Bulgaria Country Profile                                                                                                

Located on the Balkan Peninsula, South East of Europe, Bulgaria extends from the Western shore of the Black Sea to Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia to the West, and Greece and Turkey to the South.  The Black Sea defines the border of the country to the east.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boundaries:                                                                                                                      

Romania: 608 km

Greece: 494 km                                                                                             

Serbia: 318 km 

Turkey: 240 km

Macedonia: 148 km

 Largest cities:

Sofia (capital), population; 1,401,553

Varna: population; 363 773

Plovdiv, population; 340, 279

Languages: Bulgarian, various others

Labor Force - 3.333 million; agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43%

Primary religion: Christianity. Bulgaria is often deemed as one of the most ethnically tolerant countries in Europe.

Brief history of Bulgaria

Over a long period of time Bulgaria has been at crossroads of civilizations. The country has been established in 681 A.D.

The first Bulgarian Empire in the 9^th century developed the Cyrillic writing system and the Cyrillic alphabet. It serves as a base for the Slavic national languages of Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian and many others. Since January, 2007 when Bulgaria became a member of the European Union, the Cyrillic was accepted as the third official alphabet of the EU.

Subsequently, after the ninth century, there followed a chequered period of 167 years (1018-1185) under the rule of The Byzantine Empire. Additionally, another event with a perpetual background took place from 1396 to 1878 - The Ottoman Empire had the ultimate control over the country.  

In 1879, Bulgaria adopted a democratic constitution. Later on, after the second World War, Bulgaria adopted the title "People's Republic of Bulgaria" and was controlled by the Bulgarian Communist Party.

Subsequently, Bulgaria accepted the parliamentary democracy in 1990 and ten governments have served their terms since then.

In 2004 Bulgaria became a member of NATO.

And

In January, 2007 Bulgaria joined the EU.

Tourism

Despite the economic challenges the country faces in the context of its European membership, Bulgaria shows extremely positive growth in terms of tourism. This picturesque small country called Bulgaria has existed for more than 13 centuries in Europe, linking East and West. Bulgaria remembers ancient civilizations and great people that wrote its turbulent history. The natural sights and rich cultural heritage of Bulgaria attracts tourists from all over the world. Furthermore, the country boasts one of the highest levels of tourist flow growth across Europe.

The chief types of tourism that Bulgaria develops are:

• Recreational - both in summer and winter resorts   
• Spa tourism
• Eco tourism
• Cave tourism
• Golf tourism
• Gambling tourism
• Cultural tourism
• Rural tourism

 

 

Bulgaria despite being a small country in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula boasts very diversified climate spoiling visitors with pleasant conditions for both summer vacations and winter sports. Bulgaria witnesses many days of unadulterated sunshine, which make it the perfect spot for people who love the sea. Alternatively, the big mountain ranges in the Southern part of the country are ideal for those who enjoy hiking, mountain sports or just the beauty of the mountain.  

Tourism is very well developed in Bulgaria not only because of the quality of the services offered, but also because of the wide range of ecological and appealing tourist spots. The country can offer an exquisite variety of sea and mountain resorts to the attention of foreign visitors. The European membership was one of the many factors of the multitude of positive outcomes for the Bulgarian tourism.

Climate

The region has a moderate continental climate with a relatively mild and humid winter and a hot - but dry and sunny - summer. The average annual temperature is 12, 2º С.

 Student mobility and International students in Bulgaria 

 On the Balkan Peninsula, Bulgaria witnesses one of the highest inflows of international students. According to the Ministry of Education for the 2008/2009 academic year there were 13 700 international students taking courses in Bulgaria. In fact, the total number of Bulgarian students has decreased in favor of internationals. Bulgaria enjoys students from five continents. The country boasts wide international popularity among scholars from UK, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, the US, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Greece, Ukraine and many others.   

Higher Education in Bulgaria

The main types of higher education institutions in Bulgaria are: Universities and Colleges. These two types of institutions, as in most countries worldwide, have three stages: Bachelor's (undergraduate), Master's (graduate), and Doctoral degrees. Undergraduate stage lasts for at least three years and graduate stage lasts for one year after obtaining a Bachelor's Degree. The third stage of higher education results in obtaining a Ph.D. Degree, which normally takes additional two years.

Why international students choose Bulgaria?

To begin with why international students choose Bulgaria, it could be generally concluded that it is primarily because of the very good quality of education together with relatively inexpensive costs of studies and living. In the wide variety of public and private schools courses intended to prepare students for rapid advancement into high and responsible positions as executives are offered. Lectures are interest - driven; there are extra curriculum activities which allow students to deal with things that bring them pleasure; they work in considerably smaller groups, thus supporting understanding; tutoring is a common practice and it serves to develop and improve professional inclinations.

In fact, the favorable natural resources together with the multitude of sea and mountain resorts of Bulgaria influence to a certain degree the choice of university as well as accommodation. Therefore competition among accommodation providers gets really intense in areas where opportunities for extra-curricular and leisure activities are offered. Essentially, students tend to be less price-sensitive as long as they can enjoy their time to the fullest extent.

Practical Information

When you are studying in a foreign country, you need to think about a number of key things. If you are in the neighborhood, come and visit us for any enquiries or information you may need. Otherwise, you can find a lot of practical information on these web pages.

Pay attention to

• Applications
• Visas
• Accommodation
• Financial information
• Insurances
• Grading system

Applications

Visas

An entry visa is a sticker placed in your passport at the Bulgarian embassy or consulate in your own country, but it must be applied for well in advance.

For a stay of up to three months, you might need a 'short stay visa', depending on your nationality. If you will be staying for longer than 3 months, you need a 'residence permit'. This requirement does NOT apply to citizens of the EU/EEA.

For more information on visa procedures and requirements, please visit the Bulgarian MFA:

 Accommodation

International University College (IUC) organizes accommodation in multiple locations:

• In one of the wings of the College building, which is equipped with a ramp and an elevator for people with disabilities; All rooms feature free wi-fi connection, central heating system, refrigerator, private bathroom and others.
• In the Summer Theatre complex, located in the City Park at around 200 meter distance from the College building;
• In the three-star "Bulgaria" Hotel, located opposite the IUC building. Accommodation is in one-, two- or three-bed rooms, equipped with air-conditioners, refrigerators and plasma/LCD TV sets. Prices range from 6,90 to 8,50 levs* per night. The minimum duration of stay is 14 nights, which makes it very flexible for all students.

If you want to live in a private apartment in the centre of Dobrich, it would not be difficult to find appropriate place. An apartment or a separate room can be rented in the area surrounding the International University College building at a reasonable price (a two bedroom apartment would normally cost between 200-350 Bulgarian levs). Since everything a young person may need can be found in the centre of the city, you would not need to pay for city transportation.

Financial information

The financial resources you need in Bulgaria could be very different from those in your home country. It is therefore important to go over these in advance, so you can make proper arrangements. Below we provide an overview of the average amounts needed per month.

It is essential to know that if you are from an EU or EEA member state you may be entitled to a standard student grant or to a refund of the tuition fees. If you have a typical student income for example - you will find that 1/3 of it will be spent on housing. Food might outlay you another 1/3. Fortunately, IUC offers hot meals at reasonable prices in the restaurant within the college building. Additionally, Dobrich has restaurants where you can eat inexpensively and well. Naturally, the least expensive way to eat is to do your own cooking. The remaining one third of your money will be spent on books, travelling, and various other expenses.   

If you live and work in Dobrich, your costs of living would be around 30-40% lower than if you study and pay for private accommodation in any one of the three biggest cities in Bulgaria. IUC, as well as IUC's student accommodation facilities, are located in the centre of Dobrich (see section Accommodation). Everything a student needs is located downtown the city of Dobrich. At around 10 to 15 minutes walking distance from the center are the IUC accommodation facilities, eating places, the city's bus station, the city's main train station, cafés, shops, entertainment places, the library, the Picture Gallery, the City Park, cinema, etc. Apart from being convenient in time terms, the proximity to all amenities would also save you money on public transport.

The following table gives a rough estimation of the living expenses in Dobrich:

Monthly expenditures (in EUR)	Dobrich, IUC
Accommodation	100
Pocket money	100-150
Transport within the city	0
Transport between cities	25-30
Study materials	15
Others	30-50
Total	270-345

Insurance

When you come to (study in) Bulgaria, it is important to make sure you are properly insured. There are, for example, certain rules concerning your healthcare insurance that you have to comply with.

There are several things that you have to do prior to opting for insurance:

Find out if your insurance policy in your home country covers your stay in the Bulgaria. Bulgaria has treaties regarding health insurance with a number of countries, including most European countries. If you are insured under the national health insurance scheme of one of these countries, you can receive a European Health Insurance Card, which is an official document, issued free of charge, that covers some expenses while having treatments in public hospitals in Bulgaria (for additional information on insurance coverage please visit http://www.ehic.org/cover.html). Make sure to bring this when you come here as you will need it when you go to see a doctor.

Students can also be interested in insuring themselves against other issues:

Other insurances

• Accident insurance: the accident insurance offers compensation for death or permanent disability due to an accident. 
• Household content and luggage: insurance to cover undoing to your possessions. If your possessions get stolen or destroyed through water or fire damage, for example, the insurance will cover the costs. It is important to check the cover provided.
•  Travel insurance: insurance to cover your belongings and your healthcare when you are traveling.

The Bulgarian grading system

The grading system in Bulgaria is build upon numerals from two to six. Respectively, six (6) is the highest score that a student can achieve and two (2) is the lowest one. The table below shows the grades and the respective percentages students need to obtain to get them:

The Bulgarian grading system compared to the British-based one. N.B. It is important to be aware of the comparative stipulation of grading systems since our English taught programmes are based on the British (UWIC) and Dutch systems of grading. It is therefore essential for your self-performance evaluation to be able to make a distinction between grades in the different grading systems.  

Bulgarian grading system	Grade according to the British system (%)		Dutch grading system   (10-score based)
	Foreign language exams	Other exams
2	under 55%	under 40%	1-5.4
3	55-64%	40-49%	5.5 - 6.9
4	65-74%	50-59%	7 - 7.9
5	75-84%	60-69%	8-8.4
6	85-100%	70-100%	8.5-10

 Transportation

Arrival

There are very good transport connections to and from Dobrich. IUC's location provides easy access to all amenities and furthermore travelling inland or abroad is facilitated given the fact that Dobrich is close to one of the major cities and airports in the country - Varna.

There are very convenient transport options for those who want to live and/or work in Varna while studying at International University College. You can get to Varna in 40 minutes by car. Additionally, there are very good bus connections between the two cities and the trip lasts approximately 45 minutes. Busses travel very frequently from the bus stations in both cities. The walking distance from the IUC building to Dobrich Bus Station is about 10 - 15 minutes.

Public transport

There are convenient transportation options within the city of Dobrich. Practically, there are three basic means of transportation: busses, trolleybuses and taxis. Tickets are available both from kiosks and the drivers. Public transportation only runs during the day until 10 p.m. Therefore it is advisable to catch a taxi after these hours. Normally, it is cheaper to order a taxi on the phone rather than catching one on your way. In general terms, a taxi to any place within Dobrich may cost a maximum of EUR 2. Please note that rates are slightly higher during the night.