On February 12, at the TU Center of Excellence, the official opening of the first-of-its-kind Hackathon in Bulgaria took place, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria (AmCham), in partnership with the Technical University of Sofia and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".
The initiative aims for an even more significant convergence between higher education curricula and the business sector, providing students with the opportunity to work on real business cases while showcasing best practices from established companies operating in Bulgaria.
The event attracted over 90 students. Speakers at the opening included Prof. Ivan Kralov, D.Sc., Rector of the Technical University of Sofia; Assoc. Prof. Todor Yalamov, PhD, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Sofia University; and Ivan Mihaylov, CEO of AmCham. Guests included deans from various faculties, representatives of business partners, and mentors from the organizing companies.
“AmCham Hackathon makes me proud because it is the result of an idea from our Human Capital and Education Committee and is carried out in partnership with these two universities. May the coming weeks be filled with new knowledge, great results, friendships, and above all – fun for all of you,” said Ivan Mihaylov, CEO of AmCham, while welcoming the students.
Ivelina Panamska, HR Manager of the Moto-Pfohe Group, shared at the opening: “We thank AmCham, TU, and the Faculty of Economics at SU for giving us the opportunity to realize this idea. All of us participating in this format constantly strive to be more innovative and develop new projects. By participating in the Moto-Pfohe case study focused on hybrid and electric vehicles, students will have the chance to engage with some of the most progressive technologies. In seeking solutions, both the youth and we as mentors will be able to generate new ideas in a fun and informal atmosphere of shared suggestions.”
In the next three weeks, the Moto-Pfohe teams will work together on a task themed “Operation of Hybrid Vehicles.” Throughout the process, their mentors will be the three technical lecturers from Moto-Pfohe – Petyo Piskulev, Georgi Krastanov, and Robert Shalapatov – along with professors from both universities who will assist them in solving the case.
