The Minister of Economy and Industry, Peter Dilov, has received an official invitation to support in person the Bulgarian national team in artificial intelligence at the upcoming Olympiad in Beijing
Minister Peter Dilov welcomed the Bulgarian national team in artificial intelligence to the Ministry of Economy and Industry. The country’s top secondary school students will represent Bulgaria at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI), taking place from 2 to 9 August in Beijing. Teams from over 60 countries are expected to participate in the event. Bulgaria is the initiator and original organiser of this most prestigious international tournament for high school students in the field of artificial intelligence, with the first edition held last year in Burgas.
Also present at the meeting was Mrs Elena Marinova – Deputy Chair of the Management Board of the Association of the Olympic Teams in Natural Sciences, and co-founder and Chair of the IOAI Board.
In 2024, Bulgaria hosted 41 teams from 32 countries across all continents – a record number of participants for a first edition of a scientific Olympiad in history. This achievement placed Bulgaria at the forefront of the fastest-growing scientific Olympiad in the world.
Minister Peter Dilov presented the national flag to the Olympic team, wishing them success and encouraging them to demonstrate the exceptional talent of Bulgarian youth wherever they go.
The Minister congratulated the young talents representing Bulgaria in one of the most significant and forward-looking fields of modern knowledge – artificial intelligence. “You are the future of Bulgarian science and the Bulgarian economy,” he stated.
“Your participation in international competitions and forums is not merely an individual success but also a contribution to Bulgaria’s standing as a country with strong capacity in high technology and scientific research,” he added.
According to him, the development of artificial intelligence is among the most dynamic and transformative fields of our time. “It is not only a driver of a country’s economic growth, but is also becoming a key factor for modernisation, development, and improving quality of life,” Peter Dilov emphasised.
The Minister of Economy and Industry received an official invitation from the Bulgarian team to attend the Olympiad in Beijing in person and support the national representatives on site.
The Bulgarian Olympians briefed the Minister on the challenges posed by the tasks in this year’s competition. They spoke about their journey to becoming part of the national team and their preparation for the tournament, where they will compete with the world’s best.
This year’s Bulgarian national team in artificial intelligence includes: Reni Paskaleva (Year 12, Private Secondary School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences), Bozhidara Puhaleva (Year 11, Sofia High School of Mathematics), Velislav Djelepov (Year 11, Mathematics School, Plovdiv), Mario Petkov (Year 11, High School of Electrical Engineering and Technology, Pleven), Alexander Slavov (Year 9, Mathematics School, Ruse), Adriana Georgieva (Year 10, Sofia High School of Mathematics), Damyan Dochev (Year 11, 91st German Language High School, Sofia), Boyan Vangelov (Year 12, Mathematics School, Varna). The team is led by Yoana Salambasheva and Assistant Melania Berbatova from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.