INSAIT has attracted a legendary scientist in the field of artificial intelligence to Bulgaria
Prof. Luc Van Gool , a world-renowned professor and one of the most cited scientists in the field of machine learning and computer vision, joins the team of INSAIT – Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology in Sofia. His recruitment will allow INSAIT, part of Sofia University, and thus Bulgaria, to develop and establish itself as a global center in one of the most strategic scientific and technological fields – artificial intelligence. INSAIT is the first institute of its kind in Eastern Europe, built on the model of the strongest universities in the world such as MIT, ETH Zurich, Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford. Its ambition is to become a world-class research center in the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence. INSAIT was opened on April 11, 2022 in Sofia, and soon after announced its doctoral program .
The Belgian professor’s joining is made possible thanks to the financial support of leading Bulgarian IT company SiteGround. It will provide Prof. Van Gool’s remuneration of four million leva over a period of five years. The amount is part of SiteGround’s total investment of 12 million leva announced in April for the development of INSAIT. With its support for INSAIT, SiteGround is setting a precedent, as for the first time in Eastern Europe, a business is investing millions in attracting world-renowned scientists.
Belgian scientist Luc Van Gool is a long-time professor at the leading European technological university – ETH Zurich in Switzerland, and head of the Computer Vision Laboratory in Zurich , as well as head of a research group in the field of computer vision at KU Leuven, Belgium. Prof. Van Gool is a co-founder of 12 start-ups (assaia, Endosat, eSaturnus, Eyetronics, Fashwell, GeoAutomation, kooaba, Parquery, Procedural, segments.ai, Sensifai, upicto). Thanks to these successful start-ups, technology giants such as Nvidia, Apple and Facebook have opened their branches in Zurich. Professor Van Gool has over 160,000 citations, making him one of the most cited scientists in the world in the field of artificial intelligence. The activities of scientists like Luc Van Gool are fundamental for the creation of a new type of economy based on high added value.
“I am extremely excited to join INSAIT and contribute to its establishment as a world-class research center in the field of computer vision and machine learning. It is time to put an end to the long-standing brain drain in this part of the world and start attracting talent to the region,” commented Professor Luc Van Gool.
“Attracting a scientist of this rank is happening for the first time in Eastern Europe and marks a new page in the development of the Bulgarian technological and scientific ecosystem in the field of informatics. With Prof. Van Gool and INSAIT, Bulgaria is becoming a globally recognizable destination for research at the highest level in artificial intelligence. This will lead to a ripple effect – from attracting top students, both Bulgarian and foreign, to creating startups based on the latest scientific discoveries, to building a more favorable environment for high-tech investments and a number of others,” commented INSAIT architect Prof. Martin Vechev.
“The main driver of developed modern societies is education. SiteGround has been sustainably investing in this area for years. We believe that this has a direct impact on building talent in the ecosystem, retaining it in Bulgaria, and bringing the specialists and innovations it creates to a world-class level. The investment in INSAIT builds on our efforts in this direction and provides a solid foundation for global outreach and development of specialists, projects, and innovations created in the country,” commented Tenko Nikolov, Managing Partner at SiteGround.
“Bulgaria being home to an institute like INSAIT and attracting professors of the caliber of Professor Luc Van Gool is a huge step forward for our society and the ecosystem. This is a chance not only to get on the world map, but also to be a factor shaping the next technological revolution,” said Ivo Tsenov, co-founder of SiteGround.
Prof. Van Gool is the recipient of the following awards – David Marr Prize, Koenderink Award, Helava Prize, Tsuji Award and ERC Extended Grant.
To contact INSAIT: [email protected]
About INSAIT
INSAIT – Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology, located in Sofia, Bulgaria, is the first institute in Eastern Europe to offer world-class working conditions, corresponding to those in leading Western universities and institutes. The institute is structured as a special unit of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and was established in partnership with the Swiss ETH Zurich and EPFL, two of the best technological universities in the world. Leading scientists from top American, European and Israeli universities and research laboratories guide and advise the institute. INSAIT’s main focus is on scientific excellence: conducting world-class research, attracting international scientists with outstanding achievements and training the next generation of students and technological leaders.