About us
The International Management Institute (IMI) is a non-profit organisation. Its offices are located in the cities of Varna and Dobrich (Bulgaria), but its ideas and initiatives have a wide regional, national and international outreach and impact.
We are IMI
The International Management Institute (IMI) works actively for and with youth, students, teachers, researchers, business representatives and local communities to ensure integrated sustainable development by achieving the goals of:
- Quality education and training
- Gender equality and reduction of inequalities;
- Sustainable cities and communities;
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action;
- Partnerships for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Chronicle
The beginning of our journey
Our journey began in 1993, when Association International Management Institute was established within the initiatives of the Dutch Government’s Cooperation Programme for Eastern Europe. The main mission and activities of the organization at that time were focused on the improving the quality of education and well-being of young people in accordance with the European development trends.
In 1996, IMI became one of the founding members of the Varna University of Management and subsequently participated in the establishment of other structures for the development of formal and non-formal education.
Through its activities for over 30 years, IMI has established itself as an active participant in the processes of formulating and providing non-formal training and education opportunities, especially for people with special needs (including youth, disadvantaged, migrants, people from rural and remote areas, etc.). The accumulated experience and knowledge about the needs of the communities and the emerging technological and non-technological innovations has resulted in broadening of our priority areas of our activity.
We grow and learn
The recruitment of new members and supporters, the broadening of expertise and the collaboration with organisations with different profiles and from different sectors have enabled the Association to engage more actively with current public issues and actions in the following areas:
- New skills, education and training
- Improving quality of life and social inclusion through social entrepreneurship and innovation
- Sustainable development
- Protecting the environment
- Digitalisation
- Empowerment of young people and vulnerable groups
- Civil society development and participation in decision-making
- Social inclusion
- Human rights and European values
Our values and activities
The International Institute of Management is committed to its priority areas and carries out a wide range of meaningful activities of the highest quality, including:
Main Activities
- Conducting research and studies of varying scope and focus;
- Preparation of plans, analyses and strategic documents;
- Developing training materials based on interdisciplinarity and innovative training methods;
- Conducting informal courses and training;
- Organising and carrying out events and comprehensive campaigns of an awareness-raising, discussion and demonstration nature;
- Developing and managing projects and initiatives.
A characteristic and distinguishing feature of the organisation’s work is its commitment to the use of new and innovative methods, interdisciplinarity and the involvement of stakeholders in the creation and experimentation of products.
Our values
Our actions and stakeholder relationships are guided by our values. They are:
Discovery
We explore, discover and present in various forms new and better ways to develop business and society
Innovation
We strive for continuous improvement, using bold creativity and scientific knowledge to make a difference
Learning
We challenge ourselves, our partners and our audiences to continually develop – personally and professionally, and to grow through lifelong learning
Diversity
We value and make effective use of the richness created by differences to think, communicate, know and create
Awareness
We work to improve access to quality information for informed decision-making and active citizenship
Sustainability
We promote and work to achieve social and environmental responsibility in a wide range of economic and social activities
Our team
Assoc. Prof. Todor Radev
Chairman of the Board
Assoc. Prof. Todor Radev is an Associate Professor of Economics. He has made a significant contribution to the modernisation of Bulgarian higher education and training. Driven by a constant desire to support the development of young researchers and entrepreneurs, he boldly undertakes different kinds of initiatives and experiments with new forms of partnerships. He actively promotes working on issues related to global challenges and provides all forms of support to help young people become active, informed citizens and motivated agents of change.
Tzvetalina Genova
Senior Team Leader
Tzvetalina holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and European Studies from Central European University, Budapest. She joined the IMI team in 2007 and was Chair of the Board 2011-2023.
Tzvetalina Genova has been the bearer of a significant part of the organisation’s innovative ideas, addressing issues new to Bulgaria and proposing new ways of working. She has authored and led over 15 of IMI’s successful international initiatives, including those aimed at encouraging student and youth leadership participation in global development and environmental issues, including poverty, education, youth unemployment and climate change. She also works actively on social entrepreneurship and innovation
Our partners
The International Management Institute actively collaborates with a number of well-established organisations in different fields in order to add an extra layer of interdisciplinarity and to test the applicability of its developments against the needs and expectations of its stakeholders. Our partners include:
