Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски“ | |
Motto | "Ipsa scientia potestas est" |
---|---|
Type | Public |
Established | 1 October 1888 O.S. (128 years ago) |
Endowment | $ 125 million |
Rector | Anastas Gerdzhikov |
Students | ~24,000 |
Location | Sofia, Bulgaria |
Campus | Urban |
Colours | Purple |
Affiliations | EUA |
Website | www |
Coordinates: 42°41′37″N 23°20′6″E / 42.69361°N 23.33500°E
The University of Sofia (St. Kliment Ohridski) or simply Sofia University (Bulgarian: Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски“, Sofiyski universitet „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“) is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October, 1888. The edifice of the university was constructed between 1924 and 1934 with the financial support of the brothers Evlogi Georgiev and Hristo Georgiev, whose sculptures are now featured on its façade, and has an area of 18,624 m² and a total of 324 premises.
The university has 16 faculties and three departments, where over 21,000 students receive their education. The current rector is Anastas Gerdzhikov.
Sofia University has been consistently ranked as the top university in Bulgaria according to national and international rankings, and is constantly among the best 4 percent of world universities according to QS World University Rankings.
The university was founded on 1 October 1888, 10 years after the Liberation of Bulgaria, to serve as Bulgaria's primary institution of higher education. Initially, it had 4 regular and 3 additional lecturers and 49 students. It was founded as a higher pedagogical course, it became a higher school after a few months and a university in 1904. The first rector was Bulgarian linguist Aleksandar Teodorov-Balan.