site.btaBulgaria and Serbia to Step Up Cooperation in Education Field

Bulgaria and Serbia to Step Up Cooperation in Education Field

Sofia/Bosilegrad, November 4 (BTA) - Bulgarian Education Minister Meglena Kuneva and her Serbian counterpart Mladen Sarcevic have agreed to step up bilateral cooperation in the education field, starting from pre-school and crossing over into higher education and scientific research, the press office of the Bulgarian Education Ministry said after the two officials met in Serbia's Bosilegrad.

Bosilegrad is among the major hubs of the Bulgarian minority in Serbia.

Kuneva said Bulgaria is pursuing a consistent long-term education policy towards the Bulgarian minorities abroad and stressed that her ministry has set up a special directorate that will focus on their education.

The Bulgarian Minister said she expects a programme for bilateral cooperation in education to be signed and voiced expectations that the issue with Bulgarian-language textbooks will find a comprehensive solution.

The two ministers also discussed the challenges facing the two countries' education and research systems, including the need for the education system to respond to labor market trends.

Bulgaria is an active participant in the Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 programmes which could be joined by Serbian scientists, Kuneva said.

Opportunities to increase the number of exchange students were also discussed at the meeting. Kuneva said that thanks to the almost tripled enrollment quota for students from the Bulgarian diaspora, nearly 130 students from the Bulgarian minority in Serbia have been accepted to study at Bulgarian universities.