Prof. Martin Vechev, INSAIT: Success is the contribution to society

Sep 27, 2024Новини0 comments

The special guest of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria on September 27 was Prof. Martin Vechev, ideologist and scientific director of INSAIT (Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technologies) and a leading scientist in the world of computer science and artificial intelligence.

In an interesting conversation with presenter Zoya Paunova, a member of the Management Board of CWBB, Prof. Vechev talked about Bulgaria’s place on the technological map of the world, the attraction and retention of talents in Bulgaria and the creation of the next generation of technological leaders. The event was opened by Ivaylo Glavchovski, Chief Operating Officer of Unicredit Bulbank.

Announced in 2022, INSAIT is the first institute in Eastern Europe to offer world-class working conditions matching those of leading Western universities and institutes. The institute is structured as a special unit of the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and was created in partnership with the Swiss ETH Zurich and EPFL, two of the best technological universities in the world. The main focus is on conducting world-class research, attracting outstanding international scientists and training the next generation of students and technology leaders.

“INSAIT is a fundamentally social project in the field of technology, which aims to make people believe that it can happen in Bulgaria too,” said Prof. Vechev. He added that as part of Sofia University, succeeding and consolidating its place in the world, the Institute raises Bulgarian universities to the world level and creates more opportunities for students. “INSAIT has the potential to be in the top 10 of the best within five years,” Prof Vechev said.

Although Bulgaria has traditions in the world olympiads in informatics, it is still not at the level of other leading countries such as the USA for example. By bringing ETH Zurich’s successful model to Bulgaria, INSAIT aims to change that. “Bulgarians are returning to the country because of INSAIT, and we can retain the most talented ones,” said Prof. Vechev. Through its research and education foundation, the institute supports students to stay in Bulgaria, work at INSAIT and develop.

Prof. Vechev highlighted the lack of leadership and role models as a challenge for young people in Bulgaria, who, unlike their peers in countries like Israel and the USA, do not see that success is possible because no one before them has walked this path.

And what is success for Prof. Vechev? “I grew up in a family where success is considered when you do something for society. Personal success is perceived as success only in that context,” he replied.

Among the topics covered were the regulations surrounding artificial intelligence, the level of autonomy it can reach, and the role of humans in this process. Prof. Vechev also talked about the Bulgarian version of ChatGPT, which was announced in March 2024.

At the end of the event, Zoya Paunova presented Prof. Vechev with the 10 framed ideas of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria for creating a more inclusive and equal society.

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