The first edition of the first ever electronic newspaper for knowledge, education, science and personal development emerged is already out. It will combine topics related to changes in education, self-improvement, science, information technology, the future, and many other interesting things. There is also an interviewe by Natalia Futekova, Managing Partner of ERP.BG. Here is a part of it:

“Our education gradually adjusts to the requirements of the business” – says Prof. Dr. Natalia Futekova, professor at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in front of the readers of the newspaper Uchi.bg

One of the most common criticisms of Bulgarian universities in recent years is that to a large extent they do not prepare specialists in line with the needs of our economy. The market is experiencing a growing shortage of programmers, telecommunications specialists and engineers at all, while hundreds of students graduate from universities in a number of other specialties and begin to work as waiters and sellers or fail to find work at all. Unemployment is high and, at the same time, certain sectors are experiencing an increasingly serious shortage of staff, despite the high wages they offer. On these and other issues, we had a conversation with Natalia Futekova. As an assistant at UNWE and a partner of the software company ERP.BG, she is a person who sees both points of view on a daily basis. And perhaps for that, she has already managed to create some of the first full partnership initiatives between business and education.

QUESTION: In what extent is education lagging behind the real business requirements?

Natalia Futekova: Many things have changed in Bulgarian universities in the last years in a positive direction and this process will continue in the future as higher education will open more and more to the requirements of the business. However, some economic sectors are developing so dynamically that it is difficult for the education system to respond to this dynamics and update its programs so quickly. Such a typical sector is information technology. This is not just about technology majors, whose programs must reflect the introduction of new languages ​​and programming platforms, new standards and concepts. Many other specialties – economics, law, etc., who do not prepare IT specialists – should also include in their training a number of technological innovations.

You can read the full interview in the electronic newspaper Uchi.bg by downloading the edition free of charge here.