A delegation of Confucius Institute – Sofia, led by Mrs. Aksinia Koleva, Director from the Bulgarian side and Prof. Chen Ying, Director from the Chinese side, paid an official visit to the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS). The guests were welcomed by Prof. Dr. Roumiana Il. Preshlenova, Director of the IBSCT-BAS, Corr. Member Prof. D.Sc. Alexandre Kostov, Chairman of the Scientific Council and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zorka Parvanova, Chairman of the General Assembly.

During the meeting, a memorandum of cooperation between the two institutions was signed and opportunities for joint initiatives were discussed.

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The Institute for Balkan Studies and Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is pleased to invite you to the round table “Own and Foreign”, which will take place on March 20–21, 2025, in the Grand Hall of the Institute (Sofia, 45 Moskovska Street). This academic forum will feature presentations on local and national practices, traditions, and ideas, examined in comparison with those of others - the different, the foreign. The discussion aims to frame the topic within a broad political, economic, cultural, and ideological context.

Following a double-blind peer review, selected papers will be considered for publication in the journal The Balkans, a periodic edition of the Institute focusing on cultural, historical, political, economic, and other issues related to the Balkans in their European and global context (https://www.balkani-bg.com/en/).

Programme

On March 6, 2025, a discussion of the project "Historical Chameleons" was held, dedicated to the concept of feudalism. The discussion was focused entirely on the problems of Bulgarian history, with participants paying much attention to the changing meanings of the concept in scientific literature, as well as its relevance today. First, the imposition of the term in Bulgaria after 1944 was outlined (Asst. Milen Petrov), and then its various aspects were sequentially examined, such as its use in Western Europe from the 15th to the 20th centuries. (PhD student Todor Todorov), classical notions of feudalism (Assoc. Prof. Nikola Dyulgerov, PhD), feudalism and Byzantium (Assoc. Prof. Georgi Dimov, PhD), feudalism in Ottoman history (Asst. Prof. Petar Dobrev, PhD), feudalism in Bulgarian historiography (Prof. Rumen Daskalov, DSc) and contemporary interpretations of the term, such as technofeudalism (Assoc. Prof. Zlatomira Gerdzhikova, PhD).

More information about the project and "feudalism" as a concept can be found on the "Historical Chameleons" website: https://historical-chameleons.clada-bg.com/discussion-feudalism/

The "Historical Chameleons" project is headed by a team from IBSCT-BAS, with support from the researchers of IICT-BAS and the Scientific Information Center "Bulgarian Encyclopedia"-BAS. The project is part of the national e-infrastructure KLaDa-BG.

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On March 11, 2025, a public lecture-discussion on the topic “Bridging Cultures: The Albanian View on Cultural Diplomacy” was held in the Ivan Geshov Hall of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. It is part of the series of events dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans, 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). The initiative is implemented as part of 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 of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The public lecture-discussion was opened by the Deputy Minister of Culture Assoc. Prof. Dr. Todor Chobanov, the Vice-President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Prof. D.Sc. Emmanuel Moutafov and the Project Manager, Assist. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, Scientific Coordinator of the IBSCT-BAS. The attendees were welcomed by the Director of DKI Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, who presented the successful cultural initiatives implemented between Bulgaria and Albania in the last years.

Special guest and lecturer was H.E. Inid Milo, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Bulgaria. In her presentation, she drew attention to the potential of the so-called small countries in the field of cultural diplomacy. She presented the most significant cultural events organized by the Albanian Embassy in Bulgaria and spoke about the upcoming initiatives in 2025. Ambassador Milo's presentation was met with great interest and sparked a lively discussion.

The event was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mario Ivanov, Scientific Secretary of the Cultural and Historical Heritage and National Identity Department of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Dr. Roumiana Il. Preshlenova, Director of IBSCT-BAS, Dr. Bobi Bobev, Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to Albania (1998–2006) and Kosovo (2010–2014), Mr. Yavor Koynakov, Senior Expert, Coordination of International Cultural Projects at DKI, scholars, university professors and students of the Balkan Studies major at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

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We are pleased to invite you to the public lecture-discussion on the topic "Bridging Cultures: The Albanian View on Cultural Diplomacy". It will be held on March 11, 2025 (Tuesday) at 15:00 in the Ivan Geshov Hall in the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1, 15 November Street, 1000 Sofia). Special guest and lecturer will be H.E. Inid Milo, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Bulgaria.

The event is organized in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria. It is part of a series of public lecture-discussions dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans.

We look forward to welcoming 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.

We are pleased to invite you to join the discussion of the concept of feudalism, which will be held on March 6, 2025, at 13:00 in the "Acad. Ivan Evstratiev Geshov" Hall in the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1, 15 Novembre Str.). The concept of feudalism and its contemporary interpretations will be presented by Prof. Rumen Daskalov, Assoc. Prof. Georgi Dimov, Assoc. Prof. Nikola Dyulgerov, Assist. Prof. Dr. Petar Dobrev, and PhD students Milen Petrov and Todor Todorov. Moderator of the event will be Assist. Prof. Dr. Eli Filipova.

The event is organized as part of the activities of the "Historical Chameleons" project, implemented by the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the scientific infrastructure CLADA.BG. More about the event and the project can be found at https://historical-chameleons.clada-bg.com

On February 25, 2025, the second of a series of public lectures-discussions dedicated to cultural diplomacy in Bulgaria and the Balkans 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). The initiative is implemented as part of 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 of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The event was opened by the Vice-President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Prof. D.Sc. Emmanuel Moutafov and by the Project Manager Asst. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova affiliated with the IBCTS-BAS. A greeting on behalf of the Director of the DKI Ms. Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova, was delivered by Mr. Iliyan Lolugov, Head of the Cultural Policy Department. The event was also attended by H.E. Inid Milo, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to Bulgaria and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mario Ivanov, Scientific Secretary of the Cultural and Historical Heritage and National Identity Department.

Special guest and lecturer was H.E. Jasna Ognjanovac, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Bulgaria. She made a presentation on the topic “The Soft Power of Cultural Diplomacy”, which was met with great interest by the audience and sparked a lively discussion.

During the event, special attention was paid to the exhibition Croats and Bulgarians through the Ages. Cultural Diplomacy and Interacademic Cooperation/Hrvati i Bugari kroz stoljeća. Kulturna diplomacija i međuakademska suradnja, prepared under the above-mentioned project. Last year, it was presented in the central foyer of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria on the occasion of the Day of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Service. In May 2025, the exhibition will be inaugurated at the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb and in other cities in Croatia.

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The Historical Chameleons Team from the Institute of Balkan Studies with Centre of Thracology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, proceeds with discussions of problematic historical concepts. We have selected socially significant concepts like “marriage” and “state” as well as the fundamental historical concepts “feudalism” and “barbarism”.

More information can be found on our website https://historical-chameleons.clada-bg.com/

Historical Chameleons is a project of the Institute of Balkan Studies with Centre of Thracology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, under the National Interdisciplinary Research E-Infrastructure for Bulgarian Language and Cultural Heritage Resources and Technologies CLaDA-BG.

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 second of the series of events is on the topic "The Soft Power of Cultural Diplomacy" and will be held on February 25, 2025 (Tuesday) at 15:00 in the Ivan Geshov Hall in the central building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1, 15 November Street, 1000 Sofia). Special guest and lecturer will be H.E. Jasna Ognjanovac, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Bulgaria.

The event will be held in English.

We look forward to welcoming 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 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.

Special 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.

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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 (1, 15 November Street, 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 welcoming 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.

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). 

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