• 6:00 PM | Pre-conference Diversity Debate: Gender Quotas on Boards of Directors
  Location: Auditorium Jordan Vedar (320)
  Organizer: Assoc. Prof. Marina Stefanova, Vice Dean of Sustainability, Empowerment, and Engagement, in partnership with Trust for Social Achievement

• 6:30 PM | Opening and Keynote Address: The Future of Assurance Business(t.b.c)
  Speakers:
  - Assoc. Prof. Atanas Georgiev, Dean, FEBA, Sofia University
  - Alfons-Maria Gracher, CEO, Gracher Kredit- und Kautionsmarkler GmbH & Co, Germany
  Location: Auditorium Nikola Popov (420)

• 7:00 PM | Reception
  Location: 4th Floor

• 9:00 – 10:30 AM | Poster Session
  Location: Auditorium Nikola Popov (420)
  Mentors:
  - Prof. Pedro Faria, University of Groningen
  -  Prof. Florian Noseleit, University of Groningen
  - Assist. Prof. Jitse Duijsters, University of Groningen
  
  Poster Presentations:
  - Ilia Lindov, PhD Candidate:  Classical Theories of Leadership in a Digital Environment
  - Plamen Ivanov, PhD Candidate:  Digital technologies fostering innovations in the food industry
  -  Tsvetana Yaneva, PhD Candidate:  Knowledge Management and Organizational Change
  -  Ilinka Antova, PhD Candidate:  The Impact of Fintech Innovations and Financial Inclusion on Banks’ Operational Risk
  - Lyubomira Gancheva, PhD Candidate:  Forecasting in the Energy Sector
  - Gergana Sirakova, PhD Candidate:  Innovations and transformation in the banking sector
  - Ruthyana Ngundo, PhD Candidate:  Foresight of volunteerism in Kenya
  - Kalin Yonov, MBA : Value reconstructing in commodities business: Success factors in strategic change
  Young scientists and postdocs:
  - Reni Pantcheva, PhD: Circular Economy Development in the European Union 

• 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM | The Digital Future of Public Services
  Speakers:

- Assist. Prof. Dimitris Karampatzakis, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Informatics, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece: AI and the smart city

- Assoc. Prof. Raya Kanazireva, FEBA, Sofia University, Public Sector Entrepreneurship in Bulgaria’s Post-Socialist Economy - Implications for sustainability, innovation, and governance,

- James Osondu, FEBA, Sofia University: Artificial Intelligence in the system of education

Location: Auditorium 200
Online at: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTg2YmEzYmUtYTVkNi00MDQ1LWFlM2YtYWY1ODM2OTI4MWRj%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2270489e86-4598-4e87-abc2-925348f4028d%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22ea3bfff2-06bc-41a0-b654-dd5898f8eadb%22%7d 

• 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Digitalization of SMEs
  Chair: Prof. Desislava Yordanova, Leading Researcher,  SUMMIT, FEBA, Sofia University
  Speakers:
  - Prof. Zhelyu Vladimirov and prof. Olya Harizanova: SMEs digital transformation – key role of top management support and digital strategy
  - Assoc. Prof. Boryana Pelova and Assist. Prof. Gloria Hristova
  - Chief Assist. Prof. Irena Mladenova:  SMEs in a Digital Era: The Role of Management
  - Simeon Lazarov, PhD Candidate, FEBA, Sofia, Bulgaria: Wages and digital transformation: Does it pay off to pay more?
  - Prof. Kamen Spassov and Assoc. Prof. Nikolay Netov: Smart Urban Mobility
  - Prof. Desislava Yordanova Dr. Albena Pergelova, MacEwan University and NhungTran
  Location: Auditorium 200

• 10:30 AM | Coffee break

• 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Job Market Preparation for PhD Students: Hints on how to prepare job applications and job interviews
  Location: Auditorium Nikola Popov (420)

• 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch break 

• 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM | Digital Agriculture and Triple Helix Dialogue
  Chair: Prof. Teodora Georgieva
  - Prof. Dr. Baiba Rivža, University of Life Sciences and Technologies and Latvian Academy of Sciences, Latvia  and Aleksandrs Jaroslavcevs, PhD Student, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies: Modernization of the Latvian Agricultural Sector and EU challenges
  - Prof. Teodora Marinova Georgieva, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria and Assoc. Prof. Daniela Ventsislavova Georgieva, Economic Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria: ESG Practices in the Context of Bulgarian Agribusiness
  - Assoc. prof. Dr Petya Ivanova Slavova, Faculty of Philosophy, Sofia University: Exploring local food systems to move from exogenous to endogenous development: the case of three rural communities in Bulgaria
  - Plamen Ivanov, PhD Student, FEBA, Sofia University: Digital technologies fostering innovations in the food industry
  - Prof. Maria Yotova, Ritsumeikan Univeristy, Japan: From Milk to Gotochi Yogurt: Creativity and Innovation in Japan’s Dairy Farming
  Location: Auditorium 200

• 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM |  Икономически и управленски изследвания
  - доц. Банчо Банов, Стопански факултет, Софийски Университет: Формулата П-С-П' /Пари- стока-пари прим/ -политико-икономически приложения
  - Мариам Карабойчева, докторант, Стопански факултет, Софийски Университет: Мениджърското поведение в съвременната организация.
  - Д-р Зорница Стефанова, Вътрешен Компас: Коучингът за ръководители като катализатор за устойчиво лидерство и организационна ефективност
  Място на провеждане: Аудитория Арменухи Пирян (523)
  
  

•  2:00 PM – 4:30 PM |  Digitalization and Local Governance

Location: Auditorium Nikola Popov (420)
Chair: Valentin Lazarov, President, National Association of Municipal Clerks in Bulgaria
- Prof. Mariana Todorova, Ph.D. Professor at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
- Chief Assist. Prof. Desislava Kalcheva, FEBA, Sofia University; Daniela Ushatova, PhD Candidate, Department of Regional Development, Trakia University, Stara Zagora Zagora, Bulgaria: Digitalization of Municipalities in Bulgaria: Successes, Challenges, and Future Opportunities
- Dr Vita Juknevičienė, Dr Rita Toleikienė, Vilnius University, Lithuania; Dr Inese Abolina and Dr Iveta Reinholde, University of Latvia, Latvia; Dr Irma Rybnikova, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany: E-leadership in municipal administrations after the pandemic: Results from focus groups in Lithuania, Latvia and Germany
-  Nikolay Stoykov, Dimitar Koritarov, GIS Bulgaria, Gabrovo
- Ruthyana Ngundo,  Chairperson of Human Resource Management and Development, Committee at Mombasa County Public Service Board, Kenya: 
- Assist. Prof. Sia Tsolova, PhD, FMI, SU "St. Kl. Ohridski": Innovative System for Strategic Management in Municipalities in Bulgaria

• 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM | Museum Tour

• 6:00 PM |  Reception
  Location: Regional History Museum of Sofia

• 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM |  Cooperatives: Challenges and Opportunities *
  Location: Auditorium Nikola Popov (420)
  Moderator: Prof. Albena Vutsova, Sofia University
  Online: MS Teams

   9:30 – 10:00 Participant Registration
10:00 – 10:15 Opening Remarks
   - Prof. Dr. Albena Vutsova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"

10:15 – 10:30 Brief Address
-  Ms. Zornitsa Rusinova, Chairperson of the Economic and Social Council

10:30 – 10:45 Presentation: The Evolution of Cooperatives in Bulgaria
- Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Martina Arabadzhieva, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"

10:45 – 11:45 Panel Discussion: Opportunities and Risks: The Future of Cooperatives in the Modern Economy
Moderators:
- Prof. Dr. Albena Vutsova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Todor Yalamov, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University

11:45 – 12:00 Summary

12:00 – 1:00 PM Informal Conversations
* This panel is conducted in Bulgarian

• 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch

• 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Closing Panel: Challenges & Opportunities in EU E-commerce 2030
  Location: Auditorium Nikola Popov (420)
  Speaker:
  - Vlad Vita, Policy Advisor, eCommerce Europe presentation
  Panel  moderated by Janet Naydenova about  eCommerce in Europe
  Panel Participants:
  - Vlad Vita, Policy Advisor
  - PeterTsvetkov, Operations Manager of eMAG Bulgaria
  E-commerce in Bulgaria Presentations:
  -  Janet Naydenova, President, Bulgarian eCommerce Association
    - Dr. Anna Kyosova, postdoc, FEBA, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgaria
  - Assoc. Prof. Todor Yalamov, Vice Dean, FEBA, Sofia University, Bulgaria 

• 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Panel: Trends in Bulgarian Economic Research

Location: Auditorium 520

Moderator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kaloyan Ganev

Speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Deyan Radev, "Bank Resolution, Regulatory Arbitrage, and Systemic Risk"
- Chief Asst. Prof. Dr. Georgi Ganev, "Bulgarian Monetary Aggregates 1995 - 2024"
- Chief Asst. Prof. Dr. Daniel Kasabov, "Dynamics of Inflation in Bulgaria: Role of External and Internal Factors"
- Chief Asst. Prof. Dr. Iliya Atanasov & Asst. Lidiya Kabatliyska, "Bridging Borders, Closing Gaps: Capital Flows and Long-Run Growth"