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".