CEP launched its
Bulgaria program in 1992. Since then more than sixty five Visiting Faculty Fellows - VFFs (formerly Visiting
Lecturers) and Local Faculty Fellows - LFFs
(formerly Eastern Scholars) have taught courses in the humanities and social sciences at
eleven major state and private universities. In the 2002-03 academic year, the program is
supporting three Visiting Faculty Fellows, six Local Faculty Fellows, and seven Teaching
Development Program (TDP) Fellows. The trend in CEP-Bulgaria as been for the VFF program
to become smaller and the programs for local faculty to expand. This is a logical
development for this program as most of the universities in Bulgaria already have
partnerships with Western academic institutions or participate in a number of European
Union programs for lecturer and student exchanges. The VFF program, however small, remains
an important element of the CEP program in Bulgaria, complementing the local faculty
programs. With their different approaches, teaching styles, and backgrounds, VFFs
complement the strong base of CEP’s local academics and add new perspectives and an
international component to the CEP team.
"We greatly enjoy working with the CEP lecturers. And our
students adore them."
Roumiana Petrova, Senior Lecturer, Rousse University
CEP Fellows are actively involved in higher education reform. They
contribute to the increasing adherence to world standards in teaching by developing new
courses, reorganizing departments, and educating the next generation of academics.
Lecturers introduce their students and colleagues to new teaching techniques and
materials. Interactive methods of education enable them to capture students' attention and
make the classroom an engaging and supportive place. CEP Fellows teach students how to
think critically and acquire knowledge through logic, rather than rote learning and
rhetoric. A CEP course means a different and challenging way of studying and a gateway to
further opportunities.
"I have seen first hand the difference CEP can make for students
and universities in transitional societies - providing vital educational tools and new
directions for students and faculty, strengthening the commitment to civil society and
democracy in the region."
Robert Castle, Visiting Lecturer alumnus, Rousse and New Bulgarian Universities
As part of its efforts to encourage and support the involvement of
young regional scholars in academia, CEP launched the Teaching Development Program (TDP)
for junior Bulgarian academics in 2001. Participants in this program have just started
their academic careers at universities in their home country and CEP offers them a
two-year training program tailored to their needs. The program is built around three
workshops each year, with the first set focusing on teaching and the other on research and
other professional skills. In the current academic year the training program on teachings
methods is being conducted jointly with Reading and Writing
for Critical Thinking.
