Is it difficult to be a mobile scientist in Bulgaria?

Nikolay K. VitanovInstitute of Mechanics of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,

Akad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 4, 1113 Sofia e-mail: vitanov@imech.imbm.bas.bg

Personal experience

1994-1998: Bavaria, Germany

1999-2001: Saxony, Germany; Tokyo, Japan

2003-2004: Saxony, Germany; Lyon, France

2005: Dresden, Germany; Rome, Italy

2006: Tokyo, Japan; Liege, Belgium; Rome, Italy

Economic reasons for my mobility

•The “sinking” capitalism – Trieste, Italy, 1993•Increasing unemployment among young men in 1994•Declining quality of life in the country: dissatisfaction with personal economic situation•Expected income differences after the moving to more developed country

What is the economic situation now

Political reasons for my mobility in 1990s

•Dissatisfaction with government performance•Much more money are allocated for science and technology in developed countries•Shortage of skilled labor in developed countries

Mobility problems

• In the past : limited number of programs. Now the situation is much better•Adjusting to the research situation in the host country•Language problems•Position problems: not every scientist has a permanent position in the home country

Mobility problems 2

What happens when established scientist returns to Bulgaria•Work place problems: not comparable with that in developed countries•Information problems: no journals, good libraries•Research money problems: very very limited national financing•Industry problems: no such interest from Bulgarian industry in scientific research

Is increasing mobility a good thing

•Increasing mobility leads to increased qualification of the researchers•Increasing mobility leads to new ideas•Increasing mobility leads to new collaborations•Increasing mobility leads to development of new technologies•Increasing mobility leads to better opportunities for student education