Extending and Enhancing the Existing Motorail (Car Trains) System in the Danube River Basin (Drb)

The aim of the project is the enhancement of a greener, innovative and sustainable mobility through the extension of the existing railway system with as little changes as possible and the development of new modes of transport, providing a fast and seamless combination of rail and water transport, followed by short distance travel to the final destination by motorized vehicles or bicycles. This would be achieved through the extension in the Danube River Basin of the motorail system which allows the transport of cars, motorbikes and small trailers, creating an efficient, seamless and low-carbon transport network, thus contributing to the sustainable development of economic competitiveness and growth, of an integrated European single market and of an open and inclusive society, of tourist accessibility to new countries

Working Group “Red”. Sharing Responsibility for the Protection of the Danube Delta (SHARED – Society, Heritage, Awareness, River, Environment, Danube)

The project focuses on involving stakeholders such as communities, authorities, industry, and researchers from the Danube River Basin (DRB) countries in sharing responsibility for the protection of natural heritage in the Danube Delta (DD). The expected results include increased shared responsibility for the protection of the Danube Delta natural heritage, informed and engaged communities in the DRB, and better networking between the stakeholders. These results will be achieved by using an upstream-downstream cooperation approach through round-trip visits by a Boat interactive centre, application of ICT, and a plethora of events. The project results will promote institutional, economic, and behavioral changes that ensure sustainability and preservation of natural heritage

ANALYSIS OF USING DIGITAL LEARNING MATERIALS IN ENGINEERING LABORATORY COURSES

The paper presents an analysis of the use of digital learning materials in engineering laboratory courses. Interviews have been conducted with lecturers from several engineering faculties of the University of Ruse ‘Angel Kanchev’, such as: the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Automation, the Faculty of Transport, and the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. The aim of the interviews is to investigate the capacity and understanding of the lecturers in respect to using digital learning materials in laboratory courses. The obtained results demonstrate that digital learning materials are perceived as a useful tool to achieve better engagement of students in the educational processes. This would require continuous additional efforts by the teaching staff and permanent updating of their specific and digital competences

ANALYSIS OF USING DIGITAL LEARNING MATERIALS IN ENGINEERING LABORATORY COURSES

The paper presents an analysis of the use of digital learning materials in engineering laboratory courses. Interviews have been conducted with lecturers from several engineering faculties of the University of Ruse ‘Angel Kanchev’, such as: the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Automation, the Faculty of Transport, and the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. The aim of the interviews is to investigate the capacity and understanding of the lecturers in respect to using digital learning materials in laboratory courses. The obtained results demonstrate that digital learning materials are perceived as a useful tool to achieve better engagement of students in the educational processes. This would require continuous additional efforts by the teaching staff and permanent updating of their specific and digital competences

Former Socialist Countries Open their Past to Europe (SCOPE)

The project “Former Socialist Countries Open their Past to Europe” (SCOPE) focuses on gathering cultural heritage (CH) in the form of documents and personal testimonies from the former socialist countries (FSC) in the Danube Region. The main goals are to create an extensive database (DB) of the publicly available and newly collected documents, and to develop a user-friendly application for data search and analysis. The collection of available documents will be examined by group of historians to select significant CH movements on a specific geographical area. Innovative tools, SCOPE website and application, will provide effective research and analysis of documents in a new, standardized database. SCOPE tools allow quick searching of all available documents using keywords or phrases; classification of results according to geographical position/ dates/types/historical impact; and graphical illustration of activities against the socialist/communist regimes through the defined period of time. The novelty of the project is the use of the ‘citizen science’ approach to acquire personal testimonies of cultural opposition movements during the communist period through SCOPE tools. An interactive part of SCOPE application will collect users’ feedback in order to analyze if the documents serve the purpose of awareness raising on the anti-communist past among EU citizens

Improving the Internal Auditing Procedure by Using SIPOC Diagrams

Auditing is intended to provide a better understanding of a system and to provide insights on the possibilities for improvement. The University of Ruse has implemented a management system in compliance with ISO 9001 since 2004. Thus, for more than a dozen of years it has experience in auditing its management system – both by internal and external audits. In 2017 ISO has published the draft standard ISO / DIS 21001 that defines the requirements for a quality management system of any type of educational organization. This article presents a proposal for improvement of the current internal auditing procedure

Social Responsibility as a Means for the Sustainable Development in the Lower Danube River Basin

Sustainable development of the world and the EU in particular is a priority outlined in a number of strategic documents. Social responsibility is an important topic covered by standards such as SA 8000:2001 and ISO 26000:2010. This paper presents a case study of the practical implementation of corporate social responsibility activities in a Bulgarian company. Several key initiatives have been undertaken to prove the company‘s commitment to all interested parties including local communities as well. Social responsibility is where the interests and benefits for all stakeholders meet, namely employers, employees, contractors, academics, authorities and society as a whole. This paper presents a critical and original point of view on the advantages of using standards for social responsibility as a means for sustainable development

Danube: Future – A Promising Path to Connecting the Danube Region

The aim of this paper is to present the participation and involvement of the University of Ruse in the Danube: Future Project for sustainable development of the Danube Region. A white paper on integrated sustainable development of the Danube River Basin produced by representatives of Danube Rectors’ Conference and Alps-Adriatic Conference member universities. Case study of the participation of the University of Ruse in the 3 editions of the DIANET International School, the 1st Danube:Future Workshop, and in the Management Committee of the Project. The general conclusion drawn in the paper is that the Danube:Future project has allowed the University of Ruse to be more engaged in the scientific development in the Danube Region, and has improved its visibility among other universities and stakeholders. The paper results can serve as a motivation for other researchers and universities to join the project and contribute to its growing Knowledge Base. The study will contribute to finding new paths for developing research in the Danube Region by making the environmental and cultural heritage of the DRB visible and bringing it into the context of sustainable development