Students and professors from Sofia University, Bulgaria’s oldest and most prestigious institution, has staged yet another protest over the radical cuts in the state funding for higher education.

“We are worried because we see changes that have been done not in the name of well-considered goals of the society, but rather for personal convictions and beliefs,” the University’s President, Ivan Ilchev, said Monday.

He has expressed his concerns that Bulgaria will not manage to meet the required criteria under the program “Europe 2020,” in which education, science and innovations are proprieties for EU member states.

Ilchev reminded that the program “Europe 2020” has been adopted by the same government that is decreasing the amount of state funding for higher education.

“We are worried because the African funding, in the words of the Minister of Education, cannot provide a European education for our children,” Ilchev said.

He also pointed out that a priority for the government is the building of highways, but noted that it also requires the knowledge of economists, geologists, biologists, archaeologists, lawyers, who all receive their education in Bulgarian universities.

The protesters demanded that the government includes in the 2011 budget funding for higher education that is in accordance with the European standards.

They also wanted the government to set appropriate state subsidy for cost per student and to create a national plan for the development of higher education, science and technologies.

During the protests, students represented the Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, and the Minister of Education, Sergey Ignatov, as a pumpkin and a gourd.

Students from the university theater of Sofia University expressed their protest by marching dressed in white shirts and with chairs on their heads.

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