Education
There are 16 universities in Sofia. The Saint Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia, often regarded as the most prestigious university of Bulgaria, was founded in 1888 and expanded in the 1950s. The university's edifice was constructed between 1924 and 1934 with the financial support of brothers Evlogi Georgiev and Hristo Georgiev. The university enrolls 14,000 students annually.
Other leading higher education establishments are the National Academy of Arts, the University of National and World Economy, the Technical University of Sofia, Sofia Medical University, Rakovski Defence and Staff College, and New Bulgarian University.
Secondary education institutions are numerous and include vocational and language schools. The "elite" secondary language schools provide education in a selected foreign language. These include the First English Language School, Sofia High School of Mathematics, 91st German Language School, 164th Spanish Language School, and 9th French Language School. Some of them provide a language certificate upon graduation, while the 9th French Language School has exchange programs with a number of lycées in France and Switzerland, such as the Parisian Collège-lycée Jacques-Decour. Zlatarski International School from 2003, became the first school in Bulgaria to offer the International Baccalaureate. The American College of Sofia was founded in 1860 and often regarded as the oldest American academic institution outside the United States.
Other institutions of national significance, such as the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library are located in Sofia. BAS is the centrepiece of scientific research in Bulgaria, employing more than 4,500 scientists in various institutes, including the Bulgarian Space Agency.
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