Each Monday, on the website of NEF ‘13th century Bulgaria’, we present one of the six nominees for the National Prize in support of young talents in the arts and science.
Rosen Georgiev is the third of the six nominees for the National Prize in support of young talents in the arts and science whom we present on the NEF ‘13th century Bulgaria’ website.
Stressing on their achievements, we remind people with generous hearts that they can support the person of their choice by contributing to the donation campaign launched by the Fund at https://fund13veka.bg/talant/
The competition, initiated by NEF ‘13th century Bulgaria’, and which is being held for the first time, posed a challenge to Bulgarian citizens of up to 35 years of age with a university degree in the arts or science, and innovative achievements in their respective field.
A mandatory requirement was that contenders for the prize and the BGN 5,000 (a sum that is to cover the winner’s education expenses) were to have been accepted in 2019 for postgraduate qualification at accredited higher education institutions in Europe, excluding Bulgaria.
We present the nominees in the order in which they submitted their documents.
The only gentleman in the company of five young ladies is involved in scientific research in the field of atomic layer deposition and its applications.
Rosen gladly shared his terrific news while waiting for the decision of the jury.
‘Thank you for the renewed campaign and the efforts made by you and your team.
For me, this year began with the defence of my doctoral thesis. I have just returned from a visit to Slovakia and, with great pride, I was able to see my diploma, in black and white.
In March, I was selected to participate in a meeting of young scientists with Nobel laureates in Lindau, Germany. Owing to the crisis, the meeting was cancelled this year, but the invitation is reserved for 2021. I am again hoping that next year I will be able to take part in this forum.
Professionally, perhaps the happiest news for me is that I will accept my first intern in the field of science. I signed up to be a mentor under the Student Practices Programme of the Ministry of Education and Science, and I am quite happy (and surprised 🙂 ) that I managed to attract five Bachelors and Masters in physics and chemistry for an internship under my guidance in our laboratory. The advertisement is still active, so I hope for more interns.
For the first time, I will be on the other side of education and science and I am quite enthusiastic and impatient. I hope to be able to make the interns committed to the magic of our work.
I recently found out that I was evaluated and approved for a new specialisation at the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and despite the many ‘ifs’ relating to the coronavirus, I am optimistic that I will be able to start my scientific visit to Warsaw in October.
I have new ideas and am preparing a new project for the National Science Fund’s current session. I hope it also will be approved. If there is anything good in the current situation for me, it is that at least my working process does not seem to be seriously affected to date.
Personally, I am healthy and surrounded by friends and family. There is no change there 🙂 ’, Rosen concluded with a smile.
In applying for the prize, he emphasised his international successes, which were mandatory for all contenders.
Participation in a project on the development and deposition of coatings of 2D materials, under Prof. Martin Hulman, National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (1 November 2019–31 March 2020), Institute of Electrical Engineering, Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Following his Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, Technical University, Sofia, Rosen defended his Master’s in Design of Photonic Networks, Technical University, Berlin.
He is a doctoral candidate at the Acad. Jordan Malinowski Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies, Sofia.
Winner of awards for his participation in scientific conferences and the Award for implementation of a Youth Project under the Programme for Supporting Young Scientists and PhD Students at BAS, 2017.
French Government Scholarship holder for a two-month scientific visit to the Catalysis and Spectrochemistry Laboratory, Cannes, France and the World Federation of Scientists.
Here are Rosen Georgiev’s replies to the questions aiming at allowing us to learn more about his scientific pursuits, which are seemingly difficult to explain:
It is obvious that it is difficult to explain simply and briefly the application of the deposition of atomic layers, but please try!
Atomically deposited layers are materials with properties different from those of layers of the same composition, but with a greater thickness. For this reason, these atomically applied layers aim to improve the efficiency or solve problems of existing devices. Undoubtedly, the smaller layer thickness leads to miniaturisation, greater integration and less power consumption in the devices created.
They find application in all spheres—electronics, sensory equipment, medicine, construction.
How did your interest in this branch of science arise? What ‘enchanted’ you?
It was indeed a coincidence. After completing my Master’s degree, I returned to Bulgaria and came across an advertisement for doctoral candidates at the Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies (IOMT) at BAS.
I had graduated in Design of Optical Telecommunication Networks, and decided that I wanted to explore in more detail the materials used in them. As with anything, you start with less sophisticated technology and, smoothly and imperceptibly, you become involved in more advanced technologies.
But this curiosity was well supported by my colleagues at the IOMT and I shall always take every opportunity to thank them! Because these really are people who are able to motivate you, not merely with words but also through their actions and personal example.
In scientific and technical subjects, what is the place of curiosity?
Curiosity is the beginning. This is the first step, that we always say is the hardest. So I think that curiosity should be provoked at any moment. After that come persistence, patience, precision—things that are equally important, but meaningless without that first step.
You have a Master’s degree from the Technical University in Berlin, you were a scholarship holder of the French government. So you have cognisance of government policies towards science both abroad and in our country.
In my opinion, government policy is a reflection of society’s attitude towards science. In Germany and France, people understand the added value that science brings; not least that business is trying to take advantage of it, which is why it is more successful, more competitive and more innovative, and this also determines the greater willingness of the governments themselves to support it.
Personally, I find Japan a much more striking example, where, in the year following the nuclear accident, the budget for this allocation remained almost untouched.
Unfortunately, in Bulgaria, there is still no such understanding; however, in the last 5 years since I’ve been working in this sphere, I have noticed a change. I think we are taking steps in the right direction. I am optimistic.
What is your motivation for returning to Bulgaria?
Science is collective work. It is extremely difficult to develop science only on a local level, whether in Bulgaria or Germany, and therefore, wishing to achieve a better professional realisation, I hope that a large part of my future will be outside Bulgaria.
But, enough of hopes! Because I know for certain that I will always return home. Bulgaria is my home. My family, my friends and my life are here, and there’s nothing more valuable. Bulgaria is the place where I find peace, energy and positive emotions.