"The Economy of Bulgaria and the European Union: innovations and transformation" was the topic of the Seventeenth International Scientific Conference of Young Scientists, which is traditionally held under the patronage of the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov.

The forum is organized by the Faculty of Finance and Accounting of the UNWE in partnership with the Higher School of Insurance and Finance (VUZF), University of Bologna, University of Split, University of Rijeka, Poltava University of Economics and Trade, Lutsk National Technical University, Technical University of Lodz, University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje, as well as Media Marx Ltd, Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Rector Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov opened the event with greetings to the organizers and participants. "It is always a pleasure to participate in such a conference where young scientists are the leaders. The fact that the event is taking place is a sign that we are not giving up and moving forward, despite the restrictions and problems. Firstly, I should point out that there will be no merger of universities and it will not be possible to unite our scientific achievements in such an academic way with other universities, but we do this through conferences and through projects that are going on all the time. The conference is important because it is an university conference with many colleagues from other universities, with traditions and with serious research. Our role is not always clearly seen by the public, but it is not only to educate students, but also to do research and to show the results at such events. We have a contribution to society, science, the economy, and it should not be lightly ignored.”

Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Radostin Vazov, Vice-Rector for European Projects and Continuing Education at the Higher School of Insurance and Finance, Head of the Department of Insurance and Insurance at VUZF and co-organizer of the conference: "The overall organization and the efforts for the realization of the conference, which the colleagues have basically delivered, are impressive and we appreciate it and thank them. The event is remarkable and all the contributions deserve their attention and the quality speaks for itself." 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Radostin Vazov

"This is a traditional and important forum in our university for the manifestation of young scientists, of which we definitely have reason to be proud. The sustainability and tradition are also present in the co-organizers. The world is definitely not the same after the pandemic that has struck the economy and all of public life. After the struggle for survival, it is the turn of recovery, and that involves new approaches and methods. Young people have a lot to contribute in this direction, and I was convinced of this by reading the papers included in today's conference," said Prof. Dr. Rumen Brusarski, Dean of the Faculty of Finance and Accounting at the UNWE.

Prof. Dr. Andrey Zahariev, Dean of the Faculty of Finance, Dimitry Apostolov Tsenov Academy of Economics - Svishtov, also greeted the participants in the conference. This year the Department of Finance and Credit celebrates its 70th anniversary as the first Bulgarian Finance Department. Prof. Dr. Stoyan Prodanov will take the liberty to pleasantly surprise you with invitations".

Prof. Dr. Andrey Zahariev

Prof. Dr. Stoyan Prodanov, Head of the Department of Finance and Credit at the Economic Academy "Dimitar Apostolov Tsenov" - Svishtov, said: "I am happy that so many good papers will participate in the forum. The aim of such events is to stimulate cooperation, to create networks, to inspire research, to give young scientists the opportunity to create bold, unconventional and avant-garde или non-standart research. I would like to invite you to the 70th anniversary of our Department of Finance and Credit. The invitation is to all young scientist who want to participate in the forums we are planning. I believe that the contributions of the researchers we see online today will be invaluable for our future events."

Prof. Dr. Stoyan Prodanov

"I was extremely impressed with the organisation of this event. Here we see a tribune for our colleagues who should take the opportunity to be appreciated and to continue their research activities. I was also well impressed by the participation of Masters and PhD students, as proof that research papers can be written in these degrees. Your initiative is great and I wish you to continue like this", commented Angel Stoykov, Chairman of the Student Council at the UNWE.

Angel Stoykov

"There are a lot of undergraduates, masters and PhD students participating in the conference, and we hope to see more and more of them. On behalf of the Organizing Committee, of which I am pleased to be the chair, I would like to say that I am extremely proud of the people who are doing everything they can to make this forum happen. The aim of the conference has remained the same for many years now, namely to bring together young people, assistant professors and PhD students to meet and present their research to the academic community", said Prof. Dr. Silvia Trifonova, Deputy Dean for Quality and International Cooperation of the Faculty of Finance and Accounting and moderator of the event. Besides her, the moderators were also Assoc. Prof. Dr. Atanaska Filipova-Slancheva from the Department of Accounting and Analysis and Assoc. Dr. Nadia Galina from the Department of Real Estate.

Prof. Dr. Silvia Trifonova

Prof. Sivaram Vemuri, Director of Human Economics International, Australia, presented research innovations in a post-COVID environment. He considered what is needed to transform the research process to find innovative solutions for sustainable post Covid-19 live. According to him current research does not adequately address the multidimensionality of concerns of both the individual and society in the post-COVID-19 environment. The question was raised as to why research to date has not provided adequate responses to society's challenges of simultaneously ensuring health, well-being and economic prosperity at the individual and societal levels. Prof. Vemuri highlighted the need for changes to transform research processes in the university and to develop initiatives to encourage a research culture to promote a sustainable growth mindset among researchers.

Prof. Sivaram Vemuri, Australia

This scientific forum is being held for the seventeenth consecutive time, and the published scientific results from the previous sixteen conferences prove the significant potential for the future professional development of young scientists. The format and organisation of the scientific event are aimed at creating an atmosphere conducive to dialogue and exchange of ideas between the different levels of the academic community.

The event was also open to undergraduate and graduate students presenting their research interests and studies. Students had the opportunity to participate in sessions and discussions with distinguished faculty, scholars, policy makers and business representatives.

Over 40 papers were presented at the conference in thematic areas focusing on "Financial Policy, Financial Markets, Banking, Investments, Insurance and Social Insurance"; "Accounting Policy and Practice, Accounting Standards, Financial Audit, Control Systems and Internal Control"; "Research and Science, Research and Development, Science-Business Linkage , science-business, Innovation, Competitiveness, Project Management"; "Entrepreneurship, Management, Marketing, Corporate Control and Business Development in Bulgaria, in the EU and in Bulgaria".

The conference proceedings will be published in the Central and Eastern European Online Library (CEEOL).