Bulgarian Higher Education and the Knowledge Society

There are multiple literature sources discussing the importance of knowledge management and the processes encompassing knowledge gathering and transfer of knowledge. The acknowledgement of the significance of intellectual capital at present leads to the establishment of new management practices, which are based on knowledge. However, the existing literature has devoted limited attention to knowledge management in higher education and its socio economic impacts. This article aims at exploring the function of knowledge management in Bulgarian institutions of higher education and identifies major shortcomings. It also emphasizes on the decreasing quality of higher education in the country and the restricted resources available for research and science, which puts a damper on possible developments in this realm. This paper also puts the fact that Bulgarian undergraduates do not engage in scientific undertakings into critical discussion. Essentially, the article proposes a theoretical model that can leverage the management of knowledge in Bulgarian higher education institutions and by virtue of this – enhance the value of the educational product they offer. Finally, knowledge management increases the competitiveness of higher education in a particular country and holds significant economic and social value