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On February 7, 2025, a public lecture-discussion entitled “Cultivating influence: Cultural diplomacy between France and Bulgaria” was held in the Ivan Geshov Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. It was organized by the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) in partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria (DKI). This is the first in a series of events dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans, which are being implemented under the project “Cultural Diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st Centuries: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forward”, funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science.
The Vice President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member Prof. Dr. B.Sc. Evdokia Pasheva opened the forum and greeted participants and guests – representatives of the diplomatic corps and the cultural sector, established and young scholars, doctoral candidates and students. The Director of IBSCT-BAS Prof. Dr. Roumiana Preshlenova also addressed the attendees. The initiator and moderator of the event was Asst. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, Scientific Coordinator of the IBSCT-BAS and Head of the project.
The Director of the DKI Mrs. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova emphasized the fruitful cooperation between the institute she leads and IBSCT-BAS in recent years, prime example of which was the international conference “Cultural Diplomacy and the Balkans: Achievements and Challenges in the Present Time”, held on October 23, 2024 at the National Gallery.
Distinguished guests and speakers of the event were H.E. Joël Meyer, Ambassador of France to Bulgaria and Mr. Luc Lévy, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Action and Director of the French Institute in Sofia. They presented the evolution of the French concept of cultural diplomacy, pointed out specific initiatives and individuals who have contributed most to the promotion of the French language and culture in Bulgaria and of Bulgarian culture in France, and noted the challenges facing cultural diplomacy in the contemporary world.
Media appearances of Bisser Banchev, PhD affiliated with the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences regarding the mass protests in Serbia.
The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria is organizing a series of public lecture-discussions dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans.
The first of the series of events is on the topic "Cultivating influence: Cultural diplomacy between France and Bulgaria" and will be held on February 7, 2025 (Friday) at 10:00 in the Ivan Geshov Hall in the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (15 November Str., 1, 1000 Sofia). Special guests and lecturers will be H.E. Joël Meyer, Ambassador of France to Bulgaria and Mr. Luc Lévy, Director of the French Institute in Sofia.
The event will be held in English.
We look forward to seeing you!
This initiative is implemented as part of the Project “Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20thand 21stcenturies: Achievements, challenges, and the way forward”, funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria, contract No. КП-06-Н80/4 dated 07.12.2023.
On January 23, 2025, Ivan Petrov, PhD was a guest on the Bulgarian National Radio Program "About the Words". The interview was dedicated to the international scholarly conference "Emotions and Intellect: Representations in Balkan Languages and Cultures", organized by IBSCT-BAS and the Faculty of Slavic Philology of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" with the financial support of the Bulgarian National Science Fund.
An important highlight is the presentation of the two index dictionaries: Old Bulgarian-Greek and Greek-Old Bulgarian of the Constantine of Preslav's Didactic Gospel. They are published with open access in the digital library of the IBSCT-BAS website: https://balkanstudies.bg/en/biblioteka/речници.html
The entire interview is available here.
The aim of this scientific forum is to discuss different approaches to the study of the concepts of emotion and intellect as represented in the languages and cultures of the Balkans and neighbouring regions.
Both the emotional and the rational levels are enduring parts of the inner human being and have been a constant object of interest throughout the history of different civilisations. Our understanding of this non-material world is mainly based on the way it is represented in human language in its oral or written forms. Moreover, written culture has a particular interest in these matters, whether they are perceived in a religious (i.e. theological) perspective or as part of the perennial poetic narratives.
The temporal scope of the conference ranges from Classical and Late Antiquity, through the Mediaeval period, to Early Modernity and the Contemporary epoch. Although the main focus is on Balkan languages, proposals concerning the materiality of texts and their transmission and reception are also welcome.
The papers are going to be published in peer-reviewed journals – Linguistique Balkanique (Scopus), Starobălgarska Literatura (Scopus), and Philological Forum (Journal in the Humanitites for young scholars).
The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the public lecture of Assoc. Prof. Boris Popivanov, PhD (Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski") Youth in Southeast Europe: Political Attitudes and Political Divisions.
The event is organised under the initiative Every Second Tuesday and will be held on January 14, 2025 (Tuesday) at 16:00 in the IBSCT-BAS building (Moskovska Street No. 45).
We are looking forward to welcoming you!
The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the public lecture of Vasil Karadzhov, PhD (IBSCT-BAS) Controversial memory and cultural heritage: Buzludzha monument.
The event is organised under the initiativeEvery Second Tuesday and will be held on December 10, 2024 (Tuesday) at 17:00 in the IBSCT-BAS building (Moskovska Street No. 45).
We are looking forward to welcoming you!
A delegation of the Turkish Historical Society, headed by the President of the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye and the Chair Prof. Dr. Yüksel Özgen, paid an official visit to the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS). The distinguished guests presented the history and activities of the oldest and prestigious society for the Humanities in the Republic of Türkiye, founded by Kemal Atatürk. Possibilities for scholarly exchange between the two institutions and the signing of a memorandum of cooperation were discussed during the meeting.
The Institute for Balkan Studies and Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the second iteration of the round table “Obscured Balkans” – “The Allure of Radicalism". The event will be held on the 28th–29th of November 2024 in the Seminar Hall of IBSCT–BAS. This initiative is part of Activity B “Obscured Balkans”, project “Creation and development of “Heritage BG” Centre of Excellence“.
The round table will be officially opened by Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil., Corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences on the 28th of November 2024 (Thursday) in 10:00 AM.
The event will be held in hybrid form - live in the Seminar Hall of IBSCT–BAS, 45 Moskovska Street, 3rd floor, and remotely via ZOOM (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87451500263).
Program and abstracts (https://www.obscuredbalkans.com/round-table-2).
On November 21, 2024 (Thursday) at 10:00 in the building of the IBSCT-BAS (Moskovska Street No. 13) a round table "Peace and War on the Lower Danube in the Middle Ages" will be held. The scholarly forum is organized by the Medieval Balkans Department on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Prof. Vasilka Tapkova-Zaimova.
Prof. Dr. Ivayla Popova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Albena Milanova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladislav Ivanov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Dimov, Dr. Simeon Hinkovski, Dr. Angel Velinov, doctoral students of the Medieval Balkans Department Milen Petrov, Nikolay Zhelev and others will participate in the presentation of Prof. Tapkova-Zaimova's activities, memories of meetings with her and papers on the topic.
The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the public lecture of Paola Grasso affiliated with Ca' Foscari University of Venice (visiting young foreign scholar in Bulgarian studies under the National Scholarly Program "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad") The Old Bulgarian version of Gregory the Theologian's Oratio XXXVIII (On the Theophany, or Birthday of Christ): History and translation technique.
The event is organised under the initiative Every Second Tuesday and will be held on November 12, 2024 (Tuesday) at 15:00 in the IBSCT-BAS building (Moskovska Street No. 45).
We are looking forward to welcoming you!
The team of the project "Obscured Balkans" is launching a new initiative - "On the historical novel". A series of discussions are planned, which aim to direct public attention towards the historical novel and its influence on modern society. The first book to be discussed is Irina Vagalinska's MYSTERIES IN HERACLEA SYNTHICA. The event will take place on November 1, 2024 at the Finesse Gallery at 17, Hristo Belchev Street at 5:00 p.m.
The event is part of the activities of IBSCT-BAS and the "Obscured Balkans" project, realized within the framework of the “Heritage BG” Centre of Excellence”, and with special support of the Finesse Gallery.