New Bulgarian University
The New Bulgarian University (NBU) is a non-governmental, non-profit educational and research institution, officially established by an Act of the Bulgarian National Parliament in 1991. The mission of the NBU is to be an autonomous liberal educational institution dedicated to the advancement of higher education by providing accessible and affordable opportunities for interdisciplinary and specialised education and research of high quality. Putting its academic potential at the service of society, the University prepares its graduates for the challenges of modern democratic life, cultivating critical and creative thinking, sensitivity to cultural differences and problem solving.
CERMES
The Centre for European Refugee, Migration and Ethnic Studies (CERMES) is an academic centre within the New Bulgarian University, specialising in research, training and policy activities, urban and populist studies thanks to a team of senior and junior researchers. CERMES focuses on political science, psychology, cognitive science, anthropology and public administration. CERMES’ portfolio includes research, teaching and training, policy-oriented expertise, publications and civic activities. The CERMES research team has extensive experience in qualitative political science studies at national and international level and in EU projects, including FP6, FP7 and Horizon 2020. The team is a mix of senior and junior researchers with different and complementary backgrounds and prides itself on providing a unique link between academia, migrants, policy makers and civil society.
Role in the Project
Coordination
New Bulgarian University is the project coordinator and responsible for the Quality Assurance and Risk Management Plan, guaranteeing that all project outcomes meet high standards.
WP2
It is the leader of WP2, overseeing the development of content and ensuring the successful implementation of research and training activities, and develop the “Civic Engagement in Challenging Times” and “E-Participation Tools & Strategies” handbooks.
WP3
It will also participate in WP3, developing the “Crisis Response & Civic Engagement”.
Final Event
It will organise the closing Dissemination Summit in Bulgaria.
People involved in the Project
Evelina Staykova
Head of the Department of Political Science
Associate Professor | Department of Political Science
Evelina Staykova is an associate professor at the Department of Political Science in New Bulgarian University. She is Head of the Department of Political Science (2020-now). She is secretary general of CERMES (Centre for Refugee, Migration and Ethnic Studies, NBU). She is a member of the board of the Centre for the Study of European Values and a member of the Board of the Bulgarian Political Science Association. Her teaching and research interests include topics related to urban politics and local democracy, migration studies, and populist parties and movements. Evelina Staykova has experience in coordinating and participating in various projects in the fields of quality of democracy analysis, integration of migrants and minorities, and urban policy development. She is currently a leader of the ConnectBG project (2023-2026, National Research Fund) and coordinator of ERUA cluster Mixed migration flows (2024-2026). She is the author of numerous texts published in Bulgarian and foreign issues.
Ildiko Otova
Associate Professor | Department of Political Science
Ildiko Otova holding a PhD in Political science and a laureate of the Mozer Scholarship for excellence in Political science studies and civil courage, currently serves as an associate professor at the Department of Political Science in her Alma Mater, New Bulgarian University, and as the European academic coordinator for the PATHS Joint MA in Forced Migration: Europe in a Global Context, ERUA. Ildiko Otova also works as a researcher at CERMES (Centre for Refugees, Migration and Ethnic Studies, NBU). Her teaching and research interests include migration and refugee issues, integration, urban policies and (e)citizenship, populism, far-right and extremism, and current forms of antisemitism. Ildiko Otova is experienced in coordinating and participating in various research projects nationally and internationally, including several Horizon 2020. She is an external expert evaluating project proposals for the European Commission. Ildiko Otova is also a research fellow and visiting scholar at Brandeis University, USA.
Vanina Ninova
Researcher at CERMES
Vanina Ninova is a PhD student at the Department of Political Science in New Bulgarian University. She holds a MA in European Governance from the same university. Vanina Ninova works as a researcher at CERMES (Centre for Refugees, Migration and Ethnic Studies, NBU) and has several years of experience in European and national research projects, including Horizon 2020 projects. Vanina Ninova is co-founder of the association “Policy and Citizens’ Observatory: migration, digitalisation, climate”. Her research interests include EU politics and policies, EU enlargement towards the Western Balkans, international and return migration, and higher education.