The 16^th International Scientific Conference of Young Scientists on the Bulgarian Economy and the European Union: the COVID-19 Challenge was held online in the platform MS Teams on February, 12^th, 2021. The event was organized by the UNWE Finance and Accountancy Faculty under the patronage of the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov. Co-organizers of the Forum were the University of Finance, Insurance, Business and Entrepreneurship /VUZF/, University of Bologna, University of Split, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, University of Rijeka, Poltava University of Economics and Trade, Lutsk National Technical University, Lodz University of Technology and Media Marks Ltd., Sofia, Bulgaria.

Prof. Dr. Rumen Brusarsky, Dean of the Finance and Accountancy Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Grigorii Vazov, Rector of VUZF, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of UNWE and Prof. Dr. Silvia Trifonova, Vice Dean for Quality and International Cooperation, Chairwoman of the Conference Organizing Committee /from the left to the right/ are opening the event

The Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov greeted the participants in the Forum saying: `This Conference is an evidence that we are focused on the COVID-19 challenge. The organizers made great efforts to prepare the Forum without reducing its quality. We, at the UNWE, do not complain of the hard conditions, we find a way and solution through the means of modern information technologies to cope with the challenges`.

Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov

The Rector of VUZF Assoc. Prof. Dr. Grigorii Vazov – major and longstanding co-organizer of the Conference, shared that he had opened and prepared lots of forums but he had always felt most excited to participate in the opening of that Conference devoted to the young scientists. He reminded that its beginning had been set up in 2002 facing lots of resistance and mistrust.  "We had about 10 – 12 reports and now I am really happy that the reports are 82 from many university faculties and international participation".

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Grigorii Vazov

The Dean of the Finance and Accountancy Faculty Prof. Dr. Rumen Brusarsky wished success to the 16^th International Conference of Young Scientists and defined the creation of scientific product and its sharing with other people as very respectable.

Prof. Dr. Rumen Brusarsky

Prof. Dr. Silvia Trifonova shared her contentment with the event saying: It`s an honour and privilege for me to be Head of the Organizing Committee of that prestigious international Conference of UNWE for the 16th consecutive time. It is the first event devoted at the very beginning only to young people. It turned into a trademark of the UNWE Finance and Accountancy Faculty, commented Prof. Trifonova.

Prof. Dr. Silvia Trifonova

In the Conference took part more than 100 participants from Bulgaria and abroad. In the event in the current year reports were delivered by young people from the UNWE, BUZF, New Bulgarian University, D. A. Tsenov Economic Academy - Svishtov, Economic University – Varna, Neofit Rilsky South West University, Medical University – Sofia, Military Medical Academy – Sofia, Paisii Hilendarsky University of Plovdiv, Agrarian University – Plovdiv, G. S. Rakovsky Military Academy, etc.

In the Conference took also part Mrs. Sonya Spasova /in the picture above/, Director of the European Consumer Center – Bulgaria, who told about the Center objective and activities. She presented the topic Safety Online Shopping in the EU and emphasized on the major objective of the European Consumer Center – to work towards the out-of-court solution to disputes.

Part of the presentation on Safety Online Shopping in the EU

The Conference topics were divided to 4 thematic fields:

• Financial policy, financial markets, banking, investment, insurance and social insurance
• Accounting policy and practice, accounting standards, financial audit, controlling systems and internal control
• Research and science, R&D, the relation science – business, innovations, competitiveness, projects management
• Entrepreneurship, management, marketing, corporative control and business development in Bulgaria, EU and in a global scale.