Machine Translated by Google

Development of higher education in Bulgaria

Higher education in Bulgaria until 1989 was regulated by the Law of Higher Education (LHE)73, as well as other normative documents in the educational system. During this period, the Ministry of Culture, Science and Education carried out the ideological, methodological and organizational pedagogical management of education in the country, guided by government policy (Dimitrova, 2016: 226). It approved the basic documents for higher education: such as curricula, programs, etc., ensured the writing and publication of textbooks and educational literature, established the procedure for admitting students to higher educational institutions, as well as the requirements for the academic staff.

After 1989, under the influence of changed political and economic factors, the entire educational system in Bulgaria was restructured, including the field of higher education. Higher education has undergone a significant transformation through a rapid transition from state over-regulation to the academic and institutional autonomy of higher education institutions.

73. 
    Update, Izv., br. 12 dated February 11, 1958, mark, DV, br. 112 of December 27, 1995
    

202

Machine Translated by Google

educational institutions. The main goals that have been set are related to improving the quality of education and the preparation of standards that meet European requirements. The Berlin Communiqué of 2003 raises the question of the quality of higher education, namely “tobe at the center of the creation of the European Higher Education Area” (Berlin communiqué: p. 3). Understanding quality in such a complex, diverse and dynamic system as higher education is possible only as a continuous process of mutually stimulating and complementary efforts of scientists with different subject backgrounds and different practical experience.

(Boyadzhieva, 2011).

Higher education in Bulgaria in its modern period is based on several guiding principles. It is not obligatory, but it is open to all who wish and have the opportunity to improve their qualifications in a direction they have chosen in advance in a higher educational institution - public or private. Higher education is autonomous, it is independent of ideologies, religions and political doctrines, and it does not allow discrimination on the basis of sex, age, race, ethnicity, social origin, nationality, as well as

privileges on no basis.

The main goal of higher education, regulated in Art. 2 of the Law of Higher Education74 is “thetraining of highly qualified specialists with higher education and the development of science and culture”. Educational institutions are obliged to combine these two main goals: the education of students, on the one hand, and the development of science and culture, on the other. Bulgaria has both public and private higher education institutions.

During the 2015/2016 academic year there were 54 higher education institutions in Bulgaria, both public and private, including specialized higher education institutions and independent colleges. They provide higher education in various fields: economics, social sciences, medicine,

engineering sciences, arts, military education, etc. Higher education institutions are divided into: universities, specialized higher education institutions, colleges within the structure of universities and independent colleges.75

The number of graduates of higher educational institutions by 04.2016 in Bulgaria is 62718 people with educational degrees: professional bachelor, bachelor, master and doctor.