Study Tour 2026 @UNWE: NextGen Entrepreneurs Bring Ideas to Life in Sofia
From 17 to 19 June 2026, the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia welcomed an international community of students for the ENGAGE.EU Study Tour “NextGen Entrepreneurs”. The three-day programme brought together 30 participants from nine ENGAGE.EU partner universities, creating a dynamic environment for collaboration, learning, and entrepreneurial experimentation.
This edition of the Study Tour combined academic insight, practical teamwork, and cultural exploration. The initiative aimed to equip students with the mindset and tools needed to navigate today’s rapidly changing entrepreneurial landscape, while also encouraging them to reflect on their role as future changemakers in Europe.
The programme opened on 17 June with a warm welcome at UNWE. Participants were greeted by the university’s International Office and officially welcomed by the Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Dr Yanko Hristozov. The first day of the Study Tour was dedicated to one of the more memorable ways to break the ice: the UNWE Hunt, an on-campus scavenger hunt held in Open Space K that gave participants a reason to explore the university while also, inevitably, getting to know each other. These kinds of informal activities tend to be dismissed as “team-building exercises,” but in practice they often do more to dissolve barriers between strangers than any structured networking session.
The day continued with an academic session focused on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and the European perspective presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zornitsa Yordanova, which introduced key entrepreneurial challenges. This wasn’t a motivational talk full of success stories. It was the kind of session that acknowledges failure as part of the process, something that the participants clearly appreciated. Following this event, the participants worked on their group work. Their task was to work in teams on entrepreneurial ideation, starting with an introduction session where they established team roles and contracts. These collaborative groups became the core units through which ideas were developed and refined.
The second day, on 18 June, started with Academic Session 2, which was around the topic of entrepreneurial challenges. The event was led by Iliyan Boychev, who provided an overview of the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bulgaria. For international participants, this kind of insider view, where the opportunities are, what the structural obstacles are, and how the local startup scene actually works, is invaluable and rarely available outside of events like this one. Academic Session 3 was around the corner with the topic “Programs in UNWE & Entrepreneurial Endeavours in Bulgaria”, presented by Senior Assistant Prof. Kristian Zhelev. Following his presentation, the representative of the Board of Learners (BoL) from UNWE, Nadya Manova, presented all the initiatives that have been organised and what’s coming next from the students.
The day continued with a session on “Engaging Public Presence” led by Zlatin Tsvetkov, offering participants practical tools to communicate their ideas effectively. He provided a personal approach, and teams were prepared for their upcoming pitch tasks with effective feedback. The second day concluded with a social program, Cultural Mixer, in which the participants were appended to the Bulgarian culture with folklore dances, music and nestinarki. By the end of the second day, teams had significantly advanced their concepts, preparing for the final stage of the programme- the pitch presentations.
The third and final day, 19 June, started with finishing touches on the students’ projects, which were centred around social entrepreneurship, local impact, and reflection. Each team had the opportunity to present their idea in front of a jury, demonstrating not only the viability of their concept but also their ability to communicate it clearly and convincingly. The evaluation process highlighted the diversity of ideas developed during the Study Tour, from socially driven initiatives to innovative business solutions addressing contemporary challenges.
The big winners of the whole event were the Red team with their idea “Health Stick” – a stick that checks if meat and milk products are safe for consumption – KNOW BEFORE YOU THROW.
The programme concluded with a reflection session and award ceremony, celebrating the participants’ achievements and the progress they had made over the three days. A final family photo captured the spirit of collaborative, energetic, and forward-looking ENGAGE.ЕU event.
Beyond the university, the programme also offered a chance to explore Sofia through a “City Safari” and treasure hunt organised with the support of the Erasmus Student Network. This activity not only showcased the cultural richness of the heritage of the city but also reinforced teamwork and problem-solving in a less formal environment.
