Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"

Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski is the first institution of higher education in Bulgaria. The first step towards its foundation was the opening of a Course in Pedagogy at the First Secondary School for Boys in Sofia in 1887. Due to the success of this teacher-training course,the National Assembly issued a decree at the end of 1888, transforming the course into a School of Higher Education. In 1904 a decree by Prince Ferdinand turned it into a university that was given the name of St. Kliment Ohridski a year later.

For more than a century Sofia University has been the national foremost centre for university education and research in both fundamental theoretical and applied areas. Today it is the largest university in the country with 88 degree programmes offered by 16 faculties.

International relations have a special place in the University’s global strategy as they considerably stimulate research, and support and improve the quality of teaching. Sofia University has contracts with more than 80 universities of different countries, thus facilitating a wide variety of joint international projects and multilateral professional contacts with colleagues from all over the world.

During the academic 1999/2000 the University signed a contract to join the Socrates Programme of the European Commission. It has since held a leading position among universities in the country, with the highest rate of student and staff mobilities and the most significant contribution to the maintenance of European standards in higher education.

By signing the new Erasmus Charter in 2007 and the acceptance of Bulgaria in the European Union, the University will continue its active participation in the implementation of the opening new vistas educational programme of the EU Lifelong Learning.