site.btaHaskovo Deputy Regional Governor: Education Today Is More Relevant, Accessible to Young People

Education today is much more modern, more relevant and more accessible to young people who want to study, Haskovo Deputy Regional Governor Mitko Petrov said during a local conference held here Wednesday. The event was part of BTA’s Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project.

As Petrov is currently a student, he sees the opportunities for education today and can compare them with those 20 years ago, he shared. He reported that while there are two universities that offer distance learning in the Haskovo Municipality, there is no university with a campus within the city itself. Petrov said that it is a significant challenge to retain young people in the region and back their development.

Petrov stated that steps have already been taken with the Vocational High School of Woodworking and Construction to fix this problem. The construction of a Centre for Excellence is planned to start soon. Such a centre would enable gifted children to develop their talents and grant them the opportunity to stay, study and develop in Haskovo Region, he said.

He noted that a close partnership between the Regional Administration, the Regional Department of Education, local universities and business can result in "economic and human cohesion".

BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. The schedule of conferences until the end of September 2025 includes events in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.