Meet the experts who carry out the training, public, and financial-administrative activities of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute.
The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute is headed by a Director appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.
From 2002 to 2005, she was the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2005, she became part of the team of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute, where she successively held the positions of Head of the Research Programme and Head of the Public Affairs and Cooperation Department.
Tanya Mihaylova holds a Master’s degree in law. She was a lawyer and a legal expert in the European Integration Directorate of the National Assembly, where, in the framework of the negotiation process for Bulgaria’s membership in the EU, she gave legal opinions on the compliance of bills with EU law and their degree of harmonization with Bulgarian legislation.
She has participated as a Bulgarian representative in several international formats in the field of diplomatic training and foreign policy, including the Steering Committee of the EU Diplomatic Academy, the Steering Committee of the European College for Security and Defense (Brussels), the Management Board of the European Union Institute for Security Studies – EUISS (Paris), the Board of Governors of the European Union – Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) Foundation, the International Forum on Diplomatic Training (IFDT).
She has a number of professional qualifications from the College of Europe in Bruges, the NATO Training Center, the Clingendael Academy of the Netherlands, the National School of Administration of France (ENA), and the US State Department.
She has participated in the editorial board of the bilingual Diplomacy Journal issued by the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute.
She is fluent in English and French.
director.bdi@mfa.bg
02/903 91 41
February 1, 2012
The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute is organized into three main departments, each with specific functions and responsibilities
Responsible for the organization of the specialized training programs and the research activities of the Institute.
He holds a PhD in Political Science (Field 3.3 Political Sciences) from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE). He earned a Master’s degree in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations from the University of Buenos Aires.
He has completed postgraduate courses at the Pontifical Catholic University and the Polytechnic University of Valencia, as well as professional training at the Diplomatic School of the Kingdom of Spain and courses at the European Security and Defence College (Brussels).
He has more than ten years of professional experience in government institutions, international organizations, and diplomatic missions. Between 2009 and 2010, he served as Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.
He has lectured at higher education institutions in Bulgaria, including New Bulgarian University, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, and South-West University Neofit Rilski, as well as abroad at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the University of Valencia. He has also participated in numerous international projects and symposiums in Madrid, Vienna, Brussels, Riga, Copenhagen, and Stockholm.
Since 2021, he has been a member of the Training, Research and Project Activities Department, with expertise in the field of economic diplomacy.
He is fluent in Spanish and English and has a working knowledge of French and Italian.
She holds a Master’s degree in Bulgarian Philology from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. She has professional qualifications in diplomatic protocol from the International School of Protocol and Diplomacy (ISPD) in Brussels and from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in New York.
She has worked at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute since 2005, initially in the Public Affairs Department, where she coordinated the organization of public lectures, conferences, and discussions featuring Bulgarian and foreign guests of the Institute. Since August 2015, she has been part of the Training, Research and Project Activities Department, where she is responsible for a number of training courses.
She has worked at the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations and has extensive interest and experience in diplomatic protocol and etiquette, as well as public diplomacy.
She is fluent in English and French.
He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (1989) and a PhD in History from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) (2000).
He was a Research Fellow at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta (2001) and a researcher and lecturer at DiploFoundation (2001–2007), an international non-governmental organization specializing in diplomatic training.
Between 2010 and 2012, he served as a part-time lecturer at South-West University Neofit Rilski, teaching courses on Russia’s Foreign Policy, the Foreign Policy of the European Union, and the History of the European Idea and Integration.
From 2007 to 2010, he worked successively as Associate Expert and Chief Expert in the Strategic Studies Department of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. Since December 2012, he has served as Chief Expert and is responsible for the Institute’s research activities.
He is fluent in English and Russian.
She holds a Master’s degree in International Political Relations and Security from the Faculty of Philosophy at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Environmental Protection from the University of Mining and Geology St. Ivan Rilski.
She has worked at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute since 2011, having previously participated in its internship programme. She coordinates a number of specialized training programmes for the Bulgarian Diplomatic Service.
In 2022, she successfully defended her doctoral dissertation entitled “Environmental Policies for European Transnational Regions” in the field of European Studies and Multi-Level Governance at Angel Kanchev University of Ruse and was awarded the academic degree of Doctor (PhD).
She is fluent in English and Russian.
She holds a Master’s degree in Balkan Languages and Cultures, specializing in Balkan Studies (2020–2025), from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. Since 2022, she has been engaged in the administrative activities of the journal Contrastive Linguistics.
She completed a language specialization programme at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași, Romania, in 2023.
At the beginning of 2024, she completed an internship at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute and subsequently joined the Training, Research and Project Activities Department, where she coordinates the Course in Diplomacy for Trainee Attachés, as well as a number of other training programmes.
She is fluent in English and Romanian and has a working knowledge of Greek.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Economic Relations from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE), where he studied in English.
He has participated in numerous national and international competitions related to Bulgaria’s diplomatic and economic relations. He was the winner of the competition for participation in the UNESCO Associated Schools international meeting in Okayama, Japan, in 2019, and the EUROSCOLA programme in 2021.
His professional interests focus on diplomacy, international economic policy, European integration, and the European institutions. He has contributed to the development and implementation of projects in both international and academic environments.
At the beginning of 2026, he completed an internship at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute, after which he joined the Training, Research and Project Activities Department.
He is fluent in English and Italian and is currently studying Spanish.
Coordinates public programs, publishing, public relations and the network of national and international partnerships.
She holds a Master’s degree in English Philology from the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.
She has worked as a lecturer in the Department of English and American Studies at Sofia University, as a translator in various fields, and as the head of an educational and methodological centre.
Following a competition, she joined the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute in 2012, where she has primarily coordinated the Institute’s Internship Programme and Open Doors Initiative, its publishing activities, and public relations. Since 2015, she has headed the Public Affairs and Cooperation Department.
She has gained extensive experience in project management and has completed professional training in public diplomacy, communication and presentation skills, negotiation, management, media relations, crisis communication, development policy, European integration, public administration, and the institutions of the European Union.
She is fluent in English and has a working knowledge of Spanish and French.
He holds a Master’s degree in Digital Marketing and Communications from the International Business School-Sofia and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, with additional qualifications in the field of digital marketing from the Software University in Sofia, as well as in the field of public and digital diplomacy, national branding, strategic communications and countering disinformation from the EU, NATO and the United Kingdom.
Lecturer in digital diplomacy, strategic communications, and countering disinformation in the courses of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute and author in collections and study aids of the Institute.
Since February 2015, he has been working at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute, where he is responsible for the overall digital positioning strategy of the Institute and coordinates the development of its international cooperation and public initiatives. Managing editor of Diplomacy Journal.
He is fluent in English and Spanish.
She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Faculty of Philosophy at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, complemented by additional professional qualifications in consular diplomacy, library and information science, development cooperation, public diplomacy and strategic communications, digital marketing, and nation branding.
Since 2013, she has been a member of the Public Affairs and Cooperation Department at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. She is primarily responsible for the Institute’s youth programmes, publishing activities, and the organisation of public events. She also contributes to the implementation of projects related to Bulgaria’s Official Development Aid, as well as initiatives in the fields of cultural and religious diplomacy.
She is fluent in English and has a working knowledge of Turkish.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in International Security from the Faculty of Law at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. Since 2025, he has been pursuing a Ph.D. in the Department of International Law and International Relations at the same faculty.
He completed internships at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute in 2020 and again in 2022, supporting the work of the Public Affairs and Cooperation Department. Since the beginning of 2023, he has been a member of the Institute’s team, contributing to its public initiatives and publishing activities.
He has experience in organisational management, team leadership, conflict resolution, and workflow coordination in the private sector. He has also worked as a proofreader and editor for various Bulgarian publications.
He is fluent in German and English.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Turkish Language and Literature from the Faculty of Letters at Akdeniz University in Antalya, Türkiye (2019–2023), and is currently pursuing studies in the National Security programme at the G. S. Rakovski National Defence College.
He has participated and worked within the framework of various international forums and conferences, including the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2021, Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2022, Judo Grand Slam 2022, and others. At the end of 2022, he was part of the FIFA team during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
In 2023, he participated in the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute’s Internship Programme, after which he joined the Public Affairs and Cooperation Department, where he coordinates the Institute’s international cooperation activities.
He is fluent in English and Turkish and has a working knowledge of Arabic and Russian.
Ensures the administrative and financial activity, coordination and control of accounting processes in the institute.
She graduated from the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics in Svishtov with a Master’s degree in Economics. In the period 1999–2000, she obtained a professional qualification in Health Management from the Institute for Postgraduate Studies at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE), Sofia.
She has professional experience in accounting and health management and has been involved in the liquidation of commercial companies.
Since 2010, she has been working at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute, where she is responsible for the Institute’s administrative and financial activities.
She holds a Master’s degree in Law from the Faculty of Law at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, specialising in Judicial Administration. She acquired legal capacity under Article 294 of the Judicial System Act in November 2017.
Her professional legal experience includes work in a law firm specialising in commercial law and corporate insolvency, experience in the public sector involving public procurement procedures, as well as legal representation in administrative offence proceedings.
Since September 2022, she has been part of the Financial and Administrative Activities Department at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute. She contributes to the organisation, coordination, and oversight of the Institute’s overall financial and accounting activities in accordance with the applicable legislation. She is also responsible for preparing documentation related to the establishment, maintenance, and termination of employment and civil service relationships within the Institute.
She is fluent in English and has a working knowledge of Italian.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies and a Master’s degree in International Relations and Security Issues at the Faculty of Philosophy of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski.
In 2022, her academic paper was presented at the student scientific conference “The Voice of the Young – Energy for Europe” and was subsequently published in a conference proceedings volume. She has participated in the organisation of conferences and public events, including as a team coordinator, and has experience working in English-language environments.
She has completed an internship in the non-governmental sector and, in 2022, participated in the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute’s Internship Programme, where she supported the activities of the Public Affairs and Cooperation Department.
Since April 2023, she has been part of the Financial and Administrative Activities Department at the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute.
She is fluent in English and has a working knowledge of Spanish.
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