Economics Department

DIGI: Promoting a Sustainable World Through Money Management

In a series of interviews, we will talk to the people behind the businesses that has started as part of the AUBG Accelerator Elevate.

Plamen Kostov (‘17) and Kristo Prifti (‘15) are the co-founders of the app called DIGI. Plamen’s financial industry experience and Kristo's tech knowledge created a perfect foundation for the innovative startup that aims to promote a more stable and sustainable world by targeting money management. Plamen tells us more about what they do.

EMBA Professor Luis Lages: When your work is your passion, success is a natural consequence

Professor Luis Lages teaches Marketing Management at the AUBG EMBA Program. He is a full professor at Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal, Visiting Scholar at LBS and MIT Engineering School and a Visiting Faculty at MIT Sloan School of Management. He conducted Doctoral Research at Warwick University (UK) and Post-Doctoral Research at MIT (USA) and Stanford University (USA). With over 20 years of professional experience in teaching, research and consultancy, Professor Lages is the creator of the famous Value Creation Wheel (VCW). Read our interview with him to learn more about his teaching interests and career.

AUBG student Martina Gerenska: 'Poetry has changed me in many ways'

She is the author of two poetry books. She has won several competitions since the age of eight. She is studying at two universities simultaneously. She is Martina Gerenska. Read our interview with her to learn more about her personality, accomplishments and favorite free-time activities.

Professor Evelina Van Mensel: ‘My heart really goes with AUBG’

Professor Evelina Van Mensel is going to teach Marketing Research and Social Entrepreneurship at AUBG next semester. She got her Bachelor’s degree from Portsmouth University, which is where she first got interested in Mystery Shopping. Following her graduation, she has both managed her own business and has established and led the business of a major global marketing research provider. Professor Van Mensel obtained an Executive MBA degree from AUBG in Sofia, and has now joined the university as a faculty member. Read our interview with Professor Van Mensel to learn more about her extensive experience in marketing research, why she feels so strongly for AUBG and what she enjoys doing in her spare time.

Change the world with the No.1 economics program

AUBG’s economics program has been repeatedly ranked as the best economics program in Bulgaria. It is likely the best in southeastern Europe. It’s been recognized by the Ministry of Education not only for its academic caliber, but also its ability to develop its graduates into outstanding professionals who then take leading positions in government, business, the NGO sector and academia.

More than half the Economics Department’s graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees at world-renowned universities such as Yale, Cornell, London School of Economics; our other graduates embark on exciting careers across all continents.

On one level the program sharpens quantitative skills for policy issues but it also fosters open-mindedness, creative and logical thinking, with flexible vision while retaining empathy with others. Our students take an active role in research and also deal with real-life examples. They also venture further afield on field trips to research centers and leading companies in the region. A student run club, Freakonomics, aims to bring distinguished experts to campus who shed new light on pressing economic concerns.

The major in Economics trains students not only for advanced education in graduate and professional schools, but also prepares students for immediate entry into business and government careers where economic insight and analytical ability are valued. While there are no formal sub-fields in this major, students can study three broad topics: macroeconomics, microeconomics and econometrics (empirical (data) analysis).

The minor in Economics provides students from other majors the analytical tools and background necessary to bring economic reasoning to bear upon social or business problems examined within those other majors.

Did you know that:

AUBG students and faculty have participated in the prestigious annual economics conference Carroll Round at Georgetown University, held in Washington D.C., United States, every year since 2009.
Freakonomics is a student-run initiative that aims to address pressing economic issues by bringing distinguished speakers to campus.
Economics students and faculty present individual and group scholarly work at the annual Faculty-Students Research Conference.
Economics majors have the opportunity to discuss pressing economic issues with experts at specially organized forums.
Students have the opportunity to go on field trips to research centers, such as Bulgaria’s Institute for Market Economics, and leading companies in the region.
Almost a third of economics graduates complete a senior thesis.
A fifth of AUBG students graduate with an economics major.