About the Institute
The Confucius Institute in Sofia was established in June 2006 as a joint initiative of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” in Bulgaria. It is the oldest Confucius Institute in Bulgaria and the Balkans, and one of the first 15 Model Confucius Institutes recognized globally. The Institute has received the Outstanding Confucius Institute designation and has been honored multiple times as an Excellent Confucius Institute for Media Outreach.
Located in Sofia—Bulgaria’s political, economic, and cultural capital—the Institute occupies approximately 2,000 square meters of dedicated space, including classrooms, a language lab, an exhibition hall, a conference room, a library of over 500 square meters, and a multipurpose hall accommodating more than 300 people. The team comprises 25 staff members: 2 directors (one Chinese, one Bulgarian), 3 full-time administrative staff, 14 teachers and 5 volunteer teachers seconded from China, and one locally hired full-time teacher.
As of the end of 2025, cumulative enrollment has exceeded 35,000 registrations. The Institute operates 8 Confucius Classrooms and 19 teaching sites.
Programs and Activities
Chinese Language Teaching & Proficiency Tests
The Institute offers a full curriculum spanning beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, along with business Chinese, HSK preparation, and culture courses. Its network of 27 Confucius Classrooms and teaching sites spans 11 cities across 9 provinces of Bulgaria. Enrollment in 2025 reached 2,100 students. Selected classrooms employ a co-teaching model pairing Chinese and Bulgarian instructors. HSK, HSKK, and YCT examinations are held on a regular schedule; total candidates in 2025 numbered 478.
Faculty Development & Academic Research
The Institute provides ongoing professional development for its teachers through local instructor training, in-service workshops, and teaching seminars. As part of BFSU’s overseas internship site program, it offers practical placements for students from Sofia University’s Sinology and South/East/Southeast Asian Studies programs, as well as BFSU students of Bulgarian language.
In academic publishing, the Institute produces Confucius
Institute Sofia magazine and the peer-reviewed journal Silk Road. It regularly hosts the China Connect lecture series and the Silk Road International Conference, fostering scholarship in Chinese studies and related fields.
Cultural Programs
The Institute participates in or organizes 70–80 cultural events annually, reaching over 10,000 attendees. Core activities include the Chinese New Year celebration, the “Chinese Bridge” competition, the International Chinese Language Day combined with the Chinese Song Contest, the Global Confucius Institute Day and China’s National Day Celebration, the Kazanlak Rose Festival parade, and the Momchilovtsi Yogurt Hometown Chinese Language and Culture Summer Camp.
Long-term partnerships with Sofia University, Plovdiv University, Ruse University, Southwest University, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for Balkan Studies, the Sofia “Racket Speed” Badminton Club, the Bulgarian Go Association, the Vidin “Bloom 1870” Cultural Center, the Bulgarian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the Bulgarian-Chinese Industrial Development Chamber support the Institute’s outreach across Bulgaria.
Signature Initiatives
The Institute has developed a distinctive suite of Chinese + integrated programs that pair language learning with specialized subject areas: Chinese + Tourism, Chinese + Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Chinese + Chinese Painting. These programs connect language acquisition with practical and cultural competencies, broadening the appeal and applicability of Chinese studies for Bulgarian learners.
Looking Ahead
The Institute will continue to advance Chinese language instruction, expand digital teaching resources, and deepen collaboration with partner universities and research institutions in both China and Bulgaria, as well as with businesses and cultural organizations in both countries. The goal is to build an integrated platform for teaching and research that strengthens people-to-people exchange between China and Bulgaria.
Contact
Chinese Director: CHEN Ying
Email: chenying@bfsu.edu.cn
Website: https://confuciusinstitute.bg/
Phone: (+359) 876 416 074 | (+359 2) 822 30 19
Address: 79 Todor Aleksandrov Blvd., Sofia, Bulgaria
