From September 21 to 25, 2025, a team from the Media Research Center at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" made a research visit to the University of Liverpool, UK as part of the activities of the SUMMIT project.

The Bulgarian delegation included Prof. Veselina Vulkanova, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Prof. Nikolay Mihaylov, Prof. Efrem Efremov, and doctoral student Iva Ivanova. The Bulgarian researchers discussed current topics with their colleagues from Liverpool, such as the transformation of the media environment, methods for analyzing media impact, and the influence of artificial intelligence on the media. Special emphasis was placed on the integration of theoretical and practical approaches in the teaching of communication disciplines.

The visit provided an opportunity to present the projects of the Center for Media Studies, exchange ideas for joint publications, and develop future joint academic initiatives. The delegation was briefed on the planned media research at the University of Liverpool, which will support the development of international cooperation at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication and enrich teaching and research activities at the Faculty.

Particularly beneficial for the development, visibility of empirical research, and dissemination of the results of the work of the Center for Media Studies at FJMC were the meetings with Prof. Katya Balabanova and Dr. Vera Slavcheva-Petkova, leading scholars in the field of media and communication. Opportunities for cooperation within international initiatives such as the Worlds of Journalism Study and the Safety of Journalists' Platform were among the topics discussed at the meetings.

Ideas were exchanged for joint research projects and partnerships in future editions of international studies related to the safety of journalists and the state of the profession in different geographical and political contexts. Methodological approaches, opportunities for joint publications, and the inclusion of Bulgarian case studies in global research initiatives were also discussed, which is expected to enrich both our and international academic research in the field of journalism.

The visit opened up new opportunities for academic partnership, joint projects, and knowledge exchange between Bulgaria and the UK in the field of media and communications.