The first American-style, English language, liberal arts educational institution in Eastern Europe, the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) is a unique cooperative venture established with the support of the U.S. and Bulgarian governments, the Open Society Institute, and the University of Maine. AUBG is a privately funded, nonprofit institution. Tuition and private donations, as well as grants, finance its educational activities. It opened its doors in September 1991, with a first-year class of 208 students and 16 full-time faculty members. Today, around 1,100 curious, committed, and talented students from over 40 countries have come together to live and study in a supportive and secure community and immerse themselves in AUBG’s first-rate American liberal arts education.