PhD Student from IBS Wins First Special Prize in the Prestigious National Competition “Young Economist – 2025”

PhD Student Yordan Yordanov, enrolled in the part-time doctoral program in “Economics and Management (Industry)” at the International Business School (IBS) – Bulgaria, has been awarded the First Special Prize in the national competition “Young Economist – 2025”.
This year’s theme of the competition was: “The Creativity of Young People in Education and Career Choice: My Vision for the Future of the Bulgarian Economy.”

The event was organized by the Union of Economists in Bulgaria in partnership with the University of Economics – Varna. The competition included participants from 18 universities and research organizations from both Bulgaria and abroad. All submitted papers were anonymously evaluated by a scientific jury composed of established scholars and leading experts in the fields of economics, education, and business, as well as members of the Managing Board of the Union of Economists in Bulgaria.

Yordan Yordanov was awarded for his research paper titled:
“Economic Vision for Innovative Technological Solutions: The Creativity of Young People in Building a Digital and Sustainable Economy of the Future.”

In his work, the young researcher explores the relationship between digitalization, innovation, and economic development as a systemic dependency—not just a visionary concept. He proposes a well-reasoned strategy for human capital development, focused on interdisciplinary education, encouraging entrepreneurship, and building a sustainable innovation ecosystem. His conclusions and proposals are validated through empirical research.

“Young people and quality education are the foundation of an innovative and sustainable future for Bulgaria. I believe that we cannot speak of economic development without placing digitalization and the creativity of young people at the center of this process,” shared Yordan Yordanov.

“The success of PhD candidate Yordan Yordanov is yet another recognition of the high academic standards applied in the doctoral training process at IBS. It is also a testament to the consistent and focused policy of the institution in supporting young researchers in the realization of relevant and high-quality scientific studies with practical applicability,” commented Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Andreev, Vice-Rector of IBS and academic advisor of the awarded doctoral candidate.