University lecturer Denitsa Petrova and her life in Edinburgh, devoted to knowledge

published on 9/27/25 2:15 PM

Denitsa Petrova

Photo: Denitsa Petrova's private archive

The University of Edinburgh is the fourth largest in the UK, having opened its doors in 1583. For 57 years, His Highness Prince Philip was its rector, and since 2011, his daughter Princess Anne has held this role. For a decade now, Bulgaria's Denitsa Petrova has played an important role as a lecturer at this prestigious educational institution.

Years ago, the capital of Scotland captured her heart with its magnetic northern beauty, history, and university traditions. She chose to continue her academic education there and then stayed on to work as part of the Edinburgh University team. Today, Denitsa Petrova teaches digital design in a special master's program in both face-to-face and distance learning formats, which accepts between 70 and 80 new students each year:

"Digital design is a rather general concept, but our courses include graphic and web design, mobile application design, 3D modeling, animation, game design, and augmented reality," Denitsa Petrova tells Radio Bulgaria, adding that assessment is based on projects developed by students on various design-related topics. In addition, they have to submit written assignments of between 6,000 and 8,000 words to their teachers:

"They should include quotes and reviews of similar projects around the world. If a student is modernizing a museum, they should tell us what they liked and didn't like about the projects they reviewed. Our students do not live in a vacuum, and part of our job is to look at what is happening around them, to know the environment. In this way, they develop and gain new knowledge," Denitsa Petrova believes.

She has been entrusted with another extremely responsible role - to be part of a special commission dealing with plagiarism in the educational institution:

"Every university has commissions that review cases of cheating by students or the use of artificial intelligence. This commission reviews the cases that come to it and assesses whether they are true and, if so, to what extent they have affected the written work in question and whether any punishment should be imposed. The work is interesting, but also very responsible."

Part of the responsibilities of lecturers at the Scottish university is to participate in various committees, and Denitsa's colleagues decided that she would do well in this responsible position:

"I was interested in artificial intelligence and how it will change and is already changing the landscape for creative people. We also have another committee tasked with developing and implementing policies for the use of artificial intelligence by students and teachers. This is something that is already happening in the design industry, and we cannot stop it."

Due to her extremely dynamic daily life, filled with a variety of tasks, she is unable to actively participate in the life of the Bulgarian community in Edinburgh. Although fewer in number compared to the years before Brexit, there are Bulgarians in the city who have established their businesses and families there, Denitsa Petrov tells us. There are also Bulgarian communities in Dundee, Aberdeen, Glasgow, and in the smaller Scottish towns around them.

First Bulgarian school in Edinburgh brings together friends of Bulgaria on its tenth anniversary

"Before COVID, I remember there being more Bulgarian events. We had a choir group that I attended because it was an interesting and energetic experience for me, and there were also concerts. The community I know is more connected to the university, where there are quite a few small student associations, one of which is Bulgarian, but I don't always know what's going on with them."

Denitsa is also part of a team of authors working on a new book entitled "The student guide to creative studio in a digital age," together with her colleague Doug Speck from the University of Westminster in London:

"I don't have any plans to translate it into Bulgarian yet, but I don't mind if it gets translated. It's the result of my work over the last 10 years, during which I've been working in a hybrid environment. It includes lots of examples from current and former students who talk about how they work in this new environment," says university lecturer Denitsa Petrova.

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Photos: Denitsa Petrova's private archive, Facebook/ The University of Edinburgh, ed.ac.uk

English publication: R. Petkova

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University lecturer Denitsa Petrova and her life in Edinburgh, devoted to knowledge

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