Bulgaria’s most valuable natural resource is its people, according to Prof. Dr. Ivaylo Koprev

Bulgaria’s most valuable natural resource is its people. This Prof. Dr. Ivaylo Koprev, rector of the University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski” (MSU) during the second panel “Investments in people and human capital” at the fourth national conference on the topic “Business and regions – Sustainable development “, which took place today in the capital’s “Intercontinental” hotel. BTA is a media partner of the initiative.

The forum, organized by BGLOBAL magazine in partnership with the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, (NSORB), the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce (BCC) and the Market Economy Institute (IMI), presented working models of successful collaborations and long-term strategies.

“The university is 70 years old, all bachelor’s programs train students to do science and be adaptable to make decisions based on experience and knowledge to cover the needs of business when they leave Moscow State University,” explained Koprev. He has asked businesses to take interns as early as their first year, so that young people can orientate themselves to the real environment and motivate themselves to learn, getting first-hand experience from contact with real business.

“In this way, our students are exposed to the best practices that are always ahead of education,” Koprev specified. He said he felt undisguised pride when, during a trip to Australia, he met a student of his who runs a company that is in the top 3 in the world.

“The mine cannot be moved because mother nature made it in this place, here in Bulgaria and our students know that they will not have 2 identical days, but they have 50 years ahead of them to make a career development and they all dream of it to happen here in Bulgaria, while IT specialists today work in Bulgaria, tomorrow they can work in Austria”, Koprev said and added: “Our internship programs in business teach our students the difference between a boss and a manager, teach them how to work on the field and how to be a team”.

According to Koprev, during the Middle Ages, when a war was lost, the rulers exchanged “mining engineers” and not princesses by chance, because those who knew the mining natural resources were strategists of the future and a guarantee for the success of each ruler.