On October 11, 2018 the Assembly of academicians elected the Director of the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology - Prof. Alexandre Kostov, Dr. habil. corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS). His scientific contributions relate to the economic history of the Balkans in the 19th century and till the First World War, in particular on the peculiarities of modernization and Europeanization of the region.