“We have dozens of analyses on the advantages and deficits of our national education system. The challenges of the connection between higher education and labor market are being pedantically accounted. All of this makes sense only if the goal is to create and confirm national European cultural model, in which education and business have a crucial participation.”
This statement was made by the vice-president of the Bulgarian Industrial Association Margarita Popova in her keynote speech at the opening session of the University – Business Forum, which takes place on the 22 – 23 of February 2018, within the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
In her speech Ms. Popova pointed out that each country and society need their own national education model, through which cultures are shared, because shared culture leads to shared security.
Ms. Popova accentuated on knowledge as a strategic factor for the future of competitiveness and Industry 4.0. “Education of today is the economy of tomorrow. New knowledge is needed, new access to competences, new organizational and leadership capacity both in the education system and in the economy. It should be clear that the acquired qualification doesn’t apply for life, but it is a preparation for transition to life-long learning.”
In her speech Mrs. Popova made particular proposals for introducing interdisciplinary anticorruption trainings, with an accent on corporate management and the need of special care for family business.
The forum is organized by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), European Commission (EC) and the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA).
The forum was officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Education and Science Petar Nikolov and the Acting Director-General of the European Commission DG Education and culture Jens Nymand-Christensen.
The University – Business Forum has its 10th consecutive edition this year and brings together representatives of different stakeholders – education, science and business institutions. The forum offers the opportunity of sharing good practices and creating partnerships. The event is a source of new ideas and an instrument for the initiation of projects and higher education policies. An excellent example for that is the HEInnovate initiative as well as many other initiatives within the Erasmus+ Programme.
