First Day

Meeting and hotel accommodation. Rest time: lunch (dinner) with the course management. Provision of all the necessary materials (in English) and informal acquaintance.

Second Day

Introduction to the course programme and the trainers/consultants. Counting the suggestions by the participants for alterations, supplements, etc.

Thematic lectures till the end of the day:

• Europe and EU today. The processes of integration and accession of new EU members from CEE. Effects.

• The EU policy: documents and programmes. Funds for support and development.

• Priorities for EU development in the next 10-15 years. Regulations of the relations with China.

Common dinner with participants and trainers in Chinese restaurant of repute in Sofia. Particularizing the tastes and preferences of the participants in the training. Informal discussion of their personal interests.

Third Day

International Marketing. Europe in the globalizing business and the knowledge-based economy. Analysis of international projects and the development of European companies. Analysis of the marketing of Chinese goods in Europe – winning strategies and threats? Meeting with representative of appropriate Chinese company operating in Eastern Europe / Bulgaria.

Dinner: participants plus trainers plus representatives of European/Chinese company in restaurant serving European kitchen.

Fourth Day 

Main features in the management of small, medium-sized and large-scaled European companies. Analysis of the implemented approaches and methods. Discussion of firm examples / case studies.

Introduction to the Sofia’s sights – museums, galleries, recreation places / organized tourism.

Free evening.

Fifth Day

Managing Business and Chinese business relations in the CEEC: specifics of the transition from centrally planned to market economy. Case studies. Meeting with Eastern European and Bulgarian entrepreneurs and managers. Analysis of the common and the differences in the management between European and Chinese companies – emphasis on behaviour and human resource development.

Visit to Bulgarian company with international business activity (working with Chinese companies).

Dinner in typical Bulgarian restaurant given by Bulgarian entrepreneurs and managers participated in the training in this day.

Sixth Day

Practicum in management of Bulgarian companies with international activities in the fields of: textile/knitwear production; informational technologies; communication technologies; production and distribution of air conditioning and home appliances; other fields according to participants request. Matching their interests with potential Chinese partners.

Free evening.

Seventh Day

Excursion to Rila Monastery – one of the Bulgarian symbols, world heritage monument protected by UNESCO (100 km. away from Sofia).

Evening according to participants wishes: restaurant and/or disco, bar, pub.

Eighth Day  

TKJ Management Game (Team Thinking – Kawakita Jiro Method), adapted from the management practice of Japanese company: analysis of the company’s problems and the directions of their possible solutions: team work, opportunities for adaptation of the results in Chinese companies.

Free evening.

Ninth Day

Meeting with Bulgarian government and non-government business support institutions, Ministry of Economy and Energy, Ministry of European Affairs, Executive Agency for Promotion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises; Business Schools.

Dinner with representatives of the institutions participated in the meetings this day.

Tenth Day

Meetings with branch and employers organizations and potential business partners.

Excursion to Vitosha mountain close to Sofia.

Free evening.

Eleventh Day

Summarizing the course. Conclusions. Joint further activities: communications.

Free afternoon: shopping in Sofia.

Official farewell dinner with the management of the course, trainers, entrepreneurs, policy makers.

Twelfth and thirteenth Days

Excursion to international mountain or seaside resort with overnight accomodation.

Thirteenth Day (evening)

Informal meetings with trainers, entrepreneurs and managers at will.

Fourteenth Day

Free time and departure.