VFU “CHERNORIZETS HRABAR” UNIVERSITY IS UPGRADING ITS PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP
22 April 2024
The Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" welcomed the participants in the first familiarisation event and partner meeting under the project “WE.Circular – promotion of digital and industrial capacity for sustainable circular transition of women-led small and medium-sized enterprises in the Danube region.” It was attended by nearly 40 representatives of partner organizations who arrived in Varna at the invitation of the leading organisation - the Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovation – Varna (RAPIV). The project consortium unites 14 partners from 10 countries in the Danube region, including national and regional organizations, universities and private companies from Austria, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. Besides the leading organization RAPIV, Bulgaria is also represented by the Varna Free University and the Ministry of Economy and Industry.
During the conference, the results of the implemented projects were presented, which are the basis of the creation of "WE.Circular – encouraging entrepreneurship among young women in the Danube region," according to which a Center for Women's Entrepreneurship was founded at VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar." Assoc. prof. Dr. Eleonora Tankova, Vice-Rector of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar," presented the good practices from the project "Knowing the Circular Economy in the Black Sea Basin," under which the university initiated the creation of a European Group for Territorial Cooperation on Circular Economy in the Black Sea Basin.
“WE.Circular” aims to overcome the challenges of the transition to circular economy by developing innovative training programmes to improve the skills and competencies of women entrepreneurs. The project puts emphasis on accelerating the transition to circular economy of women-led businesses by introducing circular business models. The aim is to increase the capacity of public authorities to develop policy instruments and programmes for the transition to circular economy for women entrepreneurs.
Varna Free University is a proven leader in education for the circular economy. In the university's academic profile, a full cycle of educational products on the issue is implemented – from courses for additional qualification, through a sustainably developing master's programme and its upgrade to the educational and scientific degree "doctor". Topics related to climate change and green transition are also incorporated in the bachelor's and master's programmes in Economics, Public Administration and Management, Business Administration and Management, Architecture, and others.
