The doctoral programme in Historical Studies at NBU strives to meet the need to train highly qualified specialists who are well versed in and interpret professionally the past and the genesis of the problems facing Bulgaria, Europe and the world today. The aim is to prepare young scientists to work in the following fields: Bulgarian history from the Middle Ages to the present day, Balkan Studies, Ottoman Studies, Modern and Contemporary History. The growing interest of historiographers, the media and the public in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, as part of the European space, calls for a thorough study, acquaintance with and presentation of the historical heritage of the region as an important part of the cultural diversity of the European past.