site.btaUPDATED International Conference on Antarctic Research Policies Takes Place in Sofia
The Ministry of Education and Science will continue to invest in the scientific infrastructure related to polar research, caretaker Deputy Culture Minister Nikolay Vitanov said Tuesday during an international conference on Antarctic research and development policies, programmes for a sustainable planet and better preparedness of society to face climate change. The event was held in Sofia University, organized by the National Center for Polar Studies (NCPS) and the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (BAI).
The forum was attended by Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Director General Milen Mitev, as well as Sofia University Rector Georgi Valchev, representatives of foreign embassies in Bulgaria, representatives of BAI, NCPS, members of organizations and institutes related to the study of Antarctica, researchers and lecturers.
The work of Antarctic scientists "is a testament to the potential of science to create an island between nations, institutions and generations," Vitanov said.
"Beyond the purely scientific dimensions, today's conference demonstrates several important things - first, of course, that the time of solitary exploratory discoveries will increasingly be left behind. The great figures in science are being replaced by teams of leading scientists from different countries, and the work of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute at Sofia University shows beautifully that this must be the way of the future. Together with our partners from the European Union and the other countries that are part of the Antarctic Treaty, we must try to preserve this continent as a place where human activity does not put its mark so strongly and a place where science must prevail above everything else," said the Sofia University Rector.
"It is crucial for our society to understand that what we are doing in Antarctica is not satisfying our scientific curiosity. This is research that is needed by all mankind and it cannot be done without coordination and cooperation between countries, as above all by the European Union, with joint programmes. This must be strengthened more and more in the future, but of course also with countries from other continents - for example, without the cooperation of Argentina, Bulgaria would have had difficulty preparing the 33rd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition," said the head of the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute (BAI), Prof. Christo Pimpirev.
National Center for Polar Studies faculty member Rositsa Yaneva read a congratulatory address on behalf of President Rumen Radev. The address said: "The future of Antarctica is inextricably linked to the future of the global climate system. The challenges we face in terms of changes in this system require unprecedented and immediate cooperation, because tomorrow depends on all of us."
According to BTA Director General Valchev, the voice of Bulgarian science is heard by politicians. What BTA has done to promote the Bulgarian contribution to Antarctic science in the last three years, is a proof of that. During the first voyage to the Antarctic by Bulgarian naval and research ship Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii, BTA deployed a correspondent, who spent 127 days on board and covered the research activities. In 2023, BTA focused on video and photo reports, which were used by all Bulgarian media. Now, BTA will once again send a correspondent for about a month and a half, Valchev explained.
In his words, Bulgaria ranks among countries like the US, Russia and Ukraine, for example, which have permanent correspondents to cover their Antarctic expeditions. "We have built on a solid global and Bulgarian tradition. Me and Prof. Pimpirev tried to count how many journalists have participated in the [Bulgarian] expeditions - those were more than 30 people," Valchev said. He also noted that there should be a government programme aimed at supporting Bulgarian media so that they could cover topics about Antarctica more thoroughly.
"I believe it is high time we put forward as a joint initiative, a clear plan to acquire a new research vessel for Bulgaria," Valchev added.
United Nations' World Meteorological Organization President Abdulla Al Mondous noted that changes in ice masses and the ocean are pervasive and affect all countries. He stressed the high commitment of the Bulgarian government authorities to Antarctic issues through BAI activities and the establishment and maintenance of the Bulgarian Antarctic Base, and called for increased international cooperation.
Assoc. Prof. Jose Xavier of the University of Coimbra in Portugal, an Antarctic marine ecologist, underscored that it is very important how journalists approach scientists. According to him, journalists should have enough patience and make scientists simplify their full-of-scientific-terms language to reach the public in an understandable manner.
Birgit Njastad, leader of the Antarctic programme at the Norwegian Polar Institute, said that the voice of science is heard by politicians at national and European level, but it should also be kept in mind that there is a big difference between listening and understanding what scientists are trying to tell you.
Dr Nicole Biebow, head of the staff unit for International Cooperation at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany, said there is a feeling that politicians listen but do not hear. According to her, the political community is only interested in science issues when a disaster occurs, the cause of which can only be explained by science.
/RY/
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