Laboratory for New Information Technologies in Education and Scientific Researches
Laboratory for New Information Technologies in Education was established /Internal Research Project, UF 2008-2009/ as specialized research section within the structure of University of Forestry, Sofia (UF) under scientific-methodological supervision and control of Department “Computer Systems and Informatics” (CSI) with main goal research, development and implementation activities for research, application and development of complex scientific and educational innovations in the field of multifunctional usage of forestry resources, in the stable agriculture growth, plant protection and veterinary medicine. The laboratory will execute tasks concerning analysis, development and transfer of technologies for virtual education and virtual modeling in the scientific experiments in expedient interdisciplinary scientific fields.
The laboratory will be used and will assist for development of information and technological structure of the university as complete virtual platform for education and development of scientific researches in priority interdisciplinary fields:
- stable usage and growth of biological resources in forestry, agronomy and veterinary medicine;
- application of geographical information systems (GIS) technologies and modern distance methods for protection, monitoring and reproduction of surrounding environment;
- stable management and development of forestry field, agriculture, plant protection and veterinary medicine;
The laboratory will provide financial resources for its complete, management and development through budget, based on project financing from scientific funds of the University, national and EU funds for scientific development.
Laboratory for New Information Technologies will organize its activities, based on Strategy plan and by creation and execution of annual scientific programs.
The laboratory is structured and managed in accordance to requirements of the internal UF regulations and based on the Statute and internal rules, accepted by the Academic council of UF. For scientific and methodological management of the laboratory a Coordination committee was created, including habilitated lecturers from Department CSI.
Coordination committee:
- A. discusses and approves Strategic plans and annual scientific programs, discusses and analyzes results from their realization;
- B. discusses and approves documents for acceptance to participation in scientific projects competitions;
- C. discusses and approves project reports.
Along with goals and tasks for creation and successful development of virtual platform for education and high-end scientific researches, an education of lecturers, specialists, young scientists, PhD students and students will be performed. It will include mastering of interactive program models, intended for the aims of education and scientific researches in accordance to the strategic priorities of UF.
For guaranteeing effective function and stable development of laboratory, complex of criteria is taken into consideration and is given in the following road map:
PREPARATION and creation conditions for conversion of laboratory for new information technologies in Virtual laboratory.
- Research, adaptation and application of high-tech information, communication and management technologies in education and scientific researches in priority fields;
- Research and analysis of best practices in educational and scientific institutions with similar profile in Bulgarian and EU;
- Studying the needs of education and contemporary information, communication and management technologies for university advance and the priority scientific researches.
CREATION and building up a virtual platform for education and scientific researches
- Building a network infrastructure for t he needs of virtual laboratory;
- Research, adaptation and development of application software for virtual surrounding;
- Education of lecturers, specialists, young scientists, PhD students and students in mastering the contemporary interactive technologies for education and modeling of scientific experiments.
DEVELOPMENT of researches and results transfer.
- Creation of virtual models for interactive education and modeling of objects and systems for the purposes of biological experiment;
- Adaptation and usage of virtual interactive systems for monitoring and management of complex eco-bio systems.
PERSPECTIVES:
- Gradual transformation of the Virtual laboratory into center for transfer of high information technologies for development of education and scientific researches;
- Preparation of strategy for “reproduction” and “scale increasing” of the project successful results as a condition for stable advance of the Virtual laboratory;
- Cooperation with other scientific and educational institutions and business partners;
- Transfer of positive results from technological development.
The laboratory purposes have potential for creation of contemporary and effective technological solutions for the needs of the business in the fields of multifunctional usage of the forestry resources, agriculture, veterinary medicine and complex area management.
Possibilities for cooperation with companies and associations of producers in the mentioned industrial sectors can be summarized in the following directions:
- Mutual assistance and cooperation for specifying, systematization and selection of needs of the business for new technological solutions for increasing its competitiveness and stable growth;
- Creation of data bases with recent business problems related to usage of contemporary information technologies for organization and control of the production processes.
- Consultancies and expert aid, as well as education for solving specific needs of the business regarding mastering the new information technologies and products;
- Joint participation in developing projects for technological, product and organizational renovation of the production.
Possible problematic fields for cooperation and transfer of technological solutions are as follows:
Creation of integrated information, communication and control systems for management of the forestry, including monitoring and early notification for forest fires, illegal felling and optimization of the forest structure and forest usage.
Development of information, communication and management technological solutions for contemporary agro-forest systems and systems for monitoring and plant protection.
The current units in UF for creation, development and usage of information, communication and management infrastructure for education and scientific researches (University computer center, Department of Computer Systems and Informatics, the newly developed Laboratory for new educational technologies) have the necessary human capacity, but do not have the necessary technology and software, which can solve problems for development and implementation of complete virtual surrounding for education and scientific researches.
Evaluating and development of the Laboratory will help for:
- Significant renewal of the technical and technological level of the university computer network;
- Renovation of the system and user software interface for the needs of education and scientific researches
- Increasing the qualification of the lecturers, specialists and students for using the contemporary interactive multimedia technologies for education and scientific researches.