Advancing Sustainable Development in Bulgaria Through University Leadership and International Cooperation

María Cortés Puch, Vice President for Europe of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), visited the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) during the meeting of the ENGAGE.EU International Advisory Board, hosted by UNWE in Sofia on 11–12 May. She was warmly welcomed by Prof. Dr Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of UNWE and Co-Chair of SDSN Bulgaria, and Assoc. Prof. D.Sc. Michael Musov, Co-Chair of SDSN Bulgaria.

Ms Cortés Puch is a member of the ENGAGE.EU International Advisory Board, invited on behalf of UNWE. In this capacity, she took part in the Board’s discussions on the strategic development of the ENGAGE.EU European University Alliance and on the broader role of universities in responding to contemporary societal challenges.

Taking the opportunity of her visit to Sofia, Ms Cortés Puch also held a meeting with the leadership of SDSN Bulgaria. The discussion focused on SDSN Bulgaria’s activities, the contribution of universities to sustainable development, and the importance of connecting national academic initiatives with global networks of knowledge and action.

A central topic of the meeting was the future of sustainable development beyond 2030. The participants discussed how universities can contribute not only through education and research, but also through policy dialogue, student engagement, institutional transformation, and partnerships with public institutions, business, and civil society.

The visit underlined the close connection between UNWE’s role as a founding member and partner university in ENGAGE.EU and its role as host institution of SDSN Bulgaria. Both initiatives position the university as an active participant in European and global academic cooperation and as a platform for addressing key sustainable development challenges.

The meeting reaffirmed the shared understanding that universities have a crucial role to play by advancing knowledge, fostering dialogue, and serving as living laboratories for sustainable development.