The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) organizes an international interdisciplinary scholarly conference "Bulgarian-Croatian Dialogues. Times, Events, Individuals" to be held on June 25 and 26, 2024. The event is realized within the framework of the National Scholarly Programme "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad". Partners of the upcoming scholarly forum are the Department of Historical Sciences, the Institute for the History of Croatian Literature, Theatre and Music at the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Bulgaria. The conference aims at sheding more light on the nature, typology and development of the Bulgarian-Croatian relations with an emphasis on the time of the modernization processes, the formation of civil society (19th and 20th centuries), existing local traditions and external influences, individuals and places of memory.

The comparative, interdisciplinary research of significant cultural phenomena from the mutual historical and cultural chronicals between the two peoples is part of the work of the IBSCT-BAS projects "Society, State and Church in Bulgarians and Croats over the centuries" and "Bulgarian and Croatian Cultural Routes in Southeast Europe. Intersections and interactions".

The official opening of the international conference will take place on June 25, 2024 at 9:30 in Prof. Marin Drinov Grand Hall, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1, 15th November Street).

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On June 19, 2024, at 13:00, we invite you to the second public discussion of the project "Historical Chameleons", where there will be presented the concept of PATRONAGE RELATIONS. The event will be held at IBSCT-BAS on 45 Moskovska St. You can find more information at https://historical-chameleons.clada-bg.com/en/discussion-patronage-eng/

The discussion is organized within the framework of the IBSCT-BAS project "Historical Chameleons", part of the e-infrastructure for Bulgarian linguistic and cultural heritage CLaDA.BG. 

On June 15 and 16, 2024, the Institute of Balkan Studies with the Center for Tracology at the BAS, the Council for Foreign Bulgarian Studies at the Board of Directors of the BAS and the Association for Bulgarian Studies of the USA hosted the twelfth joint conference of Bulgarian and American scholars "Living Bridges Across Time".

A total of 43 established scientists and young specialists from Bulgarian and North American scientific institutes and universities participated in the scientific forum. The program included ten sessions, in which the subject of analysis and discussion were a wide variety of problems in the field of sociology, cultural studies, cultural anthropology, literature, linguistics and history, all related to Bulgarian-American relations.

The scientific forum was opened by the chairman of the Council for Foreign Bulgarian Studies at the Board of the BAS, corresponding member Prof. Alexander Kostov, DSc, who emphasized the importance of the event and the opportunity it provides to scholars of Bulgaria from all over the world to present their scientific discoveries. He also wished successful work to the participants, noting that it is the discourse between specialists that stimulates academic progress.

The director of the Association for Bulgarian Studies, Dilyana Ivanova Ziske, PhD, gave a solemn address to the participants and guests, who emphasized the role of such forums in the development of Bulgarian-American scientific relations.

Support for the organized academic event was also expressed by the national coordinator and scientific secretary of the BAS in the direction "Cultural-Historical Heritage and National Identity", Assoc. Prof. Elka Traikova, PhD.

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On June 15 and 16, 2024, the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Council for Foreign Bulgarian Studies at the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Association for Bulgarian Studies of the USA will hold the 12th joint conference of Bulgarian and North American scholars "Living Bridges Across Time". The event is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Bulgaria, celebrated in 2023.

The conference brings together scholars who research topics and issues of mutual interest in the Humanities – history, language, literature, ethnography, art history, archaeology, culture, etc. Participants from both countries contribute to the field of Bulgarian studies abroad. Projects, which are the result of exchange of experience and joint initiatives over the last decade will be presented.

The forum is organized within the framework of the National Scholarly Program "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad".

The conference will take place at 52, Shipcheski Prohod Blvd, building 17, Grand Conference Room.

PROGRAM

BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

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On June 10, 2024, an academic seminar with international participation "Spiritual and Cultural Heritage and Ethnic Identityinthe Balkans" was held. The event was organized by the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) in fulfillment of the tasks of the academic project "Ethnic, Religious and Minority Issues in the Balkans in 20th and 21st Centuries" of the Institute for Balkan Studies and Center for Thracology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with Reg. № 2412130 in the Registry of the Bulgarian Current Research Information System of the National Center for Information and Documentation (NACID).

The academic seminar was held in a hybrid form – in person in the IBSCT-BAS building and online via Zoom. Speakers were Miloš Rastović – Scholar-in-Residence at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, the United States of America, and Founder and President of the American Council for Eastern Europe, and Dr. Verzhin Hugasyan – Vice-Chairman of the Young Professionals (YP) of AGBU Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Prof. Dr. Golfo Alexopoulos, Director of the Institute for Russian, European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of South Florida, U.S.A. was a commentator of the event. The academic seminar was moderated by Prof. Dr. Nadia Boyadjieva, Doctor of Sciences in International Law and International Relations, affiliated with IBSCT-BAS, Head of the project "Ethnic, Religious and Minority Issues in the Balkans in 20th and 21st Centuries" and Chair of the Organizing Committee of the scholarly forum.

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This is a special edition published in implementation of a project for bilateral Bulgarian-Austrian cooperation, funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund. On the basis of archives and newly declassified documents, an in-depth systematic and comparative analysis of the processes taking place in bilateral relations during the Cold War period was made, systematizing the internal and external factors that had a significant impact. The trends in the field of bilateral relations, as well as the influence of the global structure of international relations on them, are scientificaly substantiated. The book is published in English and aims to reflect the point of view of a Bulgarian scholarly team on this extremely important topic, which is presented in parallel with the point of view of the Austrian colleagues from the joint project.

The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to a conversation with Dr. Aziz Shakir-Tash about his translations of the books by Petar Mutafchiev and Vera Mutafchieva and their reception in the Republic of Turkey. The event will take place on June 4, 2024 (Tuesday) at 15:00 in the IBSCT-BAS building (Moskovska Street No. 45).

Petar Mutafchiev (04.07.1883 – 02.05.1943) and Vera Mutafchieva (28.03.1929 – 09.06.2009) are prominent names in Bulgarian culture. With its significant research in the field of Byzantine studies and medieval studies, Petar Mutafchiev received well-deserved recognition not only in Bulgaria, but also abroad. Full professor at the University of Sofia, member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, corresponding member of the Slavic Institute in Prague, member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Doctor honoris causa of the University of Vienna from 20.03.1943, Petar Mutafchiev is also the recipient of several orders for his participation in the Balkan and Inter-Allied War.

Vera Mutafchieva is equally known as an Ottomanist, but also as a brilliant novelist and essayist. Her scholarly activity began at the Institute of History, afterwards she worked at the Institute of Balkan Studies in the period 1964-1979. She is the author of more than 35 fiction books, including "The Case of Jem" (1967), "The Book of Sophronius" (1978), "Foretold by Pagane" (1980). In 1997, the memoir about her father, “Unraveling Your Father. An attempt at a biography of Petar Mutafchiev" was published.

Aziz Shakir-Tash is a poet, translator and Arabist. He is a second-level (R2) researcher at the Department of Arabic Studies and Semitology of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". He is author of the books "Reason for the Sky" (1993); At 22 & Rain Apocrypha (2004, 2007); "Adrianopol'dan Edirne'ye" / "From Adrianople to Edirne" (2007). Among his artistic translations stand out the books of Kemal Yozer, of anthologies of contemporary Palestinian and Kuwaiti poetry, his translations into Turkish of "Life and suffering of the sinful Sophronius" & "Book of Sophronius" by Vera Mutafchieva and "Book of Bulgarians" by Peter Mutafchiev (IC Zhanet 45, 2006).

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The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to an academic seminar with international participation "Spiritual and Cultural Heritage and Ethnic Identity in the Balkans".

Speakers
Miloš Rastović
Scholar-in-Residence at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, the United States of America, and Founder and President of the American Council for Eastern Europe
Topic: Spiritual and Cultural Heritage Sites of Serbia After WWII

Verzhin Hugasyan, PhD
Vice-Chairman of the Young Professionals (YP) of AGBU Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Topic: Preservation of the Material and Spiritual Heritage of the Armenian People and the Role of Armenian General Benevolent Union YP (Young Professionals) Plovdiv

Commentator
Prof. Golfo Alexopoulos, PhD
Director of the Institute for Russian, European, and Eurasian Studies at the University of South Florida, U.S.A.

Moderator
Prof. Dr. Nadia Boyadjieva, Doctor of Sciences in International Law and International Relations
Institute for Balkan Studies with a Center for Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

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The fifth interdisciplinary PhD student forum with international participation, organized by the Training Center of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and its Career Center, was held from April 16 to 19, 2024 in the city of Kyustendil. The event was realized with partial support from the National Scholarly Program "Development and Promotion of Bulgarian Studies Abroad", funded by the Ministry of Education and Science.

Over 70 PhD students from Bulgaria, Germany, Moldova, Greece, Albania and Kazakhstan presented their research in the form of oral presentations and posters.

Kaloyan Konstantinov, PhD student of the IBSCT-BAS, was awarded for his paper entitled "Iran's Influence in the Western Balkans".

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The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to "CHRISTIANITY AND POETRY. A conversation with Kalin Mihaylov, Tony Nikolov and Rumen Stoyanov". The event will be held on May 21, 2024 (Tuesday) at 15:00 in the building of IBSCT-BAS (Moskovska Street No. 45).

The focus will be on the books "Untimely Christianity: Hearing the Bible in a Secular Age" by Sir Michael Edwards (translated by Tony Nikolov. Sofia, 2023), the poetry books "Two Years - Two Days" (2023) and "Photographer of Clouds" (2022) by Kalin Mihaylov as well as "Zlak" (2012) ) and "Zrak" (2015) by Rumen Stoyanov.

Sir Michael Edwards (born 1938) is an Anglo-French poet and literary critic. He has a PhD from Cambridge. His dissertation was about the work of Jean Racine. Sir Michael Edwards is considered one of the most important contemporary English Christian poets, for which he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2014. The main topics in his bilingual work are the connections between language, music, literature and the Bible.

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The Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Tracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS) is pleased to invite you to the public lecture of Assoc. Prof. Kalin Yordanov, PhD (IBSCT-BAS), entitled “Memory, Relics and Trophies: Notes on the Commemorative 'Cults' of Some of the Leaders of the Fourth Crusade”.

The event will be held on May 13, 2024 (Monday) at 18:00 in the building of IBSCT-BAS (Moskovska Street No. 45) and online: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86513444853

We look forward to your attendance!

This lecture is organized by the project "Going Through War: The Medieval Military Experience in the Balkans and Its Social Implications", funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund, contract No. KП-06-М70-3/15.12.2022

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. Dobriela Kotova, PhD (IBSCT-BAS) Introductions and Conclusions in the Constantine of Preslav's Uchitel'noe evangelie ('Didactic Gospel'): Sources and Inspirations.

The event is organised under the initiative Every Second Tuesday and will be held on May 14, 2024 (Tuesday) at 15:30 at the IBSCT-BAS (Moskovska Street No. 45).

We are looking forward to welcoming you!