САИМО

An online lecture on the topic "115 years of Bulgarian-Norwegian diplomatic relations" with guest lecturer Mr. Nikolay Gerov will be held on the 10th of February 2021 at 6:30 pm via Zoom.

Who is Nikolai Gerov?

Nikolay Gerov studied International Relations at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. He also has pedagogical and translation qualifications from Norwegian and Blgarian educational institutions. He has been working in the Norwegian migration services for 10 years and is currently an ambassador at the Kazakh Embassy in Norway. He speaks many languages, some of which are Norwegian, Danish and Swedish.

With extensive experience in the field of Bulgarian-Norwegian diplomatic relations, Mr. Gerov will enrich our knowledge on the cooperation between these two countries by introducing us to topics such as:

- Brief information about Norway. Similarities and differences between Bulgaria and Norway;

- Bulgarian-Norwegian relations from the Middle Ages to 1906;

- Bulgarian-Norwegian relations from 1906 to 1989;

- Bulgarian-Norwegian relations from 1989 to the present:

✓ migration, NATO, EU, child adoption and tourism;

✓ The Norwegian Financial Mechanism;

✓ The issue of Bulgarian children in Norway and the Norwegian Child Welfare Services.

This public lecture will answer many questions related to the current and the future state of diplomatic relations between the Scandinavian and the Balkan country. The event is suitable for students studying in the field of international and diplomatic relations, as well as for anyone who wants to enrich their knowledge in this field.

On the 3rd of December IRSSA presented a public online lecture via Zoom on the topic "The road to a career in the field of diplomacy" with guest lecturer Mr. Nikolai Gerov.

Mr. Gerov touched upon many interesting topics in his lecture, the most interesting being those that concerned the key factors in finding a job in the field of diplomacy, ethical issues when looking for a job in this field, internships in international organizations, embassies, ministries and other organizations on the diplomatic spectrum.

After the lecture, the participants had the opportunity to ask Mr. Gerov their questions which led to an interesting discussion related to the role and importance of humanitarian organizations for society, as well as the staff supporting the activities of these organizations. The key role of green diplomacy in the modern global world was discussed in detail, as well as the crucial importance of good preparation of diplomats for the process of negotiations.

The online lecture and the ensuing discussion were extremely useful for the young participants in the event, for which IRRSA expresses its deep gratitude to Mr. Nikolay Gerov.

Within two consecutive days /the 5th and the 6th of November 2020 / IRRSA together with the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute held online meetings between students of International Relations at UNWE and representatives of the diplomatic service.

On the 5th of November / Thursday / special guest of the online meeting was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs - Mr. Georg Georgiev. He acquainted the students with the opportunities and responsibilities offered by the diplomatic service. Mr. Georgiev shared advice from his practice and answered questions related to current events in the foreign policy and economic planning, both in the country and in Europe.

On the 6th of November / Friday /, the second day of the two-day virtual visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the students had the opportunity to meet with the Italian Ambassador to Bulgaria - H.E. Stefano Baldi, who shared his experience and explained key points about what it is like being a diplomat. He answered a number of questions related to diplomatic practice, the increasing digitalisation of diplomats' public communications and possible ways out of the crisis in Europe caused by COVID-19.

Both days were opened and moderated by Ms. Tanya Mihailova - Director of the Diplomatic Institute.

On the 26th of October IRRSA presented an online lecture on the topic “Education on anti-corruption. A UN programme. Can we fight corruption through education and how exactly can this be done? ” with guest lecturer Mr. Alex Petkov. The lecture was held via Zoom, provided by our partners from the National Youth Forum.

The event was opened with a few introductory words by the President of the Association - Veselin Tashev, and then the guest lecturer continued on.

Mr. Petkov briefly and straightforwardly defined what the unit where he currently works at (the “Corruption and Economic Crimes Unit” of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime) was doing. He presented how the unit itself works together with individual member states and various anti-corruption programmes.

It was explained how the topic of the fight against corruption is presented in the different stages of education. At the end there were many questions for Mr. Petkov, which made for an interesting and useful discussion.

On 23th of October, in Room 101 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, representatives of the International Relations Research Student Association took part in a meeting between young people and diplomats on the theme "Multilateral diplomacy in action: forthe UN fromthefirstperson". It was organized by the UN Society in Bulgaria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. The event was part of the UN Week initiative of the UN Society in Bulgaria, marking 75 years since the founding of the Organization and 65 years of Bulgaria's membership in the UN.

The moderator of the event was Ms. Tanya Mihaylova - Director of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. Addressing the young participants in the discussion, she expressed her conviction that such meetings and discussions bring them not only practical benefits, but can be a kind of incentive for them to take the path of diplomacy. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Milen Lyutskanov, also congratulated the young guests at the forum and underlined their growing role in the process of taking important decisions on the most pressing issues in today's globalized society.

During the event, the participants had the pleasure to meet with Ms. Lachezara Stoeva, Head of the UN Economic, Financial and Administrative Affairs Division at the UN and Development Cooperation Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Mr. Zlatko Dimitrov, an official at the UN Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The meeting ended with a simulation game on multilateral negotiations prepared specially for the young people from the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. In it, they had the opportunity to play the role of diplomats in an international forum.

On October 19-20, 2020, at the Central Military Club in Sofia was held a youth conference on "Climate Change and Security - The Voice of Youth to Overcome the Challenges", in which IRRSA had the pleasure to be a co-organizer with the Sofia Security Forum. The meeting was especially useful for the participants as they had the opportunity to learn more about climate change and climate policies and also to know how they themselves could influence climate solutions.

The conference was opened by Yordan Bozhilov, Chairman of Sofia Security Forum, Profs. Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of the University of National and World Economy, Petko Kanev, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Resource Development, and Styliana Tasheva, member of Sofia Security Forum, who presented the results of a survey on knowledge and attitudes in the field of climate change. The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany H.E. Christoph Eichhorn, who made a remarkably interesting presentation on the topic of climate change, touching on key issues. Guest speakers were prof. Georgi Rachev, leading expert climatologist, Lieutenant Colonel Svetozar Bosilkov, expert at the NATO Centre of Competence for Crisis Management, and Georgi Stefanov, Head of the Climate and Energy Practice, WWF Bulgaria.

The second day of the conference was opened with a panel discussion, which was attended by Hristo Gadzhev, Member of the National Assembly, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee and Member of the Defence Committee of the National Assembly, Boryana Kamenova, Director of Climate Change Policy Directorate, Ministry of Environment and Water, and Milena Andreeva, Director of Youth Policy Directorate. The other guest speakers on the second day were Prof. Dr. Violeta Bojanova- Vice President of the Agricultural Academy, Ms. Teodora Polimerova- Director of the Directorate "Climate, Energy and Air", Sofia Municipality, Assoc. Terry Vrabcheva - National Centre for Public Health and Analyses, Ministry of Health, Lachezara Stoeva - Head of Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Senior Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov - Director of the Directorate "State Control and Preventive Action", General Directorate "Fire Safety and Population Protection", Ministry of Interior.

During the conference, a simulation game was held in which the participants were divided into teams. Their task was to produce ideas to tackle climate change, with each group taking on the role of a different member institution of the National Expert Council on Climate Change. The conference also discussed the package of recommendations to address various climate and environmental issues to be presented to government institutions. During both the days of the event, the participation of the youth was active, and they asked their questions which piqued their interest. At the end of the conference, YOUTPASS certificates were handed out to the participants for their active participation.

The International Relations Research Student Association, in partnership with the Sofia Security Forum, invites you to participate in the two-day conference "Climate Change and Security - The Voice of Youth to Overcome the Challenges". The conference will take place on 19 and 20 October 2020 at the Concert Hall of the Central Military Club in Sofia.

Conference program. If you are wondering, why you should attend the conference on 19 and 20 October 2020? The answer is simple. Through innovative learning and communication methods, participants will be able to:

* Learn more about climate issues and policies;

* Learn how climate affects different areas of life;

* Learn how we as young people can influence decisions regarding climate change;

* Talk to highly specialized people and decision-makers in this field;

* Have our say on the issue;

* Improve our communication and teamwork skills;

* Meet new people and make new acquaintances;

* Receive an international Youthpass certificate, recognised in all European countries;

The key element of the conference is the dialogue between participants and decision-makers on climate change, and this dialogue will take place over these two days. This is the moment when young people will be able to make their voices heard on the issue and have them heard and discussed. Each participant will have the opportunity to meet and talk with representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Water, Ministry of Interior, SANS, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Sofia Municipality and many others. Participants should be motivated to learn more about climate change, willing to actively participate in the two days of the conference and engage in the role plays and discussions. Each participant must be 18 years of age and under 30 years of age by 19 October 2020.

Participants are selected on the basis of an assessment of their motivation, which you can fill in the application form. Anyone wishing to participate chooses one of two application forms - a cover letter of up to 150 words or a short video of up to 15 seconds. Applicants who submit their motivation earlier will be given priority. The motivation letter is part of the application form, and the relevant section of the form must be completed. If a video is chosen to express the motivation, it will be uploaded to Youtube, Facebook or another platform and the link to it will be entered in the application form. HERE

The ten best cover letters or videos will be awarded with prizes and certificates. Deadline for applications - 15 October 2020. We also ask applicants to complete an anonymous questionnaire on their knowledge and attitudes on climate change issues. The survey is available HERE. For any questions related to the project or participation in the conference you can contact: [email protected] or the IRRSA website. Participants are advised that corona-virus countermeasures will be strictly enforced! Anti-COVID19 measures during the conference.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Bulgarian.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Bulgarian.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Bulgarian.