40 scientists mathematicians, professors and lecturers in mathematics from different universities around the world, sent a protest letter to the Rector of the Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski“ prof. Ivan Ilchev and to Academic Council, against the dismissal of prof. Emil Horozov, former head of the National Science Fund.
The letter says:
„We simply do not know of any other Bulgarian mathematician who has created a school of similar magnitude. Prof. Horozov educated many mathematicians who now play prominent role in algebraic geometry, representation theory, dynamical systems, completely integrable systems and mathematical physics.
In all respects of research, teaching and advising Emil Horozov is a star mathema-tician of world magnitude. We are shocked to learn that you are prematurely retiring him at the age of 65!“
And highlights:
„In support of Emil Horozov more that 800 scientists from 29 countries signed a petition. The European Union Commission and the International Mathematical Union should and will be notified of this shocking action of Sofia University against one of its most outstanding scientists. Given that, the European Union Commission invests nearly 20 millions of Euros per year in the Bulgarian research and technological development, such an action, without any scientific ground, is unacceptable.“
Follows the full text of the letter.
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Ivan Ilchev, Rector,
Members of the Academic Council,
Sofia University « St. Kliment Ohridski »
Sofia, Bulgaria
Dear Professor Ilchev,
Dear Members of the Academic Council of Sofia University,
We are writing to express our opinion on the premature retirement of Professor Emil Horozov.
Professor Emil Horozov is a world renowned mathematician in the fields of dynamical systems, completely integrable systems and their relation to group theory. His scientific results are of the highest quality. His fundamental contributions to the above areas are very widely used by many mathematicians. Professor Horozov has been an invited keynote speaker in numerous conferences all over the word.
Professor Horozov has a truly outstanding teaching and advising record. We simply do not know of any other Bulgarian mathematician who has created a school of similar magnitude. Prof. Horozov educated many mathematicians who now play prominent role in algebraic geometry, representation theory, dynamical systems, completely integrable systems and mathematical physics.
In all respects of research, teaching and advising Emil Horozov is a star mathema-tician of world magnitude. We are shocked to learn that you are prematurely retiring him at the age of 65! (decision of the Academic Council of Sofia University « St. Klimet Ohridski » from May 2014).
We are familiar with the statistics that, in the last 20 years, Sofia University routinely extended by 3 years the contract of every other faculty member in the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, who at the age of 65 was eligible for such an extension. It is shocking that you do that with everybody else but not with a scientist, who in our strong opinion is your best mathematician.
The decision of the Academic Council to retire Prof. Emil Horozov has no scientific ground!
Professor Emil Horozov, as a chief of Bulgaria’s Scientific Research Fund in the period 2010-2011 prepared a report revealing many « violations of very serious nature » which resulted in illegally granting tens of millions in Euros for projects having nothing to do with science. Moreover, the report contains accounts of a number of cases when leading administrators of Sofia University were directly responsible for these violations. Two articles on this report appeared in the leading scientific journal Nature (1) and the report was furthermore documented in a book published in Bulgarian in 2013.
In light of the above facts, the premature retirement of Professor Emil Horozov appears to be nothing short of repression of a scientist who raises his voice against the corruption in a national scientific research fund.
In support of Emil Horozov more that 800 scientists from 29 countries signed a petition.(2) The European Union Commission and the International Mathematical Union should and will be notified of this shocking action of Sofia University against one of its most outstanding scientists. Given that, the European Union Commission invests nearly 20 millions of Euros per year (3) in the Bulgarian research and technological development, such an action, without any scientific ground, is unacceptable.
Yours Sincerely,
Iana Anguelova, Associate Professor, College of Charlston
Victor Atanasov, Associate Professor, Sofia University
Yuri Berest, Professor, Cornell University
Marcin Bobienski, Assistant Professor, University of Warsaw
Oleg Chalykh, Lecturer, University of Leeds
Vladimir Dobrev, Professor, Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy,
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Vladimir Dragovic, Professor, University of Texas at Dallas
Iain Gordon, Professor, Head of School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh
Dimitar Grantcharov, Associate Professor, University of Texas at Arlington
Alberto Grunbaum, Professor, University of California, Berkeley
Nicholas Ercolani, Professor, University of Arizona
Hristo Dimov, Associate Professor, Sofia University
Luc Haine, Professor, Catholic University of Louvain
Gerard Helminck, Associate Professor, University of Amsterdam
Loek Helminck, Professor, Head of Department of Mathematics, North Carolina State University
Iliya Iliev, Professor, Institute of Mathematics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Yulij Ilyashenko, Professor, Cornell University, President of the Independent University of Moscow
Stefan Ivanov, Professor, Sofia University
Vassil Kanev, Professor, University of Palermo
Pavao Mardesic, Professor, University of Burgundy
Todor Milanov, Project Assistant Professor, University of Tokyo
Dmitry Novikov, Professor, Weizmann Institute of Science
Valentina Petkova, Professor, Corresponding Member, Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Emma Previato, Professor, Boston University
Radoslav Rashkov, Professor, Sofia University
Tudor Ratiu, Professor, Head of the Chair of the Geometric Analysis, Swiss Frederal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Director of the Bernoulli Center
Robert Roussarie, Professor Emeritus of Mahematics, University of Burgundy
Tsvetana Stoyanova, Assistant Professor, Sofia University
Doychin Tolev, Professor, Sofia University
Ivan Todorov, Professor, Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Pierre van Moerbeke, Professor, Brandeis University and Catholic University of Louvain, Member of Royal Academy of Belgium, Chief-Executive, Francqui Foundation
Alexander Varchenko, Ernest Eliel Professor, University of North Carolina
Alexander Veselov, Professor, Loughborough University
Sergei Yakovenko, Professor, Head of Department of Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science
Yosef Yomdin, Professor, Weizmann Institute of Science
Henryk Zoladek, Professor, Head of Section of Dynamic Systems, University of Warsaw
.
Оrganizers:
Bojko Bakalov (North Carolina State University, USA)
Ognyan Christov (Sofia University, Bulgaria)
Lubomir Gavrilov (University of Toulouse, France)
Plamen Iliev (Georgia Institute of Technology, USA)
Milen Yakimov (Louisiana State University, USA)
Angel Zhivkov (Sofia University, Bulgaria)
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1. Nature 472, 19 (2011) – http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110406/full/472019a.html
2. www.peticiq.com/emil_horozov
3. During the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development of the
European Commission in the period 2007-2013 Bulgaria received the total of e98 millions.
.
