Member Event Fund Report – OPTIMA Conference

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‘We wish to thank EAQUALS for being such a reliable and supportive partner and making this event an unforgettable experience.’

38-40 people (apart from the organizing committee) attended this year’s OPTIMA event entitled TRENDS IN ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT.

Julie Wallis of EAQUALS had 2 sessions of 90 min. each presenting her tips for academic managers entitled ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT – TOOLS, TIPS and TECHNIQUES. The Macmillan Representative Grzegorz Spiewak (2 60 min. sessions) spoke about how to maximise the teacher’s impact on learners /HOW TO MAXIMIZE OUR IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE LEARNING, MAXIMIZING IMPACT BEHIND CLASSROOM DOORS – THE HOW. Participants were happy to obtain useful ideas on management techniques in the 21st Century language school as a workplace as well as improving teaching techniques as a natural follow-up from Julie Wallis’talk and workshop.

EAQUALS was promoted in the welcoming words of the President of OPTIMA Assoc. Professor Dr. Veselin Chantov during the cocktail and opening of the conference. Associate Professor Dr. Galya Mateva (OPTIMA Honorary Chair) paid tribute to EAQUALS in the opening before the start of the plenaries on the importance of academic management and the role of EAQUALS in providing academic management standards for ensuring excellence in academic management performance.

EAQUALS and OPTIMA banners were a focal point for taking photos and socializing during the breaks and the opening cocktail. Macmillan publishing had a beautifully arranged stand and banner, clearly visible to all at the lobby of the conference hall. The event was welcome by acclaimed academic managers such as the Rector of New Bulgarian University in Sofia, The rector of the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies and The President of the Bulgarian Association of Private Schools. Posters of EAQUALS were put up and were in full view for those attending. Photos were uploaded on Facebook as soon as the event started.

The event was a success considering the steady growth from the previous two years of organizing such events. International guests included Maria Pejatovic from YALTS-Serbia and Maria Stepanova – Associate professor from Peter the Great Polytechnic University of Saint Petersburg (SPbPU).

We wish to thank EAQUALS for being such a reliable and supportive partner and making this event an unforgettable experience. We wish to extend our thanks to AVO (the only EAQUALS member from Bulgaria so far) and Mila Angelova – The vice-chair of EAQUALS for suggesting a seminar title and for believing in us.