MAXIMIZING COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES OF CROSS-BORDER REGIONS (THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION OF ROMANIA AND BULGARIA: PROBLEMS AND ISSUES) A Thematic Collective Book Devoted to the 50th Anniversary of St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo 2013 MAXIMIZING COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES OF CROSS-BORDER REGIONS (THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION OF ROMANIA AND BULGARIA: PROBLEMS AND ISSUES) © St Cyril and St Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, 2013 © Editor: Prof. dr. Vihren Bouzov, 2013 Format: 60/84/16 10,5 print quires Printed by “EX-PRESS” Ltd., Gabrovo ISBN 978-954-490 2 CONTENT Vihren Bouzov, New Prospects for Bulgarian-Romanian Cooperation..............................................................5 Marius Hriscu, The Universities A.I. Cuza from Iasi and St. Cyril and St. Methodius from Veliko Turnovo. Past and Present........7 I. ON THE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE COMMON EUROPEAN STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES Vihren Bouzov, “Europe 2020”: Some Problems of Development in Romania and Bulgaria.....................................................15 Flora Chipea, S. Stanciu, The European Social Fund (ESF): Presentation of the Project Practice Programme for Students........................22 Teodora Kaleynska, EU funded projects implementation in the municipalities of VelikoTurnovo oblast – challenges and risks (Financial period 2007-2012)........................................33 Marius Hriscu, A Threat to World Security: The Terrorist Organizations...........................................................................44 II. CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Cristina Frasie, Local Development in the Cross Border Area....................50 Angelina Markovska, Methodology of Citizen’s Participation in Local Governance and Cross-Border Activities ........................................60 Sebastian Chirimbu, The Balkans and the Cultural Interference at the Border of the European Civilization ....................................................73 III. TOWARDS A NEW SOCIAL AND ETHNIC MODEL Violeta Stoycheva, Educational Inequalities and Challenges to Minority Integration in Bulgaria in the Context of the EU Strategy 2020 ....................89 Venka Kouteva-Tsvetkova, Demographic Trends and Labour Market in Veliko Turnovo Region..............................................97 Daniela Tassevska, Model for Social Change, Social Independence of the Gypsies’ Children ............................................106 Dobrin Dobrev, A Critical Review of the Bulgarian Ethnical Model ........122 3 IV. LANGUAGE AND POLITICAL CHANGES Viorica Banciu, The Role of Foreign Languages in Developing International Projects............................................................132 Adina and Sebastian Chirimbu, Boundaries of Culture and Language in the Context of Globalization.............................................145 Jireghie Angela and Rodica Biris, Strong Influences of the Language Used by the Politicians upon Mass Media News and their Audience................................................158 About the authors ......................................................................................166 4 NEW PROSPECTS FOR BULGARIAN-ROMANIAN COOPERATION Prof. Vihren Bouzov, PhD Dean of Philosophical Faculty 2003-2011 St. Cyril and St. Methodius University, Bulgaria This thematically collective book is an overview of and a comment on certain new prospects for Romanian-Bulgarian co-operation. They are related to our inter-university collaboration on projects supported by European funds. Its publication highlights the successful completion of our joint international project MIS-ETC Code 408 “Maximizing Comparative Advantages of Border Regions”, Romania-Bulgaria Cross Border Cooperation Program 2007-2013 – 18 months (01.01.2011-01.07.2012), lead Partner – The University of Craiova, 486000 euro. Some of its authors are members of the team for this major project. Fulfilling the plan for work on it we have set up two Centers for Cross Border Studies, in Craiova-Romania and in Veliko Turnovo-Bulgaria. They are research institutions with activity oriented to monitoring of the impact of European integration on border regions and to providing data for and recommendations to various stakeholders in the two countries` cross --border regions and in national and European institutions. We have realized a common training program on problems of regional development. The results of our collaboration are published in five textbooks, one of them with recommendations in it, and in the Proceedings of a European Conference held in Craiova in 2011. Included in this book are also contributions by representatives of other Romanian academic institutions: The University of Oradea The University of Arad, The University of Iasi, The Romanian Academy of Sciences – Iasi Branch, and The Spiru Haret University in Bucharest. They are our partners in our joint work We have signed an agreement on cooperation with The Romanian Academy of Sciences– Iasi Branch, an Erasmus agreement with The 5 University of Oradea and The Iasi University. We would like to set up a permanent Bulgarian- Romanian team to work together in the search for solutions to problems facing our two countries. Romania and Bulgaria became members of the EU in 2007, but they still do not take advantage of this membership even at a satisfactory level. We are living in two countries ranking among the least developed ones in Europe trying to find a way out of the rampant economic and social crisis by neoliberal means. How can we change this situation for the better and what could be the role of academic cooperation in such a process? These are the most important issues of our collective research. I wish to express sincere thanks to the following persons for their valuable participation in our common work in the field of Bulgarian- Romanian academic cooperation: Florin Pasatoiu, project leader of the Project MIS-ETC Code 408 ( The University of Craiova) and to the team of experts from Bulgaria (Teodora Kaleynska, Angelina Markovska, Venka Kuteva-Cvetkova, Dimiter Cvetkov, Violeta Petrova, Tania Velikova) and to the Romanian part of it (Radu Petcu, Cristina Pasatoiu, Cristina Ilie-Goga, Cristina Frasie), Dan Simbotin and his team, (Romanian Academy-Iasi Branch), Viorica Banciu and Simona Stanciu (University of Oradia), Prof. Mircea Dumitru, Rector of The University of Bucharest, Prof. Romulus Brancoveanu, Dean of the Philosophical Faculty, The University of Bucharest and last but not least, Sebastian Chirimbu (The Spiru Haret University, Buharest)! 02.01.2013 6 THE UNIVERSITIES ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA FROM IASI AND ST. CYRIL AND ST. METHODIUS UNIVERSITY FROM VELIKO TURNOVO – PAST AND PRESENT1 Marius Hriscu Postdoctoral Fellow, Romanian Academy, Iaşi Branch Abstract. The Univerities Alexandru Ioan Cuza from Iasi and St. Cyril and St. Methodius from Veliko Turnovo are some of the most prestigious higher education institutions in Romania and Bulgaria. We intend to present the main landmarks of the past and present of these two universities. "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" celebrated this year, 152 years after its inauguration on 26 October1860. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University is the largest higher education institution in the country with ancient tradition and quality of teaching. A higher education institution ranked as in summer I made it a post-doctoral research training under the supervision of Professor Vihren Bouzov is the University St. Cyril and St. Methodius from Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria. In size and academic prestige, it was the second university in Bulgaria. It is currently ranked first in terms of fine arts and humanities. This year, University St. Cyril and St. Methodius in Veliko Turnovo will celebrate 50 years of existence. Keywords: “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Iaşi, „St. Cyril and Methodius” University, Veliko Turnovo, history, present, academic excellence. The Universities Alexandru Ioan Cuza and „St. Cyril and St. Methodius” from Veliko - Turnovo are some of the most prestigious higher education institutions in Romania and Bulgaria. In the following we intend to present the main landmarks of the past and present of these two universities. „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” celebrated this year, 152 years after its inauguration on 26 October 1860. At its inauguration entry was by invitation2. 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: “This paper was made within The Knowledge Based Society Project supported by the Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development (SOP HRD), financed from the European Social Fund and by the Romanian Government under the contract number POSDRU/89/1.5/S/56815.” 2 In The Fund of the Special Collections from Central University Library “Mihai Eminescu” I discovered the solemn inauguration of the University Program and Ticket - call on which Minister Mihail Kogălniceanu attended the festival - Fc 338, 339. 7 Attended this ceremony attended Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, who signed a decree establishing3 and Minister of Religious and Public Education, Mihail Kogălniceanu4. The University of Iaşi became the first modern institution of higher education in Romania and a symbol of national identity. When there were only three faculties establishment Law, Philosophy and Theology5. These three faculties of the University of Iaşi, for example in the academic year 1863 - 1864, taught a number of personalities such as Simion Bărnuțiu, G. Marzescu (Faculty of Law), Nae Ionescu, Titu Maiorescu (Department of Philosophy) Father Episcopal Vl. Suhopanu (Faculty of Theology)6. The first Rector was Professor Ion Strat, specialist