From 11 to 15 May 2026, Assoc. Prof. Desislava Serafimova, PhD, participated in a teaching mobility at Curtin University, Australia, under the Erasmus+ KA171 programme.

A PhD student from the University of Economics – Varna also took part in the mobility. The visit aimed to strengthen the partnership between the two institutions and expand opportunities for joint research activities, academic exchange, and the development of future international projects.

During her stay, Assoc. Prof. Serafimova delivered lectures on “The Silver Economy and Sustainability: International and Comparative Perspectives” to students of the School of Management and Marketing at Curtin University Business School. As part of a specially organized workshop, she also presented the topic “Ageing Societies and Sustainable Adaptation: The Silver Economy in Europe and Asia-Pacific”.

The mobility programme included numerous working meetings, exchanges of good practices, and opportunities for networking. Meetings were held with Prof. Julia Richardson, Head of the School of Management and Marketing; Prof. Panos Piperopoulos, Dean of Curtin International; Prof. Dora Marinova; and Assoc. Prof. Jane Bryant, Director of the Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute.

Additional meetings were conducted with the Director and the Deputy Director for Research of the School of Management and Marketing, as well as with the Director and research team of the Social Media Research Laboratory. Assoc. Prof. Serafimova also had the opportunity to engage in discussions with academic staff in the field of management, focusing on the exchange of experience and opportunities for future academic and research collaboration.

The PhD student’s programme was focused on advancing research activities and work on the doctoral dissertation. Through meetings and discussions with researchers and academic staff at Curtin University, opportunities for future scientific cooperation and knowledge exchange were explored.

The mobility provided a valuable opportunity for the participants to become acquainted with the academic environment and research infrastructure of Curtin University. The university is among the world’s leading higher education institutions, with more than 60,000 students from around the world. Particularly impressive are the sustainable solutions implemented across the campus, where many buildings are constructed using environmentally friendly materials and powered by green energy. The university’s three-storey library is accessible to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Curtin University is also home to the HIVE Centre, a hub for immersive visualisation and eResearch. The centre supports both teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines, including management, marketing, psychology, information technology, medicine, architecture, and engineering. Some of the projects conducted within the centre are carried out in collaboration with experts from NASA.

The visit contributed significantly to strengthening the partnership between the University of Economics – Varna and Curtin University and laid the groundwork for future joint initiatives. This exchange further reinforces the leading role of the University of Economics – Varna in building an extensive international network of partners and enriching its academic environment through collaboration with universities worldwide.

25 Jun 2026