‘A historic moment for Bulgarian Studies in the US!’ With these words, Bulgaria’s Consul General in Chicago, Svetoslav Stankov, announced that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will officially launch its Bulgarian Studies programme on 20 October 2025, first revealed earlier this year.

• Bulgarian Studies return to the academic map in the USA

As part of the pilot initiative, supported by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Education and Science, students will be able to enrol in Bulgarian for Heritage Speakers (LCTL 201) and Introduction to Bulgarian (LCTL 101). A course on Bulgarian history and culture will also be introduced in spring 2026.

Dr Iliyana Dimitrova will serve as the programme’s first lecturer. According to an article published by the University of Illinois, Dr Dimitrova was selected through a nationwide competition run by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Education and Science. 

She is Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Bulgarian Language at “Sts. Cyril and Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo. In addition to her teaching in Bulgaria, Dr Dimitrova has guest-lectured at universities in Spain, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

“Bulgarian students have been part of Illinois’ academic community since 1911, and now, after a long pause, the long-held dream of teaching Bulgarian language and culture here has become a reality once again!” said Consul General Stankov. He wished Dr Dimitrova “inspiration and success in this noble mission of sharing the beauty of the Bulgarian language, culture, and history with a new generation of students.”

Another priority of the Illinois pilot programme is to foster links between American students and Bulgarian universities. Last summer, at the invitation of the Bulgarian government, two PhD students from the University of Illinois took part in the International Summer Seminar, a programme offered by Bulgarian universities for more than fifty years.

Registration for the Bulgarian language courses at the University of Illinois is open until 24 October. More information is available by emailing reec@illinois.edu.

In conclusion, Consul General Stankov said: “I encourage all Bulgarian students at the university to take an active part in the programme — and to invite their friends to join as well.”