Macroeconomic Conditions and Indicators for the Development of Higher Education and Science in Bulgaria

Higher education and science in Bulgaria within the context of EU and the development of knowledge economy are characterized by a number of difficulties and underused opportuni­ties. They are further aggravated by the signifi­cant socio-economic hardships of the country and, to no lesser extent by the consequences and the impact of the global economic crisis on Bulgarian economy, which, in turn, mainly due to shortage of funding, reflects on the state of academia. Defining problem areas and design­ing strategies for the development of higher edu­cation and science are of particular importance under the adverse economic conditions nowa­days. Equally important, building the knowledge economy requires the creation of appropriate environment for the development of these two areas, as their successful inclusion in the Eu­ropean and global educational and research space in compliance with the “Europe 2020” strategy is essential for the future of the country. Higher education and science are areas where knowledge and valuable human capital are being created and spread. In the setting of fierce international competition their current state and further development become key fac­tors for the socio-economic development and the competitiveness of any economy.