The Future of Bulgarian Science and Scientific Investigation

Abstract

 

Tanja Nedelcheva

The future of Bulgarian science is substantially connected with the policy pursued by the state in this area. In recent years a number of normative documents have been passed that regulate various aspects of scientific activity. However, by more than a few indicators the gap between the norms and the factual situation is growing instead of narrowing down. That is why a new strategy and policy of the state are needed, especially now that science has become one of the national priorities: increasing the share of science in the GDP in accordance with the agreements the government has signed in the EU framework, providing concessions and incentives in financing science, stimulating the active interaction between business and science, creating conditions for restricting the loss of intellectual potential due to “brain drain”, and, of course, reforms within the sphere of science itself in terms of optimizing personnel and structures, successful interaction between different scientific institutes and between institutes and higher schools, close collaboration with science in other countries, the application of scientific results in practice.

The research findings indicate there is effective interaction between society and science with regard to the future development of science. This interaction is a result of Bulgarians’ specific traditional reverence for science and also of the new globalization processes of building an information society and a knowledge society. This kind of attitudes would enable realizing more successfully the new project for the development of science in Bulgaria and ensure the equal participation of Bulgarian science in the European research area.