Mission and Strategy – Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen

Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen is the successor of long-standing traditions in education, science and culture that have beed developed over the years. The University`s development concept started with the first Pedagogical courses in Bulgaria (1879) and it has evolved through different institutional forms.
The transformation from Higher Educational Institute into Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen (Decree No 58/16.04.1996 signed by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria) led not only to a change in its name but it also stated the institution`s new mission, aspirations and strategy. It was recognized as a state university with traditions and aspirations that was to become an educational, scientific and cultural centre in north-east Bulgaria. Being a social and cultural institution, the Univeristy emphasizes on values such as tolerance and mutual respect in an environment of equality and “education for all”.

Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen outlines its academic profile by combining succefully its traditional pedagogical trend with majors from the fields of human and society sciences, humanities, natural, mathematical, technical and social sciences. The University offers not only its traditional majors that have been attested during the past academic years but it has also enriched its programmes with new majors compliant with labour market requirements. Shumen University is constantly striving for further self-realization in terms of basic principles on integration within the European educational area.

The Shumen University’s Mission covers the following:

To ensure high quality academic education, grounded on the principles of humanism and tolerance, democracy, practicality and pragmatics, lifelong learning, adaptation and optimality
To educate self-aware persons, citizens of Bulgaria, who fit well in the process of world globalization
To form socially active and tolerant persons who are susceptible to self-development and enhancement
To educate highly active young people in a dynamic environment in the conditions of ever changing ideas, knowledge and technologies at a pace quicker than the change of generations
To provoke students` consciousness and effectiveness in the global information society characterized by increasing communicative and informative demands
To educate highly qualified specialists in the fields of education, science, culture, management and production, capable of lifelong learning and development
To develop fundamental and applied scientific researches
To integrate within the world educational area yet preserving the best traditions of the Bulgarian educational system.•
To strengthen Shumen University`s position as an educational, scientific and cultural centre in the northeast region of Bulgaria, on national level and on the Balkans
To keep an open multicultural dialogue

Shumen University outlines its mission, vision, priorities and strategies Shumen University outlines its mission, vision, priorities and strategies considering the global, common European, national and regional factors of economics and social life and taking into account the universities` crucial role for the development of education and scientific researches.

Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen`s Mission is:

TO PLAY A KEYROLE IN THE BULGARIAN EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL AREA BY THE USE OF CONTEMPORARY ACADEMIC STANDARDS, NEW INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
TO CONDUCT ACTIVE RESEARCH ACTIVITY
TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LABOUR MARKET IN A KNOWLEDGE BASED ECONOMY
TO CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE
TO ASSERT THE BULGARIAN NATIONAL IDENTITY, TO EDUCATE IN THE SPIRIT OF TOLERANCE AND MUTUAL RESPECT FOR ENHANCING SOCIAL PEACE AND ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITED EUROPE

The University`s mission is an embodiment of the notion for its specific place in the general social – economic development context and spiritual life in northeast Bilgaria. The mission corresponds to the principles and norms of the educational reform aimed at improvement of the quality of education, future specialists` successful professional training and increasing investments in human resources developmet and labour force quality enhancement.
The University strives for a modern vision in regard to competent and responsible management that will transform it into:

A STRONG AND CREATIVELY ORIENTATED UNIVERSITY THAT WILL HAVE A KEY ROLE IN KNOWLEDGE BASED SOCIETY;
A RECOGNIZABLE UNIVERSITY WITHIN THE EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC AREA;
A RESPECTABLE INSTITUTION WITH HIGH ACADEMIC CAPACITY;
AN UNIVERSITY THAT EDUCATES SELF-AWARE PERSONS AND CITIZENS OF BULGARIA WHO FIT WELL IN THE PROCESS OF THE WORLD GLOBALIZATION;
AN UNIVERSITY OF TOLERANCE AND MUTUAL RESPECT THAT CONSIDERS THE MULTICULTURAL DIALOGUE;
A FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY THAT IS ADEQUATELY MANAGED IN VIEW OF ACHIEVING ITS MISSION.

In order to maintain autonomous and democratic management in all fields of its activities the University follows the strategic development trend in respect to strengthening the responsibilities and authority of all structures and their managing bodies. The strategy focuses on the implementation of the National Programme for Educational Development in Bulgaria, with emphasis on the modernization of higher education. The strategy also incorporates the principles and aims of the Bologna process in view of enlarging the process of integration within the European and world educational area.

THE MAIN STRATEGY OF SHUMEN UNIVERSITY AIMS AT EDUCATING HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND COMPETITIVE SPECIALISTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LABOR MARKET REQUIREMENTS BY MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION AND PROVIDING LIFELONG LEARNING; STIMULATING RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORK AND ENHANCING THE ACADEMIC AND INSTITUTIONAL POTENTIAL. THE SHUMEN UNIVERSITY STRATEGY ADDRESSES ITS POLICY TOWARDS THE STUDEN BEING A PARTNER AND AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE PROCESS OF EDUCATION.
PRIORITIES:

To follow the good traditions in the Bulgarian education and to adjust them in accord with the achievements of the world educational area
To educate highly qualified specialists in compliance with the European standards, legislations, qualification requirements and quality of education, research, organizational and management criteria
To ensure the University`s authority as an institution for further education, qualification and pre-qualification of specialists from the region and the country by means of lifelong learning postgraduate qualifications
To optimize the structure of academic staff and to stimulate of its academic and career development as per national, European and world standards
To promote fundamental, theoretical and applied scientific research and innovations in the fields of social, humanitarian, natural, pedagogical and technical sciences and information and communication technologies
To participate in European research networks for educational and curricula quality promotion, as well as to improve academic staff professional qualification in view of social and regional needs for sustainable economic and social development
To further develop and improve the capacity of new and alternative tools in the field of information and communication technologies assisting the educational process
To form socially active and tolerant citizens with high moral values, adaptive to the global information society who have willingness for self-development and improvement
To assert the principles of integrated education, with respect of diverse values and equality within the educational environment that provide for the successful social inclusion of people with special needs
To ensure qualified education of specialists demanded by the educational, scientific and cultural spheres of the Bulgarian Diaspora abroad.
To improve the academic institution’s structure in order to achieve organizational and management efficiency
To improve the organizational and economic activity to achieve financial security via Univeristy financial decentralization.
To assure relative independency of the academic structures, guaranteed by means of distinct rules for budget distribution and a high level of academic communities’ initiative and responsibility.