Veliko Tarnovo University opens its doors to guests from 29 countries

Being a student at the University of Veliko Tarnovo does not mean just education, but a memory for a lifetime. You leave a piece of yourself there and take with you countless unforgettable moments - this is how students in Veliko Tarnovo describe their university. But the university leaves a similar feeling of a supportive and even family environment among its guests from abroad - the participants in the 49th International Summer Seminar in Bulgarian Language and Culture. The seminar is being held from July 13 to August 2 at the "St. Cyril and St. Methodius" University of Veliko Tarnovo and this year there are about 80 participants, who have come from 29 countries on 4 continents.

Traditionally, the largest group is from countries such as Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Poland, France and Ireland. There are also participants from India, Egypt and South Korea. The majority of those who came to the summer seminar at the University of Veliko Tarnovo are students, but there are also doctoral students, university lecturers and teachers.

It is interesting that the group of people who came from abroad is expanding this year with other professions – software engineer, social media specialist, project manager, etc. They are attracted by the diverse program and the relaxed atmosphere created by the hosts. Just imagine how 80 foreigners from different nationalities and cultures dance to Bulgarian folk songs, read excerpts from popular contemporary authors in the original or translated into their language, and finally everyone prepares food to show part of the culture and cuisine of their country.

"The Bulgarian language is in the group of small languages, but our participants are captivated by its charm and uniqueness, as the majority of them study Bulgarian at the university where they come from. Others use Bulgarian in their work," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valeria Todorova from the University of Veliko Tarnovo, head of the 49th International Summer Seminar in Bulgarian Language and Culture, says.

The participants in the seminar have already become acquainted with the sights of the city of Veliko Tarnovo. They have visited the museum of the Constituent Assembly, the Archaeological Museum and the ethnographic collection "Sarafkina House", the church "Sts. 40 Martyrs", Tsarevets Fortress. They had the opportunity to see sites such as the Thracian tomb near Kazanlak, the mound "Golyamata Kosmatka" and the Museum of the Rose, as one of the days the program included a trip to Kazanlak, also known as the "city of roses" and the traditional production of rose oil in Bulgaria.

"But among the guests we also have some who came in previous years. And the participant who is coming for the 17th time in a row is Walter Elliott. He is now retired. We also have a participant from Egypt who is coming for the eighth or ninth time. He is a lecturer in Cairo. So, we have such participants who have really raised their level of language proficiency quite well during these years and come every year to learn more and more. There must be ambassadors of our language in order to awaken this curiosity about Bulgaria. And there must also be quite serious support from the Bulgarian state and from all of us so that spreading the Bulgarian language abroad can be enriched and developed."