Burgas Free University (BFU) and Aytos municipality have signed a cooperation and partnership agreement. Aytos is the first municipality the university has signed such a deal with.

BFU rector Prof. Milen Baltov and Aytos mayor Vasil Edrev signed the document. Aytos was picked for its results and statistics, not because of alphabetical order.

BFU figures show that 147 students from Aytos enrolled at the university between 2022 and 2026. They study different subjects, degrees and forms of study, and Aytos has more students at BFU than any other municipality. The most came in 2026, when 17 more enrolled than in 2025.

Prof. Maria Aleksieva, deputy rector and dean of the Centre for Humanities, said people from Aytos look for bachelor's and master's programmes. Most often they choose teaching and law.

The partnership covers education, research, professional development, innovation, culture, public administration and sustainable regional development. The university and the municipality will run joint education and career projects. They also plan training courses to improve the skills of teachers and other education staff, administration staff and people from different professions. Both sides will also work together on research, analyses and plans for the development of Aytos and the region.

"BFU contributes to the education and professional development of the people of the municipality," Mayor Edrev said. He said closer cooperation will help train and qualify specialists in different fields, according to local needs.

Prof. Baltov said BFU already works closely with Aytos. He pointed to the many students and the good ties with local schools and professional groups as proof. Just days ago, pupils from Hristo Botev primary school in the village of Maglen visited the university, and before them a team from Svetlina primary school in the village of Topolitsa.

"The agreement is a basis for more focused activities and joint events that fit both Aytos and the profile of our university," the rector said. He said the aim is to show the active profile of these students, and on that basis make joint events and projects visible to the media and the public.

At the end of October, BFU gave awards to Burgas institutions and specialists who work with children with special educational needs. They were presented at the "Learning with a Future" festival, held for the university's 35th anniversary.

Baltov said former graduates who now work in the municipal administration and in business have also visited BFU. He gave the example of one of his students who took part in a student team at a youth entrepreneurship contest a few years ago, won a prize and later built his own successful business. The rector said stories like this deserve publicity.