BFU Participates in the Inaugural Meeting of the European Ocean Board

The inaugural meeting of the European Ocean Board was held at the European Commission’s “Berlaymont” building in Brussels, with the participation of Burgas Free University and under the chairmanship of the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Kostas Kadis. BSU was selected by the European Commission as one of the 28 members from among hundreds of applicants and is not only the sole higher education institution among them, but also the only organization based in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.

The meeting was moderated by the Director-General of DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Ms. Charlina Vitcheva, who presented the new European Ocean and Seas Pact and the EC’s policies in this field. The Rector of BSU, Prof. Baltov, emphasized aspects of the blue and circular economy, knowledge, and the enhancement of skills within coastal communities. He highlighted the “Burgas Vision” (a name endorsed in 2018 upon his proposal within the group of high-level stakeholder experts) for research and innovation in the Black Sea.

Former Commissioners for Environment and Maritime Affairs also attended the meeting. Among them, Commissioner (2015–2019) Karmenu Vella shared fond memories of the hospitality of the Municipality of Burgas and specifically BSU, in whose building the 2018 forum was held. Together with Prof. Baltov (pictured in one of the photos), the two explored opportunities for closer cooperation—both between the two university alliances (BSU’s European University of Island, Port and Coastal Territories) and specifically between the University of Malta (where Prof. Vella serves as Chair of the Board of Governors) and Burgas Free University.