The Economic Research Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences celebrated 75 years since its establishment with a gala celebration at the Academy. The Director of the Institute, Prof. Irena Zareva, gave a welcome speech and recalled that the idea for the establishment of the Institute was born in 1947, and in 1949, by a decision of the Governing Council of BAS, it was established as a unit of the Academy. Since its establishment, it has been the scientific unit of the BAS that carries out fundamental and applied research in the field of economic sciences.
On behalf of the leadership of BAS, a congratulatory address was delivered by the Vice President of the Academy Corr. Mem. Stefan Hadjitodorov and the President of the General Assembly, Prof. Vassil Kirov. Deputy Ministers of Education and Science and of Economy and Industry Acad. Nikolay Vitanov and Nikolay Pavlov delivered greetings. The celebration was attended by representatives of ministries, state agencies, HEIs, employers’ organizations, business structures and NGOs, experts and partners in scientific projects and institutes of BAS.
A congratulatory address was read out by President Rumen Radev on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Institute. “I congratulate you for the efforts you are making to support the economic development of our country and its successful integration into the EU structures,” the text reads. “I highly appreciate your commitment to the pressing problems and current socio-economic processes, as well as the dedication with which you seek solutions that are right for Bulgaria,” the President further noted.
Over the past 75 years, the Economic Research Institute has established itself as a recognized independent national research center whose expertise is highly valued by the state administration, business and scientific community in the country and in the international research space. Its research teams are involved in the development of projects of national importance and in international projects – the result of bilateral cooperation, in the implementation of European programmes or commissioned by state institutions.
The Institute is among the leading economic research organizations in the country in terms of publications and citations, registered in the international database of economic literature RePec, as well as an established expert center for consulting in the field of economic policy and business.
The Institute’s trademark is the Annual Report “Economic Development and Policies in Bulgaria: Evaluations and Prospects” – the first publication of its kind on the state of the Bulgarian economy which also forecasts its development prospects in the medium term.
The Institute is also sought after for its scientific expertise by ministries, government agencies, business structures and the NGO sector. Its scientists are involved in the development, updating and evaluation of national strategic documents, prepare expert reports with analyses, assessments and recommendations in response to the stated needs of the contracting authorities; they are invited and included in the activities of councils, commissions and working groups at various international and Bulgarian institutions.
The ERI maintains a network of partners with related organisations in Europe and Asia – it has signed cooperation agreements with relevant institutes of national academies and HEIs from Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Vietnam, China, Korea, etc. The work of the Resource Centre for Economic Studies of Asia, established at the Institute, is also continuing successfully.
The Institute is a recognized educational structure for the training of Bulgarian and foreign PhD students. The Institute provides training in 6 doctoral programmes which have received programme accreditation for the acquisition of the educational and scientific degree “Doctor of Philosophy” in the professional field 3.8. Economics. It is a publisher of high-quality scientific production, including specialized monographs, collections and the renowned scientific journals “Economic Studies” and “Economic Thought”.
