The first workshop on circular economy was held as part of an Erasmus+ project with coordinator D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics

The first workshop on the latest approved Erasmus+ project of the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics was held from April 30 to May 2, 2023. Teams of scientists, including two rectors, from four partner universities, met in an outdoor format at a conference center in National Park Central Balkan. The focus of the seminar was on the applied methodology in teaching circular economy as part of the Erasmus+ KA220-HED project "Trifold approach to circular economy: perspectives of academia, business and wider society", with number 2022-1-BG01-KA220-HED-000085464.

As hosts and speakers, the following representatives from the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics in Svishtov took part in the event: Professor Dr. Andrey Zahariev – project manager and Dean of the Faculty of Finance, Associate Professor Dr. Petko Angelov – project coordinator and Scientific secretary of the Finance and Credit Department, Professor Dr. Stoyan Prodanov – Head of the Finance and Credit Department at the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics in Svishtov, and Assistant Professor Dr. Silvia Zarkova. The team from the ARTIFEX University in Bucharest, Romania was led by Professor Dr. Alexandru Manole – Rector, and members: Associate Professor Dr. Catalin Deatcu, department director, Professor Dr. Ghenadie Ciobanu and Maria Popescu, marketing director. The delegation from the Turkish partner İSTANBUL ESENYURT ÜNİVERSİTESİ was also led by the rector, Professor Dr. Canan Hecer, accompanied by Dr. Hakan Kantarcı and Dr. Erhan Canikoğlu. The group from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Niš was led by Professor Dr. Maja Ivanovic Djukic, together with Professor Dr. Marija Radosavljevic, Associate Professor Dr. Tamara Radjenovic, and Assistant Professor Miljana Talic. Representatives from non-governmental organizations and educational institutions also participated in the discussions held during the forum.

The workshop is the initial stage of the first phase of the project, in which the D.A. Tsenov Academy of Economics in Svishtov is the leading institution. It was held in the atmsphere of lively discussions and decision-making on organizational issues related to the project. On the first day of the event, partner institutions and their teams were introduced. The second day was dedicated to a comprehensive review of existing educational programs in circular economy and an active discussion on the approaches used in teaching. The topic coverage of circular economy was reviewed. Participants actively took part in a discussion on the approaches to training individuals in disadvantaged positions. At the end of the second day, a brainstorming session was held to identify the themes that justify the intellectual outputs of the project, their final selection, as well as the sectors involved in the circular economy. At the end of the day, Professor Stoyan Prodanov gave a keynote presentation on the perspective of insurers on climate change, catastrophic events, and the need for a rapid transition to the principles of the circular economy and low-carbon technologies. The third day was dedicated to a discussion on the structure of the chapters of the Reference Book on Circular Economy for Teachers as well as a discussion on the division of the subchapters among the authoring teams and their final selection. The length, style, content, and common wording of the individual chapters in the book were also discussed. In line with the "green" focus of the project, a hike to the starting point of the eco-trails in National Pafrk Central Balkan was organized, where guests expressed their appreciation of the natural features of our country.

The main output from the three-day workshop was the development of a horizontal and vertical plan for all organizational and managerial mechanisms for administering the project phases until its completion in October 2024. It was agreed that the next workshop will take place at the ARTIFEX University campus in Bucharest from 18-20 May 2023, in which the Rector of the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics, Prof. Dr. Mariyana Bozhinova will be expected to participate, too. It was agreed that the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics will be the host for the acceptance of the results of the first working package of the project from 9-11 June 2023. The project leader, Prof. Dr. Andrey Zahariev, presented each participant in the workshop with an individual certificate of participation. On the initiative of the project coordinator, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Petko Angelov, a visit to the Troyan Monastery and the Nature Museum in Cherni Osam was organized for the Serbian delegation on the day of its departure.