On October 20, 2025, a public lecture-discussion on the topic “Germany in Dialogue: Cultural Exchange in a European Context” was held at the Institute of Balkan Studies & Centre of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IBSCT-BAS). It is part of the series of events dedicated to cultural diplomacy in the Balkans, organized by the IBSCT-BAS in institutional partnership with the State Institute for Culture to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria (DKI). The initiative is implemented under the Project “Cultural diplomacy in the Balkans in the 20th and 21st centuries: Achievements, challenges, and the way forward”, funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The public lecture-discussion was opened by the Director of the IBSCT-BAS Prof. Dr. Roumiana Preshlenova and the Project Manager Assist. Prof. Dr. Alexandra Milanova, Scientific Coordinator of the IBSCT-BAS. Nia Tabakova welcomed those present on behalf of the director of the DKI Snezhana Yoveva-Dimitrova.

Special guests and lecturers will be H.E. Irene Maria Plank, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bulgaria and Dr. Kirsten Hackenbroch, Director of Goethe-Institut Bulgaria. H.E. Irene Maria Plank spoke about the essence of cultural diplomacy in the contemporary world. Dr. Hackenbroch presented the diverse cultural activities of the Goethe-Institut in Bulgaria and Europe, as well as the successful initiatives within the framework of the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC).

The event was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mariana Tien, Scientific Secretary of Department 9 "Man and Society", Mr. Yavor Koynakov, Chief Expert Coordination of International Cultural Projects at the DKI, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Albena Taneva, Head of the Department of Public Administration at the Faculty of Philosophy of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boris Stoyanov from the Faculty of History of Sofia University, representatives of the cultural sector, scientists, lecturers, doctoral candidates and students.