ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The Bulgarian studies program will support scientific research in the field of Slavic and Balkan studies

Bulgarian language will be taught at the University of Illinois

This will be the first Bulgarian language lectureship in the USA in decades
Photo: Ministry of Education

The Bulgarian Studies program at the University of Illinois – one of the most prestigious in the United States – will include Bulgarian language, Bulgarian history, folklore and traditions as of the next academic year, Bulgaria's Ministry of Education and Science announced last week. 

This will be the first Bulgarian language lectureship in the USA in decades, as until now it has been taught only in weekend schools.


The teaching of Bulgarian language at the university level in the United States is being restored thanks to the two-year efforts of the Bulgarian Consulate General in Chicago.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which once taught Bulgarian, has been chosen as a partner for the initiative, and a memorandum of understanding has been signed between it and the Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo Universities. 

The state of Illinois and Chicago are also home to the largest Bulgarian community in America.
The 2025/2026 academic year will be the first year in which the Bulgarian Studies program will be taught. Bulgaria's  Ministry of Education is about to announce a procedure for selecting a guest lecturer, who will work in collaboration with the Department of Slavic Languages ​​and Literature and the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University's College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Thanks to the Bulgarian lectureship, many Bulgarians living in the USA - including students and scholars - will be able to maintain contact with their homeland. In addition, it will strengthen the positions of Bulgarian studies and contribute to the restoration of its institutional presence in America.

The Bulgarian studies program will support scientific research in the field of Slavic and Balkan studies, giving American students and scholars the opportunity to become closely acquainted with the Bulgarian language, literature and history, the Ministry of Education added.


Editor: Diana Tsankova
English version: Rositsa Petkova
Photo: BTA

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria Culture BULGARIANS ABROAD    Bulgarian language Bulgarian studies program Chicago Consulate of Bulgaria in Chicago University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

More from category

Bulgaria’s National Theatre wins Skopje festival top prize with "Medea"

The Ivan Vazov National Theatre's production of Medea won the Grand Prix at the 19th Skupi festival in North Macedonia , the company announced. The production was specially created for the theatre by the acclaimed duo Declan Donnellan and Nick..

published on 10/6/25 1:31 PM

Sofia Art Fair 2025 – IMAGINE with large-scale works and new ideas from 13 countries

From October 2 to 5, Sofia Tech Park is hosting the only international contemporary art exhibition in BulgariaSofia Art Fair 2025 – IMAGINE . The event brings together participants from 13 countries and leading figures from the world art scene,..

published on 10/4/25 8:05 AM
Photo: OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival

Masquerade games in Bulgaria and in Ukraine – a highlight of the sixth edition of the OKO Film Festival

Sofia is the third city to host the sixth edition of the OKO International Ethnographic Film Festival , after the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the city of Bolgrad were its hosts from September 5 to 14.  The OKO film festival has a mission - to..

published on 10/2/25 2:30 PM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Cloudy
Min: 7 | Max: 16
Overcast, rain
Min: 12 | Max: 16
Overcast, rain
Min: 12 | Max: 16
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 13 | Max: 19
Overcast, rain
Min: 11 | Max: 16
Overcast, rain
Min: 12 | Max: 16
Overcast, rain
Min: 11 | Max: 15
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 11 | Max: 14
Cloudy
Min: 8 | Max: 17
Overcast, rain
Min: 8 | Max: 16
Overcast, rain
Min: 11 | Max: 16
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 12 | Max: 18
Cloudy
Min: 12 | Max: 18
Cloudy
Min: 9 | Max: 15
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 12 | Max: 17
Cloudy
Min: 13 | Max: 19
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 10 | Max: 14
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 12 | Max: 17
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 11 | Max: 16
Overcast, rain
Min: 11 | Max: 15
Cloudy
Min: 3 | Max: 12
Overcast, rain
Min: 10 | Max: 15
Cloudy
Min: 10 | Max: 17
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 10 | Max: 15
Overcast, rain
Min: 13 | Max: 18
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Min: 10 | Max: 15
Overcast, rain
Min: 10 | Max: 15
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română
MOST VIEWED

A Braid of Cultures – when the Albanian soul speaks Bulgarian

In the heart of Sofia, in the majestic building of the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", a piece of the Albanian soul was revealed during..

published on 10/11/25 1:25 PM

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"