Editors’ Words

Issue 66 of the Rhetoric and Communications journal is dedicated to topics traditionally related to rhetoric as theory, practice, and research methods, as well as to current manifestations of communication in a virtual environment, the use of artificial intelligence, and digitalization. The authors represent Bulgarian universities and academic institutions (Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Thracian University, Stara Zagora, UNIBIT, the Higher School of Insurance and Finance (VUZF), and the Agricultural Academy), as well as universities from Germany, China, Cyprus, Nigeria, and Lithuania. This ensures continuity between different generations of scholars and researchers and expands the scope of scientific networks through the inclusion of researchers from diverse fields and countries. The first section, “Rhetoric and Communication in Society,” brings together articles presenting results from both theoretical reviews and analyses of oratorical performances, ranging from presidential debates to official statements by heads of state. Fee-Alexandra Haase presents rhetorical canons, including ethos, pathos, and logos; establishes the scope and dimensions of rhetorical paradigms derived from the works of Quintilian and Cicero; and traces contemporary concepts of rhetoric through the prism of persuasion in publications by 20th- and 21st-century scholars. Shane Crombie presents the results of a comparative analysis of rhetoric from three countries, examined through the prism of its influence on society, in the publication “Asymmetrical Rhetoric – Lithuania, China, and the Voice of Small Nations.” Three authors—Surajudeen Dayo Ogunsola, Josiah Sabo Kente, and Tsegyu Santas—analyze the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria, conducting a study of public attitudes, the use of radio, and virtual communication through social networks and digital media platforms during election campaigns, in which political rhetoric has specific manifestations. Milena Gurkova conducts a rhetorical analysis of Emmanuel Macron’s speech delivered at the opening of the restored Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, concluding that the French president’s rhetoric lies between epideictic and visionary discourse. The second section, “Virtual Communication, Education, Artificial Intelligence,” includes publications dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence in various rhetorical and educational practices, as well as communication in virtual space. Ilin Slavov, using the method of autoethnographic observation, presents experiences of cyber-learning and the use of artificial intelligence by teachers and students in the context of pedagogical and academic communication. Anna Lozeva presents the results of an analysis of texts generated by artificial intelligence; she identifies phenomena at the linguistic and communicative levels and outlines trends in language practice and communication in the globalized digital context under the influence of large language models. Juliana Georgieva examines phenomena related to artificial intelligence from a different perspective, namely its manifestation as a factor in learning and internal communication within organizations. Boryana Kozareva presents the results of research into the possibilities of using traditional and modern methods to analyze the activities of university libraries in Bulgaria and their presence in the virtual space, where artificial intelligence, software applications, and chatbots are actively used. Irena Shunina presents the concept of democratic education developed by Yakov Hecht and provides examples of democratic education in Bulgaria. In the section “Modern Research Methods,” Ivanka Mavrodieva presents the book by Lyubomir Stoykov, The Style of Dictators: Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin. Silvia Tsvetanska is a Doctor of Pedagogy and an Associate Professor at the Department of Social Work of the Faculty of Pedagogy at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.” Her research interests include pedagogical communication, psychological aspects of communication, group dynamics training, and social work. She is the author of the book Challenges in Pedagogical Communication (2006); the textbook Conflict Resolution: Strategies and Approaches (2006); Pedagogical Communication for Practical Purposes (co-authored with Bistra Mizova, 2015); The European Credit System in Vocational Education and Training as a Tool for Promoting Lifelong Learning (2018); and numerous studies and articles in the fields of education and social work. Maya Sotirova is a Doctor of Pedagogy and an Associate Professor at the Department of Didactics of the Faculty of Pedagogy at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” specializing in the methodology of teaching Bulgarian language and literature in primary education. Her scientific interests include language and literature teaching in grades 1–4, personalized learning, intercultural communication and education, and pedagogical interaction in a multicultural environment. She is the author of numerous publications, as well as the books Children’s Non-Standardness (2002), Intercultural Processes in Education (2010), and Personalized Bulgarian Language Teaching in the Primary Stage of the Basic Educational Level (2023). Issue 66 of the Rhetoric and Communications Journal (January 2026) is published with the financial support of the Scientific Research Fund, Contract No. KP-06-NP7/23 of December 08, 2025. Rhetoric and Communications Journal, issue 66, January 2026 Read the Original in Bulgarian and English