BFU among the top five institutions with publications on the Black Sea

Burgas Free University is among the five higher education institutions and research organizations with the highest number of publications related to issues and solutions for the Black Sea for the period 2000–2025 — a total of 105 publications. Leading the ranking are the Varna‑based Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IO‑BAS) with 720 publications and the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy (NVNA) with 310, followed by Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (SU) with 285 and the Technical University – Varna (TU‑Varna) with 185. If the number of publications is compared to the size of the staff in these institutions, BSU ranks second.

The information was presented during the high‑level forum with the participation of Members of the European Parliament, Members of the National Assembly, mayors, experts, researchers, and the regional governors of the three Black Sea regions with administrative centers Burgas, Varna, and Dobrich — “Strategic Approaches for the Development of the Black Sea Region and Bulgaria’s National Vision for the Black Sea”, held at BSU on 19 June. The forum was part of the regional events of the European Maritime Day, which this year took place in Limassol, Cyprus — currently also the presiding country of the Council of the European Union — and in response to the anniversary of the European Commission’s Communication of 28 May 2025 on a strategic approach to the Black Sea region.

In terms of quality, the publications of IO‑BAS are assessed as highly valuable due to their international visibility, their connection to Black Sea‑related projects, and their scientific impact. Very high evaluation was also given to BSU and to the Black Sea Institute (Burgas) in the category of participation in Black Sea projects. A total of six of the top nine organizations in this ranking are members of the Marine Science Society, which — in addition to IO‑BAS, NVNA, TU‑Varna, and BSU — also includes the Medical University – Varna with 45 publications and Burgas State University with fewer than 40 publications on the Black Sea.