About the founder

Plamen Nedkov holds an advanced degree in International Economics and since 1982 is professionally involved in management and organization of R&D related activities and international exchange. He was head of the department for International Organizations of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Executive Director of the International Federation for Information Processing. He served as elected representative on the UNESCO-NGO Liaison Committee and was involved in various capacities in activities of specialized UN organizations and the European Union. Since November 2006, he is the Chief Executive of IT STAR, the regional IT Association in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe.

Plamen’s experience in managing international events and publications is long and varied. He is editor of the IT STAR Newsletter and of the proceedings of five recent IT STAR events:
  • ICT Skills, Education and Certification ISBN 88-901620-5-8
  • National Information Society Experiences ISBN 88-901620-2-3
  • Universities and the ICT Industry ISBN 88-901620-1-5
  • R&D in Information and Communication Technology ISBN 978-3-902580-02-3
  • ICT and the Eastern European Dimension, Prague, 2004 jointly organized with FISTERA (IPTS/EC-DG Research - Seville)

He is published widely and has served as IFIP Contracts Officer (for conferences and publications) for the period 1989-2003, and as member of the World Computer Congress Committee. Plamen Nedkov is recipient of the prestigious IFIP Silver Core Award.

Other activities include:
  • Organizing and Program co-Chair, 4th IT STAR WS on ICT Skills, Education and Certification, November 2009, Rome, IT
  • Organizing and Program co-Chair, 3rd IT STAR WS “NISE ’08”, November 2008, Godollo, HU
  • Conference Moderator, 2nd IT STAR WS on Universities and the ICT Industry, May 2007, Genzano di Roma, IT
  • Program Committee Co-chair, R&D in ICT, Nov. 2006, Bratislava, SK
  • Founding member, World Technology Network (2002)
  • Coordinator of IT STAR (2001-2003) and Advisor (2003-2006)
  • Member of task forces for the preparation of UNESCO’s input to the UN World Summit for the Information Society (2001-2003)
  • Member of the joint NGO-UNESCO Commission on New Technologies (1999-2001)
  • IFIP Project Manager, project “Modern Environment (ICT) for Management of Interactive Cooperation of Scientific Oriented International Associations”, financially supported by the Government of Austria (1995-1997)   
  • Executive Director, Sofia Office of the International Foundation for Survival and Development of Humanity and National Coordinator of Earth Day Int. (1990-1992)     
  • Secretary of the 1st Balkan Conference on Environmental Protection (1990)
  • National Coordinator of international projects with agencies of the UN system and NGOs (1989-1994)
  • Deputy member, 131st session of UNESCO’s Executive Board (1989) and member of official delegations to many UNESCO General Conferences