A MEETING BETWEEN MINISTERS OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA - MR KRASIMIR VALCHEV AND
THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC - MRS. GULMIRA KUDAYBERDIEVA

    By an initiative and assistance of the South-West University "Neofit Rilski", on 22.07.2019 at 14:00 was held a meeting between the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria- Mr. Krassimir Valchev and the Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic - Mrs. Gulmira Kudayberdievа. The aim of the meeting was the discussion of the possibility and the preparation of a bilateral agreement for the exchange of students, PhD students and scholars and the possibility of mutual recognition of diplomas. The meeting was held at the request of the Kyrgyz side on the basis of the prepared double diploma agreements for Bachelor's and Master's programs in the field of sustainable tourism and sustainable tourism management between SWU "Neofit Rilski" and the three Kyrgyz Universities: ADAM University, Kyrgyz Economic University named after Musa Ryskulbekov and the, Issyk-Kul state University named after K.Tynystanov Kyrgyzstan. The expected student exchange, based on these agreements is a result of the project "Bachelors and Masters - Professionals in Open and Distance Learning for the Development of Sustainable Tourism in China, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan" (Project "LMPT"), led by the SWU "Neofit Rilski" , Project Number: 573897-EPP-1-2016-1-BG-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP, co-funded under the EU's Erasmus + Programme.
     The meeting of the two Ministers was followed by a working meeting with the participation of the Deputy Minister Mr. Peter Nikolov and the Executive Director of the Bulgarian National Agency "Erasmus +", the HRDA - Mr. Petyo Kanev, as well, as representatives of the Bulgarian institutions. The process of students exchange and recognition of higher education diplomas was discussed. On the part of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, a willingness to cooperate in the preparation of the requested bilateral agreement with the Kyrgyz Republic was declared, and it was noted that the negotiation process would take place between the foreign ministries of the two countries. There was also support for the implementation of the prepared double diploma agreements between SWU "Neofit Rilski" and the three Kyrgyz University partners under the "LMPT" project.