University of Forestry

At a glance

Source: Wikipedia: University of Forestry, Sofia; Wikipedia (Bulgarian): Лесотехнически университет; Official website: University of Forestry^1,2,3

History

The university traces its origins to forestry education at Sofia University. A Silviculture department was established in 1923, followed by a Forestry Division in 1925; the university’s account records that the division began teaching after enrolling its first ten students that year. In 1947, forestry divisions at Sofia and Plovdiv universities were combined to form a Faculty of Forestry at Sofia University. On 12 January 1953, the Higher Forestry Institute was established as a separate institution. It took the name University of Forestry in 1995.^1,2

The university introduced bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in the mid-1990s. The European Credit Transfer System was introduced later.^1,2

Faculties and fields of study

The university’s six faculties cover forestry and related applied, environmental and business disciplines:^1,2

• Faculty of Forestry
• Faculty of Forest Industry
• Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture
• Faculty of Agronomy
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
• Faculty of Business Management

Source: Wikipedia: University of Forestry, Sofia; Wikipedia (Bulgarian): Лесотехнически университет^1,2

Its teaching areas also include forest management, wood processing and furniture production, landscape architecture, ecology and environmental protection, plant protection, veterinary medicine, business management and alternative tourism.^1,2

Research and training facilities

The university operates two teaching and experimental forest enterprises: one near Yundola, in a coniferous forest area, and another near Barzia, in a deciduous forest area. The Yundola enterprise covers 5,190 hectares, while the Petrohan enterprise near Barzia covers 7,192 hectares. It also has a teaching and experimental farm in Vrazhdebna, Sofia, used for teaching, research and agricultural production.^1,2

Additional facilities and services listed by the university include a sports camp in Ravda, a small-animal clinic, a botanical garden, a library and a university computer centre.²

Campus

The main university buildings are in Sofia’s Studentski Grad district, close to the Technical University of Sofia and the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy. The university’s motto is “With Bulgarian traditions and European standards in education.”^1,2