site.btaSecond Annual Conference on SUMMIT Project Opens at Sofia University

The Second Annual Conference for reporting the activities and results of the SUMMIT project (Sofia University Marking Momentum for Innovation and Technological Transfer) opened Tuesday at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. The opening was attended by representatives of state institutions, foreign scientists and researchers.

Sofia University has been implementing SUMMIT since early 2023. The project is funded by NextGenerationEU under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Innovative Bulgaria component, Investment 1 Program for Accelerating Economic Recovery and Transformation through Science and Innovation. It has a duration of 42 months and is set to end in June 30, 2026. The funding amounts to BGN 44 million.

SUMMIT is a comprehensive strategic research and innovation programme for the development of Sofia University.

The Sofia University Rector, Prof Georgi Valchev, said in his opening address read by Vice Rector Sonia Mileva: "These two days will be extremely intense as we will be able to familiarize ourselves with the progress of all those brilliant minds, with the efforts of the scientific teams, young researchers, and doctoral students who will showcase the best of what Sofia University, its scientific groups, and researchers are working on."

The delegates heard an address from President Rumen Radev to the Rector, the project leaders and the researchers involved: "Your large-scale project, funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and bringing together 22 research teams across various scientific fields, has established itself as a strategic scientific and innovation programme with the ambition and potential to generate top-tier results at European level. I welcome the dedicated and consistent efforts of the entire academic staff of Sofia University and of your international partners in achieving the project's objectives. Your work builds upon and advances the high research standards and reputation of Alma Mater."

Deputy Education and Science Minister Nikolay Vitanov said that the programme was developed under very tight deadlines and that he was part of the previous rector's leadership team at that time. "This programme has proved to be very successful, not only at Sofia University but at other institutions, initially six and later expanded to nine research universities. As usual, Sofia University is a top performer in Bulgaria. The Education and Science Ministry is planning for the time after the end of the programme, and there is political will to continue funding research universities. A working group is reviewing the decree and criteria for research universities, as the current ones were found to be too low. However, Sofia University, as the flagship of all universities and the top research institution, should not be concerned about this," said Vitanov.

Ivan Popov, Director of the  Executive Agency Programme Education, noted that significant results have already been achieved. More than 300 scientists are working on the university's research and strategic programme, 23 leading researchers have been attracted, 70 young scientists are involved, and more than 400 mobility programmes have been implemented. The project's financial implementation is at about 30%, and while work should be stepped up, the most interesting developments are still ahead in the remaining year of the project, he said. "It is crucial that the research conducted as part of the project be application-oriented and address the needs of both industry and society," Popov stressed

Prof Anastas Gerdjikov, the University's rector between 2015 and 2023, and Prof Eliza Stefanova, President of the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency, also participated in the forum.