The second radio broadcast, part of the INTEGRA information campaign, was on the topic of labor market integration for third-country nationals. We spoke with Sergey Vichev, a Bessarabian Bulgarian, born in Taraklia, Moldova. He earned his MA in Business Administration from the University of National and World Economy; currently, he’s a manager and co-founder of a trading company, as well as the co-founder of a start-up for business analytics and data science. Sergey’s life story is a prime example of successful integration: his Bulgarian roots were definitely an advantage, yet he also believes that Sofia has a lot to offer to foreign nationals. The city is a strong magnet for IT professionals, also for the international call-center industry in view of the large share of the population speaking foreign languages. Another asset of Sofia is mount Vitosha, which is especially attractive for fans of winter sports. He also remembers how important was the help he received when he first arrived from other Moldovans already settled in the city. In his view, the city administration should put more efforts to connect established migrant communities, formally or informally, so to improve the connections between those newly arrived and their compatriots, but also to enable better dialogue and interaction among all the foreigners who have chosen Sofia as their second home.

Listen to the full interview with Sergey on June 20, 2019 at 6 pm on Alma Mater Sofia University radio.