The joint event, organized by the University Library, the University Archives, and the Cultural Center of Sofia University, opened with a performance by the University Choir for Old Music, conducted by Dr. Krasimira Tsutsumanova.
Assoc. Prof. Bilyana Yavrukova, Director of the University Library, and Dr. Ilonka Koleva, Head of the “University Archives” Department, spoke about the concept and the messages of the exhibition, presenting the first female students, teaching assistants, lecturers, and habilitated professors at Sofia University. The exhibition traced the academic advancement of these female lecturers and their promotion to leadership positions. Research on this topic is partially supported by the project “The Invisible University and Social Transformations,” by the Scientific Research Fund, Competitive Grant for Fundamental Scientific Research – 2024, No. KP-06-PN85/13 dated December 5, 2024, led by Prof. Ivan Ilchev.
On behalf of the university administration and on her own behalf, Prof. Reneta Bozhankova, Vice Rector of Sofia University, congratulated the staff of the University Library and the University Archives “for organizing this important event, which presents exciting chapters from the history of Sofia University and the history of Bulgarian higher education. The exhibition is not merely a chronicle, reminding us that 125 years have passed since the first female students enrolled at Sofia University. It is a story of dreams coming true, sometimes in the face of prejudice and the overcoming of it, and of the quiet, yet unconditional — as time has proven — power of knowledge.” Prof. Bozhankova described the joint event as a modern awakening and expressed gratitude for the preserved memory.
As director of the Cultural Center, which co-organized the event, Assoc. Prof. Daria Karapetkova emphasized that the important role of the women, featured in the exhibition from the academic tradition, is an achievement of society as a whole and a testament to its maturity. The topic of women’s entry into academia motivated the following discussion on the feminine form of nouns denoting professions, humorously titled “The Problem with the Female Colleague.” Participants in the discussion included Assoc. Prof. Reneta Kileva, Prof. Nadezhda Stalyanova, Prof. Andreana Eftimova, Prof. Yovka Tisheva, Dr. Pavlina Varbanova (the “How Do You Spell It?” platform), and writer Chavdar Tsenov, with Assoc. Prof. Daria Karapetkova serving as moderator. The largest reading room at the Central University Library proved too small to accommodate everyone, who wanted to hear the participants’ reflections on linguistic, cultural, and social issues.
Due to the overwhelming interest, additional events, related to the topic, should be expected.