Bulgaria - Bulgarian School of Politics "Dimitry Panitza" (2002)
The Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitry Panitza” has been training the political and civic leaders of Bulgaria since 2001. The school aims to create a learning environment where mutual understanding prevails among people from across the political spectrum, to teach them to work together for the common good and to lay the foundations for a constructive dialogue.
17 "Tzar Shishman" street, ap. 4
1000 Sofia
Tel. : +359 2 952 68 82
E-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website : www.schoolofpolitics.org
Director: Ivan NACHEV
“The School is an amazing place where people from different political parties, NGOs, academia, representatives of the judiciary, business leaders, journalists can sit together and freely and openly discuss, work and dream for the future of our country. It is not simply a training institution where you can earn valuable knowledge or develop your skills to govern better. It is a place where debate is based in morals and ethics, where protection of the public interest is the guiding point in politics and policy, where defending your position honestly and openly is a matter of respect. Leadership is not a label or a fancy certificate framed and hung proudly on the wall. Leadership is action to protect moral principles, an endless fight for democratic values and inspiring change. That is what the Bulgarian School of Politics stands for.”
Ivan NACHEV, Director
About the School
The School was established on the initiative of Dimitriy Panitza – a patriotic Bulgarian and philanthropist, who worked with astounding vigour for the development of the democratic society in Bulgaria.
Through training programmes, conferences and initiatives targeting the professional development of young civic leaders, the School aims to encourage the process of democratisation in Bulgaria and the countries from the Western Balkans, Black Sea region and the South Mediterranean. Their programmes have hosted more than 650 Bulgarian and 200 foreign leaders - including Members of Parliament, leading politicians, senior government officials, judges, prosecutors, members of the business community and civic leaders.
The national programme “Governing Skills” is aimed at shaping a new political and civic culture among young leaders and strengthening morale principles for their present and future development. It combines several elements:
· Presentation of basic political concepts and platforms
· Analysis of contemporary situation and key topics for the society
· Searching for practical solutions to pressing problems
· Behavioural trainings that develop basic leadership skills.
The programme is based on the balance between theoretical and practical, and between the main issues and ad-hoc topics from public and political life in Bulgaria, as well as further development in Europe and the world. It is designed as a series of four 4-day training seminars conducted from November to March. The 5th and final seminar is the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg.
In terms of participants, the School makes every effort to ensure gender, age, regional and professional balance. Most of the participants are under 40 years of age. Each class comprises representatives from political parties (60-70%) and representatives from civil society organisations (30-40%). The School does not accept self-nominations. Candidates are nominated by political parties and by civil society organisations.
About the Director
Ivan Nachev is a Bulgarian political scientist and an expert on EU political integration. He graduated in political science from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and specialised in European integration at the Centre for European Studies and the Centre for European Governance at the University of Nottingham, UK. He is interested in political theory and practice, theories of European integration and strategies. He was Director of the only Bulgarian political analysis and forecasting magazine "Bulgarian Observer" and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine "Political Analysis". He is a member of the Bulgarian Political Science Association, the European Studies Association (ESCA) and the Europe Team of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria. Ivan Nachev has published numerous articles on the political integration of the European Union, the study of political elites and the development of the creative economies of the EU Member States in Bulgarian, English, French and Turkish.
