AUBG Praised for Attracting Best Students from 40 Countries

In 2010, the American University in Bulgaria accepted students from 40 countries, which is a record for the university. Photo by BGNES

Phelps Hawkins, journalism and mass communications professor at the American University in Bulgaria, said that he would like to come "home" to Bulgaria every year.

"[My wife and I] have come to really enjoy Blagoevgrad, its casual atmosphere, its walkability, its vitality with all the students and young couples around. I have even thought each year of coming "home" to Bulgaria," Hawkins said in an interview for Novinite.com.

He has been teaching since 2007. In his words, this has been a "wonderful and fascinating experience."

"We just love the students. How can you beat the two-way learning experience of teaching the best and the brightest from some 40 countries?! There is little question that students emerge from AUBG very well prepared to be successful in an increasingly complex and independent world," he said.

Besides the city of Blagoevgrad, where AUBG is located, Hawkins's other favorite places in Bulgaria are the Old Town of Plovdiv and the city of Ruse.

In the interview the professor also talked about the new social media. In his opinion, a disadvantage that could come from them is the emphasis on bulk and speed of information, without judgment and context.

Hawkins added that profit has not influenced positively the quality of news and that he wanted to see the news as a "non-profit endeavor."

"But even such world-class services as the BBC are under enormous profit pressure. It's very sad," he said.

To read the whole interview with Phelps Hawkins, click HERE.

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