Rector election at Sofya Üniversitesi: Three candidates are competing

Sofya Üniversitesi "Aziz Kliment Ohridski", one of the most established and prestigious higher education institutions in Bulgaria, convened its General Assembly for an extraordinary rector election. The election became necessary after the previous rector, Prof. Dr. Georgi Valçev, left his position to take office as the Minister of Education and Science. The university's new administrator will be tasked with completing the current four-year term, which ends in Kasım 2027. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Parvan Parvanov is temporarily serving as rector until the election procedure is completed and the voting is concluded. In today's General Assembly session vote, one of the three official candidates is expected to receive the majority of the delegates' votes.

The three candidates competing for the rectorship seat come from different faculties of the university, and each has been nominated by the academic community. The first candidate is Prof. Dr. Eliza Stefanova, a faculty member at the Matematik ve Enformatik Fakültesi and simultaneously the current chair of the Ulusal Değerlendirme ve Akreditasyon Ajansı (NÖDA). The second candidate is Prof. Dr. Georgi Raynovski, Dean of the Fizik Fakültesi, whose candidacy was put forward by the relevant faculty council. The third candidate is Prof. Dr. Milen Zamfirov, Dean of the Eğitim ve Sanat Bilimleri Fakültesi, who was nominated by his own unit's faculty council. A fourth individual who applied for candidacy, Prof. Dr. Madlen Danova, was disqualified by the university's profile commission on the grounds that she did not comply with procedural requirements.

Before the election, the candidates met with the academic community in the university's historic main hall to share their visions and administrative programs in detail. Fizik Fakültesi Dean Prof. Dr. Georgi Raynovski sees linking the income of academic staff to the average wage nationwide as his top priority. Raynovski demands that the average gross salary at the university reach at least 180 percent of the national average (approximately 2439 avro for 2026). Furthermore, he emphasizes that the starting salary for assistants should not fall below 1600 avro and that this should be guaranteed through a sector agreement.

Prof. Dr. Eliza Stefanova from the Matematik ve Enformatik Fakültesi places great importance on human-centric policies and accelerated digitalization in her program. Stefanova's priority goals include strengthening the technological infrastructure to increase transparency, efficiency, and accessibility. She also plans to develop support mechanisms for young scientists and provide an academic environment that will contribute to their career development. Building a new and modern university website to facilitate the digital experience also stands out as a crucial part of her program.

Meanwhile, Eğitim ve Sanat Bilimleri Fakültesi Dean Prof. Dr. Milen Zamfirov sets off with the slogan "evolution, not revolution." Zamfirov presents an operational plan resting on three main pillars: financial discipline, the reputation of the academic institution, and the peace of the academic environment. He proposes practical solutions such as the flexible sharing of amphitheaters to reduce heating expenses during the winter months and the rapid repair of the rectorate building's roof. Establishing a regular "rector's hour" every week so that students and academics can communicate directly with him also constitutes a significant part of his administrative vision.