INSAIT EXPLORER Fellow Maria Drencheva on Her Journey in AI and Her European Scholarship

Following the announcement of her prestigious European scholarship, INSAIT EXPLORER fellow Maria Drencheva spoke to Bulgarian National Television about her journey and the opportunities that have shaped it.

Maria highlighted one of INSAIT’s key advantages: the opportunity to work on AI research projects from the very first year of the university studies. Through EXPLORER, students gain hands-on experience, benefit from dedicated world-class mentorship, and explore cutting-edge topics early in their academic journey.

Over the past three years, Maria has worked on machine learning security, AI for mathematics, and the security of AI agents. She has also gained international experience through summer internships at ETH Zürich and Man Group.

Maria hopes to pursue her career in science in Bulgaria, where INSAIT gives her the opportunity to work in a world-class research environment and contribute to the advancement of AI. Looking ahead, she also hopes to become a mentor herself, passing on her knowledge and experience to the next generation of young researchers.

Watch the full interview in Bulgarian here.