site.btaBTA Partners with Association of Olympic Teams in Natural Sciences to Spotlight Bulgaria’s Top Talent

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) signed a media partnership agreement with the Association of Olympic Teams in Natural Sciences (AOTNS) on Friday. The agreement was signed by BTA Director General Kiril Valchev and Deputy Chair of the AOTNS Board Elena Marinova, with AOTNS Executive Director Valkan Goranov and the leader of the National Artificial Intelligence Team Yoan Salambashev also attending.

"AOTNS, founded in 2010, comprises teams in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, linguistics, informatics, astronomy, astrophysics, and artificial intelligence," Valchev said. He mentioned that in 2024, Bulgaria's national Olympic teams in natural sciences earned a total of 91 medals at various international, European, youth, and Balkan Olympiads and competitions. These achievements included 11 gold, 40 silver, and 40 bronze medals.

"The signing of this agreement coincides with the celebration of St. Anthony the Great, also known as Antonovden," Valchev said. He mentioned that the name Anthony means "priceless," similar to the achievements of those participating in the association's teams.

Valchev explained St. Anthony is a symbol of Christianity and asceticism, known for giving up earthly pleasures for higher purposes. This mirrors the sacrifices these young people make to achieve their victories. Valchev added that St. Anthony is one of the prominent figures in Christianity, and in a similar way, the young people who win Olympiads for Bulgaria become spiritual leaders, earning gold, silver, and bronze medals.

Marinova expressed her gratitude for the partnership with BTA, saying that Bulgaria's brightest, most ambitious, and dedicated science students deserve collaboration with the country's most objective and influential institution. She added that she believes their cooperation will grow in the coming months and years to showcase the achievements of these students and their leaders.

"The agreement with the association is similar to those we have with universities and several schools. The goal is to receive regular updates about the activities of your association and its individual teams, to collaborate on the association's events, and to share information through the English-language service of BTA," Valchev said. He mentioned that BTA already has agreements with 36 universities.

"Our aim is to sign agreements with all 51 Bulgarian universities, and with several national high schools. With your help, we will also secure agreements with schools that actively participate in the Olympic teams, to consistently share information about these schools," Valchev added.

Valchev also showcased issues of the revived LIK magazine, including ones that cover science-related topics. He revealed a plan to publish an issue of LIK magazine dedicated to the Olympic teams in natural sciences.

During the event, Valchev highlighted ongoing discussions with Salambashev and the National Artificial Intelligence Team about their role in helping BTA integrate artificial intelligence more effectively.

"Our focus is on improving the use of our archives, which were originally on paper with photos on negatives. These archives are currently being digitized, a process we anticipate being finished by 2026. We look forward to your suggestions on how to improve the utilization of our archives and the extensive news content BTA manages daily," Valchev said.

Echoing this vision, Salambashev emphasized the importance of the initiative.

"This initiative and agreement are very important to me, and I am glad they are happening. It will not only benefit the students actively participating in the Olympic teams but also motivate many others to join, improving Bulgaria's performance at international forums. I hope more people will become interested in artificial intelligence, a relatively new field. With the artificial intelligence team, we can explore ways to effectively process BTA's vast amount of data," Salambashev concluded.