"EUROPEAN SECURITY ARCHITECTURE IN CRISIS?"
On April 15, 2025, a roundtable discussion titled “Is the European Security Architecture in Crisis?” was held in the “Egg” Hall at Sofia University’s Rectorate. The event was co-organized by the Master's Program in International Security at the Faculty of Law, led by Associate Professor Dr. Mira Kaneva, and the Master's Program in Crises, Conflicts, and Diplomacy in Global Politics at the Faculty of History, led by Associate Professor Dr. Boris Stoyanov. Special guest speakers included Yordan Bozhilov, Chairman of the Sofia Security Forum and former Deputy Minister of Defense, who outlined the future of European security architecture through the lens of Bulgaria; Dr. Plamen Dimitrov from the Bulgarian Geopolitical Society, who analyzed European security between Putin’s revisionism and Trump’s unpredictability; and Associate Professor Dr. Hristo Hristov, an EU Law lecturer at the Faculty of Law, who discussed the prospects for strengthening the EU's defense readiness. In the second part of the discussion, two student teams from the International Security Master's Program presented the results of their group research. Todor Mihaylov introduced the report “Autonomy in European Security – Can Europe Become Independent from the U.S. in Defense?”, co-authored with Simeon Krushev and Nikolay Slavkov. Their analysis focused on Europe’s dependency in key military capabilities, NATO’s role, options for enhancing EU defense autonomy, and the future of transatlantic relations. Verginia Petrova presented the report “China’s New Economic and Strategic Approach to Europe”, prepared with Iva Veselinova, Kristina Mincheva, and Yoanna Ognyanova. The report examined challenges to the EU's economic resilience, digital security, and strategic autonomy, and proposed a model of selective partnership with China. Their presentations sparked lively debate among students from both master’s programs, doctoral candidates in International Relations Denitsa Kovacheva and Nikola Peykov, and other guests. Discussions focused on security threats in the Black Sea region and the Western Balkans, the global commitments of the U.S. and EU, and hybrid threats such as algorithmic radicalization and anti-democratic propaganda.
Event
Global Challenges
Security and Defense
European Union
THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE BLACK SEA - REGIONAL COOPERATION FOR ENERGY AND DEFENSE
The Sofia Security Forum in cooperation with The New Strategy Center (Romania) and The Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM), (Türkiye), together with the delegations of Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye to NATO, organized on December 11, 2024 a discussion to present the study "The Strategic Importance of the Black Sea: Regional Cooperation in Energy and Defense".
Event
Balkans and Black Sea
Security and Defense
NATO
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY: DYNAMICS IN THE EURO-ATLANTIC AND INDO-PACIFIC REGIONS
International Workshop organizes by the Sofia Security Forum and the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI)
Event
Global Challenges
Security and Defense
THE EMERGING SECURITY CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE: THE NEED FOR NEW POLICIES AND INSTRUMENTS
NATO 2022 STRATEGIC CONCEPT stated that the “Climate change is a defining challenge of our time, with a profound impact on Allied security. It is a crisis and threat multiplier. It can exacerbate conflict, fragility and geopolitical competition. Increasing temperatures cause rising sea levels, wildfires and more frequent and extreme weather events, disrupting our societies, undermining our security and threatening the lives and livelihoods of our citizens. Climate change also affects the way our armed forces operate. Our infrastructure, assets and bases are vulnerable to its effects. Our forces need to operate in more extreme climate conditions and our militaries are more frequently called upon to assist in disaster relief.”
Event
Global Challenges
NATO
YOUTH CONFERENCE: THE NATO’s ROLE IN ADDRESSING SECURITY CHALLENGES IN AN UNPREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENT
Students from Bulgaria and North Macedonia met in Sofia on 3-5 December 2023 to discuss what risks the two countries are facing and what is NATO's role in dealing with them. During the conference, the young people met and held talks with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Nikolay Denkov, the Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev, the Chairman of the Defense Committee in the National Assembly Hristo Gadjev, the ambassadors of North Macedonia and Germany, security experts.
Event
Bulgarian Foreign Policy
Balkans and Black Sea
Leadership and Youth
UKRAINE THROUGH THE EYES OF BULGARIAN JOURNALISTS WHO VISITED THE COUNTRY
Very interesting and emotional meeting-discussion between Bulgarian journalists who covered the war in Ukraine with students. The event was organized by the Sofia Security Forum and the Faculty of "Journalism and Mass Communication" of the Sofia University with the support of the embassies of the USA and Ukraine.
Event
Global Challenges
Balkans and Black Sea
Security and Defense
Leadership and Youth