University of Agribusiness and Rural Development

University of Agribusiness and Rural Development (UARD) is an educational institution that offers programmes in the field of economics and management highly targeted to organic agriculture, food safety and environmental sustainability issues. UARD recently launched an internal project in which a scientific team is developing modern foods that are characterized by removed harmful components especially orientated to children. Within the project several degustation of dried fruit was organized as well as two cooking classes for children. Initiatives are planned to be repeated. The latest patented UARD development is a solar dryer.

In recent years, the institution has been successfully involved in several international projects aimed at changing public attitudes towards a more sustainable model of consumption and a healthy eating culture. Dissemination activities included conferences presentation, seminars with public and private authorities, kindergartens staff and students. UARD Vocational training centre offers additional training as courses and traineeships, e.g. Food Safety Management, Organic agriculture etc. and the programs generally focus on providing students with hands-on instruction in a specific labour sphere or to support and upgrade their knowledge of prior education.

Last year the UARD VET centre started organizing training for acquiring the professional qualification "teacher" according to the Ordinance on the state requirements for acquiring the Professional Qualification "Teacher". The results of this project will be directly included into the curriculum of training courses for pedagogical specialists. UARD has good connections with the National Agency for Vocational Education and Training and they are successfully cooperating in developing the lifelong learning policy in Bulgarian vocational education and training.