Професионална автобиография:

Miroslav Zafirov

Languages:

Arabic;

English;

Persian;

Russian;

Working knowledge in French;

Basic Hebrew.

Experience

’09 – till present Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Middle East and North African department

• Political officer for Lebanon, Syrian Arab Republic, Middle Eastern Peace Process

New Bulgarian University

Mediterranean and Oriental Studies Department

• Associated professor

o Political thoughts in Middle east

o History of Modern Middle East

’05 – ‘09 Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the State of Kuwait

• Deputy Chief of Mission – IIIrd Secretary & Head of Consular section

’03 Ministry of foreign affairs of Republic of Bulgaria

“Middle eastern and North African directorate”

? Political officer - Analytical unit “Security”

• Desk officer for GCC – 2005

• Desk officer for Israel and PNA – 2003 - 2005

Education

’01 - ’05 New Bulgarian University(NBU), Sofia

• MA, Hebrew studies. Gains Proficiency in Hebrew.

• Cumulative GPA 5.98/ 6.00 max.

’98 - ‘03 St. Petersburg State University, Russian Federation

Department for Oriental studies

• BA, History of the Middle East Countries. Diploma BA in Oriental and African studies.

• Awarded with scholarship and award for academic achievement. Dean’s List

• Working under the tutelage of Dr. Stanislav Prozorov, Head, Section Islamic studies, Institute for Oriental studies of Russian Academy of Science.

• GPA 4.70/ 5.00 max.

• Gains Proficiency in Arabic and Persian.

’91 – ’96 Dr. William Gladstone High School,

Sofia, Bulgaria

• GPA 5.67 / 6.00 max. Diploma in Persian Language and Culture

Academic experience:

January ’09 American University of Kuwait

Guest lector: “Historical sketches on history of religious schools - madrassas”

November ’04 Bulgarian diplomatic institute of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Bulgaria

• Held two lections in Middle Eastern history, Problems of the Middle Eastern peace process

Additional academic training:

March – April ’02 Euroforum 2002 Galatasary University - Istanbul

• Participation in the training- simulations course.

November ‘ 01

WUS- Austria, Open Society Institute, DAAD, Stability pact for SE Europe,

Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs- Austria, British Council in BiH,

US Embassy in Sarajevo

• Honored with the award of the British council in BiH.

• Best prepared delegate in Model United Nations.

October ’01 American University in Blagoevgrad

(AUBG)

• Participation in Balkan Parliament 2001 organized by AUBG and Open Society Institute.

• Granted with Dean’s Award for Best Essay (1st rank).

Skills / Projects/ Publications

Keen interest in Shi’a Islam; Contemporary history of Iran, Iraq – foreign policy, security policy.

Member of University Alumni Science Society (St.Petersburg).

October 2002 - participation in an expedition organized by the Ethnographical Museum in Sofia in the Rodopa Mountain. On the base of the gained materials (video, audio) – presentation:

• Ethnographical film “Tomb of Othman baba. Kurban bairam 2002” in front of the members of the Student’s Science Society of the Department of Oriental Studies in St.Petersburg.

###

Публикации:

List of Publications:

1. In 2001 publication “Alevi-Bektashis on the Balkans. History and present status.” (Bulletin of the conference in Balkan studies, held in St.Petersburg State University).

2. In 2002 publication on the web site of the Balkan parliament project 2001 in American University in Bulgaria - “Which are the main obstacles in front of the contemporary Balkan states?”

http://www.geocities.com/balkanparliament/Miroslav.html

3. Publication of the materials gained during the expedition in Rodhopa Mountains - Archive of the Ethnographical museum in Sofia. Document N 507 – III.

4. In 2003 publication “Islamic mystical brotherhoods in the Ottoman empire and their role in the islamization of the Balkan peninsula” (Bulletin of the conference in Slavonic studies, held in St.Petersburg State University).

5. Project: “Migration Attitudes of the Population in the Rodhopa mountain" – International Scientific Project

Joint interdisciplinary project of the Centre for Study of the Minorities and Cultural Interrelations and the Ethnographic Institute and Museum, Bulgarian academy of science.

An ethnological investigation of the emigration attitudes of the population of all the ethno-cultural groups living in the Rhodope Mountains (SE Bulgaria).

Results: A collective monographic work on the present-day emigration from the Rhodopes, a documentary film “I Live There, I Dream of being here”, an academic discussion of the processes analyzed.

6. KULTURA newspaper (№ 9, 11.03.2005) “Coming to terms with Sistani”, by Sami Mubayed. Translated by Miroslav Zafirov. http://www.online.bg/kultura/my_html/2359/sistani.htm

7. “Iran’s presidential elections. Without revolution” – (№ 25, 01.07.2005) KULTURA newspaper.

http://www.online.bg/kultura/my_html/2375/iran.htm

8. Article “Karbala (Mashhad al-Husain) – aspects of the shi’a history” – DEMOCRATIC REVIEW magazine.2003.

9. The Druzes in Israel: A Study of a Religious Minority in the Middle East – REASON, ISSUE 1, 2005.

http://www.razum.org/broi11/resume.rtf

10. KULTURA newspaper (24.12.2005) “Iraq - An incomplete constitution” by Ersin Kalaycioglu.

11. Lection on “Modern aspects of the Islamic terrorism” - The Konrad Adenuer Schtiftun, Political workshop, Rousse, Bulgaria. 2005.

12. With Mr. Alexander Veselinov, professor in Middle Eastern studies, held lection in “Political and religious dimensions of the Shi’a Islam” – New Bulgarian University.2004.

13. With Mr. Velin Belev, director of BA, MA program “Middle Eastern studies” - moderate lection of Mrs. Dana Benvenisti – Gabay, DCM Embassy of Israel – “Basic concepts of the Israeli foreign policy” – New Bulgarian University.2005.

14. KULTURA newspaper (23.02.2006) “Notes on the Islamic cultural tradition – the question of anthropological objects in Shi’a Islam and Muslim Numismatics”.

15. KULTURA newspaper (18.01.2008) – “Benazir Bhutto? A fair assessment is needed”

16. American university of Kuwait – “The tradition and establishing of madrassas in the Islamic world”. Lection in English. January 2009.