The bachelor's degree program South, East, Southeast Asian Studies (SESEAS) was established in 2013 and is one of the newest programs at Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’. It is the only program in Bulgaria that gives students the opportunity to study the languages, cultures, and societies of one of the fastest-developing regions in the world: the Indo-Pacific. Established at the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology, the program focuses on the regions of South, East, Southeast Asia and belongs to the interdisciplinary area studies field. Annually, around 30 students enroll in the BA program.
During their first year of study, students choose their major subject – China, Japan, or Korea, and in their third year they choose a minor – India, Vietnam or Indonesia. It is currently the only degree program that incorporates a curriculum dedicated to the study of Southeast Asia, Vietnam and Indonesia in particular. The program aims to provide knowledge of the languages, cultures, societies, and the economic and political systems of that region in the world. Two languages are taught in seven semesters in total. The BA program offers a broad and comprehensive set of compulsory and elective courses that help students to understand and interpret contemporary developments and challenges that the societies of South, East, and Southeast Asia face today.
Graduates of the SESEAS program can work as translators and area studies specialists in various government institutions and non-governmental organizations, as teachers in secondary schools and universities, in private language schools, in Bulgarian and international companies. They may also pursue careers as consultants, journalists, editors, media experts, and more. Graduates find professional opportunities in business, diplomacy, tourism, trade, and the creative industries as well as continue their education and professional development by specialising in countries across the Asian region through various academic programs and scholarship opportunities.
South, East, Southeast Asian Studies TODAY
In 2014 and 2015, two lecture rooms “Indonesia” and “Vietnam” were established at the Centre for Eastern Languages and Studies. Both rooms include a library collection of study materials, books, magazines, maps and albums of Indonesia and Vietnam.
Evidencing the program’s successful initiatives can also be seen through several publications, such as: “Insight into the World of Southeast Asia: History, Economics, Culture” (2017), “Ho Chi Minh – Life and Deeds” (2019), proceedings of the academic conferences “Asia and the World” (2015-2018). In 2016, the first student seminar of the SESEAS program was organised under the title “ASIA: The Southeast Peak.” In 2025, the department organised the international conference “VIETNAM UP CLOSE: Heritage, Continuity, Future (13–15 November 2025), which brought together more than 80 scholars from 13 countries (Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, India, Russia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the United States, and the Netherlands), as well as scholars from several Bulgarian academic institutions. The conference’s official opening featured the exhibition of oil and lacquer paintings “The Vietnamese Summer of the Bulgarian artist Docho Dochev.”
Students are highly engaged in extracurricular, cultural, and academic activities. They regularly organise or volunteer at events related to Asia, including cultural festivals, educational initiatives, exhibitions, and international celebrations. The program has hosted and participated in numerous events highlighting the cultures of countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan, and South Korea. Since 2023, students have also organised the annual “Days of South, East, Southeast Asia” festival, featuring traditional music and dance performances, interactive cultural workshops, film screenings, and student-led academic presentations focused on Asia. Students also participate successfully in national and international competitions in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language proficiency, public speaking, translation, essay writing, and Asian Studies research, frequently earning awards and recognition. In 2024, students established a film club dedicated to Asian cinema, visual culture, and critical discussion.
International mobility is another major strength of the program. Since 2015, students have studied abroad in countries including China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand through government agreements, scholarships, exchange programs, and university partnerships. They also have opportunities for internships and professional experience in Bulgaria, as well as short-term study through Erasmus+ programs in Europe. Between 2013 and 2025, the program graduated 160 bachelor’s students and 12 master’s students, reflecting its growing role in training specialists on Asia in Bulgaria.