Blagoevgrad, American University in Bulgaria
The BEST Foundation and the American University in Bulgaria will host Balkan Voices, the annual international oratory competition in Bulgaria, in the spring of 2025. The tournament will take place from March 14th - March 16th on AUBG’s beautiful campus and will host approx. 60 9th-12th grade competitors from schools in the Balkans.
This tournament is a chance for high school students from all around the Balkans to compete with their Original Oratories (a beginner’s guide can be found here) and Extemporaneous speech, make new friends from other countries, and learn about the educational opportunities at AUBG. Balkan Voices will provide students with a cross-cultural experience that will enable them to substantially connect with students from other countries and to gain new perspectives. We believe that it is important that all students gain access to future opportunities through speech and debate, and touring AUBG and participating in faculty-led workshops during Balkan Voices will provide students with a new perspective on going to university.
Information on the logistics and how to register can be found below, and as always, you can e-mail us with questions at balkanvoices@bestfoundation.bg.
Letter of Invitation
If your school or any authorities require an official letter of invitation for your students from either us or AUBG, please, e-mail us at balkanvoices@bestfoundation.bg.
International travel
We will be in contact with each individual international group and assist as best we can with international travel advice as soon as you have submitted your application. Please make sure that your group is cleared to travel and arrive at the tournament site by Friday afternoon, March 17th. Conversely, you can e-mail us with any questions you want to ask before you apply at info@bestfoundation.bg
Tournament Application - CLOSED
Tournament attendance will be covered (we will cover the hotel costs for Friday and Saturday, and reimburse your transport upon arrival to the tournament) for approx. 30 participants from Bulgaria, and approx. 30 total participants from the following countries: Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. This wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of the Regional English Language Office - Belgrade.
Transportation
You can call the following taxi companies for transport around town:
Tip-Top Taxi - +359 73 833 333
OK Taxi - +359 73 882 121
Eco Taxi - +359 73 886 666
Mega Lux - +359 73 882 828
Food
BEST Foundation with the support of Regional English Language Office at the US Embassy in Belgrade will cover 2 nights with breakfast for all students and 1 Chaperone per team, as well as dinner on 15.03, lunch on 16.03, pizza - dinner on 16.03 (supported by AUBG, Blagoevgrad).
Tournament Schedule
Tournament schedule will be published soon.