Planning Education in Bulgaria RIGA, March 2003

1. Planning Education in BulgariaRIGA, March 2003 Vesselina Troeva Sofia, BULGARIA vtroeva_far@uacg.bg

2. Outline • Introduction • Common transformations at CEE • Impact on planning system • Planning education in Bulgaria • Follow-up • Bologna declaration • Prague declaration • From Prague to Berlin • The Challenges for Planning Education • Conclusions

3. Introduction • Limitations on planning education research • Limited information even at the AESOP • A great variety of Education systems in terms of: • educational systems & institutions • degree structure • access & admission • credit system • organisation of the academic year • tuition fees and grants • Limitations on current presentation • Planning education in Bulgaria • Common transformations and changes after 1989, affecting planning system in CEE

4. Common transformations at CEE • Political-multiparty system. • Economic -privatization, restitution, financial reform; service sector. • Social-population decline; polarization; unemployment, HE diversification; brain drain. • Legislative- harmonization with EU. • Spatial-administrative structure (NUTS); priorities. • Cultural- values; dual standards. • Psychological- uncertainty and stress.

5. Impact on planning system • Planning Legislation • Planning acts and regulations- new acts between 1990 and 2000; • Environmental acts and regulations; • Property rights. • Planning Institutions • Decentralisation of power; • Regional level restructuring; • Planning Practice • Lack of financial resources for planning at state & municipal level; • Loss of competencies and experts; • New actors - engineers, surveyors, general public and NGOs. • Planning Research • Closing down state research and planning units; • Limited resources and funding. • Planning Education • reduction in number of students.

6. Bulgarian Planning education • Planning professionals, graduated at Western Universities & Russia • 1945 - Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture, UACG • 1988 - Specialized Planning courses at 5th year in Architecture programme • Regional planning • Urban planning and design • Landscape planning • 1997-2000 - IM3P - Master courses for UK diploma - common core in management with MBA courses: • Urban planning and housing policy • Tourism Planning • 2002 - First BSc Planning programme in Bulgaria • Single lecture courses at SU, UNWE, Varna;

7. Follow-up • Establishing MSc programmes and joint programmes within the UACG; • Academic staff development; • Resource centre for the new major - additional supply of books, journals, video materials, maps etc.; • State register of professions - MoLSP; • Institutional restructuring - MoRDPW’ network at regional and municipal level; • Legislative changes -Planning Act, Administrative management Act, Regional development Act etc.;

8. Bologna declaration • A system based on two cycles • BSc Urbanism • MSc - Spatial planning; Urban regeneration; Tourism planning; Housing policy; Heritage; Property management; Transport management; Project management; • Establishment of a credit system - ECTS • Promotion of mobility • TEMPUS experience - partnership with France, UK, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Belgium and Greece; • SOCRATES - limited students exchange with France and Ireland; • Leonardo da Vinci - very important for practical placement; • Accreditation - the only accredited programme at UACG; • Quality assurance -Multicountry programme PHARE ZZ97.27.02 “European Dimensions of the Institutional Quality Management” - CRE, ETF, CHEPS, CHERI - 2 universities from all CEE countries. • European dimensions in higher education - single lecture courses- ‘Urban regeneration’, ‘Changing Europe’;

9. Prague declaration • Lifelong learning • Limited number of academic staff trained in new teaching methodology - open and distance learning; • Lack of resources - financial and human; • Lack of interest - no special requirements for professional accreditation; • HE institutions and students • New proactive role; • Participation and influence; • Promoting attractiveness • Potential for transnational education at SEE • Joint modules and courses • Intensive training - potential for intensive training, workshops and students competitions;

10. From Prague to Berlin • The role of professional organisations • 10 concrete measures - most important Action lines 3, 5 & 9 • Action line 3 - non-formal and informal learning - general public; secondary education; decision makers; • Action Line 4 - Access to European Virtual Universities; • Action Line 5 - A pilot scheme on European HE Quality Evaluation - limited number of experts in small countries; • Action Line 6 - European Masters and Doctoral courses; • Action Line 9 - A data-base on job and learning opportunities;

11. The challenges for Planning Education • Financial restrictions and additional funding; • University management - strategic view; • Learning environment; • Competition - greater at CEE; • Human resources - to attract PhD students, young academics & researchers; • Benchmarks - academic and professional accreditation; • Research and innovation units; • Links with regional and local strategies and priorities; • Implementation of results and dissemination; • Research on education - current needs - number of students and number of professionals;

12. Conclusions • What type of planning professionals? • What type of knowledge? • What type of planning programme? • What type of teaching methodology? • What type of planning students? • What type of planning academics? • What type of HE institutions? Despite all differences, the constant exchange of information and experience will support the future process of mutual recognition and trust development.

13. Information Sources • Directory of Planning Schools 2001, AESOP • CIA World Fact Book • How did transition Economies perform? World Bank report 2002 Washington D.C. • http://cepes.ro/information_services/statistics_00.htm • http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/ • http://www.nature.coe.int/english/main/planning/ • Implications of the EU Enlargement for Spatial Planning and Spatial Planning in Accession Countries, ECTP conference, Warsaw, may 2001. • Multicountry programme PHARE ZZ97.27.02 European Dimensions of the Institutional Quality Management - CRE, ETF, CHEPS, CHERI. • The enlargement of the EU: An Additional Challenge for European Spatial development Policy, ESDP, Potsdam, 1999. • The European Higher Education Area. Joint declaration of the Ministers of Education, Bologna 1999. • The Role of the Universities in the Europe of Knowledge, Communication from the Commission, Brussels, 05.02.2003 • Towards the European Higher education area. Prague Declaration 2001 • UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2003

14. General information CEE

15. Higher education CEE

16. Planning education CEE

17. Abreviations • CEE - Central and Eastern Europe • CRE - Council of European Rectors • CHEPS - Centre for Higher Education Policy Study, The Netherlands • CHERI - Centre for Higher Education Research & Information, Open University, UK • ECTP - European Council of Town Planners • ECTS - European credit transfer system • ETF - European Training Foundation, Torino • HE - Higher Education • IM3P - International Modular Masters in Management Programme • MoRDPW - Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, Bulgaria • MoLSP - Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Bulgaria • SEE - Southern Eastern Europe • SU - Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridsky” • UACG - University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia, Bulgaria • UNWE - University of National and World Economics, Sofia, Bulgaria