VARNA FREE UNIVERSITY AND DISTRICT COURT – VARNA INCREASE THEIR COOPERATION
17 november 2025
Today, the Rector of Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar” Prof. Petar Hristov, PhD and the President of the District Court – Varna Tsveta Pavlova signed a Memorandum for the continuation and upgrading of the cooperation between the two institutions. The new document builds on the existing Memorandum of 12 May 2012 and aims to expand the opportunities for practical training and professional development of students majoring in Law at the University’s Faculty of Law
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The partnership is aimed at providing high-quality practical training through real observation of the court process, participation in simulated cases, meetings with current judges and engaging students in various forms of interaction with the judicial system. In this way, students will have the opportunity to acquire key skills related to the procedural behaviour of lawyers, the specifics of the various judicial roles and the peculiarities of working with criminal, civil and commercial cases.
The signing of the document took place in the presence of Assoc. Prof. Elisaveta Kalinova - Dean of the Faculty of Law, Assoc. Prof. Eleonora Tankova, PhD - Deputy Rector for Institutional Cooperation and Development and Prof. Yonko Kunchev, D.Sc. - Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar".
The Rector Prof. Petar Hristov, PhD pointed out that in terms of the quality offered, the Faculty of Law of Varna Free University is in second place in the country according to the National Rating System. This year, the number of candidate students at the faculty was 30% higher. Its graduates performed very successfully in the exams for junior magistrates. Prof. Hristov emphasised that the good cooperation with the courts in Varna and the meetings of the students with practicing magistrates contributed to this quality of preparation.
The President of the District Court - Varna, Tsveta Pavlova, thanked for the extended hand: "It is a great privilege for me to continue and expand this partnership. As a judge-mentor of junior judges and as a lecturer at the National Institute of Justice, I have direct impressions of the quality of the training provided at Varna Free University. We would be happy to expand this cooperation not only with the Faculty of Law, but also with the other innovative specialties that the university has opened in recent years," said Judge Pavlova.
The Memorandum envisages the implementation of a number of joint activities, including: participation of judges from the District Court – Varna as guest lecturers at VFU “Chernorizets Hrabar”, participation in open court sessions, discussion meetings with judges in a university environment or in the courthouse, etc.
The signing of the new Memorandum strengthens the long-standing partnership between the District Court – Varna and VFU “Chernorizets Hrabar”, creating conditions for further improving the training of future lawyers and strengthening the connection between theory and judicial practice.
