to the internet so we work with all the telecoms. We do a lot of training. Around the world we’ve trained 10 million teachers. We just agreed to train a million healthcare workers. So they could use a PC in the very emerging areas. So we try and work across all of these and go to areas that people haven’t traditionally brought computers or they are underserved.

- And what about the Intel Teach program? What is it about?

- In the world there are over a billion school children. And probably in schools there is about 5 to 10% PC usage. So many schools have a PC Labs, not all of them use it in the classroom and mostly every kid doesn’t have a PC in the classroom so we try and target that. And only the first thing is teachers may have not grown with computers. The children grow with this technology everywhere and so the Intel Teach program is to get the teachers confident. You don’t need them to learn how to use a computer. You need them to stand in front of the classroom with a computer being couched to show the children all the things you can do with a computer. It’s how you use it to educate yourself and do collaboration and thinking. And we train the teacher for that. Around the world we have trained 10 million in many, many countries for the last several years. And it’s been probably a flagship program. We spent a lot of money doing that. And if we get computers in the classroom that can start transforming education.

- What is your motivation to do that?

- Two reasons. One of course is good business. If you help people use computers then it makes it easier for them to buy more. But also we have a philanthropy side in Intel and we spend about hundred million dollars a year on philanthropy and it is all education. We don’t say we put it in many directions. It’s all education. Science fairs, training teachers, math and science. To try and make education transformed in modern ways is to try to get children interested in math and science.

- When are you planning to start those programs in Bulgaria?

- We are having those discussions right now. And we’d like to do them as soon as possible. We’re bringing the kid’s PC here. We are working with software companies to make sure that the software is good for education and will run nicely on the teacher’s PC. And then we want to bring the other programs here .

- In which countries do these programs work now?

- The teacher training is in about 80 different countries. So nearly half the countries in the world and in most of the biggest ones. Some of them have trained many, many teachers, some have just done a few. We announced a month ago 10 million have been through this program. That is a lot, but there is still a lot more to go. I think in the world there are about 70 million teachers so we have covered 10 million. Now we say what about the other 60? And so we try to scale it up. And what we do is we don’t train the teachers ourselves. We train the master trainers. We train trainers. We equip them, we certify them and we say: “You are now qualified to be a trainer” and they can be in many different regions of the country. They come to our training classes and they can go back to their regions, not just the big cities, but the rural areas and they train teachers. That becomes their job.

- When you decide to start the program in a certain country does the initiative come from Intel or is it the local governments who call you?

- Well we need both. It’s a private-public partnership. What we find is we have very good programs. We know how to train teachers. We know how to bring kid’s PCs. We know how to work with content people. We know how to work with telecoms. It’s like a recipe. And we can bring those to any country. You need the government to want to do this. And where do you focus – do you focus on teachers, is your focus more on universities, because we have programs in universities? We have to find out where is the most interest and where the people care and focus the most. And then we work on that. The programs are all different but they are custom to what the country wants. So if Bulgaria says: “I need this”, then we can do this. But you have to do it with the government support. You need those agreements and then we can work with the PC builders, the software and the telecoms.

- Which in your opinion are the main elements of e-learning?

- The key one is the motivation to do it. What you find is in a number of countries equip every child with a computer quickly. That’s very good but the teachers must be trained and eventually you want the content to be electronic. Not just take the book and make an e-book, a pdf, so that it looks like a book, but you need interactive videos, fun, voice. So the children can understand that and be happy with that. And to do that you need the content people. You need them to bring their interactions with a computer and make it fun, make it capable. And we try to do that on the PCs. And if we do a good job we can create some local industry that will become stronger and you create a few jobs there as well.

- When we talk about e-learning a good example is South Korea where the education is so technologically advanced. Do you think this is the way education should develop?

- It’s going to go that way over time. I mean books are going to be there but you look at people today the way they read newspapers, the way they download music. Look at photography. Fifteen years ago we had to print the film and now today it’s in the computer. You are sending photographs to your friends. And it completely revolutionalized industries. And I think that the music is the same. The film industry is the same. It’s going to go that way because it’s so much easier.

- What are the political reforms a country should introduce in order to give children the 21st century skills they need?

- Two are critical. The computers are actually easily there. I think the first one is to agree to get the teachers trained and equipped. If you are not trained and equipped it’s very hard to start. And the second one is over time to decide: “I want my curriculum to become electronic”. Those are two things that government can do that really don’t cost a tremendous amount of money. If you get those two things you get the foundation.

- When we say 21-st century skills can you name some of them?

- Collaboration is a good one. I want to collaborate and I want to share a design with someone. How do I do that? Computers are a great way of doing that. I want to do critical thinking and problem solving and you can do that on the computer. You can investigate, you can research. You can create. Creativity. I want to create. Industries like with the googles, with the yahoos, and the facebooks, fifteen years ago they didn’t exist. And so the job market is changing from manufacturing to creativity and services and people need the skills for that. This is where they will create their new value and so we have got to train them to do that. And I think that is major.

Diana Trifonova

website: www.akademika.bg

Akademika BG Ltd.
1202, Sofia, Bulgaria
23 Pop Bogomil

Phones:
+35924166797
+35929831694
+359888976823

Evelina Gecheva – Director
e.gecheva@akademika.bg

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-  The educational system in Denmark is known for its innovativeness and diversity. Danish universities and business schools perform ground-breaking research with researchers coming from all over the world. With the increasing number of foreign students admitted into Danish universities, the study environment is also characterized by diversity and multiplicity.

- What are the admission criteria that a Bulgarian student should meet in order to study in Denmark?

As EU citizens Bulgarian students can stay in Denmark for three months according to EU rules. After three months you need a registration certificate to stay in Denmark. You can get a registration certificate if you are a student at an educational institution accredited or financed by public authorities and if you can provide for yourself during your stay in Denmark. See more information on www.nyidanmark.dk and www.statsforvaltning.dk

- Will foreign students be able to cope with the life in Denmark if they don’t know Danish, but only English?

Most of the time it will not be a problem for foreign students to cope with life in Denmark if they don’t know Danish. Most Danes speak or understand some level of English and this is especially visible in the educational system where a vast number of students and lecturers are foreign.

-  In what extent do universities and schools in Denmark use modern technologies in the educational process, e.g. e-learning?

- Danish higher education institutions are increasingly using e-learning. Some university are using iPads in their lectures and most material for courses and communication with the faculty is online, for instance via the Blackboard system.

-  What are the opportunities for scholarships for foreign students?

-  There are various possibilities for international students to apply for scholarships in Denmark. For further information please check: http://studyindenmark.dk/study-in-denmark/tuition-fees-and-scholarships.

- Is it possible for students to study and work at the same time? Are there any legal restrictions for the number of work hours for students?

- Yes, it is possible for foreign students to work in Denmark. There are no restrictions to the number of hours EU citizens can work while studying in Denmark.

- Are there opportunities for Bulgarian students who started their education in Bulgaria to transfer into Danish university?

- In Denmark each institution is responsible for its own admissions. To obtain further information, you can visit the websites of the respective further education institutions.
The Danish Agency for International Education provides information about the assessment of foreign qualifications, for further information please visit: www.iu.dk to apply for a undergraduate programme. You need to hold a qualification comparable to a Danish qualifying examination. The individual institution should be consulted regarding the terms to be met. For postgraduate programmes an internationally recognized Bachelor’s Degree of good standard or equivalent, proof of proficiency in English and proof of proficiency in Danish if the programme is taught in Danish.

Additionally all programmes require a certain level of English language sufficiency. For this purpose some students need to take a TOEFL or IELTS test.

- What are the opportunities for youth exchange between Denmark and Bulgaria – educational programs, vacations?

-  There are several opportunities for youth exchange between Denmark and Bulgaria. You can for instance visit www.couchsurfing.com, where you exchange homes with aDane for a period. The other person then borrows your home for a similar period, which eliminates the costs of staying in hotel. Most universities also offer summer school courses, for more information visit the websites of the respective institutions.

Denmark is best to visit during the summer as the weather in this period is best. The cities come to life and parks, beaches and caf?s are full of life with many people enjoying the weather.

-  What percent of GDP of Denmark is being spent on education and science?

-  Education and science are highly prioritized in Denmark, which is reflected by the fact that Denmark is the country in the world which has the highest expenditure on education in relation to the GDP. 8% of the GDP is allocated the higher educations.

-  In what extent does your government tolerates the conversion of education into business – the existence of private universities and schools?

- The conversion of education into business in Denmark is frequently discussed in the political and public arena. The now former liberal government often suggested privatisation of educational facilities in Denmark; however this was not implemented. The discussion is marked by arguments suggesting that privatisation will increase competitiveness and the quality of the educational facilities, while opponents fear that universities will become unattainable for some as they will now have the means to cover the tuition fees.

In general: visit: www.nyidanmark.dk for rules and regulations about staying in
Denmark and www.studyidenmark.dk for information about studying in Denmark.

Websites of educational institutions in Denmark:

Aalborg University: www.aau.dk
Aarhus University: www.au.dk
Copenhagen University: www.ku.dk
University of Southern Denmark: www.sdu.dk
Copenhagen Business School: www.cbs.dk
Aarhus School of Business: www.asb.dk
Technical University of Denmark: www.dtu.dk
The Royal Danish Academy of Music: www.dkdm.dk

Picture: Embassy of Denmark

Interviewer: Iliyana Valcheva

We could not have done this on our own, so a big thank you has to go out to all teachers and institutions who have worked tirelessely with us along this long path. And whilst we are proud of having reached this important milestone, we are also well aware that the journey is far from over: look out for more Intel Teach initiatives in the future! We also know that numbers on their own do not mean a great deal: please visit this website to learn what Intel Teach means to teachers around the globe: www.intel.com/10millionteachers . You can also watch the video below to learn more about this milestone.

Thank you all for your support and company!

Danny Arati
Education Manager Europe

In the attached file here you can see a full list of the free job positions the website has to offer.

In the attached file here you can see a full list of the free job positions the website has to offer.