ENGR 365 Global Engineering and Technology
co-offered with HIST 308 Explorations of Regional History
Bulgaria (and Istanbul and Thessaloniki), 2026
ENGR 365 Bulgaria 2026 was led by Dr. Yanjun Yan. HIST 308 was led by Dr. Gael Graham. Both ENGR 365 and HIST 308 courses were offered as a combo class.
Next year in May 2027, we plan to take students to Botswana. Then in May 2028, we will visit Bulgaria again.
The 2026 ENGR365/HIST308 class left US from everyone’s chosen airport (CLT, AVL, or ATL) on May 9th and met together in the airport in Istanbul on May 10th. The trip ended on May 27, 2026. The class traveled in these areas: Istanbul → Sofia → Plovdiv → Rila → Rupite → Thessaloniki / Vergina.
Students on the trip shared different roles, including updating our Instagram account. WCU College of Engineering and Technology posted a LinkedIn post about it.
My trip to Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece taught me so much about European culture, food, and history but even more than that it taught me about myself and how I enjoy connecting and talking to people from all over the world.
This trip was an eye opening experience that combined engineering, history, and culture in a way that made learning feel real and meaningful.
This trip was a fantastic way to learn and explore while being able spend quality time with other students.
Arrival in Istanbul, Turkey
Group dinner
Topkapi Palace and Harem
For Ottoman Sultans and family
Hagia Sofia
In renovation, fortunate to visit its upper floor
Blue Mosque
Functional and beautiful
Basilica Cistern
Ancient water supply system for the city
Istanbul, Turkey
Exploration in town
Sofia, Bulgaria
Getting to know Sofia during a tour
St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral and Crypt Icon Museum
Symbol of Sofia
Technical University of Sofia
Meeting Student Council and taking campus tour
Socialist Art Museum
Collections from the past
FESTO
Leading provider of integrated industrial solutions and educational modules
SENSATA
Reliable sensing at extreme conditions
Bulgarian Archaeological Museum
7000+ years of history in Bulgaria
Sofia History Museum
City named after the Sofia Church
Sofia Synagogue
The largest in Southeastern Europe, the third-largest in Europe
Banya Bashi Mosque
Completed in 1566
Red Flat
Everyday life in communist Bulgaria
Bulgarian Fulbright Commission
Established in 1993 to administer academic and cultural exchanges between the US and Bulgaria
Dinner at Chevermeto with Folk Dancing
Horo dance
Sofia, Bulgaria
Exploration in town
Snail House
On the way from Sofia to Plovdiv
Dzhumaya Mosque in Plovdiv
Built in 1363–1364
Roman theatre of Philippopolis in Plovdiv
Constructed in the 1st Century AD
Old Town of Plovdiv
Historical houses and museums
Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis
Built in the mid-4th century AD
Biofresh
Rose of Bulgaria
Asen’s Fortress
A medieval fortress in Asenovgrad
Bachkovo Monastery
Dormition of the Theotokos
Schneider Electric
Another great chat
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Exploration in town
Rila Monastery
The most important spiritual and literary center of the Bulgarian National Revival
Family Hotel Near Rila
Tranquility
Day of Slavonic Alphabet, Bulgarian Enlightenment and Culture
Celebration across the entire country, including this small town in Rupite
Baba Vanga’s Home Museum in Rupite
With hot spring and animals
Thessaloniki, Greece
The second biggest city in Greece
International Hellenic University
During their Erasmus+ Week
Polycentric Museum of Aigai
The ruins of the city of Aigai, the first capital of the Macedonian kingdom, were discovered in northern Greece in the 19th century.
Museum of the Royal Tombs at Aigai
Superb presentation
White Tower of Thessaloniki
A monument and museum
Selfie Museum
Fun together
Black Pearls Cruise
Onboard
Melnik
Back to Bulgaria
Acknowledgement
The 2026 trip was an interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty, students, and multiple institutions and organizations across the globe. We truly could not have done it without each and every one of them.