From Scholar to Future Leader: Teodora Mihaylova Earns Her Master’s in Public Policy at CEU

Discover how studying Public Policy at Central European University shaped one student’s academic and personal growth, from researching anti-corruption policy to learning from an international community in Vienna. The article reflects on the value of academic excellence, peer learning, and the support of the Aleksander Foundation.

A Demanding and Rewarding Academic Experience

It will not come as a surprise that the academic year at Central European University proved to be incredibly demanding. CEU is renowned for its academic excellence in the fields of social sciences, and its Department of Public Policy holds a particularly strong reputation. My program, the Master of Arts in Public Policy, is academically rigorous, while also practice-oriented. The requirements for completing it are high, but that is part of what makes fulfilling them feel all the more rewarding.

I would describe the MAPP program as both comprehensive and dynamic. Public policy students are being taught economics, policy analysis, writing skills and much more in just one year. I find that completing the program has equipped me with extensive policy knowledge and genuinely helped me develop my critical thinking skills.

The university can offer students a great deal academically, socially, and culturally. The CEU faculty members are, without exception, great experts in their respective fields and the research produced there is truly excellent. Additionally, the university provides many opportunities for students to explore interests outside of their main academic program. I myself had a chance to participate in a creative writing workshop during one of my semesters, which gave me a chance to work on a personal passion project alongside my studies.

Research at CEU

The time spent at CEU has certainly elevated my academic standards. My personal academic highlight of the year was working on my master's thesis on anti-corruption policy in Bulgaria. My work focused on the Bulgarian anti-corruption agency established in 2018 and consisted of a critical assessment of its activity in the time frame from 2018 to 2026.

The thesis combined my particular interest in research on the Southeastern European region and on corruption, a topic which I find extremely important. I was inspired to work on this topic after taking the Corruption and Global Governance course, taught by my thesis supervisor, Professor Agnes Batory.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Something that makes the educational experience at CEU unique is that the university strongly emphasizes peer learning, and being the international hub that it is, learning from peers extended far beyond the classroom. While discussions in the classroom are being guided by the professor, students end up learning just as much from each other and that brings a special educational value to the program.

Everyone I met while studying at CEU taught me something, whether by providing an interesting country-specific example during a class discussion, or in a personal conversation. Furthermore, CEU has an incredible and very active alumni community, which keeps students connected after graduation.

Vienna as a Living Policy Laboratory

What will likely not come as a surprise either, is that living in beautiful Vienna was an absolutely remarkable experience. Vienna is an incredible place for anyone interested in culture and arts. The city is a real life example of a multitude of very well implemented policies, one of the better known examples of which is social housing.

Being able to observe and experience personally all of this makes Vienna a great place for a public policy student, and I find that simply walking around the city is a learning experience in itself.

Looking Ahead with Gratitude

As a recent CEU graduate, I am very excited to see where my journey continues post-graduation. The year spent at CEU challenged me in many ways and helped me develop academically and personally. For all this, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude for the generous support of the Aleksander Foundation, without which none of these achievements would have been possible.