
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Academyкадемия
The deadline to register for the third edition of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certification Academy has been extended to 10 January 2025.
In January 2023, the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, in partnership with the Faculty of Economics of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and with the support of Lidl Bulgaria, organized the first certification academy for “Diversity, Equality and Inclusion” in the country, the third edition is coming in January 2025.
The Academy is also a natural extension of the first National Awards for “Inspiring Achievement for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” established by the Council. Both initiatives aim to provoke active dialogue and action in society on policies to promote inclusive environments, equal opportunities and non-discrimination.
The first edition of the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Academy, organized by the CWBB in partnership with the Faculty of Economics of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and with the support of Lidl Bulgaria, is the winner of the “Quality Mark of Sofia University” for 2023 in the category “Significant Innovation”.
The third edition of the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Academy will start on 17 January and will run until 11 April 2025 in seven thematic modules. They will cover the topics of equality, the benefits of inclusion, overcoming unconscious differences and the inclusive role of leadership and communication. In addition to a rich lecture component, the programme is also practical in nature with ongoing assignments and a final exam at the end. Each participant who successfully completes the course receives a certificate of participation with a total of 56 training hours.
Among the lecturers in the program are leaders involved in the management of companies such as Siemens, UniCredit Bulbank, The Smarts Group, Lidl Bulgaria, Coca-Cola HBC, Shell Bulgaria, HP Enterprise, Progress, as well as lecturers from St. Kliment Ohridski.
Registration has been extended to January 10, 2024 for those wishing to participate at office@womeninbusiness.bg and upon payment of a fee. The cost of the training is BGN 2,200 including VAT, and all members of the CWBB and Alumni Club, all employees working in CWBB member companies, all students and representatives of the NGO sector will receive a 10% discount.
Again this year Lidl Bulgaria will provide full scholarships to five applicants to become part of the Academy program. Candidates had to send a short cover letter by December 1, 2024 inclusive. In it, they had to share their motivation to join the programme and describe how they would pass on the knowledge and skills acquired in the programme; they needed to provide contact details and a link to their LinkedIn profile. The winners were selected by a jury of Lidl Bulgaria employees and subject matter experts:
The names of the Lidl Bulgaria scholarship winners for the third edition of the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Academy are:
Bozhidara Zhivkova, ESG News
Kamelia Ivanova, AEJ
Maya Tsaneva, Young Talents
Miglena Yordanova, Impact Drive Foundation
Natalia Mitkova, Arete Youth Foundation.