On April 13 the Bulgarian-American Fulbright Commission marked its 25th anniversary with an academic conference “The Shape of Thing to Come: the Post-Human World in the Post-Truth Era”, followed by a Gala celebration.
The academic conference focused on the universal topics of humanity and truth in relation to future changes in the scientific, social, cultural and economic spheres. Uniting the knowledge and expertise of leading Bulgarian intellectuals, both Fulbright program participants and partners, the event sought to create an interdisciplinary venue for reflection, discussion and discovery.
The conference was opened by the Fulbright Executive Director Ms. Angela Rodel, who then gave the floor to former ED Prof. Julia Stefanova for the keynote speech: The Limits of the Human Vertical: the Fulbright Program as a Humanizing Agent. The potential for changes in human biology were presented by a distinguished panel of scholars from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Sofia University. Wavering between faith in scientific development for the benefit of the species, and wariness of ethical limits, Dr. Lesseva, Prof. Proykova, Dr. Dimitrova and Prof. Danova painted the picture of the human body in its endless capacity for regeneration and improvement. Next, Dr. Hinkova, Prof. Glavanakova, Mr. Dimitrov and Mr. Ilko Stoyanov presented the speculative aspect of the future – a world of unthinkable complexity, connected though networks, relying on resilience for survival; a world effacing the limits between life and death in search for eternity, blurring the boundaries between human and artificial intelligence, subverting meaning, challenging spontaneous personal relations. Ms. Ilieva, Dr. Stefanova, and Dr. Petrova continued by showing the level of automation dependence in contemporary economics and industry.
The topical concept of post-truth and its repercussions on contemporary mass-media, freedom of speech, political tendencies like populism and extreme ideologies was reviewed by a diverse group of renowned Bulgarian journalists and scholars. Irina Nedeva, Ruslan Trad, Milena Berbenkova, Prof. Ana Krasteva and Prof. Emilia Zankina contributed to the discussion, emphasizing in different ways the need for genuine understanding and empathy in order to break the self-perpetuating cycle of fake/subversive messages.
The close to 100 conference attendants felt the vibrant, stimulating, enriching atmosphere of the Fulbright program. Bulgarian and US current grantees and alumni, participants in Fulbright initiatives like Open Lectures and Fulbright-Hays Seminars, students, scholars and citizens were all part of the audience, and a testimony to the increasing outreach potential of the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission.
In the evening after the Conference, Bulgarian and American Fulbright alumni, representatives of partner organizations, official guests and friends were invited to an evening program and a cocktail reception. Bulgarian Fulbright alumna, actress and TV producer Iskra Angelova hosted the program. H.E. Eric Rubin, US Ambassador to Bulgaria, addressed the audience expressing his gratitude to the Fulbright Commission, its Board and staff, as well as long-standing partners such as the America for Bulgaria Foundation, which sponsors 30 American Fulbright English Teaching Assistants to Bulgaria. After His Excellency the floor was given to Dr. Ivan Dimov, Deputy Minister of Education, who congratulated the Commission on the festive occasion. In her welcoming speech, Commission ED Angela Rodel outlined the many achievements of the Bulgarian Fulbright Commission over the past 25 years, and also focused on her vision for a future of further expansion of Commission programs, projects, partnerships and outreach. On behalf of the commission, Angela Rodel presented Prof. Julia Stefanova with a statue in the shape of a bird, as token of appreciation for her 20-year long work and contribution as the first executive director of the bi-national organization.
The evening program continued with a video reel, music performances and testimonials by Fulbright alumni Eric Halsey, Agatha Manolova and Stoyan Kiryazov. Winners of the Fulbright Photo, Story and Photo + Story Contests, which had taken place online, received their prizes, with the first places going to Anna Brainerd (Photo, “The Bridge”), Helen Burton (Story, “Wonder and Gratitude”), and Ted Efremoff (Photo + Story, “Kuker on Wall Street”). ETA alumna Morgan Murphy also received a special award for poetry in both the Bulgarian and English languages. Guests were also treated by some original music by Fulbright student Kate Cocklin, and singing performances by Angela Rodel, Molly O’Keefe and Helena Tatgenhorst (Bulgarian folklore), and by Fulbright alumna Lilly Drumeva (blue grass).
The commemorative event of the Commission was honored by representatives of Bulgarian and international organizations. Asarel-Medet JSC and Open Air Ethnographic Museum “Etar” sent flowers and official greeting addresses. Nancy Schiller, President & CEO, Member of the Board of Directors at America for Bulgaria Foundation; Dr. Emilia Zankina, Provost and Associate Professor at the American University in Bulgaria, representatives of the U.S. Embassy to Bulgaria, representatives of ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 TPP, and many more partners and friends of the Fulbright Commission, also joined us at the celebration.
On the day following the conference, Fulbright grantees, alumni, staff and friends gathered for a day of volunteering, organized with the help of the Ekoobshtnost Foundation. The group of 35 was taken by bus to the village of Hrabursko near Sofia, and shown how to properly plant the delicate acacia tree saplings. We hope that most of the acacia trees we planted will grow healthy and strong to help heal the ill forest, and commemorate the day of the Fulbright anniversary.