BG05M2OP001-2.009-0032-C01 Pilot training for doctoral students in “Business Administration”, “Economics and Management – Industry” and “Economics and Management – Tourism” PhD programmes, and creating conditions for increasing the qualification and stimulating the career development of lecturers at the International Business School

BG05M2OP001-2.009-0032-C01
Pilot training for doctoral students in “Business Administration”,
“Economics and Management – Industry” and “Economics and
Management – Tourism” PhD programs, and creating conditions for
increasing the qualification and stimulating the career development of
lecturers at the International Business School
Total value: BGN 166,329.10, of which BGN 141,379.74 European and
BGN 24,949.36 national co-financing.
Start: 21/04/2017
End: 20.03.2019

Project objectives

With this project proposal, IBS sets two main and interrelated goals:

1. To build on the already achieved results in the direction of optimizing the training of specialists in the fields of business administration, industry management and tourism management – areas, the achievements of the Ministry of Education and Culture in which are described in detail within the framework of Section No. 11 below, in direction, directly related to the creation of skills and capacity to manage scientific projects. The practical realization of this goal will make its contribution, on the one hand, to the establishment of MBBU as a university offering its students and doctoral students training in accordance with both the current requirements of academic education and the most modern imperatives of theoretical and practical training for research activity. On the other hand, the successful implementation of the activities related to this goal will lead to the applicant achieving the goals set by the current procedure BG05M2ОP001-2.009, in the direction of strengthening the potential of the young generation to carry out research activities through investments in educational programs oriented to scientific research, and more specifically to the skills of preparation and management of scientific projects.

2. To create even better conditions for increasing the qualification of the teaching staff, engaged for the purposes of the preparation and development of the students in general and in particular of the doctoral students enrolled in doctoral programs at the MVBU. And here, as above, the candidate art.2. To create even better conditions for increasing the qualification of the teaching staff, engaged for the purposes of the preparation and development of the students in general and in particular of the doctoral students enrolled in doctoral programs at the MVBU. And here, as above, the candidate steps on the basis of already achieved results in connection with the creation of increasingly better conditions for work and improvement of the scientific and teaching staff of the Higher School (see the presentation of the projects implemented by the Ministry of Education and Culture within the framework of Section 11 below). With the implementation of the current project proposal, the teachers will be given the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge in the field of scientific project management and – in the future – to pass on their expertise to the trainees included in the candidate’s doctoral programs after the end of the project.

With the successful achievement of the goals thus set, the university will make its modest contribution to the realization of the goals laid down in the strategy of the current procedure BG05M2ОP001-2.009, and more specifically to creating conditions for qualification, continuing education and career development of those employed in the field of science through provision of trainings for acquiring skills and competencies in the field of academic writing, project activity and other necessary for young researchers, including teachers in higher schools (Activity No. 3 according to the Application Conditions under procedure BG05M2ОP001-2.009).

Target audience

In view of the specificity of the activities planned for implementation, making up the scope of this project proposal, from the point of view of parameters and characteristics, within the target group of final beneficiaries of the project, the doctoral students enrolled in the three accredited doctoral programs of the higher school fall in the first place, and namely 3.7 “Business Administration”, 3.8 “Economics and Management /Industry/” and 3.9 “Economics and Management /Tourism/” (6 doctoral students for the period of project implementation), as well as the teachers involved in the preparation of the students in the doctoral programs, proposed by the candidate MVBU (12 lecturers for the period of project implementation, engaged in the preparation of doctoral students in the disciplines “Innovations”, “Innovation Management”, “Accounting and Accounting of Innovation Projects”, “Business Analysis”, “Organizational Behavior”, “Finance”, “Project Management”, “Cross-Cultural Differences”, “Financial Analysis”). Thus, the total number of persons included in the target group of the current project proposal is 18 final beneficiaries. In terms of age, the target group is expected to include 7 young scientists up to 34 years of age and 11 teachers over this age. In accordance with the principle of non-discrimination and gender equality, the group of final beneficiaries is expected to include 7 women and 11 men.

As it becomes clear from the presentation made in this way, at the planning stage the selection of the target group is consistent not only with the horizontal principles of OP NOIR, but also with the real needs of the final beneficiaries – doctoral students and university professors – in the context of their academic and practical preparation for the future participation in R&D. Here it is appropriate to note that in its entirety the current project proposal is subordinated to the idea of meeting the objective needs of the target group in relation to deepening the qualification of the direct final beneficiaries in the field of organizing and conducting scientific research projects to the highest degree , their management and the presentation of the achieved results through the means of academic writing. Precisely for this reason, practically all activities related to the preparation and piloting of the two specialized trainings in this field, namely activities 2, 3, 4 and 5, laid down within the framework of Section 7 above and being the logical core of the project in in the light of its general objectives, invariably emphasize the feedback, carried out on the basis of direct communication with the representatives of the target group. The culmination in this area is expressed in the activity 6 presented above, whose function is precisely to institutionalize the response to the needs of the final beneficiaries in the form of a strategy for the writing of a new curriculum dedicated to the management of scientific projects. In itself, this strategy is a means of multiplying the effect of the implementation of the current project proposal and of the financial assistance received under the ESF, so that its results remain available in the future. In fact, the future introduction of the new program “Management of scientific projects” in the synopsis for the preparation of doctoral students by the Ministry of Education and Culture will expand the circle of indirect beneficiaries of this project, including indirectly the future young scientists studying with the candidate for obtaining a scientific degree “doctor”. In this way, the International Higher Business School will continue to make its modest contribution to achieving the goals of OP NOIR and specifically of the current procedure BG05M2ОP001-2.009 in the direction of the development of human resources engaged in the field of science, even after the finalization of the present project.

Main activities

• Organization, management and coordination of the project
• Preparation of pilot training on “Management of scientific research projects” for representatives of the target group
• Organization and conduct of pilot training of the target group on the topic “Management of scientific research projects”; students: 6 PhD students
• Preparation of pilot training on “Modern aspects of research projects” for representatives of the target group
• Organization and conduct of pilot training of the target group on the course “Modern aspects of scientific research projects”; students: 6 doctoral students and 12 teachers
• Analysis of the achieved pilot results and development of a strategy for building, on the basis of the developed trainings, a new study program “Management of scientific projects” within the accredited doctoral programs of the Moscow State University, and for adapting the courses for application in an online distance learning form after project completion
• Organizing and conducting a practical workshop with international participation for the needs of the target group, dedicated to academic writing
• Providing access to specialized scientific journals and software in the field of research support for the needs of the target group
• Ensuring publicity, promotion of the project results and the contribution of the ESF