A group of eight students from the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) had the opportunity to participate in a London field trip from March 13 to 15, 2023. The trip was organized by The Aleksander Foundation where Martin Iliev (‘20) is a managing director. The students, majoring in business and economics in their third and fourth year of studies, were accompanied by two chaperones: Prof. Elena Radeva and Eliya Panchova, a program coordinator at the Foundation and a fourth-year student at AUBG, respectively.
Read below how the journey of Teodor Needs, Simona Gyuzleva, Ivaylo Ivanov, Mihael Trifonov, Georgina Ivanova, Radoslav Rusinov, and Dimo Rezashki went on.
London corporate institutions
During their trip, the students visited three corporate institutions: Fitch Group, Capital Group, and McKinsey & Co. At Fitch Group, they had the opportunity to learn from experts in credit rating. At Capital Group they were hosted by AUBG alumnus Iliya Tsekov ‘12 who shared with the students more about his professional path and AUBG’s impact on his career. Finally, they visited McKinsey & Co, the world’s most renowned management consulting firm, where they met with The Aleksander Foundation’s founder and senior partner at McKinsey & Co, Dr. Alek Petrov.
“The London trip enabled AUBG students to access companies and networks of people who can help them skyrocket their goals and utilize their potential to the fullest,” said Eliya. “Supporting students from Bulgarian universities in their journey to professional development is our mission at the end of the day.”
London academic institutions
In addition to the corporate visits, the students visited two leading academic institutions — the London School of Economics (LSE) and London Business School (LBS). They attended personalized recruitment events and participated in campus tours. These opportunities allowed the students to gain a deeper understanding of the academic and professional opportunities available in London.
AUBG participants
The participants went through an application process that involved sending a motivational letter, a CV and an interview with the foundation at the second stage. One of the participants was the third-year student Simona Gyuzleva described the experience as eye-opening moment in her studies that made her consider pursuing Masters degree.
“The conversations with some of AUBG’s alumni, who are currently in the UK and working for renowned companies such as McKinsey & Co, Capital Group, and Fitch Group, made me realize how important networking is and how important it is to ask the right questions,” said Simona.
“The two worlds which I will always remember this trip with are ‘reality check’. It was a reality check indeed – realizing where you are currently you, and understanding what you have to do to end up where you want to be!”
The success of this trip is once again a testament to the hard work and dedication of the AUBG students and the chaperones involved. The trip provided valuable insight and hands-on experience in the field of business/economics, as well as exposure to leading institutions and professionals in the industry.
