Vera Vutova-Stefanova, Evgeny Kandilarov

Vera Vutova-Stefanova graduated from the Institute of Asian and African Studies at the Moscow State University ""M. V. Lomonosov"" in 1973. Career diplomat with 40 years of experience in the field of Bulgarian-Japanese relations. She holds a number of positions - from a translator to a plenipotentiary minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Bulgaria in Tokyo. Translator of Japanese Literature.

Evgeny Kandilarov is a Bulgarian historian and an associate professor at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Japanese Studies Department. His main areas of interest include modern and contemporary Bulgarian and world political, economic, and cultural history, focusing on the Cold War period, the Cold War in East Asia, Bulgaria and East Asian countries during the Cold War, the Sino-Soviet split and changes in the Cold War paradigm, and Japanese postwar development. He is teaching courses on: Bulgaria and Japan (Political, Economic and Cultural Relations); Japanese Modern and Contemporary Diplomacy and International relations; Japanese Technological and Innovation Development; Japanese Culture.  Evgeniy Kandilarov is author of the books: East Asia and Bulgaria. Sofia 2016, “East-West”Publishing House ; Japan – Economy, Technologies, Innovations and Management. Sofia 2012, “East-West”Publishing House (together with Prof. Nako Stefanov); Bulgaria and Japan. From The Cold War To the XXI Century. Sofia, 2009 “Damyan Yakov”Publishing House. In Sept 2015 Dr. Kandilarov received Certificate of Honor from the Ambassador of Japan in Bulgaria for contribution to introducing Japan in Bulgaria as an academic researcher, lecturer and author of books and papers.