The Department of Language and Specialized Training of Foreign Students (DLSTFS) was established in 2000 as a structural unit of Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski” by decision of the Academic Council of the University (Minutes № 5 / 21.06.2000). In organizational terms, the department is a descendant of the former Preparatory Department of Foreign Students at the Faculty of Philology, established on 25.07.1994 by a decision of the Faculty Council (Minutes № 32).
The Department’s mission is to provide language and specialized training to foreign citizens who wish to study in all specialties run by Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, as well as in other Bulgarian universities. Foreign students and PhD students on the Erasmus academic exchange program can also improve their language skills at the DLSTFS.
The training courses are conducted not only in the specifically equipped for the needs of the educational process lecture halls, language classrooms, and a library of the former Preparatory Department of Foreign Students at the Faculty of Philology but also in the laboratories, computer rooms, and libraries of all the other faculties.
The curricula and the syllabi of the programs follow the requirements of the instructions of The Ministry of Education as regards the training of foreign students, PhD students and postgraduates (The State Newspaper of Republic of Bulgaria, issue 18, June 14, 1996), as well as the general requirements of the Higher Education Law.