On October 18–19, the AUBG Board of Trustees held its regular fall meeting on campus in Blagoevgrad. The Board discussed key initiatives and met with students, faculty, and staff.
Governance
Our Board Chair Dr. Chris Potts had to step back due to health reasons. We are deeply grateful for his dedicated service and steady leadership. Jenik Radon was elected as the new Chair of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Radon, Esq. is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s School of Public and International Affairs, where he teaches Sustainable Natural Resource Development with a focus on risk management, sovereignty, and human rights. A Stanford educated lawyer and international advisor, Mr. Radon has represented governments and organizations worldwide and co-authored landmark legislation during Estonia’s independence. His contributions have been recognized with high national honors from Estonia and Georgia.
Due to Dr Pott’s illness, I was the Acting Chair at the October meeting. That meeting marked also the end of my second term as Deputy Chair. While I shall continue my service on the Board as Chair of the Governance Committee, I have decided not to renew my Deputy Chair mandate. Given the increased demands of this position, the Board elected two new deputy chairs, Svetoslav Georgiev (EMBA ’05) and Petya Stoycheva (’07) . Mr. Georgiev is Senior Vice President of International Operations at HCLTech, accountable for global service delivery across multiple regions. Ms. Stoycheva is an advisor specializing in public policy and government relations, with extensive experience across the Netherlands, Brussels, and Bulgaria. She holds an LL.M. in European Union and International Law from the University of Amsterdam and has held roles with leading organizations such as BDO Global and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
After 18 years of distinguished service as Trustee, Elvin Guri completed his maximum tenure on the Board. At a special dinner in his honor on 18 October 2025, we presented him with the AUBG Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his exceptional contribution to our institution. Elvin is the first independently elected alumnus to our Board and AUBG’s most generous alumni donor of all times. He will continue his engagement with AUBG as a member of the University Council. Read the full story here.
Presidential Search
The Board hired the renowned headhunting firm Perrett Laver to assist with the presidential search. The search will be governed by a special committee and will follow a transparent and inclusive process, engaging students, faculty, and staff for feedback. Following the initial review of a long list of candidates, a shortlist will be invited to campus for open meetings and discussions with the community. We will continue to keep the community informed as the process advances.
Admissions
With a record-breaking class of 398 enrolled students, up from 362 the previous year, our momentum continues to grow. We welcomed students from more than 23 countries. The Board thanks the entire Admissions Team for their outstanding work. Following Admissions Director Kosta Shopov’s departure announcement, Maria Marcheva was appointed as Interim head of Admissions through May 2026. In the meantime, a search for a permanent head of Admissions will be launched.
Alumni Relations
Alumni engagement continues to grow, with 5.8% participation in FY25 (365 donors) and a 7% goal set for FY26. The AUBG Alumni Association (AAA) is reviving the Alumni Pledge, launched in 2018 by Deyan Vasilev (’95). Additional initiatives, led by Petar Svarc (’02), aim to reconnect international alumni to AUBG.
Academics
The NECHE accreditation process remains on track, reflecting AUBG’s continued commitment to quality and improvement. Faculty recruitment is attracting outstanding international scholars who enrich teaching and research across disciplines, while enrollment in the Sustainability minor continues to grow.
CIDC
We are reimagining CIDC to ensure a sustainable future and stronger connection to AUBG’s academic life. The new strategy emphasizes faculty leadership, student participation, and collaboration with external partners.
Campus & Student Life
Construction of Skapto III is progressing steadily, with key milestones on track. Across campus, new mentoring, well-being, and career readiness initiatives continue to strengthen the student experience.
As we look ahead, we do so with sincere gratitude for the service of our trustees, and the commitment of our faculty, staff, and students. Together, we are keeping AUBG’s spirit strong: we remain united by purpose, inspired by each other, and proud of all that we continue to achieve.
Victoria Entwistle,
Acting Chair, AUBG Board of Trustees
