© Published by the International Relations Department, 2016 Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski GUIDE FOR INCOMING 15, Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd 1504 Sofia, BULGARIA ERASMUS STUDENTS e-mail: [email protected] http://www.uni-sofia.bg/index.php/eng/international_relationsOhridski Academic year 2016/2017 SOFIA UNIVERSITY ST. KLIMENT OHRIDSKI This Guide has been elaborated and published by the International Relations Department at Sofia University with the financial support of the European Commission thru Erasmus+ Programme. The publication reflects the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. ERASMUS Guide ERASMUS Guide CONTENTS WELCOME NOTE 1 ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY 2 Brief history 2 Administrative structure of the University 3 Faculties 4 University campuses 5 University Libraries 8 University Publishing House 18 Alma Mater TV 19 Theatre-laboratory “@lma @lter” 19 University Museums 20 Department for Language Teaching 21 Sports Facilities 22 Facilities for Disadvantaged people 23 System of Education 25 Academic calendar 26 ERASMUS PROGRAMME AT SOFIA UNIVERSITY 27 Overview 27 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) 31 Grading system 32 IRO and Faculty Coordinators 33 BULGARIA AT A GLANCE 35 THE BULGARIANS 42 TRAVELLING OVER THE COUNTRY 49 THE CITY OF SOFIA 54 HOW TO PREPARE YOUR STUDY 61 Before your Arrival 61 Before your Departure 62 Visas and Residence permits 62 Accommodation 63 Canteens 64 Transport 64 Health Insurance 67 Costs of living 68 Mobile operators and Internet providers 69 ERASMUS STUDENTS NETWORK (ESN) 70 USEFUL LINKS AND CONTACTS 72 International Relations Offi ce Visiting Hours: Monday – Friday (10:00 am – 12:00 am) Sofi a University, Rectorate 15, Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., fl oor 1, rooms 5 and 19 [email protected]fi a.bg WELCOME NOTE Dear Erasmus Student, The Team of the International Relations Offi ce has the pleasure to welcome you at Sofi a University St Kliment Ohridski! We would like to provide you with practical information that could be necessary during your study as an Erasmus student. We hope this information will be helpful to you and we would like you to know that we are always at your service to help you and make your participation in Erasmus Student Mobility easier and enjoyable! We wish you a fruitful, exciting and unforgettable mobility period at Sofi a University! 1 ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY Brief history Founded in 1888 Sofi a University was named after Saint Clement of Ohrid, a medieval Bulgarian scholar, who was also the fi rst bishop to preach in the Old Bulgarian language. Sofi a University is the oldest school of higher education in the country. Its birth date is October 1, 1888, when the Higher Pedagogical Class at the First Boys‛ High School in Sofi a was founded. The fi rst class consisted of 43 students, all male. Two thirds of them were scholarship holders. The 7 lecturers (4 of them working full time and 3 part time) all had European degrees and scholarly achievements. A law passed on December 18th, 1888 transformed the Higher Pedagogical Class into a School of Higher Education. The fi rst elected Rector was Alexander Theodorov – Balan, who had degrees from the universities of Prague and Leipzig and a doctorate from Prague University, and taught linguistics, dialectology and Slavic philology. In 1891 the fi rst class of 34 students graduated from the Department of History and Philology and the next year a class of 23 graduated from the Department of Physics and Mathematics. In 1892 a third department – the School of Law – was founded, with 67 students and professors. At the end of 1894 a royal decree approved a Law of Higher Education and the departments became faculties. The Faculties of Medicine and Theology were added to the School of Higher Education and in 1904 it was transformed into a University. Saint Clement of Ohrid (840 – 916) was a medieval Bulgarian saint, scholar, writer and enlightener of the Slavs. He was the most prominent disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius and is often associated with the creation of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic scripts, especially their popularization among Christianized Slavs. He was the founder of the Ohrid Literary School and is regarded as a patron of education and language by some Slavic nations. He is regarded to be the first bishop of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, one of the seven Apostles of the Bulgarian Empire (Bulgaria), the patron saint of the Republic of Macedonia, the city of Ohrid and the Macedonian Orthodox Church. 2 Administrative structure of the University 3 Faculties https://www.uni-sofia.bg/index.php/eng – The University - FaculƟ es Name Address Phone/Fax Transport Buses 9, 84, 94, 280, (+359 2) 987 62 92 306 Faculty of 1504 Sofi a, 15 Tsar (+359 2) 930 82 23 Trolleybuses 1, 2, 5, 8, History Osvoboditel Blvd. (+359 2) 946 30 22 4, 11 Underground Line 1 Buses 9, 84, 94, 280, (+359 2) 987 10 46 306 Faculty of 1504 Sofi a, 15 Tsar (+359 2) 930 83 51 Trolleybuses 1, 2, 5, 8, Philosophy Osvoboditel Blvd. (+359 2) 943 44 4 4, 11 Underground Line 1 * Some of the departments of the Faculty are located at Buses 84, 280 4th Kilometer Campus - 125, Tsarigradsko shosse Blvd., bl. Tramway 20 1 & 4 Trolleybuses 4, 5, 8, 11 Buses 9, 84, 94, 280, Faculty of 1504 Sofi a, 15 (+359 2) 930 83 81 306 Classical Tsar Osvoboditel (+359 2) 846 82 90 Trolleybuses 1, 2, 5, 8, and Modern Blvd. (+359 2) 846 51 43 4, 11 Philology Underground Line 1 Bus 74 * Some of the departments of the Faculty are located Tramways 8, 10 at the Centre for Eastern Languages and Cultures, 79, Trolleybuses 1, 5 Todor Alexandrov Blvd. Underground Line 1 Buses 9, 84, 94, 280, 1504 Sofi a, 15 (+359 2) 987 10 68 306 Faculty of Tsar Osvoboditel (+359 2) 930 83 89 Trolleybuses 1, 2, 5, 8, Slavic Studies Blvd. (+359 2) 988 14 42 4, 11 Underground Line 1 Buses 9, 84, 94, 280, 1504 Sofi a, 15 306 (+359 2) 930 85 77 Faculty of Law Tsar Osvoboditel Trolleybuses 1, 2, 5, 8, (+359 2) 944 32 93 Blvd. 4, 11 Underground Line 1 Buses 9, 84, 94, 280, 1504 Sofi a, 15 306 Faculty of Tsar Osvoboditel (+359 2) 930 85 26 Trolleybuses 1, 2, 5, 8, Education Blvd. 4, 11 Underground Line 1 Faculty of (+359 2) 872 08 93 1574 Sofi a, 69A Preschool and (+359 2) 970 62 01, Buses 1, 3, 5 , 6, 9, 11, 75 Shipchenski Primary School 970 62 02, 970 62 03 Tramway 20 Prohod Str. Education (+359 2) 872 23 21 4 Faculty of Journalism 1000 Sofi a, 49 (+359 2) 930 82 02 Tramways 20, 22 and Mass Moskovska Str. (+359 2) 986 17 24 Trolleybuses 1, 2, 4, 11 Communication Faculty of 1164 Sofi a, 5 (+359 2) 816 15 00 Buses 67, 88, 94, 102, Mathematics James Bourchier (+359 2) 868 71 80 120 and Blvd. (+359 2) 868 71 80 Tramways 10, 18 Informatics 1164 Sofi a, 5 Buses 67, 88, 94, 102, Faculty of (+359 2) 816 14 47 James Bourchier 120 Physics (+359 2) 962 52 76 Blvd. Tramways 10, 18 Faculty of 1164 Sofi a, 1 Buses 67, 88, 94, 102, (+ 359 2) 816 14 23 Chemistry and James Bourchier 120 (+ 359 2) 962 54 38 Pharmacy Blvd. Tramways 10, 18 1164 Sofi a, 8 (+359 2) 865 66 41 Buses 72, 76, 204, 604 Faculty of Dragan Tsankov (+359 2) 816 73 00 Tramways 10, 12, 18 Biology Blvd. (+359 2) 865 66 41 Underground Line 1 Buses 9, 84, 94, 280, Faculty of 1504 Sofi a, 15 306 (+359 2) 930 83 85 Geology and Tsar Osvoboditel Trolleybuses 1, 2, 5, 8, (+359 2) 944 64 87 Geography Blvd. 4, 11 Underground Line 1 Faculty of 1407 Sofi a, 1 (+359 2) 868 71 40 Buses 9тр, 88, 120 Medicine Kozyak Str. (+359 2) 962 47 71 1000 Sofi a, 19 Faculty of (+ 359 2) 989 01 15 Tramways 5, 8, 10, 12, 18 Sveta Nedelya Theology (+ 359 2) 987 25 25 Underground Line 1 Sq. Faculty of 1113 Sofi a, 125 (+359 2) 873 83 10 Buses 84, 280 Economics Tsarigradsko (+359 2) 873 99 41 Tramway 20 and Business Shose Blvd., bl.3 Trolleybuses 4, 5, 8, 11 Administration Department of 1111 Sofi a, 27 Kosta Buses 9, 72 (+359 2) 872 20 41 Language Teaching Lulchev Str. Tramway 20 Prof. Ivan Tramway 5 (+359 2) 856 49 82; Duychev Centre 1618 Sofi a, 18 Prof. 955 45 47; for Slavo- Ivan Duychev Str. 856 30 66 Byzantine Studies University campuses The main building of the University (The Rectorate) is one of Sofi a‛s architectural landmarks. It is designed by the Bulgarian architect Yordan Milanov, who based his conception on the design 5 initially proposed by the French architect Henri Breasson. The construction started on June 30th, 1924, and the building was offi cially opened on December 16th, 1934. The funding came from the donation made by the brothers Evlogi and Hristo Georgiev, the University‛s fi rst and biggest benefactors. The Georgiev brothers bequeathed money and land for the construction of a building to house the country‛s higher educational establishment “where the future generations can learn to value, protect and make good use of the blessings that have come upon Bulgaria in these happy times of ours.” The bronze statues of Evlogi and Hristo Georgiev, the work of the sculptor Kiril Shivarov, can be seen on the sides of the main entrance.