Professional Affiliation

Ph.D. Candidate, University of Illinois at Chicago

Expert Bio

Mariya Bobina graduated from Moscow Technical University (M.A., B.S., Applied Mathematics) and from the Russian Academy of Economics (M.A., B.S., Finance) and completed post-graduate program at the Russian Academy of Sciences where she earned Candidate of Science Degree in International Economics.  Her thesis focused on international cross-border alliances in the global economy.  She also earned Master Degree in Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago; and has been studying in the UIC’s Ph.D. program in Business Administration.  She is specializing in cross-discipline area that bridges cross-cultural management and economics; and explores patterns of cultural impact on international trade and FDI.  Mariya Bobina is the Associate Member of the University of Chicago’s Center for East European, Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Wilson Center Project

"Culture’s Impact on Bulgaria Foreign Trade and FDI"

Project Summary

The main purpose of the proposed study is to interpret the empirical cross-cultural data (currently collected by the applicant in Bulgaria) that will advance our knowledge and understanding of modern Bulgaria, interplay of economic and cultural aspects of Bulgarian society, and country’s integration into the European Union and the world economy. The study will respond to the working hypothesis that “cultural distance” or “cultural friction” between Bulgaria and other countries moderate effective bilateral trade and investment flows.