Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Shalafoff, Ph.D. (Born in 1976, in Sofia)
He has graduated in Theology from the Faculty of Theology at the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski with a diploma thesis on a topic in the field of Christian Apologetics: The Christ’s Church and Freemasonry, in 2000.
In the period 2001-2002, he was a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Theology at Sofia University. He was a full-time employee at the same Faculty, as an associate lecturer (2002-2004), lecturer (2004-2007), and senior lecturer (2007-2013).
He defended his Ph.D. in the field of History of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church with a thesis on the topic: Prince Ferdinand I and the Bulgarian Exarchate in the period 1887-1908. He was promoted to a full-time Associate Professor in Church Diplomacy and Protocol at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski for the monographic work on Hierarchy and Orderliness (2013).
Plenipotentiary representative of the Royal Family for the transfer, research, and attribution of the personal archive of King Ferdinand I to the Archives State Agency at the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Member of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria, since 2001. Coordinator for Bulgaria of the Teaching Religion in a Multicultural European Society (TRES), in 2006-2010.
Member of the Expert Council on Religious Education at the Ministry of Education and Science (2002-2007).
Chairman of the Board of the Society of Orthodox Theologians (2004-2010).
Member of the Organisation Committee of the VI World Congress of Higher Orthodox Theological Schools (2004).
Member of an Expert Council to the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria (2006-2009).
Secretary of the General Assembly of the Faculty of Theology at Sofia University (2005-2009).
Member of the National Initiative Committee for the celebration of the Centennial of Bulgaria’s Independence, Sofia – Veliko Turnovo (2008).
Member of the Economic Council to the Faculty of Theology (2005-2009).
Member of the Ecclesiastical Board of Trustees of the Academic Stauropegial Chapel of St. Kliment Ohridski at the Faculty of Theology (2014 – 2019, 2019 – present).
Ivaylo Shalafoff inspired several joint projects and initiatives with the Embassy of the Order of Malta in the Republic of Bulgaria, Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in the Republic of Bulgaria, Directorate of Religions at the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, Grand Mufti’s Office of the Muslim Denomination in Bulgaria, Sofia Holy Metropolis, Plovdiv Holy Metropolis.
He is the author of five monographic books and dozens of articles on topics from the history of the Bulgarian Royal Dynasty, the Third Bulgarian Kingdom, Catechetics, Church Diplomacy, and Protocol.
Grand Officer of the Royal Order of Saint Alexander (Diploma №88 / July 25, 2018, granted by His Majesty King Simeon II), Commander of the Pro Merito Melitensi Order of the Sovereign Military Order of St. Ioan of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta (Diploma № 188 / June 11, 2011, awarded by the Grand Master). Winner of the Centenary of Independent Bulgaria Honorary Cross (2008).
Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Shalafoff, Ph.D., has been the head of King Boris and Queen Giovanna Royal Heritage Fund since its establishment in 2010, in his capacity as Director and permanent member of the Board of Trustees.