The Public Administration Department initiative entitled Open Semester was held in the Large Conference Hall of the university. Guest-lecturer at the event was Alexander Mihaylov from the Foundation for Local Government Reform (FLGR). He presented to students the topic Civil Participation in the Forming and Application of Regional and Local Development Policies.
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| In the Large Conference Hall |
At the event attended Assoc. Prof. Dr. Polya Katsamunska, Vice Dean for International Cooperation of the Management and Administration Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexander Valkov, Head of the Public Administration Department and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Denitsa Gorchilova, Scientific Secretary of the Department.
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| Assoc. Prof. Polya Katsamunska, Assoc. Prof. Alexander Valkov and Alexander Mihaylov (from the right to the left) |
In the frames of academic lessons we will continue to invite specialists from the practice who work on various projects and assist by their expert opinions the state and public administration, confirmed the necessity of close relation between the science and practice Assoc. Prof. Valkov. I am convinced that during these meetings everyone will find some useful information and contacts, pointed out the Head of the Public Administration Department.
I have graduated from the UNWE and it is a moral gratification for me to share my experience to you, outlined Mihaylov. The lecturer told about the Foundation and spoke about its fields of work, trainings and projects implemented by it. The reason of being here is the project entitled Encouragement of Civil Participation in the Forming and Application of Regional and Local Development Policies, specified Mihaylov. We work on the project because in Bulgaria there is a need of encouraging the civil participation in national level policies. We have limited to the regional and local level because the good practices should be awarded, added also Mihaylov.
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| Students from the speciality Public Administration |
Mihaylov commented on the project and budget funding, origin of money for projects, ways of their adoption and gave lots of examples for the application of the local and regional development policies. “The basic epistle today is that the citizens and the business should participate in the forming and implementation of policies”, emphasized Mihaylov.
The lecture was followed by a discussion and students took active part in it.
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| During the lecture |
Alexander Mihailov has worked at the Sofia Municipalityfor 16 years. He has been a Director of Territorial Management and Decentralization Directorate to the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works as well as an international consultant in various countries. Now he is an expert at the Foundation for Local Government Reform.
FLGR is an independent professional resource center assisting the local democracy. For 20 years the Foundation has successfully confirmed at national level. It has implemented a number of projects and programmes assisting the local democracy development and enhancing the civil participation in the local self-government.