General Information for Students
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General information for students: • Cost of living………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..2 • Accommodation………………………………………………………………………………………..…….….2 • Meals…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..2 • Medical facilities………………………………………………………………………………………….…....3 • Facilities for special needs students….…………………………………………………………..……3 • Insurance……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….3 • Financial support for students…………………………………………………………………………….3 • Student affairs office………………………………………………………………………………………….3 • Learning facilities……………………………………………………………………………………………….5 • International programmes………………………………………………………………………...……...6 • Practical information for exchange students……………………………………………………...7 • Sports and leisure facilities……………………………………………………………………………....11 • Student associations………………………………………………………………………………..………..11 1 Cost of living The cost of living in Bulgaria (Sofia) is less expensive than other European countries and is defined mainly by room rental prices, and money spent on food, transport, spare time, books and materials. Monthly expenditure ranges from 700 BGN to 1000 BGN (approximately from 350 € to 500 €), mostly depending on the type of accommodation that you use. For the first few days, you will need pocket money mainly to cover accommodation costs, transport passes, food, etc. Accommodation There are plenty of large hotels in Sofia with all the usual conveniences, good service and prices between 60 and 300 Euro per night. There are cheaper hotels but offering less comfort. The best option for foreign students is to rent a flat on a monthly fee. There are many flats in the center of Sofia with central heating and phone offered. The rent for such a flat varies from 300 to 500 Euro monthly depending on its comfort and location. You can find such a flat in the newspapers or through an agency. There are two local newspapers where you can look for a flat at a relatively low cost and without a mediator- “Pozvanete” and “Sofia Dnes”. If you use an agency, be prepared to pay half or a whole monthly fee for the service. In most cases the rent excludes expenses for electricity, hot and cold water, central heating, phones, that may cost another 50-100 EUR per month. Meals The Bulgarian national cuisine represents the traditions in cooking food established over Bulgaria’s 13-century history under the impact of various factors – geographical and climatic, culture, customs, lifestyle and religion, social and economic development, and the impact of other national cuisines. Typical for the Bulgarian national cuisine is the skillful combination of meat and vegetables or just boiled legumes and vegetables, as well as the respective type of fat, and as a result of that there are dishes with a high level of nutrition and a distinct taste and flavor. Spices are used moderately in respect to the type of the main product. Food stores work till 7-8 p.m. and the small private ones usually work on Saturdays and Sundays. If you buy in bulk you may visit the hypermarkets “Metro”, “Billa” and “Kaufland”. Most food and vegetables are almost at the same price as these in Western Europe. 2 Medical facilities Before coming to Sofia you should get in touch with your National Health Service in order to know the required documentation to be able to use our National Health System. There are many clinics, hospitals and private medical offices where you may ask for medical help paying in cash at quite reasonable rates. It is advisable to get medical insurance in one of the numerous Bulgarian insurance companies. To get help and advice you can visit International Office at IBS. Facilities for special needs students IBS has established an accessible environment for students with special needs, either independently or with a companion to: lecture halls and specialized study rooms. Insurance 1. Medical insurance According to the provisions of the Bulgarian Health Insurance Act and National Health System 2. Additional insurance that should cover various other insurance events. http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/setting-abroad/health-insurance/index_bg.htm http:// www.nhif.bg Financial support for students Students can participate in the Project “Students’ Scholarships and Awards”. Information on how to apply – registration, filling in the forms, etc. – you will find at: http://eurostipendii.mon.bg Student affairs office Service to students is carried by employees who register students, distributed textbooks, provide advice and guidance on various issues related to training. The aim of the administration in serving students is to provide appropriate information and guidance that will enable you to find solutions to all academic and administrative issues. • Choice of form and training programme • Applying for undergraduate programmes (requirements, documents and procedures) • Environment and conditions of learning • Registration of students for the semester • Receiving teaching materials and supplies • Completing administrative services and storage of information for students 3 • Informing students of their obligations related to the organization and conduct of teaching and training schedule • Establishing contacts between students and teachers • Providing information to prospective students • Providing information on training schedules for each course • Receiving requests and complaints of students • Issuance of certificates and official notices • Approval of requests for transcripts • Issuing individual protocols • Providing information on e-mail and telephone. Learning support for students is designed to answer your questions as quickly as possible. Administration department manager – DLC Galia Keremidchiyska +359 02 400 16 31 [email protected] Lydmila Vasileva +359 723 688 15 [email protected] Nely Ivanova +359 24001631 [email protected] Katia Topalova +359 24001630 [email protected] International Office The International Office is the Centre for all student and staff related international activities. It provides International student support, assistance in finding accommodation, immigration visas, manages international crisis. The aim of the administration in serving students is to provide appropriate information and guidance that will enable you to find solutions to all academic and administrative issues. + 359 2 400 16 36 138 Vasil Levski Blvd., DLC, Sofia 1527 Director Development and International Relations Department: Nadia Gaydarska E-mail: [email protected] + 359 2 400 16 44 4 138 Vasil Levski Blvd., DLC, Sofia 1527 ECTS Coordinator: Tzvetanka Zlatanova E-mail: [email protected] Tel. +59 723 688 22 14 Gurko Str., IBS, Botevgrad Erasmus Coordinator: Ralitsa Ilieva E-mail: [email protected] Tel. + 359 2 400 16 36 138 Vasil Levski Blvd., DLC, Sofia 1527 Accommodation Coordinator: Ralitsa Ilieva E-mail: [email protected] Tel. + 359 2 400 16 36 138 Vasil Levski Blvd., DLC, Sofia 1527 Learning facilities Тhe main headquarters of IBS is located in Botevgrad. The building consists of 20 lecture rooms, equipped with multimedia and projectors, 4 seminar rooms. Students are given the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the latest computer hardware and software products, as well as free Internet-access, in the 3 computer rooms with capacity of 45 seats. Students can use the Library and bookstore as well as a copy center. Modern language study rooms are at students’ disposal. The library provides quiet areas for studying and also offers common areas to facilitate group study and collaboration. The Distance Learning Centre is situated in the center of Sofia. The new business building is designed to fit students’ needs. There are 6 lecture rooms equipped with white boards, multimedia, and projectors. Students can use free Wi-Fi in the whole building as well as a computer room with 15 laptops. Library and Information Centre (LIC) is a service unit in the structure of the International Business School (IBS) and participates in building its information and communication infrastructure in order to create a comfortable information environment and access to national and global information resources. LIC provides a library of documents, databases and information - scientific, educational and professional training of students, teachers, postgraduates and staff. Its activity is regulated in accordance with "Rules of Organization and Operation of Library and Information Centre." NEW ACADEMIC BUILDING - DISTANCE LEARNING CENTRE: http://ibsedu.bg/en/page/105-New-academic-building-Distance-learning-centre 5 Useful Links National Library 'Cyril and Methodius " http: / /www.nationallibrary.bg/cgi-bin/e-cms /vis/vis.pl?s = &p = 0010001 & g = http: / /www.bg.cobiss.net /scripts /cobiss?ukaz =getid Research libraries Central Library of BAS http: / / aleph.cl.bas.bg/f/19jqc93qeq9uuq5yfpuqtgfqx8bichypdbexfhxhv4xr781vfr-02194? func = find-b-0 Specialized libraries Economic Library of the Institute for Market Economics and the Bulgarian Macroeconomic Association http: / /library.ime.bg / books / University libraries University Library of St. Kliment Ohridski University http: / /libsu.uni-sofia.bg/primosearch.html Jones International University, Colorado, USA http: / / www.jiu.edu / Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands http: / / opc4.nhtvmediatheek.nl: 1080/charset = iso-8859-1/db = 1/impland = y / lng = en / sid = 06242b95-1 / / Ariel University, Israel http: / / aleph3.libnet.ac.il / f? func = find-b-0 & local_base = uli02 & con_lng = eng Oxford • oxford english dictionary online - full text in English dictionary;