“Cooperative Models, Public Environments, Social and Solidarity Economy: Practices, Opportunities, Solutions” The Ninth International Conference in Public Administration, October 23-24, 2025

The Ninth International Scientific Conference organized by the Department of Public Administration at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski in partnership with the Central Cooperative Union – Bulgaria, was held on October 23-24, 2025.

The format of the event was  hybrid: in person and online.

The cooperatives are one of the oldest and sustainable models of economic organization, and their modern interpretation is associated, along with the search for competitiveness, with concepts such as social responsibility and social entrepreneurship. The transitions in time and the peculiarities of individual countries history have marked the formation of different traditions and roles of the cooperative approach in the lives of people and societies. The International Year of Cooperatives in 2025 creates an opportunity for an in-depth dialogue on the development of cooperative business in the context of contemporary problems and challenges in every society and in the international environment.

The United Nations highlights the impact of cooperative organizations worldwide because of their importance in addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges. Each of these topics reflect the rapid development of technology and artificial intelligence, the issues of a socially justice, green and circular economy, and the transformation to a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy. They also affect the cooperative business model and its potential to participate in the formation of public policies in every sphere of public life.

The application of the cooperative approach in different countries has a specific history, successes, and problems. The topic of this conference offers an opportunity for discussion on existing national and supranational cooperative models, their scope and contribution to the development of the public environment and the economy.

The set goals outline the following main topics for discussion:
1. Public policies for sustainable development and the active inclusion of cooperatives in the social and shared economy.
2. Regulatory environment, institutional capacity, and support for the development of cooperative business.
3. Strategy and vision for the development of cooperatives.
4. Cooperative models, regional development, and municipalities.
5. Economic, social, and environmental effects of the activities of cooperatives in Bulgaria
6. The cooperative model and the participation of young people
7. Finance and currency changes – challenges, adaptation, and sustainability of cooperatives.

 

The Eighth international scientific conference organized by the Department of Public Administration at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski will be held on October 30-31, 2024. The format of the event is hybrid: face-to-face and online.

The focus of attention will be directed to a critical area of public management today. Social cohesion appears on the surface to be a topic of sociological or of political analysis. However, it is obvious that the state leaders in developed countries and especially in modern democracies are making efforts precisely in the field of governance and administration of these processes. Such are, for example, the cohesion programs of the EU, which refer far not only to the economic sphere.

The chosen topic was provoked by a question floating in the society:
Why is it that the stated efforts for unity and cohesion in modern societies do not seem to achieve their goals? And even more, in addition to the typical ones, new cleavages and confrontations appear. Despite the institutional capacity and administrative resource for governance and sustainability in fulfillment of the strategic political goals for social cohesion, the social environment is rather fragmented and confrontational on every possible topic on the public agenda.

It is reasonable to ask, is modern society cohesive or atomized? If the strategic goals are for social cohesion, and the realities provide examples of hostility, antagonism, ostracism and encapsulation on all sorts of topics, then the challenges relate to both theory and social practice.

The chosen theme of the Eighth International Conference of the Department of Public Administration at Sofia University aims to add its contribution to numerous forums in the interdisciplinary thematic field of the shared society and social integration policies. We offer the conceptual framework of Club de Madrid (https://clubmadrid.org/2011/) and some publications such as the compendium edited by Mari Fitzduff (2013) and more recent studies by Clem McCartney, Ehud Eiran, Ran Kuttner et al. (2021).

We invite you to take part by sharing the results of your research, theoretical reflections, analysis of problems from practice within the framework of the announced topic in the following problem areas:

1. The theoretical basis of governance for a social cohesion. Strategies, leadership and cohesion policies in the natural environment of social differences. Is theoretical research lagging behind in the task of creating technologies for cohesion in a crisis situation of variety of global and regional conflicts and new stage of AI revolution?
2. Institutions and normative environment for social cohesion. Since legislation rests on the principles of social cohesion, are the main institutions of the legislature, executive and judiciary power up to their roles?
3. Economic and financial capacity for a social cohesion. What are the consequences for production, exchange, and economic prosperity of the effects of social atomization and hostile social environment?
4. Community spirit and multi-level governance. The issue of social cohesion and sharing of responsibilities between levels of government? Cohesion or disintegration in conditions of active migration to regional and national urban centers? What does the shared society look like in an EU environment?
5. The challenge for the shared society in an environment of global conflicts and threats to security and legal order. The shared society and social cleavages. Are social inclusion policies effective? Sectoral policies, age, minorities, social status, labor market in the context of the social cohesion.
6. Good Practices panel. Discussion with partners from central and local administration institutions and non-governmental organizations.

The invitation is open to academics and researchers from various scientific fields related to the identity of public administration as an interdisciplinary field. It is aimed at experts in both the public and private spheres, whose activities meet the problems of public governance in the face of social atomization and prospects for cohesion.

“Crises in strategic management today – from localism to deteriorialization”
The Seventh International Conference in Public Administration, October 26th, 2023

The conference was held on October 26th, 2023 at the Conference Hall, Rectorate, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia

7th International conference – Program

About

The modern era’s sharp conflict dynamics has dissolved deep deficits in strategic thinking, strategic goal-setting and strategic governance throughout the liberal world. Strategic deficits affect the spheres of security, economic policy, diplomacy, energy, culture – generally, every field of strategizing in the Western world in general and Bulgaria in particular. Deficits seem to have appeared even in the very concept of strategy. Is there a strategic crisis of modern statehood?

This invitation is addressed to scientists and researchers from all scientific fields as long as their research is related to the current problems of strategic management – be it theoretically, methodologically or practically. Scientists and practitioners from the field of public administration, philosophers, political scientists, economists, lawyers and other researchers of management from Bulgaria and abroad are invited.

Discussions covered general fields such as:

Statesmanship:

• What hinders strategic leadership in modern crisis era?
• Do the processes of deterritorialization change the ways and methods of governing nation-states, and to what extent strategizing is able to solve problems in the “open” political system?

Politics:

• What challenge for political strategists does deterritorialization pose as a significant outcome of globalization?
• What are the implications of the drift between “Western” and “Eastern” strategic thinking?

Theory:

• What are the theoretical deficits that lead to strategic management deficits recently?
• Once again: what is the working concept of strategy in the public sphere in the shadow of successful cases?

Methodology:

• How does a strategic plan start: by a detailed problem statement, by a stated “vision” or, in fact, by something completely different?
• Is a new push of the “Strategy-as-Practice” methodology necessary today?

Practice:

• What are the strategic deficits in the management of a given sphere (economy, security, energy, foreign relations, etc.)?
• How to further create and develop capacity for strategic planning in local and state government institutions?

The papers of participants will be published in a separate scientific collection. They will be accepted for publication by peer review.

Scientific and organizing committee

1. Prof. Todor Tanev, Department of Public Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
2. Prof. Tatyana Tomova, Department of Public Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
3. Prof. Alexandar Marinov, Department of Public Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
4. Assoc. Prof. Elena Kalfova, Department of Public Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
5. Assoc. Prof. Simeon Petrov, Department of Public Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
6. Inspector Anna Ivanova, Department of Public Administration, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”