PM Vows to Rejuvenate Bulgarian Academy of Sciences after Scandal

Domestic | November 18, 2009, Wednesday // 17:39|  views

BAS head, Professor Nikola Sabotinov (left) met with PM Borisov (middle) and Finance Minister Djankov (right). Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, vowed full-fledged support for badly needed reforms at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).

Borisov met Wednesday with the BAS Director, Nikola Sabotinov. The meeting comes after a public controversy in which Finance Minister Simeon Djankov and President Georgi Parvanov exchanged offensive remarks.

Last week Djakov responded to Parvanov’s criticism of the small BAS budget for 2009 by saying the “President’s friends at the BAS are feudal elders.” In an article published on the Presidency website Tuesday, Parvanov said the Minister demonstrated “aggressive ignorance”.

On Wednesday, Bulgaria’s PM Borisov said there had been blatant violations within the BAS such as paid leaves of 600 days.

“We want to see the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences out of any scandals and that is why all of its 69 institutes will be reviewed – how they work, what they do, how many innovations they have, what they produced,” the PM said stressing that young scientists would be given a field for development and growth.

Borisov disproved the claims of President Parvanov that the Stanishev government increased state funding for science threefold in the last year. In his words, the former cabinet transferred the money to the “Science” Fund but withdrew it after that.

BAS head Sabotinov said Wednesday’s meeting of extreme importance because it confirmed the cooperation between his institution and the Borisov government.

“We do appreciate the fact that the BAS budget stays the same despite the crisis. Serious changes are underway in the Academy. With these low salaries now no young people are motivated to come and work for us. The average age of our employees is 53,” Professor Sabotinov said.

“Not a single brick will be removed from the BAS!” Borisov vowed making it clear that the government and the Academy would do everything necessary to retain all worthy scientists.

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Tags: BAS, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Nikola Sabotinov, Simeon Djankov, Georgi Parvanov, Bulgaria President, finance minister, science, scientists

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