According to an old Bulgarian tradition, with a festive bread and colored salt, the Technical University – Sofia welcomed its guests at the alumni meeting organized by the "Career and Alumni" Center, attended by alumni, partners, and friends of the university. The event was part of the campaign "If you have given, you have not lived in vain...", and the goal was to strengthen and expand the Alumni Network of TU, as well as to raise funds for the renovation of the university museum.
Among the prominent figures and proud alumni of TU-Sofia who supported the cause were:
- Mr. Rosen Plevneliev – President of the Republic of Bulgaria (2012 – 2017),
- Assoc. Prof. Nevianka Kuneva – Advisor to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria,
- Ms. Liudiya Shuleva – former Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria,
- MSc Eng. Sasha Bezukhanova – Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Technical University,
- Mr. Doncho Barbalev – Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Sofia,
- Mr. Krasimir Parvanov – Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Energy,
- Mr. Dimitar Tudzharov – Shkumbata and others
Amidst the bristling sounds of 100 kaba gaidas, the ceremonial part of the event was launched, during which part of the university's history, originating as an idea in the will of Evlogi Georgiev, was interestingly presented.
The Rector of the university, Prof. Dr. Eng. Georgi Mihov, welcomed all attendees, highlighting another reason for the celebration, namely the 72nd anniversary of the Technical University – Sofia. "For its 72 years, the Technical University has established itself as an institution with significant influence in society. It is the unit that sets educational standards and introduces national priorities for the development of education and science in accordance with the needs of industry, as Evlogi Georgiev bequeathed to us, and the labor market for sustainable economic growth," said Prof. Mihov.
This is a university with many years of academic tradition in success. In the spirit of academic traditions, the Alumni Network of TU-Sofia was also created, with which we aim to build intellectual capacity, providing academic training for motivated and capable young people in a well-organized environment. Specialists who will be prepared to meet the challenges not only of the present but also of the future," he added, concluding his speech with the words: "Dear graduates, returning to your university, you will probably remember many exciting moments from your studies, your growth as professionals and, above all, as individuals. You are an extremely valuable part of the growing family of the Technical University. I believe that we will continue to build lasting and beneficial relationships by working for better education and a much better TU. Together we succeed! Happy holiday!"
Mr. Rosen Plevneliev also did not miss the opportunity to extend his greetings to the kind hosts: "I am glad that I was, am and remain one of you. I am proud to be one of those thousands who passed through this temple. I have always been proud of my education and have not hidden it; on the contrary, it helped me extremely much. I am proud of where we were, I remember the incredible emotion, energy, and exceptional projects. The Bulgarian people regained their sight thanks to you – our teachers, our professors. It is difficult for me to imagine more meaning in serving a nation than in this worthy way. Let us together continue to forge the history of the most important Bulgarian university – the one that creates prospects for the realization of thousands of Bulgarians and momentum and development of the Bulgarian industry."
The celebration continued with a colorful program, presented by the captivating dance performances of students from the National School of Dance Arts and the dance ensemble of TU-Sofia; an impressive review show "Geometry in Motion" by students from the "Engineering Design" specialty, and the funny stories of Dimitar Tudzharov – Shkumbata provoked smiles on the faces of all guests.
During the meeting, attendees had the opportunity to see exhibits from the mid-20th century, which will also be displayed in the future new, renovated university museum. These are a SRV TV "Leningrad T-2" from 1950; a device for recording indicator diagrams in unfolded form for internal combustion engines, and an analog computing device MINIKHIM.
