The 6th International Student and PhD Conference organized by the University of Insurance and Finance was held with great interest
On May 15, 2026, the 6th International Student and Doctoral Conference on the topic "Economic Integration, Transformations and Sustainability: European and Global Perspectives" was held in Sofia. The conference was organized by the University of Insurance and Finance (UIF) in partnership with Tirana Business University and the Balkan Association of Economic Universities.
The conference was held in a hybrid format and attracted significant interest, with more than 40 students and PhD candidates from Bulgaria, Georgia, Albania, Latvia, Slovenia, China, and Russia participating. The event was opened by the Vice-Rector of the University of Insurance and Finance, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eduard Marinov.
The students and PhD candidates were evaluated based on their prepared papers, as well as their presentation and communication skills demonstrated during the four conference panels:
Panel 1: Euro Adoption, Monetary Integration, Multilateral Trade, and Economic Convergence
Panel 2: Green Transformation, Sustainability, and Competitiveness
Panel 3: Small and Open Economies in the Context of Global Transformation
Panel 4: Digital Transformation and Economic Policy
The winners were selected by a scientific committee chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eduard Marinov, with members Prof. Dr. Daniela Bobeva, Prof. Dr. Andrey Zahariev, Assoc. Prof. Diyana Bankova, PhD and Assoc. Prof. Daniela Karaangova, PhD.
First place, and a scholarship covering 50% of the tuition fee for the Master"s programs at the University of Insurance and Finance, was awarded to Lazara Prichkapova, a fourth-year student at the university, who presented a paper titled "Euro Adoption, Monetary Integration and Economic Convergence."
Second place and a scholarship covering 40% of the tuition fee for the Master"s programs at the University of Insurance and Finance was awarded to David Skalekov, a student at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.
Third place and a scholarship covering 30% of the tuition fee for a Master"s program at the University of Insurance and Finance was awarded to Borislav Hristov, a third-year student at the university, for his paper titled "Social Risks in Malta."
Among the Master"s students, the following participants were also recognized: Fenis Krachov from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski for the paper "Economic Convergence and Macroeconomic Dynamics of Bulgaria within the European Union (2020-2024)"; Maria Dimitrova from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski for the paper "The Impossible Debate: Proportional or Progressive Income Taxation in Bulgaria"; and Flavia Rira from Tirana Business University for the paper " The impact of corporate digital maturity on customer experience: a cross-industry study within Albania"s retail and real estate sectors."
They will receive a 10% tuition discount upon enrollment in the PhD programs at the University of Insurance and Finance.
The committee also awarded a 30% scholarship for the English-language Master"s programs to the best-performing undergraduate among the international participants — Gleb Petrov from Government's University of Education. He presented a paper titled "Sustainability and Global Trade: Supply Chain Adaptation and Strategies for Small Economies."
The conference moderators were Assoc. Prof. Daniela Karaangova, PhD and Assoc. Prof. Diyana Bankova, PhD.
All participants whose papers were accepted for the conference will receive a 20% discount on the tuition fees for the Bulgarian-language Master"s programs at the University of Insurance and Finance.
All papers presented at the conference that meet the requirements and have successfully passed the peer-review process will be published by the St. Grigoriy Bogoslov Publishing House of the University of Insurance and Finance in an electronic proceedings volume indexed in the National Reference List of the National Centre for Information and Documentation.