New project “International Center for Mathematical Sciences – Sofia: Pursuing excellence” for the period 2024 – 2029

New project “International Center for Mathematical Sciences – Sofia: Pursuing excellence” for the period 2024 – 2029 funded by the Simons Foundation under Grant SFI-MPS-T-Institutes-00007697 and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria, contract No. ДО1-239/10.12.2024

In 2024, the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics was awarded significant grants from the Simons Foundation International, Ltd. (SFI), one of the leading foundations for scientific research in the USA, and from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria to support the activities of the International Center for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS-Sofia). The grant aims at attracting top-tier young and established scientists from both Bulgaria and abroad, enhancing the visibility of Bulgarian scientific research and making Bulgarian scientists a competitive part within the European Research Area.

The combined funding from the Simons Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Science will finance several key initiatives:

• Creating four research groups led by world-renowned experts affiliated with ICMS – Sofia, each consisting of established researchers, postdoctoral fellows and/or PhD students. The four research groups will focus on various fields of the contemporary fundamental and applied mathematics crucial for Bulgaria’s scientific development.
• Organizing a series of international conferences on cutting-edge topics to disseminate new results and foster long-term collaborations among scientists in Europe, especially in South-Eastern Europe.
• Increasing the support for integration and reintegration programmes.

The approved scientific groups so far include:

• Theory of Atoms, led by Prof. Ludmil Katzarkov from the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the University of Miami;
• Quantum Groups and Cluster Algebras, led by Prof. Milen Yakimov from Northeastern University;
• Topological, Computational, and Algebraic Aspects of Complex Systems, led by Prof. Ernesto Lupercio from Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV).

This collaborative effort marks a new era for research in the field of Mathematics in Bulgaria, positioning the country on the global scientific stage.