CSoft Supported the University of Economics - Varna in the Initiative "Financial Innovation Camp"

CSoft supported the University of Economics - Varna in the initiative "Financial Innovation Camp" which took place from March 22 to March 25. The event was organized jointly by the Department of Finance, Sector Project Management and Junior Achievement Bulgaria - National Coordinator of Global Money Week, and the CSoft Ltd. company as a general sponsor.

During the camp, under our mentorship, students worked in teams on a case developed by our experts specifically for the purposes of the competition. On the last day of the event, the teams presented their works to a jury composed by representatives of UE-Varna, Junior Achievement Bulgaria and partner business organizations. From our side, the jury was represented by Yolina Mineva – a Business Solutions Consultant at CSoft and Petar Nikolov Ph.D., who also has expertise in testing of system and mobile developments in CSoft. The task of choosing the best solutions of the case was not easy, as all participants showed financial literacy, creativity, entrepreneurial thinking and good presentation skills. Those who stood out were given the opportunity to apply for a job or internship with us as business analysts. The top performers also received prizes provided by CSoft, UE-Varna and partner business organizations.

We are grateful to UE-Varna for meeting us with such proactive young people. We asked for feedback on the event from Prof. Stefan Vachkov Ph.D.- Head of the Department of Finance.

Why do You think it is important to organize events that connect the Department of Finance and the Business?

Prof. Stefan Vachkov Ph.D.: The connection with practice is extremely important in the modern economic education. Financial education makes no exception. Our partnership with various organizations, both traditional banks and financial intermediaries and information technology companies, helps our students to become competitive in the labor market. In the age of digitalization, the creation and provision of financial services is strongly linked to the activities of the high-tech sector. Guided by the belief that the beginning of a successful career is set from the student bench, the teaching staff of the Department of Finance strives to organize frequent joint events with our institutional partners. This is our second joint initiative with CSoft for the current academic year since the visit of their experts to students from the Finance Club in November 2021.

By Your opinion, which are the main advantages of holding a "Financial Innovation Camp"?

Prof. Stefan Vachkov Ph.D.: For our department, "Financial Innovation Camp" is the first event of its kind with a competitive nature, which brought together students, university graduates, business representatives, university professors and volunteers. The opportunity for young people with various degrees of knowledge of economics and finance to work together is a challenge, but it can also be seen as a potential incubator for creative ideas. The event was organized as part of this year's edition of Global Money Week, which was held under the motto "Build your future, be smart about money!”. This annual event of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development aims to increase the financial literacy of a wide range of people, especially adolescents. The joint work between students and business professionals has created an opportunity to exchange ideas and experience, as well as an incentive for learners to expand their knowledge in the field of money and finance.

How would You rate CSoft's participation in the event?

Prof. Stefan Vachkov Ph.D.: Apart from being the general sponsor of the event, CSoft has also developed the case "Technologies to help our funds". The teams had to prepare their proposal for an innovative banking mobile application. The company experts actively participated as mentors, advising the joint work of the students during the two days when they were preparing their decisions. With their professional experience and expertise, they contributed to the success of the event and motivated the participants to continue to develop their knowledge in the field of finance. We thank CSoft for the extremely fruitful partnership in the Innovation Camp and we wish each other many future joint initiatives to increase the financial literacy!