EU helps Bulgarian institute aim for global excellence
Established in 1869, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has been a cornerstone of higher education for almost 150 years. Since the turn of the century the academy has seen a need to address newer technologies and continually modernise its programmes. With this in mind, the EU-funded Evalipp project has set out to evaluate the Institute for Parallel Processing of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Parallel processing refers to the simultaneous use of more than one processor in computers to execute multiple tasks. It is a field that falls under the information and communications technology (ICT) banner at the academy. Evalipp has assigned an external advisory team, set up by the European Commission, to examine the institute's R&D potential in this discipline. The team is assigning a 'quality label' to research teams in certain well-defined ICT areas. It is also undertaking a detailed 'Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats' (SWOT) analysis and formulating a respective action plan to advance the institute. Ultimately, the 'quality label' aims at transforming the institution to a regional unit of excellence with solid participation in large research clusters and infrastructures. Through the support of Evalipp, the academy is now demonstrating to Bulgarian funding agencies the high R&D quality of the research teams. It is also working on attracting PhD students and those seeking post-doctorate degrees. On a global level, this is strengthening the position of the institution in the European Research Area, invigorating international cooperation and encouraging participation in further projects. Based on its expertise with respect to computer sciences and ICT, the department is now operating as an interdisciplinary centre, further strengthening its already solid international position. This allows it to attract external (including EU) funding and contribute to the economic development of Bulgaria. In all, the advisory team has concluded that the Bulgarian Science Academy is a first-rate scientific institute operating well at an international level. This has been underlined by the number of studies the staff have published, as well as their participation in international projects and organisation of scientific events. The future for the academy looks bright.
