IGA was pleased to welcome a class of US students on a study abroad exchange program in Germany, Bulgaria and Greece. Dr. Rumena Filipova gave a lecture, which focused on three main topics:
- Russian influence on the Bulgarians’ historical perceptions (on the basis of the pro-Russian biases in the content of history textbooks, policies in relation to monumental heritage from the communist period, pro-Russian historical disinformation);
- Public opinion in Bulgaria as regards Russia, strategic orientation, democracy in the context of the views in other Central and East European countries;
- Ways for building effective strategic communications for state and societal resilience.
The ensuing engaging discussion raised a number of critical questions, including the reasons for the antidemocratic stances among Bulgarian youth and avenues for overcoming political and societal divisions in Bulgaria.