On 30th November, Ani Popova from Ruse University ‘Angel Kunchev’ visited the social services complex accompanied by two representatives of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest – University Centre, Pitešti, Romania – Doctors Diana Radu and Lucia Neagoe. The visit was hosted by Galina and David Bisset.
Prior to touring the facility together, the group chatted extensively about the provision of services for children and families in both Bulgaria and Romania. It was noteworthy that the Romanian visitors had heard of Equilibrium prior to their Ruse visit while Equilibrium was familiar with aspects of the work of the NGOs with which Diana and Lucia used to be associated. This familiarity provoked a long amiable discussion leading to an undertaking to keep in touch and to seek opportunities for three-way collaboration involving the universities in Pitešti and Ruse and Equilibrium.
Diana, Lucia and Ani left clutching Equilibrium publications in English, and they were especially pleased to receive our comprehensive review of the deinstitutionalization process in Bulgaria produced for the Velux Foundation – ‘Deinstitutionalization in Bulgaria: Making Systemic Change Work’. The book compares the Bulgarian programme with those operating in Romania and Moldova and is known to have been cited in a range of academic papers and articles in variety of countries.
We wait to see what the future brings for us as a research team.