2021

With a Decision of the 44th National Assembly of December 17, 2020, a Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2021-2030 has been adopted. The Strategy was published in the State Gazette No. 2 of January 8, 2021. It contains an analysis of the state of the higher education system, review of the progress of the implementation of the main objectives of the Strategy for Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014 - 2020, challenges arising from changes and processes in and outside the higher education sector education, the vision and the priority areas and goals for the development of higher education are determined:

Objective 1. Development of a sustainable mechanism for updating existing and creating new curricula

Objective 2. Introduction of modern, flexible and effective forms and methods of training

Objective 3. Improving the organization and effectiveness of education in higher education

Objective 4. Internationalization of higher education and inclusion in international educational and scientific networks

Objective 5. Stimulating the participation of young teachers

Objective 6. Activation of scientific activity in higher schools

Objective 7. Building an effective education-science-business relationship

Objective 8. Increasing the role of HEIs as an active factor for regional development

Objective 9. Improving the management and the accreditation system of HEIs

Objective 10. Improving the structure and efficiency of higher education.

The activities and measures for achieving the goals, the expected results and the organization, the control and the tools for the implementation of the strategy are indicated.

With Decision № 538 of July 22, 2021, the National Map of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria and the Methodology for preparing and updating the information on the state of the profile and territorial structure of higher education contained in the National Map of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria were adopted. According to the adopted amendments and supplements to the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 25.02.2020, the Council of Ministers, at the proposal of the Minister of Education and Science, should adopt a National Map of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria (NMHERB). With the adoption of the NMHERB, the national policies regarding the development of the profile and territorial structure of higher education are introduced. The Strategy for Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2021 - 2030 envisages the information from the NMHERB to be used for balanced development of the network of higher schools according to the needs of the regions and according to the real possibilities, as well as for further development of the state-controlled system in accordance with national and regional needs and the forecasts for future development of the labor market.

By Decree of the Council of Ministers № 12 of 20 January, 2021, an Ordinance on the terms and conditions for ensuring the payment of tuition costs for students with concluded contracts with an employer was adopted. The ordinance regulates: the conditions and the procedure for application and inclusion of employers in the list of employers who may conclude contracts with students for providing internship of the student in the respective specialty for the period of study and at work after its successful completion by the order of the Higher Education Act (HEA); the conditions and the order for concluding, amending and terminating the contracts for providing an internship in the respective specialty of the student during his / her education and at the workplace after his / her successful completion; the conditions and the order for the provision of the information by the higher schools about the contracts; the conditions and the order for full or partial reimbursement of the funds from the state budget to the higher schools for financing the education of students with a concluded contract; the minimum period during which the employee should work for the employer after the successful completion of the training. The Minister of Education and Science has approved by order a list of specialties for the training in which funds are provided from the state budget under this Ordinance. The Council of Ministers, at the proposal of the Minister of Education and Science, adopted a list of employers who have the right to conclude contracts under this procedure on July 29, 2021.

Amendments to the Development of the Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria Act envisage that academic positions be opened in the scientific groups at the museums. group to the respective museum.

With Decision of the Council of Ministers № 237 of March 19, 2021 (published on March 25, 2021) the National Program “Promotion of the Bulgarian higher education and facilitation of the access for application of persons of Bulgarian nationality living abroad for trainingin Bulgarian universities ” was adopted. Its specific goals are: transformation of the digital environment in the place where every Bulgarian or foreign candidate-student will be able to find up-to-date, objective and equal information about the specialty in which he wants to study in all higher education institutions in Bulgaria; providing an opportunity for higher education institutions in Bulgaria to promote their best curricula in Bulgarian as well as in English and other foreign languages; increasing the visibility and popularity of Bulgarian higher education in Europe and in the world by conducting information campaigns and printing advertising materials of higher education institutions in English and their distribution; improving the culture of higher education institutions to advertise the training they offer, conducting advertising campaigns and printing advertising materials; providing easy and fast access to the online application for training, conducting candidate exams in a secure electronic environment at a distance or on site according to the specifics of applying for different specialties, facilitating online communication with candidates for questions, alternative proposals, additional requirements, insufficiently presented documents or request for new ones; ensuring objectivity in the ranking of candidates in higher education; participation of higher and Sunday schools in information campaigns abroad to advertise education in Bulgarian universities.

By Decision of the Council of Ministers № 47 of 19 January 2021 (published on 25.03.2021), the National Program “Increasing the Competences of Teachers in Public Higher Education Institutions Preparing Future Teachers” was adopted, under which trainers are currently being recruited. Two main groups of trainings will be conducted: application of the competence approach and modern innovative educational technologies.

With Decision of the Council of Ministers № 184 of March 5, 2021 (published on March 25, 2021) the National Program "Digital Qualification" was adopted. The program is aimed at providing the system with staff with a high level of digital competence, with attitudes for improvement throughout their professional life and teaching their own experience and knowledge.

2020

By Decree № 61 of the Council of Ministers of 02.04.2020 on the terms and conditions for the establishment of companies by state universities for the purposes of economic realization of the results of research and intellectual property, prom. - SG, no. 33 of 07.04.2020 provides the possibility for the state higher schools to establish limited liability companies and joint stock companies under the Commerce Act, as well as to participate in the capital of such companies only for the economic realization of the results of the performed research and the created objects of intellectual property. The subject of activity of the commercial companies must be related to the results of the scientific activity in the professional directions and the specialties of regulated professions, for which the higher school has received accreditation from the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation. The rights of the higher school in the companies in which the higher school is a partner or shareholder are exercised by the academic council.

A draft of Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2021 - 2030 has been prepared. The project presents the main principles and priorities in the development of the higher education system in the Republic of Bulgaria and defines specific goals, activities and measures for their implementation. Their analysis and definition cover key processes in the functioning of the higher education system such as higher education management, maintaining and improving the quality of education, development of research and innovation, improvement of funding and admission models, digitalization of the learning process and administrative services in higher education, career development of teachers, internationalization, vocational guidance of students, student entrepreneurship, etc.

Higher Education Act

The amendments to the law regulate the inclusion in the Council of Trustees of a representative of the municipality in which the headquarters of the state higher school is located, and the Council of Trustees also participates in the academic councils with an advisory vote.

The new rights of the Minister of Education and Science are assigned - as a body for the implementation of the state policy in higher education he will approve a policy for the development of each state higher school with strategic goals and objectives, targets and indicators for their implementation. In terms of academic autonomy, this policy for higher education development will be drawn up in interaction between stakeholders and will express the overall vision of the institution and the state about its development and for the development of the overall higher education system. Based on this well-established policy, the Minister of Education and Science will conclude a management contract with the Rector, elected by the General Assembly of the relevant state higher school.

It is envisaged to prepare a National Map of Higher Education, which defines the territorial and profile structure of the institutional network for higher education, in order to stimulate higher schools to focus their efforts on training staff with the necessary quality for meeting the needs of the labor market.

In order to limit the unjustified expansion of the higher education network, the amendments of the act provide regulations for the procedure for opening branches and colleges in the structure of private higher schools, as well as a specific measure for establishing a moratorium on opening and conversion of higher schools; opening and conversion of major units and branches in state higher schools, with the exception of their transformation for the purpose of consolidation and optimization.

In order to optimize the activities and terms of the accreditation of higher schools and their professional fields in institutional accreditation, only the way in which the higher schools fulfill its mission and objectives and applies the standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area will be evaluated. Institutional accreditation is envisaged to be initial - for a newly opened or transformed higher schools, and subsequent - when accreditation is already obtained.

The initial institutional accreditation assessment is aimed at verifying the ownership required to carry out the activities of the higher school; the functioning of the internal system for assessing and maintaining the quality of teaching and academic staff; the profile and qualifications of the academic staff; the logistical support of the training and other criteria related to the standards and guidelines for quality assurance of the provided training.

Assessment in subsequent institutional accreditation is mainly focused on taking into account the results of the assessment of the individual professional fields and / or specialties of the regulated professions and further checking the fulfillment of the above criteria. Higher schools that qualify receive institutional accreditation with an assessment, which is the average value of the recently obtained assessments in all their professional fields and specialties in the regulated professions.

A change is being made in the implementation of program accreditation for a particular professional field, which will be carried out simultaneously for all higher education schools specializing in the field, according to a schedule approved by the National Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation. This allows differentiation of quality in the respective direction in different higher education institutions.

In order to encourage higher schools to offer candidate students to seek training in professional fields and specialties leading to the acquisition of qualifications that meet the modern requirements and the demand for the real economy, the exemption from fees in public higher schools is regulated for students in professional fields and protected specialties with the highest expected shortage in the labor market from a list approved by the Council of Ministers.

Provision is made to facilitate the realization in our country of young people who have received their education in foreign higher education institutions by introducing a two-month term for recognition of their diplomas for higher education obtained abroad, including diplomas for the acquired degree, corresponding to the educational and scientific PhD degree.

In order to improve the link between higher and secondary education institutions and to improve the quality of structured, vocational and specialized training, up to two agreements can be concluded between state higher schools and state or municipal schools in the system of preschool and school education. Under the agreements, joint study activity will be possible on subjects and / or modules for the acquisition of specialized and vocational training in the second high school level of secondary education, as well as on subjects for the acquisition of specialized training in secondary education. It is envisaged that the training will be in accordance with the agreed curriculum and be provided by persons holding academic positions in the higher schools.

The good practice for introducing an academic spirit in teaching and acquiring vocational training at The “Electronic Systems” Technological School at the Technical University - Sofia and The Vocational High School of Computer Technologies and Systems - Pravets, is regulated by designating these schools as units integrated into the structure of Technical University – Sofia. The rector of the university and Academic Council will have a number of powers related to their activities and management.

Some of the changes in the Act are aimed at the possibility of a higher school, which makes a significant contribution to the development of important public areas through top scientific research and has high research results to be designated as a research higher school.

Development of Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria Act

The change in the Act eliminates the regulation within the faculty, respectively the scientific council, which can decide on the procedures for occupying the academic position "professor", must necessarily include the members of the academic staff of the respective faculty or scientific organization who occupy the academic position "professor” or hold a PhD.

Ordinance on the state requirements for admission of students to the higher schools of Republic of Bulgaria

Following the changes in the ordinance, the Ministry of Education and Science develops a web-based portal for information and application, as well as for ranking the foreign students who are applying to higher schools in Republic of Bulgaria, in accordance with acts of the Council of Ministers.

A decision is also provided for cases involving candidate students who have been students in foreign schools in the last years of their studies – when the grade of a state matriculation examination in Bulgarian language and literature is involved in the formation of the competition rating, but in the diploma for the secondary education of the person there is no such grade, according to the decision of the Academic Council of the higher school and for some specialties instead of it, the arithmetic average grade can be taken from the matriculation examination in the relevant foreign language, studied in the state where the education was obtained.

Decree No. 64 of the Council of Ministers of 2016 on the conditions and procedure for approving the number of students and PhD students admitted to public higher schools and for the adoption of the List of Priority Professional Fields and the List of Protected Specialties

The changes made in the decree shorten the deadline for submitting applications from higher schools for the number of students and PhD students admitted to public higher schools for which education the state provides funds for the upcoming academic year, with the new deadline being up to 10 February instead of the current one until February 20.

It is envisaged that the number of students and PhD students admitted to public higher schools and professional fields to be determined as the product of the maximum number of admitted undergraduate and doctoral students in the relevant professional field in all public higher schools and a distribution coefficient for each higher school for the relevant professional field.

The amendments and supplements to the decree will continue to regulate the admission, respectively, the financing of certain professional fields in which a higher school fails to compete successfully with the other schools. This will motivate the higher school to focus efforts mainly on the professional fields in which the training is with sufficiently high quality and good student realization.

The maximum admissible number of students and PhD students enrolled in the relevant professional fields for all public higher schools is determined on the basis of the policy for determination of the optimal total number of enrolled students and PhD students for whom the state provides funds for education related to number of the graduates of secondary education in the respective school year and linking the profile structure of higher education to the needs of the labor market and the society.

The leading factor in determining admission to public higher schools for which the state provides funds for education is the assessment of labor market needs at national level. The maximum admissible number of students and PhD students in each professional field is a fraction of the total number determined on the basis of the number of graduates of secondary education in the respective academic year and linking the profile structure of higher education to the needs of the labor market and the society. This will provide both predictability of the intake and an opportunity to forecast the expected personnel, which will be realized in the labor market in specific periods. In this way, in the medium term, the state will not spend money for the maintenance of education in specialties for which there is no possibility for full realization of the acquired higher education.

A Methodology for determination of the distribution coefficient for each higher school by professional field has been developed. Due to the changes introduced in the Methodology, the admission into the state higher schools by professional fields and specialties from the regulated professions is distributed in a more efficient way, in accordance with the state policy for linking the higher education structure of the higher education with the needs of the labor market and the society. The admission for each higher school in a given professional field is still functionally dependent on the quality of the provided education but it is also bounded to the determination of the number of students enrolled in the same professional field in the other public higher schools and is part of the total number of students determined as necessary for the national economy.

Decree No. 162 of the Council of Ministers of 2001 for establishing a differentiated standard for support of education per student in professional fields

The amendment of the decree changes the coefficients by groups of professional fields by which the basic standard for support of education is multiplied, as follows:

• The coefficients for the professional fields "Pedagogy", "Pedagogy of training in ..." and "Theory and management of education" for the first year are increased from 1.25 to 1.60;
• The coefficients for the professional fields "Economics", "Administration and Management" and "Tourism" for the first year are increased from 1.15 to 1.60;
• The coefficients for professional fields "Sociology, Anthropology and Cultural Sciences", "Philology", "History and Archeology", "Philosophy", "Religion and Theology", "Psychology", "Social Activities", "Law", "Public Communications and Information Sciences", "Political Science" for the first year are increased from 1.85 to 2.00;
• The coefficients for the professional fields "Mathematics", "Informatics and Computer Sciences", "Biological Sciences", "Chemical Sciences", "Physical Sciences", "Earth Sciences", "Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Automation", "Mechanical Engineering"," Communication and Computer Engineering", "Energy", "Transportation, Navigation and Aviation", "Architecture, Construction and Surveying", "Exploration, Extraction and Processing of Minerals", "Metallurgy", "Chemical Technology", "Biotechnology", "Food Technology", "Forestry", "General Engineering" and " Materials and material science" for the first year are increased from 2.80 to 3.00;
• The coefficient for the professional field “Public Health” for the first year is increased from 2.40 to 2.50;
• The coefficients for the professional fields "Plant", "Plant Protection" and "Livestock" for the first year are increased from 4.80 to 5.00;
• • The coefficient for the professional field “National Security” for the first year is increased from 2.80 to 3.00, with the exception of the education provided at the Military Academies, Higher Military Schools and the Academy of the Ministry of the Interior, for which the same coefficient is 7.81;

Decree No. 328 of the Council of Ministers of 2015 for determination of funds from the state budget for the support of education in public higher schools according to a complex assessment of the quality of education and its compliance with the needs of the labor market

With the changes in the decree are refined individual elements and the mechanism for differentiated funding, maintaining the concepts in the Higher Education Act and the secondary legislation. The Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2014-2020 foresees the share of the funds for the maintenance of education, which are received on the basis of a complex assessment of the quality of education and its compliance with the needs of the market of labor, to reach 60 percent in 2020. These parameters are set with the recent amendments to the Higher Education Act.

The complex assessment of the quality of education is formed on the basis of indicators with appropriate weight, grouped by main activities in education such as the educational process, research and realization on the labor market. The Bulgarian University Ranking System which is administered by the Ministry of Education and Science is used as the information base of the indicators. The complex evaluation includes indicators for which there is a complete, accurate and verifiable information.

With the changes in the decree continues the policy set out in the Strategy for Development of Higher Education for concentrating funding in professional fields and higher schools which have received a higher assessment of quality and compliance with the needs of the labor market, as well as restructuring to professional fields with expected future shortage of labor market personnel and promotion of profile optimization.

Decree № 90 of the Council of Ministers in 2000 on the terms and procedure for granting scholarships to students, PhD students and postgraduates from state higher schools and scientific organizations

With the changes in the decree are provided scholarships of 100 BGN to students who meet certain conditions regarding the results of the state matriculation exams and have been accepted for training in the year of obtaining secondary education in public higher schools for which the state provides funds for supporting the education in the specialties of professional fields "Pedagogy", "Pedagogy of training in ...", "Mechanical Engineering", "Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Automation", "Energy", "Transport, Shipping and Aviation”, “Materials and Materials Science”, “Exploration, Production and Processing of Minerals”, “Metallurgy”, “Chemical Technology”, “General Engineering”, and in the protected specialty “Hydro Engineering” from professional field “Architecture, Construction and Geodesy".

A restriction is introduced in the payment of scholarships to students, PhD students and postgraduate students - foreigners admitted to study at higher schools and scientific organizations in Bulgaria under intergovernmental agreements on educational, scientific and cultural exchange or by acts of the Council of Ministers, by further introducing the condition for them to be citizens of Republic of Albania, Republic of Kosovo, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Northern Macedonia, Ukraine and Republic of Serbia. The scholarships are 240 BGN per month and are paid monthly for 12 months.

Decree No. 103 of the Council of Ministers of 1993 on the implementation of educational activities among Bulgarians abroad

The amendments to the Decree introduce the participation of Bulgarian Sunday Schools abroad and of the overseas representations of the Republic of Bulgaria in the organization and implementation of activities for the admission of students, PhD students and postgraduate students - Bulgarians living outside the Republic of Bulgaria.

Exemptions from the tuition fees for all students admitted to Bulgarian public higher schools under Decree No 103/1993 are introduced, when they are from the following countries: Republic of Albania, Kosovo, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Northern Macedonia, Ukraine and Republic of Serbia.

There has been and update and expansion of the provisions on the terms and conditions for secondment and for the status of the Bulgarian teachers in Bulgarian language and literature, Bulgarian history, music, folk instruments, folk dances, etc. in foreign secondary and higher schools.

The students admitted in accordance with the decree during the first year of their education will also receive a training (language training) in Bulgarian language organized and conducted by the higher schools in departments that meet the requirements of the Higher Education Act.

Decree No. 44 of the Council of Ministers of 2019 on the provision of teachers of Bulgarian language and literature in foreign higher schools

The amendments to the Decree extend the scope of expenditure provided by the Ministry of Education and Science to public higher schools and scientific institutes, as to the already approved costs are included additional remuneration for the educational and scientific degree "doctor" or for a scientific degree "Doctor of Science" and for the gained work experience of the seconded teachers.

Decree No. 1 of the Council of Ministers of 2020 for adoption of an updated List of state-protected specialties of professions for the academic year 2020/2021 and an updated List of specialties in professions for which there is an expected shortage of specialists in the labor market, for the academic year 2020/2021

The updated List of state-protected specialties of professions for the academic year 2020/2021 and the updated List of specialties in professions for which there is an expected shortage of specialists in the labor market for the academic year 2020/2021 have been prepared with the participation of ministries and employers' organizations in accordance with the provisions of the Vocational Education and Training Act and in accordance with the defined criteria.

From the updated List of state-protected specialties of professions for the academic year 2020/2021 have been removed 5 specialties (technician of energy facilities and installations; technician for automation of continuous production; construction technician for transport construction; performer of thermal procedures and logistics forwarder) and 1 new specialty (art wood carving) is included.

From the updated List of specialties in professions for which there is an expected shortage of specialists in the labor market for the academic year 2020/2021 have been removed 3 specialties (clerk; polymer production employee; food industry employee) and 17 new specialties have been included (technician of energy facilities and installations; glassmaking worker; electric vehicle technician and installer; railway technician and installer and others).

Decree No. 3 of the Council of Ministers of 2020 on the establishment and functioning of a Mechanism for the assignment and implementation of scientific consultations by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The adoption of the decree creates a mechanism to regulate the assignment and implementation of scientific consultations by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in order to help improve coordination, to build a better connection between the academy and the state administration, the citizens and industry and to increase the impact of public funds invested in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The main objective of the mechanism is to provide timely high quality and independent scientific expertise for the benefit of the government on matters of strategic importance in formulating policies and instruments for the implementation of state policy and in transposing European directives. The introduction of the mechanism will also raise public awareness of the benefits of using scientific evidence and knowledge, will increase quality and will encourage the use of innovative solutions in administration.

2019

(October - December)

The National Assembly has approved after the first reading the draft Act for amending and supplementing the Higher Education Act, which is in line with the adopted Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2014 - 2020. The aim is to optimize and improve the higher education system, which should be able to respond to the dynamics of social processes through quality higher education and sustainable development. The development of each of the higher education institutions in cooperation and with the active support of the state is encouraged.

It is envisaged a National Map of Higher Education to be prepared, which will determine the territorial and profile structure of the institutional network. Until the adoption of the National Higher Education Card, which shall be done within one year after the adoption of the amendments to the Act, a moratorium will be established on the opening and transformation of higher education institutions and major units and branches in public higher education institutions, with the exception of their transformation for the purpose of consolidation and optimization.

In order to stimulate the higher education institutions to offer and the candidate students to seek training in professional fields and specialties leading to the acquisition of qualifications that meet the modern requirements and the demand of the real economy, the exemption from fees in the public universities is regulated. This will apply to higher education institutions performing training in professional fields and protected specialties with the highest expected shortage in the labour market and which are included in a list approved by the Council of Ministers.

Research oriented higher education institutions are designated – the status is acquired for 4 years by being included in an annually updated list approved by the Council of Ministers.

It is envisaged that the Minister of Education and Science will approve a policy for the development of each state higher education institution with strategic goals and objectives, targets and indicators for their implementation in interaction with stakeholders up to three months before the election of the higher education governing bodies. The Minister shall sing a management contract with the Rector selected by the General Assembly of the certain public higher school on the basis of this approved policy, which also contains specific values ​​and indicators, and the Rector shall submit an annual report on the fulfillment of the contract obligations. The aim is to ensure the sustainability of the approved policies, which should contribute to the development of the system at national level and have a specific regional commitment and contribution to the labour market. Another important element of the policy is the professional realization of the graduates and the career development of the academic staff, with particular emphasis on the young academic teachers.

To encourage the development of public higher education institutions, it is envisaged that the Council of Ministers adopts national programs, and their implementation activities will be financed in whole or in part by state budget funds. Changes are also proposed in the field of accreditation of higher education institutions and their professional fields in order to optimize the activities and the timelines.

To improve the link between the higher and the secondary education institutions and to improve the quality of the profiled, vocational and specialized training, it is possible to sign up to two agreements between a public higher education institutions and a state or a municipal schools in the system of pre-primary and school education. It is envisaged that the training will be in accordance with the agreed curricula and should be provided by persons occupying academic positions in the higher education institutions.

(April - September) 

The draft decision of the Council of Ministers on the number of students and doctoral students to be admitted in the universities and scientific organizations in the 2019/2020 academic year was adopted. Increased is the number of state subsidized places in professional fields with low level of interest or such that are of specific interest for the society and the economics – "Informatics and Computer Sciences", "Food Technologies", "Veterinary Medicine", "Mathematics".

There are 43,276 places for subsidized training for students at Bachelor's and Master's degrees and 2 249 for PhD students. Due to the expected shortage of teachers in mathematics, physics, information technologies, specialists in the agrarian sector and hydro engineers, the number of specialties in the pedagogical fields "Pedagogy" and "Pedagogy of training in ..." was increased for teachers of various subjects.

The sectors with the greatest growth in added value are related to electronics, electrical engineering, machine engineering, etc., which are also expected to have the highest growth in wages. For this reason, a number of measures are being taken: increased number of the students to be admitted, additional scholarships and higher funding for higher education institutions that train in areas with an expected shortage of specialists.

The number of students to be admitted is increased also in the field of medical science. Decreased is the number of places in areas in which students do not have successful professional realization, such as Administration and Management, Economics, etc. In 16 professional fields, which are not priority and are not amongst the traditional profiles for the certain higher education institution, nil admission was announced for the last two academic years.

With the amendment of the Decree No. 90 of 2000of the Council of Ministers, the amount of student scholarships for the duration of a student internship is consistent with the minimum wage in the country. The amount of intrinsic costs for conducting a student's internship is also determined. It is possible for higher education institutions to pay scholarships for conducting student internships beyond the practical training provided for in the curriculum, and the hourly rate for its conduct is updated.

The intrinsic costs include the costs of remuneration of the academic mentor of the higher education institution and of the mentor of the training organization (including all mandatory social security contributions), travel expenses of the academic mentors for the verification of practical training, the costs of student insurance during practice and others. Funds for providing scholarships to students and the intrinsic costs of conducting student placements are provided by own resources of higher education institutions or with funding from European Structural and Investment Funds.

A Medical Faculty was opened for the first time at the University “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov ” – Burgas. It will train doctors and specialists for the needs of the region - the system of emergency, pre-hospital and hospital medical care, dispensaries, public health centers, research institutes, occupational medicine services. The University has the necessary material and technical base for a quality educational and research process that meets the modern requirements for healthy and safe working conditions. In order to carry out the necessary clinical practice of the students from the Faculty, the University has envisaged to sign contracts with two hospitals in the city of Burgas.

The Council of Ministers has approved a draft Act amending and supplementing the Higher Education Act, which is in line with the adopted Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2014 - 2020. The aim is to optimize and improve the higher education system, which should be able to respond to the dynamics of social processes through quality higher education and sustainable development.

The development of each of the higher education institutions in cooperation and with the active support of the state is encouraged. It is envisaged a National Map of Higher Education to be prepared, which will determine the territorial and profile structure of the institutional network. Until the adoption of the National Higher Education Card, which shall be done within one year after the adoption of the amendments to the Act, a moratorium will be established on the opening and transformation of higher education institutions and major units and branches in public higher education institutions, with the exception of their transformation for the purpose of consolidation and optimization.

In order to stimulate the higher education institutions to offer and the candidate students to seek training in professional fields and specialties leading to the acquisition of qualifications that meet the modern requirements and the demand of the real economy, the exemption from fees in the public universities is regulated. This will apply to higher education institutions performing training in professional fields and protected specialties with the highest expected shortage in the labour market and which are included in a list approved by the Council of Ministers. Research oriented higher education institutions are designated – the status is acquired for 4 years by being included in an annually updated list approved by the Council of Ministers.

It is envisaged that the Minister of Education and Science will approve a policy for the development of each state higher education institution with strategic goals and objectives, targets and indicators for their implementation in interaction with stakeholders up to three months before the election of the higher education governing bodies. The Minister shall sing a management contract with the Rector selected by the General Assembly of the certain public higher school on the basis of this approved policy, which also contains specific values ​​and indicators, and the Rector shall submit an annual report on the fulfilment of the contract obligations. The aim is to ensure the sustainability of the approved policies, which should contribute to the development of the system at national level and have a specific regional commitment and contribution to the labour market.

Another important element of the policy is the professional realization of the graduates and the career development of the academic staff, with particular emphasis on the young academic teachers.

To encourage the development of public higher education institutions, it is envisaged that the Council of Ministers adopts national programs, and their implementation activities will be financed in whole or in part by state budget funds. Changes are also proposed in the field of accreditation of higher education institutions and their professional fields in order to optimize the activities and the timelines.

To improve the link between the higher and the secondary education institutions and to improve the quality of the profiled, vocational and specialized training, it is possible to sign up to two agreements between a public higher education institutions and a state or a municipal schools in the system of pre-primary and school education. It is envisaged that the training will be in accordance with the agreed curricula and should be provided by persons occupying academic positions in the higher education institutions.

(January - March)

The draft decision of the Council of Ministers on the number of students and doctoral students to be admitted in the universities and scientific organizations in the 2019/2020 academic year was prepared. It foresees increasing the number of state subsidized places in professional fields with low level of interest or such that are of specific interest for the society and the economics – "Informatics and Computer Sciences", "Food Technologies", "Veterinary Medicine", "Mathematics". There are 43,276 places for subsidized training for students at Bachelor's and Master's degrees and 2 249 for PhD students.

Due to the expected shortage of teachers in mathematics, physics, information technologies, specialists in the agrarian sector and hydro engineers, the number of specialties in the pedagogical fields "Pedagogy" and "Pedagogy of training in ..." was increased for teachers of various subjects. The sectors with the greatest growth in added value are related to electronics, electrical engineering, machine engineering, etc., which are also expected to have the highest growth in wages.

For this reason, a number of measures are being taken: increased number of the students to be admitted, additional scholarships and higher funding for higher education institutions that train in areas with an expected shortage of specialists. The number of students to be admitted is increased also in the field of medical science. Decreased is the number of places in areas in which students do not have successful professional realization, such as Administration and Management, Economics, etc.

In 16 professional fields, which are not priority and are not amongst the traditional profiles for the certain higher education institution, nil admission was announced for the last two academic years. Proposals for amendments to the Higher Education Act were drafted, which foresee students who have chosen areas with an expected shortage of the labour market not to pay any fees. These are: mathematics, chemical technologies, materials and material science, pedagogy of training in ..., religion and theology, energy, physics and chemical sciences.

By a Decree of the Council of Ministers amending and supplementing the normative acts of the Council of Ministers, amendments and supplements were made to Decree No. 328 of the Council of Ministers of 30 November 2015 on the determination of the state budget for the maintenance of the education in the public higher education institutions from a comprehensive assessment of the quality of training and its compliance with the labour market needs; Decree No 162 of the Council of Ministers of 2001 on the setting of differentiated standards for the maintenance of training for one student in professional fields; Decree No. 90 of the Council of Ministers of 26.05.2000 on the terms and conditions for granting scholarships to the students, doctoral students and specialists from the public higher schools and scientific organizations; Decree № 64 of the Council of Ministers of 25.03.2016 on the conditions and order to determine the number of students to be admitted for training in the public higher schools and for adopting a list of priority professional fields and a list of protected specialties.

Specific elements are stated in Council of Ministers’ Decree No. 328/2015 and the differentiated financing mechanism is improved, maintaining the concept laid down in the Higher Education Act (HEА) and by-laws. The Plan for Implementation of the Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in the Republic of Bulgaria for the period 2014-2020 foresees the share of the training maintenance funds (which is obtained on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the quality of the training and its correspondence with the needs of the labour market) to grow to 55 percent in 2019 and reach 60 percent in 2020. These parameters were set by the latest amendments to the HEA.

The comprehensive assessment of the quality of education is formed on the basis of indicators with corresponding weight, grouped by main activities in education as a learning process, research and realization in the labour market. For the information base of the indicators is used the Bulgarian Universities Ranking System, administered by the Ministry of Education and Science. The complex assessment includes indicators for which complete, accurate and verifiable information is available.

A change was made in the methodology for determining the coefficient of the higher education institutions by professional fields, by increasing the weight of the accreditation assessment coefficient, a change in the calculation of the coefficient for scientific research in certain higher education areas such as Social, Economic and Legal Sciences and Humanities, including Health Care, Public Health and Theory and Management of Education.

The training in the above-mentioned higher education areas and professional fields is characterized by a pronounced low intensity of research activity and low citation, which leads to the need of changing the basis of the calculations in order to achieve an equal level with the other professional fields under this indicator.

It is proposed to modify the labour market realization coefficient in the part of increasing the weight of the indicators. A number of other factors are being advanced, aiming to promote strategies for profiling optimization and specialization of the public higher education institutions.

In the Council of Ministers’ Decree No. 162 of 2001 for determining differentiated norms for the maintenance of education for one student in professional fields are proposed changes the coefficients for specific professional fields. The proposals made are an expression of the efforts to increase the public spending efficiency in the higher education system. The necessity of correcting the ratios in the norms between different professional fields arises from imbalances in the state financing.

The change in the Council of Ministers’ Decree No. 90 of 2000 on the terms and conditions for granting scholarships to students, postgraduates and specialists from the public higher schools and scientific organizations concerns the increase of the scholarships amount for students from the Bulgarian communities abroad, citizens of the Republic of Northern Macedonia and foreign students admitted under intergovernmental agreements for educational, scientific and cultural exchanges. Most of these students come from areas with low standard of living.

With the amendments to the Council of Ministers’ Decree No 64 of March 25, 2016, the different fields of higher education, with the exception of eight of them, are divided into 4 groups, depending on the assessment obtained on the respective indicators, weighting factors are determined for the number of students to be admitted for state funded training.

As a result of these actions in the medium term, the labour market is expected to be highly equipped with the necessary staff who have acquired higher education in the specialties of certain fields. The admission of students to all non-priority professional fields, except for Sociology, Anthropology and Culture Studies and Social Activities, should be limited in medium term due to difficulties of the professional realisation or saturation of the labour market.

In the list of protected specialties is added the specialty Hydro Engineering from the professional field Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy. Defining it as a protected specialty is important nationally, given the emerging need for highly qualified specialists in recent years in relation to certain meteorological and climatic situations. This is important not only for the competent exploitation of the water basins and the safety of the population, the economic infrastructure and the environment, but also has a direct relation to the national security.