ОБУЧЕНИЕТО ПО ЕТНОЛОГИЯ В ЮГОЗАПАДЕН УНИВЕРСИТЕТ„НЕОФИТ РИЛСКИ“ (1994 – 2024)

This study traces the historical development of the Ethnology program within the Faculty of Philology at South-West University “Neofit Rilski” – Blagoevgrad, focusing on the key stages and figures that have contributed to its establishment and consolidation. Special emphasis is placed on the significant contribution of Prof. Todor Ivanov Zhivkov, D.Sc., who, in collaboration with a team of lecturers, laid the conceptual and organizational foundations of ethnological education at the university. The jubilee celebration of the program is viewed as an important milestone in its academic history, providing an opportunity to reflect on its institutional and scholarly development. The article analyzes education at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, tracing the main stages of training as well as the research activities within the Department