In 2011, VIVACOM continues extending its successful partnership with higher education institutions. We believe that the theoretic basis the universities provide to their students should be matched to the practical experience and it is exactly in this field that we see our role.

The Technical Academy is the project for the current school year 2010/2011 that VIVACOM implements jointly with the Technical University - Sofia. We have invited 20 of the university''s best students to take part in the academy. They attend 5 study courses specially organised for them and led by some of the best specialists of the company. The students acquire practical knowledge in the fields "Trade solutions and product and service development", "Telecommunication network strategy and development", "Legal framework and regulation of telecommunication", "Project management" and "Technical English language". The meetings between the students and the VIVACOM specialists are not strictly of "lecture" format but rather more discussion-based where the students who have attended them are given the chance to obtain information about anything that interests them from the best practitioners in the respective field.

The lasting fruitful collaboration with the Technical University - Sofia makes us pursue the maximum useful effect for both sides and organise even more efficient programmes.

During the last year VIVACOM implemented a joint project with the Technical University - Gabrovo called "Let''s Cross Our Ideas". In the frame of this project, the company assigned a task to the students from the technical majors at the university that was related to telecommunication and information technologies. The students that gave the most original solutions faced various opportunities depending on the complexity of the assignment. Some of these opportunities were: placement or employment at the company, provision of funding for specialised education, as well as open-day visits to the VIVACOM sites.

The purpose of the project was to strengthen and deepen the partnership between the telecom and the university.

These successful projects urge us to search for partnership opportunities with other universities such as the European Polytechnical University - Pernik and the College of Telecommunications and Post- Sofia.

Through the various programmes the telecom establishes partnership that benefit both the students and VIVACOM as a company searching for qualified personnel while exchanging valuable experience possessed by both sides.