At a ceremonial event held in Sveti Nikole at the Mayberry Highway venue, part of the campus of the International Slavic University, the first official meeting since the establishment of the Balkan University Center took place. This center was formed in Veliko Tarnovo by nine universities from the region. The host of the event was prof. Hristo Bondzolov, PhD president of the Balkan University Center and Vice Rector for International Cooperation at the “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.

The meeting was hybrid—allowing for both physical and online participation, which enabled the inclusion of rectors, vice-rectors, and other representatives from the partner universities—founders of the Balkan University Center. Present were representatives from universities in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, North Macedonia, and Serbia, emphasizing the common goals of improving the quality of education and research by pooling resources and sharing knowledge. The meeting included representatives from:

• “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
• International Slavic University, Republic of North Macedonia
• University of Niš, Serbia
• University of Craiova, Romania
• European Polytechnic University, Bulgaria
• Higher School of Civil Engineering “Lyuben Karavelov”, Bulgaria
• University of Western Macedonia, Greece
• “Fan S. Noli” University, Albania

A draft action plan for the center was presented, focusing on fostering cooperation and creating new opportunities for students and faculty from all member universities through participation in cross-border programs and exchanges, as well as promoting joint research projects.

This meeting is the result of joint efforts to enhance international cooperation and academic standards in the region. In addition to increasing academic resources and opportunities, the task of the Balkan University Center will be to prepare joint projects funded by the European Union to improve the quality of education.