Prof. Dr. Dimitar Raykov, DSc is the new Rector of Medical University-Varna for the 2024-2028 term of office. He was elected by the members of the General Assembly of the University on 7 March 2024 with a majority. Prof. Raykov is the fifteenth Rector of Medical University-Varna, following his holding the position of Vice Rector for Career Development at the University from June 2023 until now.
Prof. Raykov's vision for the development of MU-Varna is of a leading educational, scientific, research, technological, expert and socially responsible centre among the higher education institutions in Bulgaria, and enhancing its reputation among the leading universities in Europe and worldwide. "The guarantees of success are embedded in the continuity, professionalism, motivation, proactive behaviour, responsibility and discipline throughout the working process, organisational and administrative experience, ethical and collegial attitude towards people", emphasised the new Rector of MU-Varna in front of the General Meeting. Prof. Raykov underlined that the core aim for him was to preserve and enhance the human and creative potential, uniting the youth and enthusiasm of the undergraduate and doctoral students with the wisdom, professionalism and human experience of the lecturers and employees, with the energy and dynamics of the time we lived in.
The Rector Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Georgiev presented a report on the activities of MU-Varna for March 2020-March 2024 term of office. He brought to the fore the steady trend for a sustainably high number of applicants and students from Bulgaria and abroad. Presently, 6 436 students are educated at MU-Varna, 4 554 of them are Bulgarian (71 %), and 1 882 - international students (29 %). MU-Varna is involved in 29 active projects in implementation stage with an approved total budget of BGN 37 800 290. 17 projects, amounting to BGN 2 216 577, are implemented in seven scientific fields under the National Science Fund. 84 scientific projects, with a total value of BGN 1 725 399, have been approved under the Science Fund. 50 projects, amounting to BGN 345 913, are implemented under a separate financial line for supporting doctoral studies. Under the Erasmus programme, more than 300 outgoing and incoming student and lecturer mobilities have been carried out and 21 new exchange contracts have been concluded.
For the period of 2020–2023 Prof. Georgiev reported an increase of 20.7 % in own source revenues and an increase of 42 % in the subsidies from the state budget for student education. The basic employee salaries were indexed in February 2021 by 6.55 % and by 10 % in March, September, December 2022 and August 2023. The amount of scholarships for undergraduate and doctoral students was also increased. Capital investments for 2023 exceed BGN 11 000 000. Prof. Georgiev pointed out that for the reporting period, MU-Varna had been granted the rights to manage UMHAT "St. Marina" for a new five-year term for the second time, and also accentuated on the fact that from that year the Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment in Ophthalmology–Varna had become a University hospital. Prof. Georgiev extended his gratitude to the entire academic, administrative and management team of MU-Varna for their efforts, high professionalism and consistency demonstrated in the pursuit of the goals set, which had laid the foundation of the results achieved. Prof. Georgiev wished the new management team to be able to rely on the same trust and support rendered by the entire academic community. The General Assembly adopted the Rector's mandate report for the period of March 2020-March 2024 with applause.
Prof. Dr. Krasimir Ivanov was elected Chairman of the General Assembly for the term of 2024-2028, and Prof. Dr. Svetoslav Georgiev and Prof. Dr. Temenuga Stoeva were elected Vice-Chairpersons.
The General Assembly also elected the first academic ombudsman of MU-Varna. This is Prof. Dr. Zlatislav Stoyanov.
The new Rector of MU-Varna for 2024–2028 term of office Prof. Dr. Dimitar Raykov is an outstanding orthopaedic traumatologist in the medical circles in Europe, as well as a reputable medical doctor in our society with long-term expertise in Paediatric Orthopaedics, treatment of joint and muscle disorders pain in elderly patients. The main professional interests and specialisations of Prof. Raykov lie in the following fields: Treatment of Injuries and Orthopaedic Disorders in Children, Arthroscopy, Endoprosthetics, Ankle and Foot Surgery. Prof. Raykov has been a lecturer at the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at MU-Varna since 2010 and Head of the Department from 2015 until his election as Vice Rector for Career Development in June 2023.
Prof. Raykov graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Medical University-Varna in 1990. His professional career began as a physician in a health service centre, and from 1992 he worked as an orthopaedic traumatologist consecutively at the Fourth Polyclinic, Resort Polyclinic-Varna (Chaika Medical Centre), District Hospital-Varna, and Centre for Emergency Medical Services-Varna. He acquired the speciality of Orthopaedics and Traumatology in 1997, and was subsequently elected as a part-time Assistant Professor. Currently Prof. Raykov is the Head of the Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at UMHAT "St. Marina"-Varna.
In 2008 Prof. Raykov successfully defended a dissertation entitled “Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Limb Injuries and Disorders" and obtained the scientific degree Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Medicine at MU-Varna. In 2010 he was habilitated as an Associate Professor at the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at MU-Varna. He obtained a scientific degree “Doctor of Sciences" with a monograph on “Enthesopathies in Orthopaedic Practice", and since February 2018 he has held the academic position of “Professor".
