An American in Blagoevgrad finds a new breed of competition.

It's one of the newest communication departments in existence. But in spite of that, it already has enrolled 50 highly qualified and motivated students. Some, without a doubt, will make their mark on global communication in years to come because they'll be among the first in Central Europe to possess sophisticated skills in the areas of public relations, advertising and electronic and print media.

In addition, they'll have an understanding of the culture that few outsiders can completely acquire or internalize. The school, housed in a former communist headquarters building, is The American University in Bulgaria. Located in Blagoevgrad, 60 miles from Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, it is the first Western-style university in Eastern Europe.

Because the university is funded by the Agency for International Development (A.I.D.), USIA and the Soros Foundation, which are committed to making this a top-flight four-year liberal arts institution, it has the resources that most new schools would only dream about. Currently, 400 students are enrolled, but it's projected that within two years, there will be 1,000-1,200. More than 200 will be registered in the communication school, because Eastern European students perceive that careers in this area are the wave of the future and that education in communication and marketing will arm them with the skills they need to make a decent living.

Classes are taught exclusively in English, although members of the student body speak at least two other languages including Russian. The majority speak four or five -- clearly an advantage in this world of quickly changing boundaries.

Department head enthusiastic about opportunity

The communication department is headed by Robert Kahan, Ph.D., and recipient of a UNESCO Chair in Mass Communication. Kahan's a veteran professor/practitioner who was intrigued by the challenge of "shaping the future of worldwide media and marketing." Kahan says, "the idea of helping to democratize a nation of people who, until a few years before, had known only slavery was an offer I couldn't resist. It was an exciting and irresistible challenge."

Kahan is no newcomer to the academic arena. "I'm old enough to be an old boy in an old-boy network," he jokes. He has been a college professor and department head, and a university administrator also responsible for obtaining grants. He has worked as a journalist and a public relations/marketing professional in various industries.

To top off his distinguished background, he has written and published extensively about the history of communication. "I've worked in all areas of communication," says 50-year-old Kahan, reflecting on his diverse career.

So when Kahan saw an ad for the job of department head in the Journal of Higher Education he asked himself, "Where else could I literally develop a complete communication program from scratch in a new, exciting and rapidly evolving environment?" Then he packed his bags for what he calls "the planet of Bulgar."

Students eager and bright

What he found waiting for him was a gold mine of bright and hungry minds. His students have an average I.Q. of 150, their TOEFFEL score median was 640 (opposed to U.S. students average of 500), while their SATs clocked in at an amazing 1,220 (the American standard for university students is 890). They also tended to be older than their U.S. counterparts; Eastern European students generally begin their university education when they're 20.

What Kahan also found were students who were total innocents when it came to any form of mass media or communication. He and his team -- which is composed of one full-time colleague and as many visiting professors as Kahan can lure there -- must introduce these aspiring communicators to the most fundamental forms of the discipline before they can even begin to conceptualize, much less master, more advanced forms of communication.

"These students had never seen anything other than 'talking heads' on state-owned television and had no idea of marketing in a free-market society," Kahan explains. "And even though there are approximately 2,500 (opposed to 18,000 in the U.S.) newspapers in Bulgaria (which is geographically the size of Ohio) they had never been exposed to what we consider sophisticated journalism."

But Kahan also found what he terms every teacher's fantasy: bright, hungry minds and the resources with which to fill them.

Teaching a new generation

The first priority was to develop a curriculum that was appropriate for this new generation of communicators. It included:

* Developing a mandatory introductory course describing mass communication, beginning with the fundamentals and explaining in detail journalism, advertising, public relations and marketing.

* Developing practical and theoretical skills; mastering the techniques of writing copy for news media, public relations and advertising.

* Developing proficiency in photography. The University has received a $50,000 grant to underwrite the installation of a darkroom.

* Acquiring the ability to become or work with, specialists in video and film.

* Mastering graphic skills -- especially computer-generated ones. Students in the communication department have access to 50 computers, and more hardware is on order.

* Using computer technology to the fullest extent. Although most of the students were previously computer proficient to a far greater extent than their U.S. counterparts, their skills were expanded to make full use of applications.

* Learning the marketing techniques and applications. ("Once economies turn around in Central Europe and there are things to sell, these students will be the ones selling them," says Kahan.)

* Developing fine-tuned skills in governmental relations and crisis management.

Class sizes range from 16 to 33 students. Heavy emphasis is on writing and reporting assignments. "All students are expected to attend each class, which they willingly do," says Kahan, who adds that those enrolled recognize they're among the elite. "This is the one place I've taught where I know the homework will be completed and completed on time."

The hope and the future

Kahan notes that his department at the university will offer the first "full-blown American-style" communication program in Eastern Europe. Plans are underway to build a media production center that promises to be more sophisticated than its equivalents on U.S. campuses: It will be capable of turning out finished work in any medium. And the department already has received an initial grant of $100,000 to construct a model newsroom.

When, after four years, these students graduate, they should be among the world's most educated "global" communicators.

Kahan fully anticipates that probably there will be a "brain drain," and that many of them will leave Bulgaria for other countries where their backgrounds and skills will be in demand by foreign companies seeking to target Eastern and Central Europe.

Kahan notes proudly, "These students will be equipped to work on a planetary basis. That, coupled with their competitive drive, will make them formidable competition for people in all facets of the communication industry."

Kahan's greatest task at present is to expand the department as quickly as possible to cater to his pupils' aspirations and the market demand. He's eager to attract more professors and practitioners who would like to spend a semester teaching. "I'm on the look-out for (free) Fulbright fellows and others who crave a challenge."

As for Kahan himself, he's having the time of his life. "I feel a little like a chief cook and bottle washer. I've taught every course in every curriculum, in an effort to give these kids the best education possible. It's a serious responsibility. On the other hand," Kahan laughs, "At times I feel I'm the snake in the Garden of Eden!"

FROM THE CHAIRMAN'S MOUTH

So you think Bulgaria might be a good market for your product?

Indeed it may be, but probably it's premature, since Western-style (free-market) businesses are just in the process of being formed, and the demand and economies are not yet in place to make them immediate economic successes. Remember -- less than two years ago, all businesses here were state-owned and run.

"The main challenge for people during this transitional period," says Robert S. Kahan, UNESCO Chair in Mass Communication and chairman of the department of communication at the American University in Bulgaria, "is to use communication wisely and cautiously. Right now, it simply doesn't pay to advertise!"

Kahan goes on to explain that there is a considerable lag period between the time a totalitarian country abolishes a centralized system and when it efficiently adopts democratic free-market economic policy.

"The main challenge for a communication person working in Eastern Europe is identifying the correct media for the message," advises Kahan. "Until now, there has been no reliable demographic or circulation data, much less a media rep!" And, Kahan adds emphatically, that practitioners must be prepared to formulate their own theories and strategies if they hope to make any inroads in this constantly changing market. "Furthermore," he reminds us, "it's not unusual for those in power to change from one day to the next, as happened with the government in Bulgaria in January 1993.

"There's a lot of hype," the communication expert says, "But be aware that you don't understand and be prepared to be humbled. This is especially true in Bulgaria and especially applicable to Americans who do not understand the culture. For example, religion plays a critical role. Many Eastern Europeans and most especially, Bulgarians, simply do not relate to western mores and many have mind sets quite different from ours."

Many Bulgarians read only Cyrillic characters, creating yet another communication challenge.

Kahan predicts that many changes in Eastern Europe and Bulgaria will occur in the next few years. "We'll definitely see a shakeout in the print media," he says, referring to the 2,500 newspapers in Bulgaria that serve its nine million inhabitants. "Local papers will still continue, but national newspapers will emerge." He adds that much of the print and electronic media in Eastern Europe is being acquired by Germans and the British.

"Currently there are two state-owned television stations in Bulgaria," Kahan says, "and there is considerable debate as to whether or not the stations will be privatized or go the P.B.S. (Public Broadcast Service) route."

But, Kahan cautions, currently no laws and regulations exist when it comes to mass media. Copyright laws don't exist and virtual media anarchy prevails.

What is Kahan's prognosis for the future?

* a mix of state involved and privatized electronic media,

* far fewer newspapers,

* multi-media will play an increasingly important role,

* media will become more global. Kahan points out that MTV is the number-one network seen throughout the world, with CNN being second.

What else should communication people wanting to enter Eastern Europe know? "Expect to do an enormous amount of research and develop your own data banks. And, dismiss any prior assumptions you may have," Kahan responds. "Be prepared to enter the market with a flexible attitude since baselines simply do not exist. And assume what was true yesterday, probably won't be true tomorrow."

Does that mean that Westerners should not yet seek to do business in Eastern Europe and most especially, Bulgaria? "No," says Kahan. "Many opportunities exist for businesses that will flourish. But they will require some different approaches, new marketing ideas and insights, and a willingness to adapt to different styles of communication."

Karen Fawcett is European correspondent, Communication World.