An international conference “AI and education: The road to innovative teaching and learning” brings together 50 teachers from the Bulgarian schools around the world on 4 and 5 April in London. The event, taking place under the national programme of the Ministry of Education and Science “Native language and culture abroad”, is organized by the Bulgarian Sunday school Nayden Gerov in the UK.

The conference will open with the presentation of two English ladies, great friends of Bulgaria – writer Mercia MacDermott and Lady Emily Strangford, and of the book “Ten great friends of Bulgaria” by Milena Dimitrova.

Here is Veselka Zhelyazkova, Director of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences’ Cyrillo-Methodian Research Center with more about what their electronic educational platform is like, as well as about the ties with the Bulgarian educational centres around the world:

“The course about the work of Cyril and Methodius, specifically targeted at the Bulgarian weekend schools abroad, merits particular attention,” Veselka Zhelyazkova said, in an interview with Radio Bulgaria. “It traces key periods in the life of Cyril and Methodius and their disciples, how the Glagolitic and the Cyrillic alphabets were created, presents emblematic works from the Golden Age, defines the role of Bulgaria among the Slavic nations and asserts its cultural presence in Europe. Of course, these video lessons are suited to the level of knowledge of the language of the students who are learning the Bulgarian language and history in a foreign-language environment. There is one more course which is very interesting - the study of old Bulgarian for young and old, which involves games and learning materials at an elementary school stage.”

The conditions for admission to Bulgarian universities of young people from the Bulgarian schools abroad will also be discussed at the forum. But the focus will most definitely be on artificial intelligence in the modern process of education and the road to innovative teaching and learning.

Boris Mihaylov, who lectures at the Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, says that AI can be very useful to Bulgarian children abroad who speak a different language most of the time.

“The Bulgarian schools abroad are among the pioneers to have started such training using AI,” he said for Radio Bulgaria. “The first training sessions were in 2021, and this is the 5^th year in which we shall be talking about the novelties in technology. Many of our colleagues from the Bulgarian schools abroad – and I would like to express my admiration for their intuitive feeling for new technologies – are already acquainted with artificial intelligence well enough. So, this presentation will involve a training session in London, covering several days, which will allow us to refresh our knowledge but also to take a look at the new technologies that have appeared in recent months, and the ready solutions. And as we have a solid basis already, we shall take a look ahead, into the future – by, I hope, at least one or two years.”

• Bulgaria is among the pioneers in introducing contextual learning based on AI

In the free time they will have, the participants in the conference will be able to attend a concert by Bulgarian children living in London and go on a guided tour of London.

The conference is taking place under the patronage of Vice President Iliana Iotova, and with the media support of the Bulgarian National Radio – Radio Bulgaria, and is co-organized by the Bulgarian embassy in the UK, with partners the Bulgarian school Zvanche in London, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv and the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad.

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Photos:freepik.com, kmnc.bg, Krasimir Martinov, digitalbag.bg, Bulgarian school Zvanche, London UK