Burgas University Participates in Earthquake Project in the Black Sea

Scientists from the Burgas State University “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov“ are participating in an international project aimed at strengthening the capacity for earthquake response in the Black Sea region, the higher education institution announced.

In Bucharest, the capital of Romania, an official agreement was signed, marking the start of the project's activities, known as SPEER-A (Strengthening and Promoting Earthquake Emergency Response and Rescue Capacity in the BSB Area). The project is funded by the Interreg VI-B NEXT Black Sea Basin 2021–2027 Program.

The project is ambitious and aims to significantly improve the preparedness and coordination between different countries in the region in the event of natural disasters. The Bulgarian team, which will play a key role in the undertaking, is led by Professor Dr. Irena Markovska and Associate Professor Nikola Todorov. They will be responsible for developing a special mobile application designed to train the population, as well as for creating a virtual reality laboratory (VR Lab) that will visualize seismic data.

The total funding for this project is significant, reaching 764,491 euros, and the planned term for its implementation is 28 months. Partners in the project are organizations from neighboring countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Romania. Within the framework of the project, training for volunteers and students is planned, as well as the organization of a scientific conference, which will be held in Burgas.

BTA reminds that in a recent period, Burgas State University also announced another remarkable achievement. Associate Professor Dr. Nevena Ivanova, a lecturer at the higher education institution, presented her scientific discovery at the prestigious world forum on genetics – ASHG 2025, which was held in the American city of Boston. She was the only participant from Bulgaria included in the scientific program of this event. Associate Professor Ivanova's discovery is the first of its kind in world science and represents a significant contribution to the study of the human genome and the genetic mechanisms associated with rare diseases. The study describes a new mutation in the FGF23 gene in a patient suffering from an extremely rare hereditary disease – hyperphosphatemic variant of tumoral calcinosis, complicated by severe vascular aneurysms and thromboses.

At the end of October this year, an official meeting was held in Kazanlak, during which a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Burgas State University “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov“ and the Municipality of Kazanlak. During this event, the rector of the university, Professor Sotir Sotirov, announced that active preparations are currently underway for the realization of a branch of the university in Kazanlak.