site.btaAdditional Funding Provided for Research, Education

The government decided Wednesday to provide an extra BGN 4 million for scientific programmes and research, said the government press office. The aim is to develop the potential of research teams to work collaboratively on leading issues with broad international and national impact of their results.

More than BGN 12 million is allocated for training in protected specializations and those with an expected shortage on the labour market. The money is being made available to municipalities and will be used to supplement the tuition fees of 11,433 students in 245 schools.

Also, the government decided that the state will cover the tuition costs of 2,264 students in majors important for the country's development if they have signed contracts with employers in the 2023/2024 academic year. 222 companies can conclude such contracts with students. Their list was approved Wednesday by the Council of Ministers. The companies will provide internships for students in the relevant specialization and guarantee them a job after graduation. The future graduates in turn commit to work in the companies after they graduate.

The aim is to improve the link between higher education and the needs of the economy and society and to stimulate training in specialisations that are a priority for the country and where there is a shortage of highly qualified staff. For the academic year 2023/2024, 153 such specialisations have been identified, mainly in the fields of "Technical Sciences" and "Health and Sport".

The listed employers have been proposed by seven ministers - of Economy and Industry, Health, Energy, Regional Development and Public Works, Agriculture, Transport and Communications and Environment and Water. The Health Minister has proposed a list of hospitals from different regions of the country (public and private) with a declared shortage of medical specialists. The other ministries have included private and public companies from all parts of Bulgaria.