IBS awards the honorary title ‘Professor Emeritus’ for the first time

Prof. Dr. Ruslan Penchev and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nedka Gateva were honored with the honorary title “Professor Emeritus” by the International Business School in recognition and gratitude for their dedication, creative inspiration, scientific and teaching significance in establishing the International Business School, and for their longstanding contribution to the prosperity of our Alma Mater. The distinctions were presented by Mrs. Lena Gaidarska, President of IBS, and Prof. Dr. Georgi Apostolov, Rector of IBS.

The ceremony was attended by Prof. Dr. Milanka Slavova, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stella Baltova, Vice-Rector for Research and International Cooperation, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Andreev, Vice-Rector for Quality System Management and Education in PhD programs, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Daniela Georgieva, Dean of IBS. Among the guests in this exceptionally exciting moment were Mr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Executive Director, and Tsvetanka Zlatanova, Director of Academic Affairs at IBS, whose professional and life path has been linked to IBS since its establishment 33 years ago.

“There comes a moment when you have to say thank you! Thank you, destiny, for bringing us together. Thank you to each and every one of you for us succeeding in living and working together wholeheartedly, for jointly making sense of our lives, for traversing a very long-life path together! Thank you for your humanity, teamwork, shared experiences, and the knowledge you managed to preserve and pass on to thousands of your students. Now is the moment for you to take a well-deserved break and slow down. But, you will continue to be an important part of our academic family, and the experience and knowledge you have will be passed on further. Your legacy will be worthy of continuation,” shared Mrs. Lena Gaidarska, President of IBS, before officially presenting the honorary symbols of IBS.

“For me, it is an honor and a privilege to bestow upon you the honorary statuette of IBS, which is a symbol of the light of knowledge and the eternity of the tree of life, in whose foundation we all stand together. What we have achieved together, and specifically you, is a great accomplishment. We have built spiritual bridges between us, connecting us forever, making you not only colleagues and beloved teachers but also friends,” also noted Mrs. Gaidarska.

Prof. Dr. Ruslan Penchev expressed his gratitude for the recognition. He acknowledged that he accepts the title of Professor Emeritus with deep gratitude and excitement, stating that this moment would not have been possible without the support, patience, and belief in his abilities from all colleagues who shared the academic journey with him.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nedka Gateva accepted the honorary emblem with the words: “Gratitude is fully shared. I am grateful that I had the opportunity not just to work but to experience this with all of you for 33 years of my life. This is half of my conscious life. Excitements and inspirations were shared. Our cause, enthusiasm, our striving to do something truly great were common, and this was both a calling, a mission, a necessity, and a way of life.”

Prof. Dr. Ruslan Penchev is an Honorary Rector of IBS and a professor of project management. He holds a doctoral degree in Management Information Systems from the Technical University of Sofia and a master’s degree in Computer Science from the Technical University of Prague, Czech Republic. His research interests lie in the areas of project management, management of information systems, the application of informatics in economics and management, security management, education management, quality management, and standardization, as well as human resources management. He has over 25 years of experience in industry development projects and management consulting, and over 12 years in the development of management and business education and training programs, especially through distance and open learning methodology.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nedka Gateva has over 40 years of experience as a researcher, university lecturer, and consultant in the fields of statistical analysis, project management, strategic management, financial analysis, quality management, business modeling, and the implementation of business software systems. She holds a doctorate in economics (Quantitative methods and modeling in management) and is an associate professor (Statistics and Demography). She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with a certificate in Project Management from the Project Management Institute in 2009. She is the author of over 30 books and articles.