Vasil Levski National Military University

The Vasil Levski National Military is Bulgaria's national military academy. Founded in 1878 as a military school in Plovdiv, it was moved to Sofia the same year. On 19 April 1924, it was promoted to university status, and in 1945, it was named in honor of Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski (1837–1873). Since 1958, it has been headquarters in Veliko Tarnovo.

"Vasil Levski" National Military University is the heir of the rich traditions in military education and a successor of the first military school in Bulgaria, established in 1878. The first military school in Bulgaria was established on 26 November 1878 before Bulgaria had its government, before the Constituent Assembly's convention, and before the adoption of the Tarnovo Constitution.

With the 23 April 1924 Edict of King Boris III, the military school was recognized as an institution of higher specialized education. There were only four higher education schools in Bulgaria – the Sofia University, the Free University for political and economic studies, the Arts Academy, and the National Music Academy.

On 14 June 2002, Bulgarian military academies' structure was reorganized: the Veliko Tarnovo-based Vasil Levski National Military University also covers the artillery academy (now a faculty) in Shumen and the air force faculty in Dolna Mitropoliya. The Georgi Rakovski Military Academy, which functions as a staff college, remains independent.

The primary purpose of training is to form leaders with leadership qualities, managerial knowledge and skills, and organizational capabilities.

Main Tasks of "Vasil Levski" National Military University:

• Training of cadets towards Bachelor's Degree
• Training of civilian students towards Bachelor's and Master's Degrees
• Training towards the acquisition of Doctor's degrees
• Training of officers in postgraduate courses
• Carrying out scientific and applied research
• Publishing, cultural, and sports activities.

The MoD has also assigned NMU to perform additional tasks in the interest of the country's defense:

• NCO training and target qualification courses
• Training of career personnel for the needs of the Armed Forces.

The mission of "Vasil Levski" National Military University is to contribute to its graduates' moral, mental and physical strength and growth, to imbue them with the ideals of patriotism, duty, and honor, to form them as personalities and leaders capable of developing and implementing scientific knowledge, of managing social and unique structures in peacetime and crises and of taking part in national and multinational projects aiming at maintenance of security, peacekeeping, and development of the society. 

The primary purpose of training is to form leaders with leadership qualities, managerial knowledge and skills, and organizational capabilities. The NMU has the following categories of trainees: cadets and civilian students in 3 areas of higher education: social-economic and legal sciences, technical sciences, security and defense, which are divided into seven professional fields, ten civilians and four military specialties, and 23 military specializations, corresponding to the respective services and