American University in Bulgaria
The American University in Bulgaria (or AUBG) is a private university located in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Established in 1991, today AUBG has about 1,000 students from over 40 countries on 5 continents (as of Fall 2019). Close to 50% of the students are international. AUBG is an education leader for the ninth consecutive year according to the national university rankings for 2019. The university is number one in the country in the professional fields Administration & Management, Political Science and Public Communications & Information Sciences. AUBG graduates have 0% unemployment rate in three of the disciplines (Political Science, Informatics  & Computer Science and Public Communications & Information Sciences) and the highest average salaries in four of the disciplines (Administration & Management, Economics, Political Science and Public Communications & Information Sciences). AUBG is also number one in all five disciplines in terms of prestige and welfare and administrative services. The ranking shows that AUBG accepts the students with the highest diploma GPA in all five disciplines. History. Founded in 1991, the American University in Bulgaria is the first American-style, liberal arts undergraduate education institution in Eastern Europe. The university is a cooperative venture established with the support of the U.S. and Bulgarian governments , the Open Society Institute, the City of Blagoevgrad, and the University of Maine. When it opened its doors in September 1991, AUBG welcomed a first-year class of 208 students and 16 full-time faculty members. Nowadays, around 1000 students from over 40 countries live and study in AUBG. By May 2019, twenty-four classes of around 5,000 students had graduated from AUBG. Mission. The AUBG mission is "to educate students of outstanding potential in a community of academic excellence, diversity, and respect and to prepare them for democratic and ethical leadership in serving the needs of the region and  the world." The university fulfills its mission by providing scholarships and financial aid to deserving students from the region and beyond. The university has three sources of funding: its endowment (which came largely from gifts from the United States Agency for International Development and the Soros Foundation), gifts, and tuition. Friends from all over the world, among them, John Dimitry Panitza, Anna Tchaprachikoff, Minko Balkanski, Atanas Zamphiroff, the America for Bulgaria Foundation, have supported the university throughout the years. Accreditation. Baccalaureate degrees conferred by AUBG are accredited in both Bulgaria and the United States. AUBG is institutionally accredited in the  United States from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The university also issues a European Diploma Supplement (part of Europass), which confers automatic recognition of the AUBG degree throughout Europe. Rankings. AUBG graduates top global success rankings with 99.8 per cent employed or enrolled in grad school within a few months of graduation. Further, 65 per cent of graduating students receive more than one job offer or higher degree program acceptance letter when they applied for work or a higher degree upon completing their studies at AUBG. Approximately 20 percent of graduates earn more than $100,000/year  and over 20 percent of alumni from 1995-2005 who are currently working in the U.S. earn more than $250,000/year. Furthermore, AUBG is an undisputed education leader for the ninth consecutive year according to the national university ranking 2019 edition. The five programs evaluated – business administration (BUS), journalism and mass communication (JMC), economics (ECO), political science and international relations (POS), and computer science (COS) – are all top-ranked, with business administration, journalism, mass communication, political science and international relations rated as the best in Bulgaria. Additionally, AUBG leads when it comes to several crucial indicators. AUBG graduates have  0% unemployment rate in three of the disciplines (Political Science, Informatics & Computer Science and Public Communications & Information Sciences) and the highest average salaries in four of the disciplines (Administration & Management, Economics, Political Science and Public Communications & Information Sciences). AUBG is also number one in all five disciplines in terms of prestige and welfare and administrative services. The ranking shows that AUBG accepts the students with the highest diploma GPA in all five disciplines. The Bulgarian University Ranking System has been developed to help degree-seekers choose a university. The system compiles information and data on more than 100 indicators, which  measure different aspects of university activities. These include: teaching and learning, university environment, welfare and administrative services, science and research, prestige, career development, relevance to the labor market and regional engagement. The indicators are based on statistical data collected from various sources, including sociological surveys. Academics. The university follows the traditional American-style of education liberal arts. At AUBG, students benefit from small class-sizes, interactive classroom environment, and close interaction with professors. More than 60% of the students graduate from AUBG with two majors or a major and a minor. More than half of graduating seniors complete double majors , while many undergraduates supplement their main field of study with a minor in one of 19 disciplines offered at AUBG. The university employs about 70 faculty members from over 15 countries. AUBG maintains close relationships with universities both in Bulgaria and abroad. In the United States, AUBG students can choose to spend a year or a semester at one of several hundred universities through the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). In Europe, AUBG is the holder of a standard Erasmus Charter and has bilateral Erasmus Programme agreements with over 50 institutions. Undergraduate programs. The university offers Bachelor of Arts degrees  in 13 programs: "Secondary majors are those that are accredited in the United States and result in an American diploma only." The university offers 19 minor programs: Graduate programs. In addition to its undergraduate program, the university offers an Executive MBA program and a joint venture Executive Master in Finance, Banking & Real Estate with SDA Bocconi. Both programs are delivered in Elieff Center in Sofia Non-degree programs. The university offers a number of trainings and courses. Most of the trainings are held in the AUBG Elieff Center for Education and Culture in Sofia. The Blagoevgrad-based English Language Institute  offers English-language instruction at all levels and for all ages year-round. It is also a certified Internet-based TOEFL testing center. Tuition and scholarships. AUBG offers spring and fall semester admission on a rolling basis. The university offers need- and merit-based aid to deserving students. Financial aid, various scholarships, and student assistant positions – the university makes sure that students get financial support while pursuing high-quality education. The AUBG Tchaprachikoff scholarship provides partial funding for tuition for up to two years for Bulgarian AUBG graduates who are admitted to a graduate program in any one of the  top 20 national universities in the United States or to any one of the top 20 U.S. schools in the respective fields. University campus. The Skaptopara campus in Blagoevgrad is home to the university undergraduate programs. It includes three residence halls; Balkanski Academic Center, which houses classrooms, computer labs, and offices; Panitza Library, the largest English-language library in Southeast Europe; and a unique Student Center. According to results from Bulgaria's official University Ranking system, AUBG has the best residential facilities in the country. AUBG is the first institution in Bulgaria with an American style housing system. Undergraduate students  live on campus as part of the university mission. The residence halls are a smoke-free environment and disability accessible. Activity areas include aerobic rooms, music practice rooms, multipurpose rooms, billiard and ping pong areas, several television lounges, outside decks, kitchens, and cafes. All of our residence halls are secured 24 hours with a security guard. There are common areas where students can either study or rest along with friends. If a student need anything, he/she can go to the reception desk and ask a Resident Assistant for help. John Dimitry Panitza, a Bulgarian philanthropist and AUBG founder, is  the patron of Panitza Library. Through Panitza's efforts, the library developed into a modern center of learning and the largest English-language library in the region. Panitza Library's modern facilities are equipped with computers, Internet, audio-visual center, and supporting copying services. Access to electronic resources is organized through the library web portal. The Balkanski Academic Center bears the name of physicist Minko Balkanski The center was dedicated to Professor Balkanski and his family in 2010. The America for Bulgaria Student Center is the jewel in the crown of AUBG's contemporary campus. The spacious, generously sunlit, multi -functional center was built in 2013 with the financial help of the America for Bulgaria Foundation and embodies AUBG's unparalleled energy and dynamics. It hosts state-of-the-art theatre, sports and dining halls, and the Student Services office. Here students will also find the Enrollment office, where the AUBG journey begins for future students. Admission advisors are available to assist students with useful information on how to get started, including scholarships and other financial aid available at AUBG. Other popular facilities inside the center are the workout gym, the innovation hub "Aspire", a trendy coffee shop and many  chill-out areas with wi-fi access. The America for Bulgaria Student Center won first place in the Education and Sport category at the "Building of the Year" contest. Student life. AUBG students can join a club, a student media, a sports team, or an activity such as theater, musical, AUBG Choir, debating, Model United Nations simulations, and public service. Student government. Established in 1991, the AUBG Student Government provides a venue for students to practice the tenets of democracy and make a difference in campus decisions. It is a directly elected representative body of the students at AUBG. The  Student Government holds its sessions weekly. It has a yearly budget, which is allocated among the student clubs and organizations. Clubs. AUBG hosts chapters of international organizations, such as People to People International, AIESEC, the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society, and the Association for Computing Machinery. Social and sports organizations, such as the AUBG Olympics, Basketball Club, Debate Club, Chess Club, Women in Business Club are also available. Student club The Hub organizes a hackathon on campus that gathers some of the country's brightest young programmers for three days of problem solving and coding. More Honors (MH) is a  small part of the AUBG student body that is selected to represent the funny and bright side of student life. More Honors is made by students for students, faculty, staff and friends who make More Honors what it is. MH has been entertaining the AUBG student body for almost twenty four years. Its purpose is to represent student life in a show, while the entire community, together, has a good time and laugh at their own strengths and faults. The Better Community Club members work on social projects. Their activities include a multi-year educational project at Blagoevgrad's "St.  Nikolay Mirlikliyski" orphanage; fundraising campaigns for local centers for people with disabilities and a local family afflicted with serious health problems; and others. The students from the Business Club invite business figures, politicians, and economists, to talk to students on business-related topics. The Assets Trading & Management (AT&M) is a student organization which operates as an investment fund where students learn analytical framework for the analysis of the financial markets. The AUBG Choir brings the music talents of AUBG and the local community together. It was created in 1993 by its director – associate professor of music – Hristo Krotev. The choir  has received a number of national and international awards. The Broadway Performance Club stages musicals for the students and faculty every year. The AUBG community has already seen "Chicago", "West Side Story", "Hairspray", "Moulin Rouge", "Grease", "Memphis", "All Shook Up", "Burlesque, Catch me If You Can and Hair". After its performances in Blagoevgrad, the musical goes on a tour around the country. The AUBG Dance Crew is a club that invites students to learn hip-hop dancing mostly to perform in university's talent shows and events. It is a great club for those who wants to up their dancing  skills, teach peers and even stage their own choreography. The Polygon club is the mathematics club on campus that has the goal of increasing the awareness of the mathematics major at AUBG by organizing different activities such as mathematical sessions, quizzes, competitions, lectures, meetings with faculty or alumni, mathematical games, etc. Acceleration Program Elevate. Building on its long and successful history with entrepreneurship, AUBG launched its first-ever Acceleration Program Elevate in 2019. The brainchild of University Council Chair and Eleven Founding Partner Daniel Tomov (‘97), the accelerator helps student entrepreneurs and recent alumni start their first businesses. During the  four-month program, teams of two to four AUBGers have access to many workshops, training and a mentorship network of experienced entrepreneurs and AUBG alumni. Each team gets $5000 as capital to kick-start their development. Designed to provide students with startup guidance, the accelerator doubles as a way to support the university: AUBG will have a 5% stake in each company that comes out of the program. Student media. There are several student media on campus (broadcast, print, and electronic) which chronicle university events and town life, among them student newspaper AUBG Daily, and Bulgaria's oldest private  radio station Radio AURA. Research and innovation. Students participate in conferences and competitions worldwide, such as the Carroll Round International Student Research conference at Georgetown University, USA and the annual Microsoft's Imagine Cup competition. The Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program has repeatedly recognized AUBG students’ potential. AUBG hosts its own research conference every year, where students and faculty present research projects. In Fall 2016, the innovation hub “Aspire” opened doors. It encourages AUBG students to create something, whether it is a start-up business, a tech venture or a book. “Aspire” is a shared working space that aims to  foster the exchange of ideas among the AUBG community and to facilitate the transformation of creative visions into reality. The hub is a home of many events related to innovation, inventiveness and inspiration. Athletics. Every year, AUBG holds its own Olympic games. In the AUBG Olympics, students compete in sports disciplines, such as long jump, soccer, basketball, volleyball, arm wrestling, tug-of-war, horseshoe throwing, and boxing. The university has its own American football team, the AUBG Griffins. Residence halls host table tennis, billiards, aerobic fitness rooms, and gym facilities. Just behind the ABF, the AUBG students can enjoy outdoor  sports at the newly built sports facilities. The new premises feature a basketball court, a football field, two tennis courts and a volleyball court. The new fields help AUBG students to enjoy their favorite sports even more. Those interested in skiing, hiking, horseback riding, boxing, kickboxing, aerobics, volleyball, baseball, yoga, tae kwon do, softball, and karate have formed student clubs and intramural teams. Every semester there are soccer and basketball intramural competitions. Lecture series and conferences. The university hosts business practitioners, scholars and public figures year-round, among them President Rosen Plevneliev (2012-2017) and Bulgaria's EU Commissioner Kristalina  Georgieva. Some of the university lecture series include the Distinguished Lecturers Series, the Visiting Poets and Writers Series and the Book Presentations and Readings Series. The American University in Bulgaria regularly hosts international conferences such as AMICAL, ISIH and GLAA.