From June 1 to 5, 2026, the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication will host the “Europe on Air” Blended Intensive Program, featuring participants from Universidad San Pablo Madrid (Spain), Artesis Plantjin (AP) University of Applied Sciences Antwerp (Belgium), Haaga – Helia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland, FH Wien in Austria, and the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) in Georgia.

Full “Europe on Air” program

During the week, international students will work alongside their Bulgarian peers to prepare, produce, and analyze new audio formats using interactive platforms and social media.

The program launched in 2013 in Belgium as an intensive training module and has been part of the Erasmus+ Program for the past three years.

The theme of this year’s edition is: How Does Social Media Affect Social Life?

A research visit to one of the world’s most powerful computers, DISCOVERER, at Techno Park Sofia is scheduled for the week.

A special press conference will be organized in the faculty’s Aula Magna, during which participants will meet with prominent Bulgarian media experts and demonstrate their journalistic skills.

Prominent Bulgarian experts will speak on the following subtopics:

1. Social media and Journalism. (Trolling and protecting journalists online. Algorithms for and against Journalism) The impact of AI on social media. (AI algorithms flooding social media. Designing tools with user-focused personalization, incorporating context-sensitivity)

2. Civic engagement, online activism. (How youth use digital tools for political and societal participation)

3. Digital Cultures on Social Media (Social media accelerates the global spread of trends, slang, and identities. Digital culture often focuses on visual self-expression, with trends revolving around themes like "hotness," lifestyle curation, and personal branding.

4. Community building (Fostering connections and active engagement, offering opportunities for professional networking, creating private spaces, hosting Q&A sessions to stimulate discussion)

5. Educational opportunities on social media (following industry experts to gain insights, attending webinars on LinkedIn or YouTube, finding internships, and showcasing academic or creative work, short-form educational content, and visual learning)

The week will conclude with a one-hour podcast, which will be recorded and broadcast by the university radio station “Alma Mater.”