site.btaBulgarian Studies Program Launches at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

A milestone for Bulgarian Studies in the United States is about to unfold. Beginning October 20, 2025, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will officially launch a Bulgarian Studies program — a long-anticipated initiative made possible with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria.

As part of the pilot program, students will have the opportunity to enroll in:
      •     Bulgarian for Heritage Learners (LCTL 201)
      •     Introduction to the Bulgarian Language (LCTL 101)
      •     And in the spring semester of 2026 — a course in Bulgarian History and Culture.

Bulgarian students have been part of the Illinois academic community since 1911. Today, after a long hiatus, the long-cherished dream of offering Bulgarian language and cultural studies on campus is finally becoming a reality.

The program’s first instructor is Dr. Iliyana Dimitrova, Assistant Professor at Veliko Tarnovo University. She is tasked with the noble mission of introducing a new generation of students to the richness of Bulgarian language, history, and culture.

Professor John Randolph, Acting Executive Director of the Illinois Global Institute, emphasized the significance of this initiative:

“This program is also a partnership with the Bulgarian government, which has been eager to support Bulgarian Studies in the U.S. The hope is that students will find a way to sustain their connection to the Bulgarian language and culture, while new students will discover it for the first time. We also have a prepared exchange program that will allow students to visit Bulgaria during the summer — and it is truly a beautiful place.”

Enrollment for the courses is open until October 24, 2025. For more details, students may contact reec@illinois.edu.

This announcement was shared on Facebook by Svetoslav Stankov, Consul General of Bulgaria in Chicago, who encouraged all Bulgarian students at the university to take part in the program and to invite their friends to join them in exploring Bulgaria’s language, history, and culture together.