The Balkan Heritage Foundation (BHF), Bulgaria, and the Institute for Field Research (IFR), USA, are delighted to announce the beginning of a strategic partnership between both organizations and the creation of the BHF-IFR Program for the Balkans. Thanks to this partnership students attending five of the Balkan Heritage Field School four-week projects/courses can now earn 8 semester credit units (equivalent to 12 quarter credit units). These credit units are awarded by the IFR’s academic partner – Connecticut College (USA). The projects/courses will now be subject to the intensive peer-review process conducted annually by the IFR Board of Directors – consisting of distinguished archaeologists from universities across the world.
For the 2015 season the BHF-IFR Program for the Balkans will include the following projects/courses:
1. ANCIENT GREEKS IN THE LAND OF DIONYSUS – an archaeological field school and dig at the Ancient Greek emporion Pistiros in Ancient Thrace (Bulgaria). See this course on the IFR website.
2. APOLLONIA PONTICA EXCAVATION PROJECT – an archaeological field school and dig at the temple of Apollo on St. Kirik Island, Sozopol on the Black Sea Coast (Bulgaria). See this course on the IFR website.
3. RISE AND FALL OF THE FIRST EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION – an archaeological field school and dig at Tell Yunatsite – one of the earliest and largest European proto-urban settlements in the Chacolithic Period (Bulgaria). See this course on the IFR website.
4. STOBI EXCAVATION PROJECT – an archaeological field school and dig at Stobi – the capital city of Macedonia Secunda dating to the Hellenistic and Roman Period and Late Antiquity (Republic of Macedonia). See this course on the IFR website.
5. THE BIRTH OF EUROPE – an archaeological field school and dig at the Neolithic settlement in Ilindentsi – one of the earliest European farming communities (Bulgaria). See this course on the IFR website.
Students interested in joining any of these field school projects and benefiting from the Program’s advantages: 8 US semester credit units, eligibility to apply for IFR scholarships, comprehensive health and evacuation insurance, additional excursions and US based customer service should apply through the IFR. The only way to apply for the Program after April 15, 2015 is through the IFR website.
The projects above will continue enrolling participants who don’t need academic credits (volunteers) and students in European universities/colleges who would like to obtain European academic credit units (ECTS) awarded by the New Bulgarian University (Bulgaria) through the Balkan Heritage Field School website following the existing terms, conditions and procedures. For more information please explore our web site. Students in Non-European universities who would like to obtain ECTS credits awarded through the New Bulgarian University may enroll under the current BHFS conditions by April 15, 2015.
To celebrate this partnership, the BHF and the IFR established three scholarships for students attending the BHF-IFR Program for the Balkans. One scholarship – for 2000 USD — will support a student attending the field school project at Tell Yunatsite, Bulgaria. Two other scholarships –  1,000 USD each – are for students attending any of the five field school projects. Students attending the project at Tell Yunatsite, Bulgaria may apply for both scholarships.