Bulgarian Virtual University

Most information published in this entry, is based on a document, received on 24/08/2009 from Assoc. Prof Angel Smrikarov, Vice Rector University of Rousse And Coordinator of Bulgarian Virtual University . This information is also available in Bulgarian at: http://www.bvu-bg.eu/index.php?Clip=proekt

The Bulgarian Virtual University (BVU) was launched in 2004 as a a nation-wide portal to Bulgarian higher education institutions and their online learning environments. It followed naturally from the establishment of a nationwide "iUniversity" programme, funded by Bulgaria's Ministry of Transportation and Communications, designed to help Bulgaria implement ICT more effectively in its educational processes. The iUniversity first established 100 computer laboratories for e-learning at Bulgarian universities and research institutions, then established the Bulgarian Virtual University.

The goal of BVU and the programme as a whole is to provide all-round technical and methodological support to the regional universities in their transition to electronic education, namely in setting up computer rooms and adopting software platforms for electronic education, as well as in developing web-based courses and virtual laboratories, creating virtual libraries, centres for distance learning, virtual universities and campuses. Another equally important goal of BVU is to promote the integration of the Bulgarian with the European and world virtual educational space.

Actions of BVU: 1. created an information Portal for all the Regional Universities. 2. set-up of the centre of the national network of virtual libraries 3. Virtual Info-centre for Doctoral students: In this site they will find all acts, decrees and regulations that concern their status directly, as well as the classification of the academic degree programmes, the lists of specialized scientific councils and the degree programmes they are authorized to confer academic degrees and titles. A recommended curriculum for the fundamental preparation of the doctoral students can be downloaded from this site, while the virtual library offers study materials for most of the subjects in this curriculum. The number of visits to this site is close to 40 000 4. a National contest for creating electronic study materials 5. national seminar on electronic education

BVU's stated mission is:

...active and efficient utilization of the properties of ICT to realize the humanistic idea of freely accessible life-long education adapted to the individual needs providing equal opportunities for all Bulgarians, living in or out of Bulgaria, to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for an active life in the information society.

The Bulgarian Virtual University web site is at http://www.bvu-bg.eu/index.php?lng=eng

Reports

See "e-Learning in Bulgaria – the State of the Art" at http://www.elearningeuropa.info/files/media/media12735.pdf

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