10.09.2025 / APACCCEEC’s Director participated in the Official Opening Ceremony of the 2025/2026 academic year at the Agricultural University – Plovdiv
On September 9, 2025, Dr. Momchil Stanishev, Director of APACCCEEC, attended the opening ceremony of the 2025/2026 academic year at the Agricultural University – Plovdiv. Among the other official guests were Assoc. Prof. Yanislav Yanchev, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food; H.E. Alejandro Zothner Meyer, Ambassador of Argentina to Bulgaria; H.E. Emil Jacote, Ambassador of Moldova to Bulgaria; Mr. Kostadin Dimitrov, Mayor of Plovdiv; Assoc. Prof. Mladen Mladenov, Executive Director of the National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAAS); Ms. Nurdzhan Karadzhova, Deputy Regional Governor of Plovdiv Region, as well as district mayors, representatives of the business community, and members of the academic circles.
In her welcome speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boriana Ivanova, Rector of the Agricultural University – Plovdiv, noted that this academic year the university is celebrating its 80th anniversary. She emphasized that over the past decades, the university has become a guardian of tradition and a driving force of modernization, with first-year students having the honor of becoming part of this progress, bringing new ideas for digitalization and innovation. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivanova highlighted the university’s role as a bridge between students, specialists, professors, and the business sector. In her speech, she also focused on the international activities of the Agricultural University – just a few days ago, the institution joined the United Nations Academic Impact, a global initiative that unites academic institutions in support of peace, human rights, sustainability, and higher education.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, Assoc. Prof. Yanislav Yanchev, delivered a greeting to the students, faculty, and rectorate of the Agricultural University – Plovdiv on behalf of Dr. Georgi Tahov, Minister of Agriculture and Food of Bulgaria. Assoc. Prof. Yanchev motivated the students to take full advantage of all the opportunities provided during their studies.
Dr. Momchil Stanishev also visited the newly opened Center for Clean Tech and Biomass Resource Efficiency (CCBRE) at the campus of the Agricultural University – Plovdiv. The center develops technologies for converting biomass and waste into high-quality products and energy, reduces pollutants such as heavy metals and microplastics, and applies innovations in nutrient recycling. Its main contribution is the integration of digital solutions and artificial intelligence for more precise analysis, creation of predictive models, optimization, and impact assessment. The new center will provide opportunities for doctoral training in several thematic areas. The project for the establishment of the center is funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme, with the aim of having the first PhD students begin their work at the beginning of 2026. The project coordinator, Prof. Violina Angelova, explained that researchers and specialists from Switzerland, Iran, and Germany are involved in the implementation.
APACCCEEC team wishes all students of the Agricultural University – Plovdiv much success in the new academic year.
