Another year has passed, bringing with it that special moment when the festive atmosphere, lights, music, and the aroma of winter treats invite us to pause for a moment and take stock. The end of the year is traditionally a time to reflect – to acknowledge achievements, celebrate successes, and outline new goals for the future.
For the entire academic community, 2025 was a rich and dynamic year, marked by significant accomplishments, challenges, and newly discovered opportunities. As we excitedly count down the final hours until the New Year, it is important to recognise the efforts made and recall some of the most valuable results we achieved together.
As one of the leading business schools in Eastern Europe, the university has continued to confidently build on its development, meeting the high standards and expectations of international higher education.
We are proud to note that, according to the Bulgarian University Ranking System, Varna University of Management maintains its leading position among universities in Varna in the fields of Tourism and Administration and Management. The university’s successes extend beyond the regional level – nationally, VUM ranks second in Bulgaria in Tourism and fourth in Administration and Management. The same ranking places VUM first in Bulgaria in research within the fields of social, economic, and legal sciences.
Over the past year, the university has further strengthened and consolidated its impeccable international reputation. VUM was awarded 4 Palmes of Excellence at the Eduniversal World Convention 2025 in India, ranking among the Top 200 of the world’s 1,000 best business schools and solidifying its strong international influence. This recognition, granted by the Eduniversal International Scientific Committee, reflects VUM’s high academic reputation, successful internationalisation strategy, global partnerships, and sustained progress in international rankings, including the leading positions of its Master’s programmes in International Tourism and Business Administration.
In 2025, the university’s two Master’s programmes achieved prestigious positions in the Eduniversal Best Masters Ranking – the Master’s in International Tourism ranked among the top ten in the world, while the MBA programme reached fourth place in Central and Eastern Europe.
Our faculty member and Director of the VUM Research Institute, Prof. Dr Stanislav Ivanov, was awarded the prestigious national “Pythagoras” prize by the Ministry of Education and Science for his significant contribution to the social sciences and humanities. This recognition highlights his innovative and practically applicable research in the economic and social aspects of new technologies, tourism, and human resource management, contributing to the university’s academic prestige.
For another year, Prof. Dr Stanislav Ivanov and Prof. Dr Mihail Minkov were included among the top 2% of the most influential scientists in the world, according to the Stanford University ranking – recognition of their significant scientific contributions and the high international impact of their research in their respective fields.
At the end of September, we welcomed the new academic year, hosting students from 22 countries, bringing the total number of nationalities represented at the university in its nearly 30-year history to over 120.
While some students were just beginning their academic journey, others successfully completed one of the most important stages of their lives. In a ceremonial graduation, VUM celebrated the Class of 2025 – the 27th graduating class of Varna University of Management and the 15th consecutive cohort receiving degrees from Cardiff Metropolitan University. Long-standing academic partnerships allow both Bulgarian and international students to receive innovative education according to British standards in Bulgaria, granting the unique opportunity to earn both Bulgarian and British degrees without travelling to the UK. Graduates of the Class of 2025 come from Bulgaria, Egypt, India, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Nigeria, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, and more.
VUM’s project activities were also extremely active during the year, receiving well-deserved recognition. Varna University of Management and the consortium INTERSMARTS achieved significant international success, with the INTERSMARTS project receiving the Black Sea Project Award 2025 in the category “Promoting Investment in the Blue Economy” and additionally being selected as “Winner of Winners” at the Black Sea Conference in Constanța, Romania – recognition that highlights VUM’s innovative contribution and influence in sustainable tourism and the development of the blue economy in the region.
Over the past year, the Culinary Arts Institute at VUM strengthened its position as a leading educational centre in gastronomy and culinary arts. Faculty and students achieved significant national and international awards, participated in prestigious forums, and represented Bulgaria on the global culinary stage.
Chef-Instructor Kaloyan Kolev won the national qualification for the World Paella Day Cup and proudly represented Bulgaria at the final in Valencia, Spain. Through practice-oriented education, strong industry partnerships, and real opportunities for professional development, the Institute continues to prepare highly skilled professionals with international competitiveness.
And so, day by day, step by step, victory by victory, 2025 passed. This review demonstrates progress, commitment, and a readiness to embrace new horizons in the coming 2026.
As the Chinese philosopher and politician Confucius said: “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” We, the team at Varna University of Management, assure you that we will continue to grow, work even more actively and professionally, and strive for ever greater success together!
We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a successful New Year 2026!
