The XVI International scientific conference on “Innovations in education, science, business, and tourism” was held at Hotel Orhideya, Albena resort, on July 24th. Participants from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Poland, and Canada, including academicians, pedagogical specialists, and business representatives, engaged in numerous discussions throughout the scientific forum.

The opening of the conference was conducted by Assoc. Prof. Silvena Yordanova from the Organizing Committee on behalf of VUM. She warmly welcomed all colleagues and wished them fruitful work. Assoc. Prof. Todor Radev, Rector of VUM, also addressed the participants, followed by greetings from the Ukrainian organizers, represented by Prof. Svetlana Arhypova, expressing their enthusiasm for the continued collaboration with VUM over the last 16 years.

The conference was structured into three panels: “Innovation in education” moderated by Prof. Dimitrina Kamenova, “Innovation in business and tourism” moderated by Assoc. Prof. Silvena Yordanova, and “Innovation in pedagogics” moderated by Prof. Arhypova.

Noteworthy presentations included Prof. Olena Pehota’s engaging discussion on adult education and her experiences with the “Life skills 2021” project. Assoc. Prof. Yana Fruktova also shared her insights into the media educational component of professional competence for scientific and pedagogical workers.

An intriguing discussion, led by Assoc. Prof. Silvena Yordanova, centered on the topic of “AI in tourism or natural intelligence.” The majority of participants favored natural intelligence and presented several arguments against AI.

Moreover, Assoc. Prof. Svetlana Vasikivska presented the psychological approach in diagnostics for individuals. The conference also explored the latest trends in managerial practices, revealing that organizations nowadays tend to be more decentralized, with two-way communication flows and increased employee involvement in decision-making processes.