INSTITUTE OF ELECTROCHEMISTRY
AND ENERGY SYSTEMS
“ACADEMICIAN EVGENI BUDEVSKI”

The Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems is an autonomous research unit of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and is accredited to train post graduate students and grant PhD degrees in the research subject field 4.2. “Chemical Sciences” with the following specialties:

• 01.05.14 Electrochemistry (including chemical power sources)
• 01.05.05 Physical Chemistry

The competitions for admission and the training programs for the doctoral students, as well as the procedure for dissertation/thesis defense for acquiring the the academic degree Doctor of Philosophy are fully compliant with current regulations as specified in the Development of Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria Act (DASRBA) (in Bulgarian) and the pursuant rules and regulations such as: the Rules for the Activities of the PhD Research Career Development Centre and of the Academic Council (AC) of BAS (in Bulgarian), as well as The Rules, terms and conditions for the Acquisition of Academic Degrees and Academic Positions at IEES (in Bulgarian).

PhD students are admitted based on the results of a competitive examination on the following questionnaires approved by the Scientific Council of IEES:

• Questionnaire for admission to the PhD program in Electrochemistry (in Bulgarian)
• Questionnaire for admission to the PhD program in Physical Chemistry (in Bulgarian)

The education and training of PhD students is conducted employing modern tuition methods by appropriate forms, including: specialized courses and seminars, Institute’s Colloquium meetings, work in close cooperation with highly qualified tutors. Doctoral students at IEES actively participate with own presentations at national and international scientific forums. Within the framework of different exchange programs the PhD students can specialize in research institutions around the world, where they further their knowledge and master new research skills. A Doctoral Student’s Day is organized at the end of each calendar year to provide a forum for the PhD students to present their research results to the Colloquium of IEES and have their individual progress assessed, and receive recommendations for their further work.

The following doctoral courses are delivered by IEES members and are included in the doctoral training program of the PhD Research Career Development Centre of BAS:

• "Chemical power sources" - 30 hours of lectures, lecturer Prof. Antonia Stoyanova
• "Application of batteries, fuel cells and electrolysers in the energy and transport sectors" - 30 hours of lectures, lecturer Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Burdin
• "Hydrogen energy systems" - 30 hours of lectures, lecturer Prof. Evelina Slavcheva, D.Sc.
• "Theoretical electrochemistry" - 30 hours of lectures, lecturer Prof. Ilia Valov
• "Electrochemical methods for study and evaluation of electrochemical power sources" - 30 hours of lectures, lecturer Assoc. Prof. Plamen Nikolov
• "Lithium-ion batteries. Fundamentals and applications" - 30 hours of lectures, lecturer Assoc. Prof. Toma Stankulov

Currently there are 4 regular (full-time) PhD students and 1 extramural PhD student at IEES. The admission and training procedures are carried out in accordance with the Rules for the Activities of the PhD Research Career Development Centre and of the Academic Council of BAS.

Financial support for the postdoctoral specialization programs is provided centrally from the budget of BAS or from other centralized financial sources, as well as by funds provided by IEES - BAS, incl. through international programs and agreements. Postdoctoral specialization fellowships are awarded for a period of two years, provided there is funding available. The admission and training procedures are carried out in accordance with the Rules for the Activities of the PhD Research Career Development Centre and of the Academic Council of BAS.

IEES offers research and practical internships for students from different universities, as well as education and training of foreign students under the Erasmus program.