Center for Professional Selling

8/8/2015
Proposal | Nare Avetisyan
CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL SELLING

American University in Bulgaria 2 | P a g e
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2
RATIONALE FOR PROPOSAL 3
THE CENTER’S OBJECTIVES 4
THE MEMBERS’ LEARNING OUTCOMES AND BENEFITS 5
THE CENTER’S CURRICULUM 5
THE CENTER’S IMPACT 11
THE CENTER’S IMPACT ON AUBG STUDENT CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 11
UNIVERSITIES IN BULGARIA 15
HIGH SCHOOLS IN BULGARIA 19
THE CENTER’S NETWORK OF SERVICE PROVIDERS 21
APPENDIX 27
ABOUT AUBG 27
MISSION STATEMENT 27
VISION: OUR ASPIRATIONS FOR 2016 27
STATEMENT ON LIBERAL LEARNING 27
AUBG COMMUNITY 28
ACCREDITATION STATEMENTS 28
U.S. Accreditation 28
Bulgarian Accreditation 29
OPPORTUNITIES IN SOFIA 29
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY 29
LOCATION IN BLAGOEVGRAD, BULGARIA 29
AUBG HISTORY 30
PANITZA LIBRARY 31

Rationale for Proposal
As a liberal arts institution the American University in Bulgaria(AUBG) has the ability to
promote professional selling as a problem solving mindset and skill set that is relevant to many
disciplines and professional fields such as marketing, financial services, political science and
information systems. The American University in Bulgaria proposes to establish a Center for
Professional Selling to provide students with an integrative learning space that allows students to
develop and perfect their sales presentations and interpersonal communication skills. The Center
for Professional Selling is dedicated to enhancing and promoting the field of professional selling-
through research and service to the business community and by producing college graduates who
are highly prepared for successful sales careers. The Center would also serve as a training facility
that would connect AUBG with the regional business community.
Housed in the Department of Business, the Professional Selling program participants will get a
specialized curriculum designed for students who desire to excel in a professional selling
environment. The program focuses on developing students into future leaders in their fields, who
understand and eventually learn taking advantage of the sales program as a source of career
enhancing knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This, in turn, provides employers with young
professionals who have the necessary skills to enhance their sales force and the progress of
projects with sales components and add value to the company. Through coursework, role-playing
and internships, the Center’s members will be prepared for sales and sales management positions
in all types of organizations and industries.

The Center’s Objectives
The Center for Professional Selling has the following objectives:
Provide students from Southeastern Europe
with enhancing knowledge, skills, and
attitudes
Teach students from the region where and
how professional selling skills can be
utilized regardless of the field and industry
Help students understand and appreciate the
art of professional selling, the ―dance‖
between buyers and sellers and the processes
before, during and after exchange of value
Teach students applications of professional
selling knowledge, skills and attitudes in the
hiring game, the organizational culture and
idea/thought presentation
Enhance the students’ and the members’
communication skills

The Members’ Learning Outcomes and Benefits
The Center’s members’ learning outcomes and benefits are the following:
The Center’s Curriculum
The Professional Selling program promotes the scholarly study of the essential business function
of selling. Students will learn a strategic approach to sales, sales management, and, negotiations,
in an academically rigorous context. The Professional Selling program fully supports the mission
of the university. Each of AUBG’s learning goals and objectives are addressed specifically in the
program:
1. Critical and Creative Thinking
The personal selling process is largely a problem-solving process. The salesperson works with
the prospective buyer to determine the needs of their organization and the best solutions to fulfill
those needs. Students learn to think according to the perspectives of potential customers. They
also learn to respond to objections, gain a clear understanding of them, and overcome them.
Attitude
• Failing to succeed
• Resilience
• Communication skills
• Professional work
ethic
• Learning by doing
Technical Skills
• Fund raising
• Identifying what
buyers want
• Identifying negotiation
approach
• Handling concerns and
objections
• Building, developing
and maintaining client
relationships
Other Benefits
• Utilizing professional
selling skills
regardless of their
field and industry
• Combining the
services of the four
Centers housed at
AUBG
• Building a network
with the Center’s
members and the
service providers

The students in Professional Selling program will also learn sales management skills of
organizing, training, and motivating a sales force, plus dealing with the conflicts that naturally
arise in a sales organization.
2. Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Students in the program will learn to do various of types of quantitative analysis. To effectively
sell to another business, salespeople must be able to discuss such measures as gross margins,
discounts, allowances, break-even points, ROI, turnover, and GMROI. They also must learn
tools to manage a sales territory, such as converting performance goals to activity goals.
Sales management requires the mastery of the quantitative tools necessary to equitably design
sales territories and compensation plans. Sales managers must also be able to forecast sales and
establish effective quotas for the sales force. Students will use statistical methods for creating
such forecasts.
3. Information Literacy
In addition to traditional term paper research, students will be taught how to access information
for researching specific companies.
4. Communication
In the Professional Selling program, students will complete many presentations and role plays.
They will develop confidence and the skill to communicate persuasively. The role plays will also
give them opportunities to develop active listening skills. Written communication skills will also
be emphasized with students completing projects such as formal sales proposals and written
analysis of business cases.

5. Self in Society
This is one of the real advantages to having professional sales taught at a respected university.
We give particular emphasis to ethical approaches and methods. In particular, the emphasis of
the program is on how to create added value for customers through the selling process.
6. Specialty
The program will be open to students certified in any major at AUBG, so it will offer a specialty
that students can develop along with whatever they are studying as their major. There is great
synergy between sales curriculum and other disciplines such as finance, marketing, information
systems, political science and international relations.
The Center’s certification process requires that students complete 18 credit hours:
Professional Strategic Selling Certificate Core Courses (Non-Business Majors):
 SLS220. Marketing (3)
 SLS261. Professional Selling and Communications (3)
 SLS300. Negotiating and Conflict Resolution (3)
 SLS301. Sales Management (3)
Professional Strategic Selling Certificate Core Courses (Business Majors):
 SLS261. Professional Selling and Communications (3)
 SLS300. Negotiating and Conflict Resolution (3)
 SLS301. Sales Management (3)
 SLS400. Advanced Sales (3)
Elective Courses in Professional Strategic Selling

 SLS400. Advanced Sales (3)
 SLS401. Sales Force Management (3)
 SLS402. Key Account and Relationship Management (3)
 SLS403. Business to Business Marketing (3)
 SLS404. Marketing Channels (3)
 SLS440. Professional Sales Internship (3)
SLS220. Marketing (3):
Introduces students to major concepts and methods used in marketing goods, services, and other
products and develops students' ability to use their understanding in business situations. The
course takes the managerial perspective, focusing on the wide variety of decisions necessary for
effective marketing: in product, promotion, distribution, pricing, and targeting. It emphasizes the
importance of research and planning, as well as ethical and legal issues pertaining to marketing.
SLS261. Professional Selling and Communications (3):
Organized around building value-adding relationships such that both the selling and buying
organizations benefit and the process of making informative and persuasive presentations.
Course topics include how to make positive first impressions, managing objections, presentation
skills, reaching win-win decisions and servicing customers. Developing one's selling and
communications skills is useful to every business person who makes presentations. Case study,
videotaped role playing, professional speakers and group interactions project the student into the
world of business and selling.
SLS300. Negotiating and Conflict Resolution (3):
Designed to focus on the art and the science of securing an agreement between two or more
interdependent parties who desire to maximize their outcomes. Course topics include analyzing
and evaluating negotiation situations, preparing for a negotiation, power and influence, job and
salary negotiations, coalitions, and managing conflict. Role playing provides the students with
the opportunity to build his/her negotiating skills through practice.

SLS301. Sales Management (3):
The Sales Management course covers the management of the sales force in non-retail settings.
Topics covered include hiring, training, organizing, motivating, supervising, and evaluating sales
representatives. We also focus on further developing students’ sales skills, with an emphasis on
sales leadership and use of social media and CRM. Students participate in at least three role
plays: an interview role play (hiring a new sales representative); a joint sales call role play (sales
manager accompanies sales person on first call); and a coaching role play (sales manager
coaching salesperson on the joint sale call). The role plays utilize one product in a realistic
scenario.
SLS400. Advanced Sales (3):
The Advanced Sales course provides students the opportunity to enhance their professional
selling skills through advanced instruction and skill development, making extensive use of sales
role plays and a role play competition combined with a live sales event. Content covered
includes building relationships, negotiating, adaptive selling, and understanding communication
styles in a sales context.
SLS401. Sales Force Management (3):
Beginning with sales force strategy for today's complex business environment, the course covers
responsibilities of sales executives and field sales managers. Topics include sales force design,
multi-channel strategy, sales technology, recruiting, training, and sales force motivation and
evaluation. Case study, field projects, and speakers enhance the learning process.
SLS402. Key Account & Relationship Management (3):
This course focuses on major account management, the supply chain, purchasing units,
segmenting and targeting organizational markets along with team selling. As a result of this
course's emphasis on building relationships with customers for maximized loyalty and retention,
students will gain the ability to segment markets, target accounts with the highest potential and
develop strategic account plans to effectively generate long-term buyer-seller business

relationships. Extensive interaction with sales and business managers is incorporated throughout
the course along with applied projects and exercises.
SLS403. Business to Business Marketing (3):
Introduces the field of business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Answers the questions: What is
business marketing? In what markets does it occur? Topics include: Organizational buyer
behavior, methods of assessing business market opportunities, and business marketing strategies.
SLS404. Marketing Channels (3):
Focused on examining the value-creation aspects of marketing channels, course topics include
analyzing existing channels as interorganizational systems and developing multi-channel models
for moving products to end users. Key issues that students will consider include channel
members' goals and value propositions, as well as optimizing configurations for market coverage
and desired levels of vertical integration. Hands-on exercises and professional speakers
illuminate existing channel issues.
SLS440. Professional Sales Internship (3):
Designed as an applied learning experience, the course follows the student's short-term paid
placement (typically a semester) within a firm. Intern responsibilities are determined by the firm
offering the internship; sales faculty work with companies to ensure that student experiences are
full and rewarding. The course provides the framework for the student to document learning
experiences from the internship and coursework in a personal e-portfolio for career management.

The Center’s Impact
The Center for Professional Selling will tremendous positive impact on AUBG student clubs,
university and high school students in Blagoevgrad and Bulgaria. The knowledge, skills and
attitudes learned in our Center can produce the following effects:
The Center’s Impact on AUBG Student Clubs and Extracurricular Activities
The American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) has the opportunity to have a tremendous impact
on projects and on many students’ careers by training and developing professional selling skills.
First, AUBG has 17 student clubs. The student clubs organize numerous events on campus
concerning issues in the world of business, human rights, politics, journalism, mathematics,
computer science, etc. They apply for funding from the university Student Government to cover
for the expenses. When student clubs approach the Student Government for funding they need to
present a list of expected expenses and to make a case why and how their clubs and the club
initiatives would be impactful to the University’s strategic goals, the students’ academic
 Bigger and better events, initiatives and projects organized by
students
 Growth of the three new Centers housed at AUBG
 Better performance at job interviews
 Evidence of professional training and experience for employers
 Training and experience for high school students should they choose
to start a career in sales and other fields without a degree
 Valuable knowledge, skills and attitudes regardless of the members’
field and industry
 Network with the members and service providers

development and the Blagoevgrad community. Such
meetings with the Student Government are expected to
take place several times each semester. In addition,
student clubs and event organizers are strongly
encouraged to approach local vendors for donations
and/or sponsorship before applying for Student
Government funding. As a result, the students are
expected to learn how to acquire funding, start and
develop relationships with at least local business owners
to be able to organize the best possible event,
competition, workshop and conferences they wish.
During the 2014/15 academic year AUBG student clubs
organized the following events: TEDXAUBG, StartUp
Blagoevgrad, Blacklight Show, Model EU, BLIMUN,
the musical ―Burlesque‖, AUBG Olympics, etc. Each of
these events was organized by at least 11 students and
was attended by at least four hundred guests.
Studying at AUBG most students make use of the
opportunity to organize interesting events to support
certain causes and around topics they are passionate
about. The Center for Professional Selling will give
AUBG student clubs and campus event organizers the
necessary training and skills to organize bigger and
more impactful events. As for clubs that do not manage
to get support from local vendors, they need to turn the
Student Government. Even in such cases, the clubs need
to make a good case and ―close the sale‖ to twelve
senators who make the final decision. Evidently, those

with some exposure to professional selling will make more compelling arguments in their favor.
Second, the Center for Entrepreneurship became available to the students in the previous
academic year. Entrepreneurship is widely discussed but too little understood. Conversations
about entrepreneurship are dominated with such topics as creating products, failing repeatedly
and learning and resilience. As important as they may be, if the student cannot sell ideas and
products to investors and potential buyers they will not become entrepreneurs. The Center for
Professional Selling will give AUBG students and the entrepreneurs in Blagoevgrad, in Bulgaria
and Southeastern Europe (given that the Center’s services will be promoted across the region)
the chance to get from basic to rather advanced experience in selling. The Center’s courses,
projects and internships will be the necessary training for future entrepreneurs to develop
resilience and perseverance and get rid of fear of failure while or before they design new
products for the market.
Similarly, the Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Women and Gender Resources
Center opened their doors to AUBG students and the Blagoevgrad community in the previous
academic year. The three new Centers in total have ambitious goals. Additionally, they have
motivated and capable members. In order to get prominent speakers and guests to visit the
Centers and more stable funding the members will need training in professional selling. Should
any of the Centers, student clubs or initiatives in AUBG and Blagoevgrad have problems
achieving their strategic goals, it will be due to lack of selling skills not talent, ambition or work
ethic.
Third, professional selling skills are necessary during job interviews. HR courses, professional
blogs and books can help job seekers prepare for standard interview questions. Whether students
will go after careers in the corporate or public sector or academia those who will make more
compelling cases that they are the best candidates for the position will be hired. One who has
training and experience in selling will direct the flow of the interview conversation better with

regards to presenting evidence of skills and experience, handling concerns and disagreements
and coming across confident and enthusiastic.
Furthermore, professional selling and strong communication skills are crucial once one is already
hired. Presenting persuasive ideas to employers, supervisors or team members is a skill that helps
one get credit for work done, build relationship with colleagues and managers and get promoted.
According to the consultants in Oliver James Associates, one of Europe’s most prominent
recruitment consultancies, employers are most likely to hire candidates with selling and strong
communication skills and relatively weaker technical skills over candidates with no selling and
communication- and stronger technical ones. The reason is that employers require that their
employees fit into the company culture. Additionally, most managers do not want to invest
energy and time in building a relationship with an employee who does not want to or cannot fit
into the company culture. Training and experience in professional selling teaches how to build
relationships with all kinds of people in any setting. Candidates with such training make a
noticeably better impression during job interviews and later in their careers, according to
recruitment consultants.
The Center’s Impact in Bulgaria
The previous sections describe the benefits, learning outcomes, the curriculum and the impact
the Center’s services will have in AUBG in detail. Additionally, students from all over Bulgaria,
both in high schools, colleges and universities can become members of the Center. It is
imperative to mention some statistical data regarding the number of educational institutions and
attending students in Bulgaria to illustrate the number of people who can benefit from the
Center’s initiatives. The latest national statistical data is from the 2013/14 academic year; hence
some of the country profile data is not entirely accurate. However, estimates can be made taking
into consideration +/- 10%.

Blagoevgrad is home to two universities, the American
University in Bulgaria and the South-West University ―Neofit
Rilski‖. In the 2014/15 academic year AUBG recorded 980 full-
time students and the South-West University - 12,579. The
Student Governments in both universities cooperate on a regular
basis. They support each other’s initiatives and projects by promoting the projects, initiatives and
causes, attend and participate in the events, conferences, competitions and workshops. Neither of
the universities has a center or a facility to train over 13,000 students how to sell and
communicate with clients.
The new Centers in AUBG (Centers for Entrepreneurship, Center for Visual and Performing
Arts, Women and Gender Resources Center) offer their services to the ―Neofit Rilski‖ students
and the Blagoevgrad residents interested in the Centers’ causes as well. By the same token, the
Center for Professional Selling will be the only facility in Blagoevgrad to serve over 13,000
students with the need to learn to sell and master the skill set that sales manager have.
Furthermore, Blagoevgrad has fifteen high schools and thousands of high schools students in.
Should high school students choose not to attend a higher educational institution, together with
their training and experience in professional selling they can get jobs as sales executives and
recruitment consultants.
Universities in Bulgaria
The Center for Professional Selling will be accessible to students in other parts of Bulgaria as
well. Research has shown that there are 53 universities in Bulgaria but not a single institution or
Over 13,000 students in
Blagoevgrad from
AUBG and South-West
University alone.
15 high schools and thousands of
high school students in Blagoevgrad

a facility within an institution to offer the services the Center would do. According to the
National Statistical Institute in Bulgaria there are 53 institutions that offer higher education (see
Figure 1) but no centers for specialized training. Additionally, there are 283,294 students
enrolled in universities and colleges (see Figure 2). According to the Figures 3, 4 and 5, most of
the students in Bulgaria, professional bachelor, bachelor and master degree students, study
business. As mentioned previously, recruitment consultants and our team believe that
professional selling skills boost performance and work ethic across different fields. Nevertheless,
even in the case of no non-business students not entering the Center’s network and participating
actively, the total number of business students makes up a large enough total addressable market.
Figure 1
Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5
High Schools in Bulgaria
According to the National Statistical Institute in Bulgaria, there are 139 high schools in the
country (see Figure 6) and 132,540 high school students (see Figure 7). Should some high school
students decide to pursue a career in professional selling and/or learn professional selling skills
to be used in other fields right after high school, they can get training in the Center as well. The
fact that the Center’s courses are going to be taught in English does not post a problem. Of the
82.8% of high students who take foreign language courses in Bulgaria, 89.2% studied English..

Figure 6
Figure 7

The Center’s Network of Service Providers
Bulgaria is home to a number of global and multinational companies offering different products
and services. Additionally, more and more Bulgarian and other European entrepreneurs start
businesses in the country that are thriving. AUBG and the University Career Center have built a
working mutually beneficial relationship with many of them among which are C3/Customer
Contact Channels, Metro Cash & Carry, KPMG Bulgaria OOD, Deloitte Bulgaria, EVN
Bulgaria, Coca-Cola Enterprises Bulgaria and others. The mutually beneficial relationship
between AUBG and the companies in Bulgaria resides in us connecting students with recruiters
and the companies having direct contact on campus with talent in high demand in Bulgaria and
Southeastern Europe. AUBG organizes a big job fair every year on campus connecting over fifty
recruiters and hundreds of students. Additionally, many company representatives and
professionals give talks and lectures in our auditorium and classrooms numerous times. Their
goal is to promote their companies and certain available positions and get in touch with students
who will shine and stand out. As for the students, they want to get a glimpse of what is
happening in their fields outside the classrooms.
While such interactions are not counter-intuitive, they have a shotgun approach – talking to as
many people as possible, giving out as many resumes as possible and seeing what happens.
Evidently, a more targeted approach is necessary from the students’ and the companies’ side.
This is where the Center for Professional Selling can be helpful. The Center can help both groups
in the following ways. The companies or other service providers can build more targeted
communication with the future job seekers and have better trained talent applying for positions.
By the same token, the students have matching benefits: they can build targeted relationships
with the Center’s guests, speakers, partner recruiters and trainers, have evidence of training and
some experience and get training from professionals and experts.

The Network of Service Providers

Appendix
About AUBG
Mission Statement
The mission of the American University in Bulgaria is to educate students of outstanding potential in a
community of academic excellence, diversity, and respect and to prepare them for democratic and ethical
leadership in serving the needs of the region and the world.
Vision: Our Aspirations for 2016
We envision a community of diverse and creative students of outstanding potential living and learning
together in an engaging and rigorous academic environment on a campus that offers world-class
academic, recreational, and residential facilities. Mentored by internationally respected faculty committed
to the liberal arts tradition, AUBG graduates will be fully prepared for lives of professional achievement,
personal fulfillment, and service.
Statement on Liberal Learning
AUBG strives to provide its students with a liberal education – an education that nurtures both the skills
needed for successful careers and an ongoing intellectual curiosity that leads to a thirst for a rewarding
life and productive role in a democratic society. A liberal education prepares students to live responsible,
productive, and creative lives in a dramatically changing world. It is an education that fosters a well-
grounded intellectual resilience, a disposition toward lifelong learning, and an acceptance of
responsibility for the ethical consequences of ideas and actions.
Students experience the benefits of a liberal education by pursuing intellectual work that is honest,
challenging, and significant and by preparing themselves to use knowledge and authority in responsible
ways. A liberal education is not confined to any particular field of study. What matters is substantial
content, rigorous methodology, and an active engagement with the societal, ethical, and practical
implications of learning. The value of liberal learning is equally relevant to all fields of higher education
and to all students.
This statement is based on the ―Statement on Liberal Learning‖ adopted by the Board of Directors of the
American Association of Colleges and Universities. For more information, please see: www.aacu.org.
The Student-centered Learning Environment
AUBG is committed to an actively engaged student-centered learning community. This can be seen in our
curricular and co-curricular environment, activities and experiences that maximize student involvement at
all levels within the university. Our goal is to involve all students in a larger university community that
promotes high levels of self-direction, self-assessment and self-reflection as students move through the
university to become engaged professionals and leaders after graduation.

The university uses a variety of approaches to accomplish this, including collaboration among faculty,
staff and students in teaching, research and service, all within the context of a larger local, regional and
global community.
We regularly collect information about our students’ learning and their achievements, and use this to
assess and enhance our curriculum and our campus and larger community learning opportunities. For this
reason, our students find the learning environment at AUBG to be agile and responsive not only to
external changes, but also to evolving student needs.
AUBG Community
To support the ongoing mission of AUBG, the university builds its community based on mutual respect,
civility, and professional behavior. All members of our community, including students, faculty, staff and
administration, are expected to uphold at all times these ideals, plus other standards of behavior that
reflect well upon, and bring credit to, themselves, the university, and the greater community.
Accreditation Statements
U.S. Accreditation
The American University in Bulgaria is accredited in the United States by the New England Association
of Schools and Colleges, Inc. through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.
Inquiries regarding AUBG’s accreditation status by the New England Association should be directed to
the administrative staff:
Office of the Provost
American University in Bulgaria
Blagoevgrad 2700
Bulgaria
Telephone: (+359 73) 888 411 Email: provost@aubg.edu
Individuals may also contact:
The Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
209 Burlington Road
Bedford, MA 01730-1433
Telephone: (781) 271 0022 E-mail: cihe@neasc.org

Bulgarian Accreditation
The American University in Bulgaria and its major programs are accredited in Bulgaria by the National
Evaluation and Accreditation Agency of the Council of Ministers. The American University in Bulgaria is
chartered as an institution of higher education by an act of the Grand National Assembly of the Republic
of Bulgaria and is authorized to grant Bulgarian diplomas and has the same rights and responsibilities as
other Bulgarian universities.
Opportunities in Sofia
This catalog describes the University’s undergraduate programs offered at the Blagoevgrad campus.
AUBG’s second campus is in Sofia at the Elieff Center for Education and Culture, a modern, state-of-the-
art facility designed for outreach and graduate education. The flagship programs at the Elieff Center are
the Executive MBA and the Center for European Programmes. In addition, the Elieff Center supports
continuing education and training programs for the professional community. For more information on
Sofia-campus activities, please visit www.aubg.edu/sofia.
Equal Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Policy
The American University in Bulgaria does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic origin, nationality,
gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or physical ability in the administration of its admissions
policies, educational programs, employment opportunities, or other University programs. Questions may
be directed to: Office of Human Resources, 1 Georgi Izmirliev Square, Blagoevgrad 2700, Bulgaria.
Telephone: (+359 73) 888 328 or 888 309, Fax: (+359 73) 888 161. Email: jobs@aubg.edu.
Location in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
AUBG is situated in Blagoevgrad, the administrative, cultural, economic, and transport center of
southwestern Bulgaria. The Blagoevgrad province is the third largest in the country after Bourgas and
Sofia. Blagoevgrad is situated at the foot of the Rila and Pirin Mountains, just 100 km south of the
national capital, Sofia. The region abounds with natural beauty and tourist attractions, including the Rila
Monastery, the Bansko ski resort, the spa town of Sandanski, and the Seven Lakes in the Rila Mountains.
Blagoevgrad is a picturesque city of 80,000 with a pedestrian downtown and an Old Town with fine
examples of 19th
-century architecture and numerous restaurants and cafés.
Blagoevgrad is a student-friendly city. The town is the educational center of southwestern Bulgaria with
its two universities – the American University in Bulgaria and the South-West University. With its clean
quiet surroundings, walking plaza, shops, and restaurants, Blagoevgrad is small enough for students to
find anything they need within a few minutes. At the same time, the dynamic environment of outdoor
cafés, movie theaters, and recreational facilities makes it possible for students to have a balanced life of
both hard work and fun.
Blagoevgrad is located in the southwestern corner of Bulgaria, which in turn occupies the northeastern
part of the Balkan Peninsula. The country’s population is approximately seven and a half million and it

occupies an area of 110,099 sq. km. To the north, via the Danube River, Bulgaria shares a border with
Romania; to the west, Serbia and Macedonia; and to the south, Greece and Turkey. To the east is
Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, which links it to Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia. Bulgaria is a land of great
natural beauty, with stunning mountain scenery and beautiful coastline.
Situated at a crossroads between civilizations, Bulgaria has more than 13 centuries of recorded history
and one of the richest cultural legacies in Europe. Modern Bulgarian culture derives from three ancient
civilizations: the Bulgars, then Thracians, and the Slavs. The territory was also part of the Byzantine and
Ottoman empires for several centuries.
Since the beginning of the democratic changes in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria has achieved macroeconomic
stability, joined NATO, and entered the European Union as a full member state.
AUBG History
AUBG was founded in 1991 as a joint endeavor of the U.S. government and the government of the
Republic of Bulgaria to create an institution that educates future leaders for the region of southeast
Europe - leaders who can respond to the challenges of transition and build societies based on democracy,
free enterprise, civic responsibility, and a thorough understanding of cultural diversity. This exceptional
educational partnership enjoyed a broad base of support from the United States Agency for International
Development, the Open Society Institute and its founder Mr. George Soros, the University of Maine, and
the City of Blagoevgrad, which provided buildings for instructional and residential facilities.
When its doors opened on September 30, 1991, AUBG welcomed a class of 208 first-year students and
had 16 full-time faculty members. Today, AUBG’s student body is a varied society of 1,100 young
people from over 40 nations, and their cultural and ethnic diversity shape a unique academic setting. The
University has an international reputation based on its unique blend of academic excellence, cultural
diversity, highly talented student body, and successful alumni.
Romania, Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Spain,
and the United States are just a few of the countries that are currently represented. Courses are taught by a
high-quality, international faculty experienced in teaching in a multicultural, learner-centered
environment. In the last twenty years more than 4,000 students have graduated from AUBG, and these
alumni are fast becoming important agents of change for the advancement of their own countries.
AUBG has repeatedly ranked as the leading university in the country in terms of graduates’ employment
and graduate earned incomes, according to the Bulgarian University Ranking System maintained by the
Ministry of Education. This yearly survey includes five AUBG academic programs – Economics,
Computer Science, Business Administration, Political Science and International Relations, and
Journalism and Mass Communication – all of which are ranked among the top in the country.
AUBG has also developed a growing portfolio of educational outreach programs, including an Executive
MBA program; technical training at the government level for participation in EU programs; and English
language, business, entrepreneurship, and computer skills courses. Most of these outreach programs are

offered at the AUBG Elieff Center for Education and Culture, the University’s off-campus facility in
Sofia.
Panitza Library
Panitza Library—the heart of the University—is a modern cultural and intellectual center for studying,
reading, and doing academic research. The Library is an approachable, accessible, service-oriented
organization, sensitive to its users' needs. It is open 88 hours per week, Monday through Sunday, during
the semester and offers extended working hours during final exam weeks. The Library seeks to creatively
use technology to support and inspire education and scholarship, and to deliver service to the AUBG
community of learners wherever and whenever needed while supporting AUBG’s curriculum and
fostering students' personal growth and the development of life-long learning skills.
The library offers a comfortable environment for individual and group study that provides printing and
copy rooms, computer kiosks, and other study facilities. The library houses a collection of 110,000
printed books; 110,000 electronic books; more than 10,000 print volumes; 40,000 electronic journal titles,
magazines and newspapers; a growing collection of audio-visual materials; and many electronic
databases. Electronic resources are conveniently organized through the library website and are available
for research and study around the clock, both on site and remotely.
Panitza Library also provides additional services to assist the learning goals of AUBG students and
faculty. The Interlibrary Loan Service augments the Pantiza library holding by providing documents from
partner and consortium libraries to meet the expanding research needs of AUBG faculty and students. The
Reference service provides professional help to library patrons in locating and retrieving information.
Patrons can contact reference libraries in person as well as through instant messaging and e-mail. The
Information Literacy Program works to provide course-integrated instruction in collaboration with faculty
and in alignment with course objectives and student learning outcomes. This program offers training in
developing research skills both through classroom instruction and one-to-one training.
For further information, please see: www.aubg/library.
Cooperative Relationships
AUBG maintains close relationships with universities both in Bulgaria and abroad. In Bulgaria, AUBG
has cooperative relationships with New Bulgarian University; Sofia University; the University of
National and World Economy; the South-West University, Blagoevgrad; and the University of Library
Studies and Information Technologies. There is also a joint agreement with the Bulgarian Academy of
Science.
In the United States, AUBG students can study through exchange programs at the University of Maine,
the State University of New York – Fredonia, and campuses of several hundred members of the
International Student Exchange Program (ISEP).
In Europe, AUBG is the holder of a standard Erasmus Charter. There are bilateral Erasmus agreements
with over 50 European institutions in Austria, Belgium, Cypus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England,
Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, the Netherlands,
Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey.

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