If 2010 had been a nightmarishly dynamic year for Bulgarian education and research, then 2011 was one of little news, which in this particular case meant almost no good news, if any. Close to no progress has been achieved with scarce funding, the government has continued with its single-handed attack against the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and no reforms of the sector were achieved.

Bulgaria Does Not Invest in Education

In spite of the government rhetoric to the contrary, the Bulgarian cabinet's austerity plans for 2012 continue a policy in force for the previous two years, in which heavy investment is possible only for the sectors of the interior security and infrastructure. In this case, this means a negligible upping of funds for education and research, notwithstanding the fact that the president-elect, GERB's Rosen Plevneliev, pointed out education, research and innovation among the key priorities in his strategic vision for Bulgaria's development.

The cabinet, especially PM Boyko Borisov and Minister of Finance Simeon Djankov, made a big deal of some BGN 50 M more allotted to education and research in comparison with the state budget for 2011. Those funds were to be taken from a corresponding decrease in the budget of the Ministry of Interior. The sumptuous BGN 1 B budget for policing makes that change hardly impressive.

Against that backdrop, intentions to raise fees for state colleges and universities have understandably provoked students to announce imminent protests. Given an already underfunded system that in Bulgaria has been traditionally state-supported, the government has done close to nothing to restructure financing or to secure other sources of funding.

Does CNN Make Weather Forecasts and Who Needs Research?

The funding crisis in research lingered not only for the higher education system, but to an even greater extent for the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the country's oldest, biggest and most productive research institution. Ever since GERB's coming to power in the summer of 2009, BAS has fallen upon hard times, with FinMin Djankov being an especially ruthless critic.

In 2010 and 2011 the Academy suffered a 40% budget cut, to be followed by an outright attempt on the part of the cabinet to actually dismantle the institution. This led to an unprecedented union of all non-GERB parties in Parliament – both opposition and thos supportive of the cabinet – against GERB's plans.

After a temporary lull for the most of 2011, the attack was renewed end of October (post-election) with the announcement of the state budget framework for next year. BAS is to swallow another BGN 5 M (9%) cut for 2012, in spite of the fact that Djankov and Minister of Education Sergey Ignatov had, during the first half of 2011, expressed satisfaction at the internal reforms implemented by the Academy.

This led to protests by researchers, as well as warnings from BAS leadership that it might just have to discontinue not only fundamental research, but also activities of vital practical significance for the country, such as the national weather service or seismology monitoring.

FinMin Djankov was quick in coining another of his BAS-provoked gems, saying that should the above happen, the Bulgarian state and citizens could get their weather forecasts from news sources such as the CNN. Researchers had to explain the obvious fact that CNN does not produce its own forecasts, but has to rely on data supplied by bodies across the world similar to the respective BAS institute.

Reforms of Education? Wait for 2012...

End of 2010 a much delayed reform of legislation on academic degrees was finally implemented. The centralized Higher Attestation Commission was disbanded and the awarding of degrees was moved fully into the hands of universities. The precise long-term effects of that move are yet to be seen, but in 2011 it was already felt that the acquisition of degrees has become more flexible – with the accompanying good and bad effects.

A new law on higher education, which was scrapped in 2010 failed to materialize throughout the year, notwithstanding prior promises from Education Minister Ignatov to the contrary. The same can be said of another of Ignatov's plans for 2011 – a new law on primary education, which is still nonexistent as we speak.

At the same time, end of December the European Commission issued a warning that Bulgaria needs to urgently implement a thorough reform of the sector. The Commission's report urges Bulgaria to adopt until the middle of 2012 the two said new laws, on primary and secondary education. It also recommends Bulgaria to up the quality of its research and education by investing in faculty and stimulating links between businesses and education and research institutions.

As things stand, the time limit set by the Commission leaves a prime opportunity for Bulgaria's rulers to propose rash and poorly strategic reforms or, worse, to suggest changes to benefit private institution vis-?-vis state run ones. Minister Ignatov, a former president of the New Bulgarian University, Bulgaria's first and most prestigious private higher learning institution, has in the past not hidden his favoring of this approach.

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