One day before the start of the international forum UpToGATE 2025: New Horizons, the GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Infrastructure Application of Ubiquitous Computing (Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies) at the University of Tokyo – one of the most prestigious research institutions in the world. The event was attended by Prof. Reneta Bozhankova, Vice-Rector of Sofia University, H.E. Marieta Arabadjieva – Ambassador of Bulgaria to Japan, as well as representatives of the Embassy of Japan in Bulgaria.
The agreement opens new opportunities for joint projects in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data, smart cities, and data spaces. It will accelerate scientific exchange and support the development of innovative solutions with real societal impact. The MoU is another step toward fulfilling the goals set in the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between Bulgaria and Japan, signed in Tokyo in May 2025, and a natural continuation of the GATE Institute’s mission to build global connections in science and innovation.
The two institutions will foster collaboration through joint publications, trainings, seminars, and educational programs. Their commitment also includes active cooperation in attracting external resources and facilitating knowledge and technology transfer. Activities will be coordinated by Prof. Silvia Ilieva (GATE) and Prof. Noboru Koshizuka (University of Tokyo) – a clear sign of the strategic priority that both institutions’ leadership assign to the partnership.
Signing the memorandum on the eve of UpToGATE 2025: New Horizons carries symbolic significance as well. It marks the opening of a new horizon in GATE’s international development. As the forum prepares to bring together leading researchers, policymakers, companies, and innovators from around the world, this partnership with the University of Tokyo sends a strong message about GATE’s growing global role and its ambition to connect Europe and Asia in the advancement of AI, data, and digital transformation.
Prof. Noboru Koshizuka – one of Japan’s foremost scientists in the fields of the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), open data, and smart cities – will also be a keynote speaker at Up To GATE 2025: New Horizons, organized by the GATE Institute on 27 November 2025. The world-renowned researcher will demonstrate how AI and data analytics can transform urban environments. He will discuss the creation of intelligent and sustainable cities, where technologies support harmonious interaction between people, infrastructure, and the environment, creating a new type of ecological intelligence.
The forum will be opened at 9:30 a.m. on 27 November by Deputy Minister of Education Acad. Nikolay Vitanov, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, and Yordanka Chobanova – Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria.