A historic moment for Bulgarian Studies in the USA!
The Consul General in Chicago Svetoslav Stankov announced that starting October 20, 2025, the Bulgarian Studies program will be launched at the University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign.
Within the framework of the pilot initiative, implemented with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria, students will have the opportunity to study:
Bulgarian Language for Students of Bulgarian Origin (LCTL 201)
Introduction to the Bulgarian Language (LCTL 101)
And in the spring of 2026 – and a course in Bulgarian history and culture.
Bulgarian students have been part of the Illinois academic community since 1911 – and today, after a long hiatus, the long-standing dream of studying Bulgarian language and culture is once again becoming a reality!
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iliyana Dimitrova from the University of Veliko Tarnovo is the first lecturer in the program. We wish her inspiration and success in this noble mission – to reveal the beauty of the Bulgarian language, culture and history to a new generation of students.
As emphasized by Prof. John Randolph, Acting Executive Director of the Illinois Global Institute:
“This is a program that is also a partnership with the Bulgarian government, which is eager to support Bulgarian studies in the United States. The hope is that students will find a way to maintain a connection with the Bulgarian language and culture, even if new students are yet to discover it. And we also have an exchange program prepared that will allow students to visit Bulgaria in the summer – and it is a truly beautiful place.“
Registration for the courses is open until October 24!
More information: [email protected]
With his Facebook post, Consul General Stankov encouraged all Bulgarian students at the university to actively participate in the program and invite their friends to discover it with them.