The GATE Institute at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” welcomed H.E. Chikahisa Sumi, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Bulgaria, on the occasion of his first official visit to the Institute. Prof. Sylvia Ilieva, Director of GATE, warmly received Ambassador Sumi and introduced him to the mission, development, and strategic vision of the Institute as Bulgaria’s Centre of Excellence in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence.

During the meeting, Prof. Ilieva presented the history of GATE and highlighted the Institute’s steadily expanding cooperation with leading Japanese universities and research organisations. Special emphasis was placed on GATE’s active engagement with Japanese partners in the fields of artificial intelligence, data-driven innovation, smart cities, and digital transformation, reflecting shared research priorities and a strong foundation of academic trust. In this context, it was highlighted that GATE Institute is included in the strategic partnership document signed between Bulgaria and Japan in May 2025, reflecting high-level institutional recognition of GATE’s role in advancing bilateral cooperation in science, research, and innovation.

The discussion also covered GATE’s international outreach and visibility, including the Institute’s participation in EXPO Osaka 2025, as well as its forward-looking research agenda with Japan. Future plans include deepening collaboration through joint research initiatives, academic exchange, innovation-driven partnerships, and engagement with industry, building bridges between European and Japanese ecosystems.

Ambassador Sumi expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome and conveyed his strong interest in continuing and further strengthening the established ties between GATE and Japanese institutions. He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the development of this partnership through a broad range of academic, research, and business-oriented activities, underscoring the shared ambition to build sustainable, long-term cooperation between Bulgaria and Japan in science, innovation, and technology.