site.btaAnnual Academician Sendov Awards Presented in Sofia

A ceremony for the annual Academician Blagovest Sendov Awards was held at the National Library in Sofia on Friday. The event was organized by the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, which together with the Education and Science Ministry and the Trade Union of Bulgarian Teachers established the awards in 2019.

Caretaker Education and Science Minister Galin Tsokov presented the award in the Scientist category to Prof. Martin Vechev, founder of the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT), which attracts world-known scientists and Bulgarians studying abroad to work at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. 

Prof. Vetev studied at the Sofia High School of Mathematics and in Cambridge. As a professor, he gave lectures in computer science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. He is the only Bulgarian to have received two ERC grants: the European Council's most prestigious programme for scientific resarch. He also holds  John Atanasoff Award of the President for achievements in the computer science field. Founder of INSAIT with Sofia University and of three technology companies.

In his address, Minister Tsokov noted that Blagovest Sendov is one of the Bulgarian Awakeners. As early as at the start of the 1980s, he created a new concept for education: new curricula, new textbooks, integrated teaching, introduction of computers in education, personalized education, work with parents, etc. This model was used for ten years in 30 Bulgarian schools; it is an exceptional educational experiment that was developed in Bulgaria decades before the whole world started talking about this model of education, Tsokov said.  

Deputy Education and Science Minister Emiliya Lazarova presented the award in the Teacher category to Elitsa Tsoneva from the Thomas Edison Private Primary School in Sofia. Tsoneva heads many projects related to robotics and programming, prepares children for national and international Olympiads in the field of computer modelling and programming.

A special award went to Prof. Stoyan Markov, who for many years has worked in the field of industrial automation. Together with Academician Sendov, he created a coordination centre for information and calculation equipment, today's Institute of Information and Communication Technologies with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

After the award ceremony, the 12th National Scientific Conference with international participation was held on "Society of Knowledge and Humanism of the 21st Century".