On May 22, 2024, the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT) organized and hosted the forum "Excellent Education for Capacity Building in Smart City Based on Applied AI," initiated by the project "Enhancing Scientific and Innovation Capacity in the Smart City through Twinning" – ExcellCity. The forum brought together Japanese expertise in education, the applied aspects of artificial intelligence, and smart technologies.

The forum was opened by Prof. Dr. Irena Peteva, Rector of ULSIT, who, in her welcoming speech, emphasized that UniBIT's work on research projects with international partners and the exchange of experience and knowledge turn the university into a repository of history and an incubator of ideas for the future of the smart city.

A special guest at the event was His Excellency Hisashi Michigami, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Bulgaria, accompanied by Kento Muraki, Cultural Attaché at the diplomatic mission. In his address, Ambassador Michigami highlighted that despite the geographical distance, the peoples of Bulgaria and Japan are very close in spirit. He emphasized the shared values and interests, as well as the respect for education, culture, history, and centuries-old traditions.

The seminar became a platform for presenting best practices for synergy between research and education. Topics such as transforming the university into a research institution and building human capacity in this direction were discussed. The program also included presentations on opportunities for integrating UniBIT into the smart city infrastructure and the role of artificial intelligence in universities.

The event concluded with a training session on intelligent teaching based on research, where students, doctoral candidates, and academic staff of UniBIT were introduced to the seven principles of intelligent teaching and the rubrics for assessment and their applications.

Participants in the forum shared that the seminar provided them with a valuable opportunity for exchanging knowledge and experience, contributing to the development of education and research in the field of smart cities and applied artificial intelligence.

Dear colleagues, Dear students and PhD students,

The University of Library Studies and Information Technologies is pleased to invite you to become part of the forum "Excellent Education for Capacity Building in Smart City Based on applied AI", which will take place on May 22, 2024.

The event promises to reveal new horizons in the field of smart cities and artificial intelligence! Its program includes:

• 👉 Japanese experience in education and intelligent solutions - Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria
• 👉 Results from the Global Education Summit EDUsummIT’2022-2023, Kyoto, 2023
• 👉 ExcellCity at UniBIT
•  - Strategies for scientific research and innovations,
•  - Intelligent infrastructure
•  - and Research-based training and experiments
• 👉 An exciting glimpse into the future of applied artificial intelligence
• Join us to share knowledge and experience and explore opportunities for future projects and collaborations. Discover the program and more information about the event at the link provided! We look forward to seeing you!

Find the agenda: https://excellcity.unibit.bg/images/events/Program-22.05.2024.pdf 

Register here: https://forms.gle/bq7RM5Ehc9vszSqt7

Excellcity Team

On April 25 – 26, a team from the ExcellCity project participated with a presentation at the national scientific-practical conference "Second National Scientific-Practical Conference on the Digital Transformation of Education - Issues and Solutions," organized by Ruse University. The presentation, titled "Challenges and Risks in Managing Digital Transformation in an Academic Environment," was co-authored by Prof. Eugenia Kovatcheva, PhD, Hristo Tsolov, Deyan Matev, PhD, and Dobromir Dinev. The full program of the event can be found at https://www.conf-dte.bg/programme.html.

• Category Title

Excellcity team researchers participated in the organization and conduct of the XII National Seminar with International Participation on the topic: "Intellectual Property - Creativity, Innovation, and Sustainable Development," dedicated to World Intellectual Property Day (April 26). From the podium of the forum, they presented the mission, goals, and tasks of the project, emphasizing the role of intellectual property in the contemporary digital world.

• 26.04.2024

In accordance with the project "ExcellCity: Strengthening scientific achievements and capacity for innovation in the field of smart city through twinning" and with the assistance of the University of Library Science and Information Technology (ULSIT), a career forum for students is organized with the participation of more than 40 companies and organizations in it. The forum was opened by the rector of the university - Prof. D.Sc. Irena Peteva, who expressed her excitement at the scale and great interest on the part of ULSIT graduates. She noted that the event promises to establish itself as a tradition and expressed readiness for future partnerships with potential frame users.

Among the official guests were Judge Alexander Angelov - Chairman of the Sofia District Court, Judge Violeta Parpulova - Deputy Chairman of the Sofia District Court and Head of the Criminal Division, Mihaela Ilieva - Head of the "Public Activities and Cooperation" Department in the department of justice. She works in an institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Lidiya Daskalova - a junior expert in the Higher Education Directorate at the Ministry of Education and Science (MES).

More than 40 organizations took part in this year's edition of "Career Days in the Smart City", including ministries, state administration, leading IT companies, libraries, publishing houses, banks, insurance companies, non-governmental organizations and numerous private companies.

Official partners of the event were the companies IBM Bulgaria, Samex EOOD and Sugarland EOOD, whose representatives were also present. IBM and SAMEX provided catering for all participants and guests on the ground floor of the building, and Sugarland prepared specially branded gingerbread for all participating companies.

The career forum "Career Days in the Smart City" enjoys great interest from students and PhD students who come to find their niche for career fulfillment. Queues of eager students wound up the stairs leading to the hall where the official opening of the event took place.

Company representatives noted that the event provided excellent networking and career opportunities for ULSIT students. Many students shared after the forum that they found organizations where they plan to start their internship.

There was also interest in the career development stand of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency - mainly from students studying in the specialties "Archivistics", "Library Science" and in the field of national security and cybercrimes. ULSIT graduates have expressed a desire to both participate in the internship programs of the "BTA School" and to start relevant work in the agency.

With gratitude to all participants, sponsors and partners, ULSIT as part of the ExcellCity project continues its mission to support the professional development of its students and create opportunities for them.

• 03.04.2024

The organization of a career forum for students is planned under the project "ExcelCity: Strengthening scientific achievements and capacity for innovation in the field of smart city through twinning" and with the assistance of the University of Library Science and Information Technology (ULSIT).

The participation of more than 40 companies and organizations is planned to offer internships and forms for the development of young students. Among them are companies and organizations such as IBM Bulgaria, Samex EOOD and Sugarland EOOD, as well as chairmen of the Sofia District Court and BTA.

On February 21, 2024, the first in a series of planned internal training sessions on Fiware technologies was conducted within the framework of the ExcellCity project: STRENGTHENING THE SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION CAPACITY IN THE AREA OF SMART CITY THROUGH TWINNING, BG-RRP-2.005-0003. Participants included members from Work Packages 2, 3, and 4 teams, with Associate Professor Dr. Alexander Shikalanov from UNIBIT serving as the trainer.

• FIWARE Training 1 /21.02.2024

 On January 25, 2024, the first meeting was held on the project in hybrid mode. ULSIT hosted the event. The teams of the coordinator and the associated partners met and got to know each other in person and online. The discussions covered the work packages and its main activities.

• Kick off Meeting / 25.01.2024

Dear colleagues and followers,

After careful consideration on how to best represent our project and crafting a suitable logo, we are delighted to inform you that one has been successfully created. It combines the vision of a modern and vibrant city, embodying our aspirations to enhance scientific excellence and innovation capacity in the field of smart cities.

Stay tuned for more updates and insights about the project. Anticipate inspiring initiatives and results that will strengthen innovations in the realm of smart cities.

For further details and the latest information, please visit the official project page: https://excellcity.unibit.bg/