site.btaVice President Iotova Confers with Francophone University Agency Rector Khalbous

Meeting on Friday, Vice President Iliana Iotova and the Rector of the Francophone University Agency (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, AUF), Prof. Slim Khalbous, discussed the options for broadening the influence of education in Francophone countries, the head of State’s press secretariat reported. Strengthening the role of Bulgaria and Bulgarian higher education establishments in French-speaking countries, as well as closer cooperation with universities in Africa and Asia featured on the agenda of the talks.

Prof. Khalbous presented the idea for an AUF project on teaching in French in Bulgarian university programmes with foreign students enrolled. Such a project has been successfully implemented in Romania for ten years now. The sides concurred that the project would create ambassadors of Bulgaria across the globe and would increase Bulgarian universities’ prestige.

The Bulgarian Vice President said she firmly believes in cultural and educational diplomacy and its big opportunities. “In me you have a loyal ally,” she added.

The sides also discussed the support the AUF provides to students refugees from Ukraine, where 13 universities are AUF members. 

Established in Montreal sixty years ago, today the AUF is the world’s biggest university network with over 1,000 members (universities, higher education establishments, and research centres) in nearly 120 countries, including ten universities in Bulgaria. In this country, the AUF is represented through the Specialized Francophone Institute for Administration and Management (Établissement spécialisé de la Francophonie pour l’Administration et le Management, ESFAM) in Sofia. Vice President Iotova and ESFAM have many common initiatives, the press release recalls.