Department of Modern and Contemporary History

The Department of Modern and Contemporary History was established on 17 January 1805 as one of the University’s first 28 departments. Over the years, it has been home to prominent scholars and educators, including I. I. Sreznevskyi (1837–1847), P. A. Lavrovskyi (1851–1859), M. S. Drinov (1873–1906), K. A. Iliinskyi (1907–1909), A. L. Pogodin (1910–1919), V. P. Buzeskul (1880–1931), A. D. Skaba (1934–1951), A. P. Kovalevskyi (1951–1969), and S. I. Sydelnykov (1956–1977).

The department offers instruction in more than 30 academic disciplines, including:
— Modern History of Europe and the Americas
— History of Western and Southern Slavs
— History of Asian, African, and Latin American countries
— Contemporary economic and political development of advanced foreign states
— History of world culture
— International relations and foreign policy
— History of social and democratic states
— Political systems of foreign countries, and more.

Graduates of the department pursue careers in teaching, research, international relations, and public administration.

The department provides postgraduate (PhD) training in various areas of modern and contemporary history, international relations, and foreign policy and diplomacy.

With the participation of the department, the M. Drinov Centre for Bulgarian and Balkan Studies was established. The department also supports student research groups in modern and contemporary history and in international relations.

The department maintains active cooperation with academic centres and scholars in Ukraine and abroad, including Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Sofia University, and Veliko Tarnovo University. International exchanges of students and faculty are carried out, along with academic internships, research projects, and competitive scholarships.

Doctoral students conduct research in archives and libraries of Sofia and Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria), as well as Warsaw (Poland).