International Bioscience Center for Education and Technology “Genesis” – a new structure at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

To meet the educational challenges in the field of life sciences, set up by the European Council in the Lisbon strategy, a new structure - International Bioscience Center for Education and Technology “Genesis” has been established at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.

1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

International Bioscience Center for Education and Technology “Genesis” is a non-profit, scientific-research and educational institute, organized by the initiative of Bulgarian scientists and specialists, working on educational analysis and technological development. The Center is developed within the Scientific Research Department (NIS) of Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski”, but functions as an institution of high autonomy with specific structure and goals. Center “Genesis” was established in 2005 based on item 4, paragraph 2 from the Interior regulations of NIS.

The establishment of this Center at NIS-SU “St. Kl. Ohridski” is based on already settled positions in the field of education and technology in life sciences. NIS-SU has created and owns all copyrights as well as the release of all results and products developed within different European programs and international contracts in the fore-mentioned fields.

Launching of the Bioscience Center will contribute to the integration of the already achieved results in practice, creating a strategy for evaluation and augmented influence on the targeted groups, sectors and regions. It will cooperate with the European policy’s main goals of education for life, achieving an economic stability and increasing the quality of life, through creation of knowledge-based economy.

2. MAIN GOALS

The Center “Genesis” is intended to help the development of Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski” in the field of education research, technology development and the integration of “good practices” in that field. It will play the role of an expert center („Center of Excellence”) on a regional, national and international level. Its highest priorities and tasks are connected with the research and education and further development of their infrastructure in harmony with the European standards. Special attention is granted to the work with people with disabilities – an activity, which up until now has been overlooked at the University. Those goals and tasks are accomplished through cooperation with other universities and structures, as well as with the help of governmental, private and non-government organizations in Bulgaria and abroad.

The Center has the following goals:

• to stimulate and manage the exchange of knowledge and technologies amongst universities, enterprises and commercial companies.
• to establish connections between academic society and business in life sciences, thus facilitating and synergizing the transfer of people and ideas between the two.
• to accomplish innovative technological advancements in the field of life sciences: creation and development of strategies and projects, achievement of expert activity in technology transfer, improvement and use of new instruments for work in that field and stimulation of enterprising.
• to conduct research in the field of education and to connect it to the new technologies by taking into account the guidelines of the European Commission’s program, to help accomplish the principles for integrated control of the educational process.
• to organize and conduct a new type of education on the basis of “life-long learning” intended for a wider social basis of students, including the disabled.
• to provide information support in the field of education and technological development.
• to disseminate and work towards the adoption of “good practices” in the field of education and technological development.

3. AREAS OF ACTIVITY

To accomplish its goals Center “Genesis” is carrying out activities in three main areas – research, education and information.

Research:

• to create, develop and carry out institutional, regional, national and international scientific-research projects in the field of analysis of the educational and technological progress.
• to strengthen the role of the European research strategy and its scientific and technological culture, taking into account the priority fields of the European Commission’s program;
• to create contacts and cooperation with other interested institutions in Bulgaria and abroad;
• to organize and conduct national and international conferences and seminars in the field of educational research and technological development;
• to assist and develop the existing contacts and programs between Bulgarian and foreign organizations in the priority fields for “Genesis”;
• to develop a basis for achievement of scientific expertise through an international web and contribute for development of scientific and technological potential;
• to collect and evaluate information regarding the technological and structural development in the life sciences field in Bulgaria and abroad and present it to the interested organizations.
• to develop social and economic aspects of scientific knowledge with the goal of improving the research potential in the field of education, public health and life sciences;
• to abide by the principle for guarding the intellectual rights of the researchers in accordance with international standards.
• to assist in the use of modern marketing and financing of research and educational activities;
• to develop technologies for teaching and dissemination of specialized knowledge for the disabled.

Education - the Bioscience Center “Genesis” studies the necessity of training in the field of educational research and technological development in Bulgaria and abroad and organizes. It conducts activities with the purpose of creating a broader social basis for the students in the field and improving the quality of life. In this respect the teaching process has the following strategic goals:

• development, licensing and introduction of international programs and courses in accordance with the European standard (ECTS system), valid in all participating institutions;
• introduction of new teaching methods in the fields of education and technology development on the basis of multimedia and lifelong learning;
• connection of the learning process to practice through direct contacts of the students with industry-oriented laboratories with the purpose of an easier integration of new specialists in their real workplace;
• integration of the learning process with special groups of students with the purpose of improving the quality of life, including the disabled;
• training of specialists in masters/Ph.D. degree on a collaborative principle with educational facilities in the country and abroad.

Schematic representation of the structure and main activities of the International Bioscience Center for Education and Technology “Genesis”

Information:

• gathers information about the development in the field of education and the new technologies in Bulgaria and abroad and presenting it to the interested organizations;
• encourages the publishing and dissemination of scientific and educational literature connected with the accomplishment of the Center’s goals;
• creates a database and information archives;
• offers information to researchers and specialists in the field of education and technological development.

4. MANAGEMENT

The leadership team of the Center “Genesis” involves International Consulting Committee (ICC), Scientific Coordination Committee (SCC) and Chairman.

International consulting committee is a collective team which sets up the scientific and educational policies of the Center “Genesis”. It includes representatives of the NIS-SU “St. Kliment Ohridski”, scientists and businessmen from the country and abroad. The Scientific Coordination Committee and the Chairman run the Center at the operational level.

5. CURRENT PROJECTS

„Biotechnology and Public Health Transnational Network (HealthBiotech)”

BG/04/B/F/NT-166032, Contracted by the Sofia University - Scientific Research Department

„Biotechnology University Formation for Enterprises Development” (BIOTECHUNTE) 110769-CP-1-2003-1-IT-ERASMUS-TNPP, Contracted by the University of Perugia, IT

“Innovative e-Learning in Reparative Medicine (NOVAe-MED)” - BG/05/B/F/PP-166046, Contracted by Medical Center “Polymed”, BG

e-Reference Tools for VET Trainers in Food Industry (e-FOST) – BG/05/B/F/PP-166054, Contracted by the Sofia University - Scientific Research Department

Spin-off - Bologna University

Spin-offs are societies using the research activities results. They have an important role in the technological transfer of the university know-how. They provide information and support to increase cooperation between the university and the business.

In particular, the “Bologna University Spin-off” has the aim to promote marketing and training actions and to establish businesses where the University constitutes a member.

In fact it promotes marketing and training actions to favor the technological transfer and initiatives for the establishment of businesses (spin-off).

People who can participate are university people, Ph.D., researchers, graduates and students, people working at the University both on the permanent staff or not.

http://www3.unibo.it/ricerca/spinoff

http://www.ciam.unibo.it/photochem/spin_off

Committee S.M.A.R.T.- Bologna University, International Relations and Research Area, Planning and Development Section.

Committee promotes and coordinates activities in the following sectors: technological transfer, improving research, creating new business and companies.

За повече информация:

http://www3.unibo.it/bollettino

ILO-The Industrial Liaison Office (I.L.O.) "UETP Alma Mater"

It is located within the University of Bologna and carries out projects focused on improving relations between the university and companies.

These projects refer to the mobility of people, joint research, exploitation of results of research, the investigation of company needs and promotion of creation of spin-off companies.

Activities:

Practice in countries abroad for students and new graduates at the Bologna University and professors

Academic spin-off

Foreign student practice in local company

Marketing of research and patents

Promotion of spin-off companies

Training Courses

Conferences

Others EU funded projects

http://ilo.unibo.it

AlmaLaurea Companies

AlmaLaurea is an organization which permitс graduate students to be available on-line, representing a meeting point between university and companies.

ALMALAUREA has a web site which provides numerous links to financing programmes offered by the European Union regarding research, and which is aimed at researchers, scientists and public or private organisations.

In this way Almalaurea gives useful information to university and students.

Particularly AlmaLaurea helps young people to find a job and also the companies to find new employees. In this way it decreases the time between question and offer of work. Also this system increases the join between secondary school and university orientating people to a proper studies or work.

http://www.unibo.it/

http://www.almalaurea.it/aziende/

Alma cube

AlmaCube is the Incubator of the University of Bologna , founded jointly with Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna and Fondazione Alma Mater to promote and sustain entrepreneurship in the local University system.

AlmaCube offers young start-ups spaces and logistic services (i.e. internet connections, data communication infrastructures, general services etc.), as well as relational capital through direct links to local economic and social institutions and individual actors.

AlmaCube does not participate financially in the start-ups hosted, but actively promotes and facilitate funding contacts and processes with investors.

AlmaCube is strictly linked and connected with the StartCup business plan competition.

http://www.unibo.it/

http://www.almacube.com/

Spinner – Services for the promotion of the innovation and research

Spinner gives a technical and economic assistance to people involved in projects for the creation of new companies. Also, it supports people interested in the technological transfer of the university know-how to the business. It’s an initiative of the Emilia-Romagna region financed by the European Social Fund. This project increases the scientific and technological knowledge of the economic regional system.

http://www.unibo.it/

http://www.spinner.it

Start Cup:

StartCup is a competition between people from the Bologna University having entrepreneurial ideas. StartCup offers a proper assistance to transform ideas into business plan.

Therefore, the idea begins a detailed entrepreneurial project, representing a preferential contact with the financial system of Bologna.

http://www.unibo.it

http://www.startcup.com/bologna-imola/

Aster – the Emilia Romagna Technological Development Agency

It’s a consortium, involving the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government, universities, research centres and entrepreneurial associations for industrial research, technology transfer and innovation.

Aster has the aim to promote the competitiveness of the regional productive system by means of technology transfer and innovation.

http://www.aster.it

First

Financing for the innovation, research and technological development. It’s a service by the web, which informs companies and universities. By filling in a format it’s possible to have a free registration and a proper newsletter, which permits to have news by e-mail.

http://first.aster.it

Linkup

It’s a site on the practicable collaborations between university and companies. This site offers also evaluated costs and results of this kind of collaboration.

http://linkup.aster.it