General Information for Students

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

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.

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

• 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

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

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; • oxford reference online: premium collection - electronic dictionaries and encyclopedias, journals of the Oxford University Press; • oxford scholarship online - E-book editions of Oxford University Press.

International Programmes

International cooperation is a tradition, which the International Business School is proud of.

IBS has won international recognition and prestige as a result of the fruitful cooperation and synergy with our international partners, of our active participation in international organizations.

IBS implements internationally-oriented research activity, joint projects and programmes that carry out research and training work in cooperation with leading international companies and organizations from Europe and worldwide.

IBS’s membership in national and international business organizations: • CEIBG - Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria. • NIBS - Network of International Business Schools • ELA - European Association for Education Law and Policy • GUIDE - Association - Global Universities in Distance Education • EDEN - European Distance and E-learning Network

Practical information for exchange students

International Business School is located in Botevgrad, a town relatively close to Sofia. Botevgrad (Bulgarian: Ботевград), is a town in western Bulgaria. It is located in Sofia Province and is close to Pravets. Botevgrad is situated at a 47-km-distance from Sofia. The Distance Learning Centre of IBS is situated in the city of Sofia, which is the capital of Bulgaria and its largest city with a population of 1,3 mln. It dominates the country’s economic, political and cultural life. You can find more information here: http://www.sofia.bg/en/index_en.asp

How to Arrive in Sofia Sofia is the biggest transport center in Bulgaria with railway and highway routes from Eastern Europe to Istanbul and the Near East running through its territory. There are also many international bus lines and an international airport.

Time Zone Bulgaria abides by the East-European time, 2 hours ahead of Central European Time (the time of Greenwich Observatory in Great Britain) or EET (UTC+2). The Summer Time is EEST (UTC+3).

Climate There are four seasons in Bulgaria. The summer is hot (32-370C) and the winter relatively cold (- 100C). Spring and autumn are warm and very enjoyable, but we recommend you to take a coat or jacket with you.

Money Exchange The Bulgarian currency is called lev (Bulgarian: лев). Because of the Currency board in the country, the national currency is fixed to the German mark and 1 BGL is equal to 1 DEM and 1.955583 EUR respectively.

The preferable currencies for exchange are the USD and the German mark. The banks are usually open between 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. There are also lots of foreign exchange offices, working till 7-8.00 p.m. and also at the weekends. In Bulgaria you may use your international debit or credit card to draw money from cash machines in BGL but not in any other currency. If

7 you need bank transfers from banks in your country you should open an account in a Bulgarian bank.

You should never exchange money on the street or in front of a foreign exchange office or a bank through unknown individuals in order to prevent fraud.

Public Transport Trams, buses and trolley buses are the main public transport in Sofia. Tickets are sold at stations (stops), at newspaper stands and in some cases by the drivers. Tickets should be perforated in the vehicle. There are also seasonal tickets for one day, one week or a month for one route or for the whole city transport network and the prices vary accordingly. At present the price of a ticket is 1.6 lev (0,8 €). You can more information here: http://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/schedules One site we definitely recommend: http://www.bgmaps.com/en & https://www.google.bg/maps/

If you have a car it is advisable to park in a guarded park area.

There are many taxies in Sofia, provided mostly by private firms. It is advisable to hire those with the name of the firm and the phone number written on the car. You should also look for a sticker on the front or rear window of the car with the day and night charge rates per km as well as the initial charge. Both are around 0.88 levs per km (slightly higher at night).

Phone Services There are three mobile network operators: Mtel: http://www.mtel.bg/en Telenor: http://www.telenor.bg/en Vivacom: https://www.vivacom.bg/en/about/about-us/company/who-are-we

EMERGENCY NUMBERS 112 Fire Brigade 160 First Aid 150 Police 166

Cultural life Sofia offers great opportunities for leisure and entertainment. You may visit the National Art Gallery, the Sofia Art Gallery, the Gallery of Foreign Art. Tickets for concerts at reasonable prices are available for performances at the National Palace of Culture, the Bulgaria Music Hall, the Sofia State Philharmonic, the Sofia Opera House, the National Theatre “Ivan Vazov”, the Drama Theatre Sofia, the 199 Theatre etc.

Important information web-sites for Bulgaria: http://www.discover-bulgaria.com/ http://www.novinite.com/ http://www.bgmaps.com/

Other: Road service – 146, 91146 Mountain rescue service – 9632000 Central Bus Station – 0900 21000, http://www.centralnaavtogara.bg/index.php Central Railway Station – 9324190, Sofia Airport: http://www.sofia-airport.bg/default.aspx

Sports and leisure facilities

IBS offers sport complex, open to all the students of the University Community.

You can also join our Touristic Club “Vitosha Tulip” and visit interesting destinations. Tourist Club "Vitosha Tulip" promotes the development and popularization of tourism and outdoor activities in the country and abroad. The goal of the Tourist Club is to promote nature appreciation. See our FB page for more details.

Student associations

The Student’s Council is an autonomous body, which represents the student’s community of International Business School and defends the interests of those who study at the university The Student’s Council:

• organizes the participation of students in cultural, sports, creative, club and international activities;

• provides an opportunity for taking part in IBS’s governing bodies;

• informs students on any upcoming events and developments;

Contacts: https://www.facebook.com/ssmvbu