The Grand Prize "Student of the Year - 2026" was awarded by the acting Minister of Education and Science, Prof. Sergey Ignatov, to Ivana Kamenova, a fifth-year student at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, majoring in "Architecture". Angel Stoykov, Chairman of the National Union of Students in Bulgaria, also participated in the award ceremony in this category.
The awards were presented in a total of 14 categories, including pedagogy, humanities, economics, law, natural and technical sciences, healthcare, arts, and sports. Students from leading universities in the country were honored, including Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski", University of Economics - Varna, Medical University - Varna, and University of Forestry. The winners were selected by a jury with representatives from academia, the state, and business.
The Rector of the Technical University - Sofia, Prof. Dr. Georgi Venkov, as the host of the event, welcomed the participants and guests of the ceremony. He noted that the national prize is awarded under the patronage of the Minister of Education and Science, which underscores its prestige and social significance.
Minister Sergey Ignatov stated that this competition is extremely important. Every year, teachers can see the fruits of their labor, while students, reaching the peaks, look far into the future and map out their next steps.
The "Student of the Year" award traditionally recognizes young people with high achievements in education, science, sports, and public activities. The awards this year again demonstrate a strong presence of students with international successes and active civic engagement.
In the "Technical Sciences" category, two students from the Technical University - Sofia ranked among the prize winners.
Alex Krasimir Novkov (on the left in the photo) from the Faculty of Industrial Technologies, major in "Industrial Robotics", is in second place. He is a co-founder of two projects that have won multiple first places in national and international accelerator programs, including the Social Impact Award and "Entrepreneur in Science". He is a recipient of numerous awards for innovative solutions and best youth startup.
Theodora Andreeva Savcheva from the Faculty of Industrial Technologies, major "Intelligent Systems and Artificial Intelligence", is in third place. Her academic success is excellent with a GPA of 5.57. She speaks English and Spanish. Co-founder of two technology startups, which have received national and international awards, including the Social Impact Award and Forbes "30 Under 30" ranking. She works as an industrial robot programmer and trains young people in the field of programming and robotics.
