Doctoral training in Bulgaria in the light of the Bologna process and the European Education Area

Abstract

Abstract: Doctoral training is a key prerequisite for building the European Education Area. The article aims to provide an overview and an analysis of doctoral training in Bulgaria in the context of the Bologna Process and the European Education Area. The mains tasks are to outline the perspectives and challenges facing doctoral education, while at the same time attempting to derive recommendations for optimizing the educational and research process within doctoral education in Bulgaria. To achieve these aims, desk research and secondary data analysis were used, as well as content analysis of administrative and legal documents. The working hypothesis is that although the national-level regulatory framework is largely in line with European standards and guidelines, there are gaps in the implementation of the Bologna Process tools. Key words: doctoral training; Bologna Process; European Education Area; europeanization of education; European university alliances.