Nominate an alum
An important part of the American University in Bulgaria's mission is to inspire students to bring positive change to society, whether on a local or global level. The HRH Princess Maria Luisa Distinguished AUBG Alumni Award for Civic Leadership and Change aims to honor a graduate of the University who has taken this idea to heart and made an impact on the world around them.
Think about a fellow alum who has worked for the benefit of their community or in the world and nominate them by May 5, 2023.
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H.R.H. Princess Maria Luisa of Bulgaria is the daughter of King Boris III and Queen Giovanna. In 1991, she was the first of the royal family to revisit Bulgaria after the fall of communism. Fluent in Bulgarian, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian, and extremely well respected among the Bulgarian émigré community in North America, Princess Maria Luisa has been tirelessly working for charity in support of Bulgarian causes in the fields of health, music, art, and education.
She served on the AUBG board of trustees from 1999 to 2009. After a period during which the Princess was a devoted member of the AUBG University Council, she has rejoined the board of trustees in 2017 and has continued to be an inspiring driver of change. In May 2012 Princess Maria Luisa was awarded the degree Doctor Honoris Causa of AUBG for her leadership in support of the university.
HRH Princess Maria Luisa’s AUBG Distinguished Alumni Award for Civic Leadership and Change serves to:
- Recognize the high achievements of the AUBG alumni in driving social change through displaying civic leadership and courage in changing their communities and the world.
- Allow AUBG to learn more about the achievements of its alumni and to share these accomplishments with the whole community both at home on campus and around the globe.
- Bring the AUBG Alumni body and the entire AUBG Community even closer together to inspire each other and motivate an ever-growing number of courageous civic leaders and change-makers.
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- Elvin Guri ('96) - 2019
- Manol Peykov ('95, EMBA '08) - 2023
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The AUBG Distinguished Alumni Award for Civic Leadership and Change will be awarded annually to an outstanding alumna/us:
- who makes a significant difference in her/his local or national community or internationally by addressing one or more of the following areas: Fostering economic prosperity and entrepreneurship, while bringing change to the lives of the most vulnerable in the society; Advancing civil society and human rights; Working to promote tolerance and non-violence; Combating climate change; Encourage and sponsor future students for our AUBG.
- who has brought about real change and had a positive impact on their community or the world through their leadership and work in the service of others through a social enterprise, a corporate social responsibility project, volunteerism, charitable work etc., within the profit, non-profit or public sector;
- who can offer evidence of the sustainability of their contribution to the community through verifiable and/or measurable enduring positive outcomes and change.
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- Nominations must be submitted via the online form;
- Nominations can be made by an AUBG alum, a friend of the University, a faculty member, a staff member, a member of the public, or a group of any of the above;
- Alumni may nominate themselves. In this case at least one referee who is not the nominator is required to complete a statement to support the official nomination for the Award;
- Staff members of the Development Office at AUBG and members of the selection committee may not be nominated;
- University Council members or members of the Senior Executive team of AUBG may not be nominated;
- Committee members who have any involvement in a nomination may not participate in the Committee’s deliberations and decisions regarding that nomination;
- The decision of the committee is final and irrevocable.
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The AUBG Distinguished Alumni Award Committee reviews all nominations, presents HRH Princess Maria Luisa with a shortlist of candidates for the Award, and makes a grounded recommendation regarding who the Award recipient should be.
The AUBG Distinguished Alumni Award Committee consists of five people: alumni, faculty, and staff members of the University.
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The 2023 AUBG Distinguished Alumni Award Civic Leadership and Change will be presented at the AUBG Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 21, on the AUBG Skaptopara campus.
Elvin Guri ('96) received the inaugural award in 2019.
