Forestry University Sofia

The University of Forestry in Sofia was founded in 1925 and is one of the oldest educational institutions in Bulgaria. The University consists of six schools (Veterinary, Forestry, Forest Industry, Ecology and Landscape Architecture, Agronomy and, finally, Industrial Management), among its thirty departments, and two Forestry Education and Research Centers. It is situated next to the villages Yundola (“The Yundola Training and Experimental Forest Range”) and Barzia (“The Petrohan Training and Experimental Forest Range”) and one Training and Experimental Field Station in Vrazhdebna, a suburb of Sofia (“The Vrazhdebna Training and Experimental Field Centre”). The University employs 51 respected professors and more than 700 students. It offers many graduate as well as postgraduate and doctorate programs. It provides the chance for lifelong learning and has a modern library that contains more than 100,000 volumes, including books, dissertations, theses and celebrated scientific magazines. The library staff will make secure that all visitors may find what they are looking for. The Forestry University of Sofia upholds Bulgarian tradition seamlessly fusing it with promising, modern faculties. Prospective forestry students should regard the Forestry University of Sofia as one of the best educational institutions in Eastern Europe, since it was founded on humanitarian values and its main aim is to create the scientists of the future. Furthermore, the fact that the University is located in the city of Sofia is an asset; Sofia is an all-modern city, containing many important monuments, while offering affordable products and services, yet securing a modus vivendi of a high quality.

Veterinary Medicine is taught entirely in English. It lasts 5 and half years with courses spanning 10 semesters of academic training (5 years) culminating with an internship semester of practice in affiliated hospitals and clinics. The first three years focus on the fundamentals of pre-clinical and para-clinical skills and after the 3rd year, courses focus more on clinical practice. Moreover, the 3rd year includes mandatory summer practice and the 4th year a summer clinical training internship. In the 5th year, the curriculum also focuses on species-oriented training and gives students the opportunity to work in mobile clinics to augment practical training and experience. The last semester includes an internship programme, after the successful completion of which students must successfully pass the state exams. Upon graduation, students are awarded a Master's Degree and the qualification of Veterinarian which entitles the holder to practice in any EU member state and abroad. In turn, many graduates opt to continue with their specialization in Bulgaria, due to the low cost of living, as well as the great demand for veterinary specialists in the agricultural sector of Bulgaria and neighbouring countries, besides the availability of state funding. Veterinary graduates from Bulgarian Universities account for a significant percentage of manpower in the UK veterinary sector at present, and are growing in the US and Canada.

Candidates must submit the following documents:

1. A completed application form or a letter of application containing a brief CV and specifying the degree program which is being applied for.
2. Foreign citizens are required to submit a certified translation of their Diploma for completed secondary education including a supplement specifying their attendance record and grades, accompanied by the full academic record.
3. A document issued by a competent body certifying the applicant's eligibility to continue his studies in higher educational institutions in the country in which the applicant has completed secondary education.
4. All applicants are required to submit a medical certificate issued no earlier than a month before the application procedure, and validated by the respective authorities in the applicant's country.
5. All applicants are required to submit a photocopy of their identity card(s) or passport(s) with the name legibly written in the Latin alphabet, the place and date of birth.
6. Four recent photographs.

The Diploma and the medical certificate must be legalized, translated into Bulgarian and validated in accordance with the provisions contained in the intergovernmental agreements between the Republic of Bulgaria and the country in which these documents were issued. If no such agreements exist, the documents have to be legalized, translated and validated according to the standard procedure for the legalization, translation and validation of documents and other official papers.

Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria, with a population of 1.2 million. It is situated in the western region of the country. In the north it is embraced by the Balkan Mountain Range, on the South-East by Mt. Lozen, in the South by Mt. Vitoza and to the South-West rests Mt. Laioulin, all of which form three mountain passes that connect the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. A large number of rivers also traverse the city of Sofia.

The century-long history of Sofia commences in antiquity, while still a colony of Thracian tribes. The earliest accounts for the city first being called 'Sofia' are to be found in the 14th century owing to the famed Basilica of Hagia Sophia (6th c.) within its walls, wherefrom it was officially given its contemporary name change after the liberation of the Bulgarian people from the Turks in the late 19th century (1879), replacing the city 's former Slavic name 'Srentets'. During WWII, Sofia was bombed by the Allies, and subsequently passed into the hands of the then Soviet Union, until the country was granted secession and sovereignty in 1989.

Some of the major attractions include the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky (inaugurated 1912), the National Gallery of Bulgaria (housed in the old royal palace), the Russian church of St. Nicolas (13th c.), the aforementioned Basilica of Hagia Sophia (6th c.), the Rotunda of St. George (originally built by the Romans in the 4th c., but more famous for its medieval frescoes, the oldest of which date from the 12th c.), the church of Agia Paraskevi (circa 1935), the avenue "Tsar Osvompontitel", where many of the intellectual and literary centres of Sofia are situated, and the National Centre for Culture (inaugurated 1981).

However, during the Communist era the architectural countenance of Sofia saw a noteworthy change. This aesthetic shift is apparent in modern buildings, such as the "Largo Ensemble" (1950s), "The Vasil Levski Stadium" and constructions related to the Brutalist movement (1950s-1970s), a modernist architectural view that favored concrete and linear structures. At present, Sofia remains a milieu of successive art and historical movements, where distant past and modern infrastructure harmoniously fuse.

The Republic of Bulgaria is located in the Southeast of Europe and has a population in the vicinity of 7,500,000. At the precipice of the Balkan Peninsula, fringed by Greece to the south and Turkey to the east, and with Romania to the north, Serbia and FYROM to the west, it has been rendered an economic hub, it being the case it shores the Black sea. Small though it may seem, particularly due to its geopolitical locus as it is not landlocked, it has been rendered a strong industrial and agricultural market economy. Its capital, Sofia enjoys a thriving economy with a population nearing 1,500,000 people. The official language of the country is Bulgarian, whereas the official religion is Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The population consists mainly of Bulgarians (85%). Additionally, there is a Turkish minority (8%), as well as a Roma minority (5%).

One of the earliest tribes to colonize the territory, with a preference to the area near the south border with Greece was the Thracians. The first Bulgarian tribes arrived at the region during the 7th century AD. Subsequently, the first Bulgarian Empire spanned the late 7th and early 11th century, succeeded by the second Bulgarian Empire, dating from the late 12th to the mid 14th century, during which Bulgaria saw unprecedented affluence and prosperity, making it an historical crossroad for various civilizations. Yet in 1393, Bulgaria fell under Ottoman rule for almost five hundred years, until 1878, which signifies the incipience of what is known as the Third Bulgarian State. During WWII, Bulgaria was on the side of the Axis; however it refused to participate in the Operation Barbarossa plan. In turn, from 1946 to 1990, Bulgaria was under Communist influence. Today, the country has a system of Parliamentary Democracy, and a free market economy, and is known as “The Republic of Bulgaria”, culminating in its accedence in the EU economic community.

Bulgaria has a long history spanning nearly 2,400 years evinced upon innumerable monuments, statues, churches and chantries. Many a Bulgarian city, Sofia and Plovdiv in particular, are renowned for their cultural and historical significance. After the fall of the communist regime, efforts to modernize the country 's economy and educational system have paid off, evident in the blossoming architecture and booming economic activity. This has led to the significant development of the Bulgarian Universities, some of which are counted within the best of Eastern Europe. Better yet, life in Bulgaria is particularly cheap by comparison to other EU member states, making it an extremely popular destination for students from all over the world.