USUST researchers participated in the XXth International Conference ‘Quality Strategy in Industry and Education’ in Bulgaria
From 1 to 4 June 2026, the XXth International Scientific and Practical Conference ‘Quality Strategy in Industry and Education’ was held at the Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria. The event took place in a hybrid format and was included by the Ukrainian Institute of Scientific and Technical Expertise and Information (UkrISTEI) in the list of international scientific and practical conferences in the system of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for 2026.
For two decades, the conference has remained a respected international platform for discussing current issues in education quality, modern production technologies, engineering training, digital transformation and the development of scientific research. The anniversary forum brought together around 240 participants from more than 80 higher education institutions, research organisations and enterprises of Ukraine and Bulgaria. 37 postgraduate students and young researchers had an opportunity to present their research findings and engage in professional dialogue with leading experts.
The Ukrainian delegation was headed by Professor Tetiana Khokhlova, dean of the Nikopol Faculty of the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies. On the eve of the conference, a coordination meeting of the organising committee was held with the participation of Professor Dr Dragomir Plamenov, rector of the Technical University of Varna, and Professor Tetiana Khokhlova, head of the Ukrainian delegation.
During the official meeting, Rector of the Technical University of Varna Dragomir Plamenov expressed his sincere gratitude for the greetings from the Rector of the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Professor Kostiantyn Sukhyi. During the discussions, the parties reaffirmed their mutual interest in further strengthening of cooperation between the two universities. The agreements reached were formalised through the signing of a joint Memorandum of Cooperation and a bilateral agreement between the Technical University of Varna and USUST. These new arrangements create additional opportunities for the implementation of joint research projects, academic exchanges and international educational initiatives within the European Higher Education Area.
The conference was officially opened in the main conference hall of the Technical University of Varna. The participants were welcomed by Associate Professor Dr Hristo Nenov, Vice-Rector for Research and E-Governance at TU-Varna and co-chair of the organising committee.
Representing the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies, Professor Tetiana Khokhlova, co-chair of the organising committee, delivered a plenary presentation ‘Quality Strategy Conference: History of Cooperation between the Technical University of Varna and the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies’. The presentation highlighted the results of the long-standing partnership between two institutions and its contribution to the advancement of international scientific cooperation.
In accordance with the conference programme, more than 60 scientific presentations by Ukrainian and Bulgarian researchers were delivered and discussed during the plenary sessions. Nearly half of the presentations were given remotely via online platforms, enabling broad participation of scholars from both countries.
As a result of the conference, a proceedings volume with an international ISBN identifier will be published by the end of June. The publication will include 89 scientific papers with a total volume of approximately 500 pages.
A separate part of the event was the international academic staff training programme ‘Current Trends in Higher Education in the European Union Countries: Experience of the Technical University of Varna’. The participants attended the university’s leading educational and research centres. The visit to the TU-Varna Mechatronics Laboratory was of particular interest, giving participants an opportunity to explore state-of-the-art technological solutions and innovative approaches to engineering education.
The closing ceremony included the awarding of certificates to all participants. The certificates were presented by the co-chairs of the organising committee: Associate Professor Dr Ivan Ivanov, head of the Research Sector at TU-Varna, and Professor Tetiana Khokhlova.
The participation of USUST representatives in the XXth International Conference ‘Quality Strategy in Industry and Education’ once again demonstrated the university’s active engagement in international scientific cooperation. The conference served not only as a platform for presenting research findings and fostering professional dialogue, but also as an important step towards strengthening the partnership between the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies and the Technical University of Varna, creating new opportunities for joint educational and research initiatives in the future.
