New Bulgarian University (, also known and abbreviated as НБУ, NBU) is a private university based in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Its campus is in the western district of the city, known for its proximity to the Vitosha nature park. The university also owns multiple other buildings across the country, as well as its own publishing house and a library.
Among the list of NBU Honorary Doctors and Honorary Professors are Richard Rorty, Thomas Sebeok, Wolfgang Iser, Terry Eagleton, Julia Kristeva, Jean-Pierre Vernant, Ralf Dahrendorf, Steve Forbes, Geert Hofstede, Ennio Morricone, Milcho Leviev, Raina Kabaivanska, Alexander Fol, Vera Mutafchieva, and Georgy Fotev.
Since 2004, NBU has been an accredited partner of The Open University Business School.
History NBU was established on 18 September 1991 by Bogdan Bogdanov and a group of Bulgarian intellectuals with a resolution by the Bulgarian Parliament. NBU's main purpose was to modernise Bulgarian higher education. 2,500 students were welcomed during the first year. A test of general education was introduced in 1995 and established as a uniform standard for the reception of students in 1996.
NBU's Educational Museum was founded on 23 April 2010. The first exhibition was "Museum Network Resources". It was the final stage of the project "Educational Museum at New Bulgarian University". The project was funded by the National Fund for Research at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science, the Cultural Heritage (study on national historic and culture legacy as a part of European culture heritage and advanced methods for preserving).Museum
Since 2010, NBU is the home of 'The Slug Theater', where the university's drama club present their shows.
Campus
The campus consists of two buildings (Buildings 1 and 2) housing the Aula, Library, University Theater, NBU Museum, UniArt Gallery, Medical Center, and a Sports Center surrounded with open green spaces.
The university has more than 100 halls, computer labs, language and simultaneous interpreting labs, a Mock Courtroom, an Arts Center with practice rooms and studios for students of music, fine arts, design and architecture with a total capacity of 2,500 seats.
Library NBU's academic library houses over 128,000 items accessed by 150,000 annual visitors.Library Statistics, NBU http://www.nbu.bg/index.php?l=981
Reputation NBU's IT and management departments rank high in the country. As of 2014, NBU ranked second in Bulgaria according to the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities.
Bogdan Bogdanov Humanities Award The Bogdan Bogdanov Humanities Award is an annual national distinction established by the Board of Trustees of New Bulgarian University on 5 December 2016 in memory of the university's founder, the classical philologist and public intellectual Bogdan Bogdanov.
The award recognizes outstanding achievements in the humanities, culture, arts, and public life in Bulgaria. It is presented annually around 2 November, the birth date of Bogdan Bogdanov. Laureates receive a diploma, plaque, and monetary prize.
Laureates Year Laureate Motivation 2017 Boris Hristov For his contribution to Bulgarian poetry and culture. 2018 Mihail Nedelchev For contributions to Bulgarian literary history, criticism, and public life. 2019 Snezhina Petrova and Georgi Gochev For the theatrical and educational project Medea. 2020 Nayden Todorov For achievements in music, cultural management, and public engagement. 2021 Georgy Fotev For contributions to sociology and the humanities in Bulgaria. 2022 Tsocho Boyadzhiev For achievements in philosophy, medieval studies, and photography. 2023 Raina Kabaivanska For exceptional contributions to music, education, and Bulgarian culture. 2024 Ivaylo Tarnev For achievements in medicine, teaching, and humanitarian engagement. 2025 Theodora Dimova For her literary work and civic contribution to contemporary Bulgarian culture.
Centers
Central and East European Center for Cognitive Science The Central and East European Center for Cognitive Science (or CEEC of Cognitive ScienceNBU: CEEC of Cognitive Science, nbu.bg) undertakes research in fundamental and applied cognitive science.For example: Evgenia Hristova, Maurice Grinberg, Investigation of Context Effect in Iterated prisoner' Dilemma Game, CEEC of Cognitive Science, in Pierre Deransart, Bernard Lorho, Jan Maluszyński, Programming Languages Implementation and Logic Programming: International Workshop Plilp '88, Orleans, France, May 16–18, 1988. Proceedings, Springer, 1989 Research topics include: memory, thinking, language, learning, perception, context, applications to robotics, AI, and cognitive systems, cognitive economics, human factors and usability, education and learning methods. The center is co-directed by Boicho Kokinov and Jeff Elman.
The CEEC of Cognitive Science grants M.Sc. and Ph.D. degreesThe M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs in cognitive science and organizes an annual summer school.The series of Annual International Summer Schools in Cognitive Science started in 199420th International Summer School in Cognitive Science
Other centers Bulgarian Center for Human relations Center for Social Practices Center for Public Administration Assessment Center South-East European Center for Semiotic Studies
Departments
National and International Security Studies Anthropology Archaeology Biomedical Sciences Cinema, Advertising and Show Business Cognitive science and Psychology Architecture Design Earth and Environmental Sciences Economics and Business Administration Fine Arts Foreign Language Education Foreign Languages and Literatures History Informatics
History of Culture Law Mass Communications Mediterranean and Eastern Studies Musical Arts New Bulgarian Studies Philosophy and Sociology Plastic Arts Political Sciences Theater Telecommunications Tourism
Programmes
Bachelor's
See also Central and East European Center for Cognitive Science
References
External links New Bulgarian University official website South Eastern European Center for Semiotic Studies Efficiency and public funding for higher education in Bulgaria