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MR. KRASIMIR VALCHEV,
MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
RE: Support for the reforms in higher education, announced in the media by the Minister of Education and Science, Mr. Krasimir Valchev
DEAR MINISTER,
The Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA) expresses its categorical support for the reforms proposed by you in the field of education and science, aimed at modernizing and adapting the educational system to the contemporary needs of the economy.
For years, BICA has emphasized the need to refine the admission plan, improve the quality of education, retain specialists in the country and encourage the training of personnel in shortage specialties. BICA has repeatedly pointed out the need for a closer connection between the higher education system and the labor market. Our support for reforms is also evident in the priorities we have approved, aimed at orienting higher education to the real needs of business, which implies refining the admission plan, improving the mechanisms for financing universities and stimulating training in shortage specialties. In this context, we support the reforms proposed by you, which focus on strategically important areas such as mathematics, engineering and pedagogical sciences, as well as expanding the opportunities for practically oriented education. We fully support and accept as a particularly important step the introduction of the matriculation exam in mathematics as a criterion for admission to the fields of "Economics" and "Administration and Management". We believe that this change is correct and, given the growing need for analytical skills in economic and management professions, we propose a more ambitious approach:
• For the academic year 2025/26: 50% of students to be admitted with a matriculation exam in mathematics;
• For the academic year 2026/27: this percentage to increase to 80%.
Our motives for this are that our members - Bulgarian employers, increasingly need employees with the ability to analyze, process data and work with quantitative models. We all know that economic and management fields are preferred by prospective students because of the easy entry and lower workload. But this, along with the largest number of students studying in these fields, also leads to poorer quality results. The higher share of students admitted with a matriculation exam in mathematics will increase the quality of education, stimulate students to invest more effort in this key discipline and ensure that future economists and managers will have the necessary competencies. In addition to this measure, we also express support for the other reforms you have proposed, which fit into the priorities of the BICA, as they are aimed at increasing the quality of higher education, closer ties with the labor market and providing more opportunities for young specialists.
We believe that measures to stimulate training in priority specialties, promote practically-oriented training and encourage the conclusion of contracts between students and employers, especially in the field of medicine, where Bulgaria is experiencing an acute shortage of specialists, are extremely urgent and have the potential to yield lasting positive results. Efforts to create a more precise system for financing universities and better planning of admissions according to the needs of the economy are in line with the long-term priorities of the BICA and will guarantee the preparation of highly qualified personnel who will contribute to the development of the country. We express our readiness to cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Science in the process of implementing these reforms, with the aim of building a sustainable and competitive economy based on knowledge and innovation.
RESPECTFULLY,
VASIL VELEV,
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BULGARIAN INDUSTRIAL CAPITAL ASSOCIATION
