RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN BULGARIAN SCHOOLS: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES
SOFIA, MARCH 30TH 2007
“Arena di Serdica” Hotel, 2-4 “Budapeshta” St., “Arena” Hall
The conference will be carried out in the
framework of the Project “Religion and Education: Enhancing
Understanding between Christians and Muslims in Bulgaria”
accomplished by the Center for Intercultural Studies and Partnership in
Sofia with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the
Republic of Bulgaria in the period 2005–2007. The Project has
been carried out in expert cooperation with the center for the Study of
Human Rights at Columbia University and with the financial support of
the United States Institute of Peace.
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
14:00 – 16:00 ч. FIRST SESSION:RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN STATE SCHOOLS: NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONSOPENING:ASSOC. PROF. DR. SIMEON EVSTATIEV – Project DirectorSofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”ADDRESSES:The Ministry of Education and ScienceThe Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox ChurchThe Grand Mufti’s Administration in BulgariaMUSTAFA ALISH HADJI, Grand MuftiSt. Kliment Ohridiski Sofia UniversityPROF. DR. GEORGI BAKALOV, Vice-RectorThe Religions Directorate at the Council of Ministers of the Republic of BulgariaPROF. DR. IVAN JELEV, DirectorEthnical and Demographic Affairs Directorate at the Council of Ministers of the Republic of BulgariaDR. MAYA CHOLAKOVA, DirectorPRESENTATIONS:1.
Presentation of the textbook in religious education entitled
“CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM: FUNDAMENTS OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE”
prepared in the framework of the ProjectASSOC. PROF. DR. SIMEON EVSTATIEV – Project DirectorDepartment of Arabic and Semitic Studies, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
ASSOC. PROF. DR. PLAMEN MAKARIEV– methodological expert of the Project
Department of Philosophy, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”2. Teaching of Religion in Bulgarian Schools: Historical Characteristics and Contemporary DimensionsSTEFAN ILCHEVSKI, PH.D. STUDENTSofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”3. Teaching of Religion in the Civil Schools of Modern Europe: Patterns and TendenciesNONKA BOGOMILOVA – SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW OF 2ND DEGREE
Institute of Philosophy Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of ScienceDISCUSSION16:00 – 16:30 COFFEE PAUSE
16:30 – 18:30 Ч. SECOND SESSION:PRESENT STATE OF THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DEBATE:PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THEIR SOLUTIONMODERATORS: ASSOC. PROF. DR. SIMEON EVSTATIEV AND ASSOC. PROF. DR. PLAMEN MAKARIEVCONFESSIONALLY BOUND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OR RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN BULGARIAN SCHOOLS:The debate on the introduction of a confessionally bound type of religious education in Bulgarian schoolsKOSTADIN NUSHEV – Major Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Theology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”Advantages of the "Religious Studies" approach in Bulgarian schoolsASSOC. PROF. DR. BOJIDAR ANDONOV Faculty of Theology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”The point of View of Muslim Religious and Educational InstitutionsMUSTAFA ALISH HADJI, Grand MuftiDISCUSSION
OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE AND THE DISCUSIIONS:PROF.
DR. DIMITAR KIROV – Head of the Department of Systematic
and Practical Theology at the Faculty of Theology, Sofia University
“St. Kliment Ohridski”; A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF THE BULGARIAN ORTHODOX CHURCHPROF.
DR. TSVETAN THEOPHANOV – Vice Dean of the Faculty of
Classical and Modern Philology and Head of the Department of Arabic and
Semitic Studies, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”;PROF. YORDAN PEEV – Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and the College of Europe, Bruges;DR.
KLARA STAMATOVA – Major Assistant Professor at the Faculty of
Theology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”;DR. GALINA STEFANOVA – Project Coordinator, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”;DR. JASMINA DONKOVA – Religions Directorate at the Council of Ministers;PANCHO
VASSILEV – Chief expert of religion at the Ministry of Education
and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria, official contact person of the
Project at the Ministry of Education and Science;RUMIANA
MITREVA – Secretary General at the National UNESCO Committee at
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria;VIOLETA TSANKOVA – expert at the National UNESCO Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria;ATANAS SHINIKOV, PH. D. STUDENT – Project Assistant, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”;HATIDJE TIBER – teacher of religion, village of Avramovo, Vellingrad region;NIKOLA PETKOV – Ethnical and Demographic Affairs Directorate at the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria.Other
scholars, representatives of the Christian and Muslim religious and
educational institutions, clerics, experts in religion at the regional
inspectorates at the Ministry of Education and Science, representatives
of the civil society including religious NGOs and journalists will be
invited. 18:30 – 19:15 CONCLUDING PRESS CONFERENCE
19:30 DINNER