Blagovest Sendov served as IFIP President from 1989 to 1992
Delivery Co: During your tenure as IFIP President what, in your opinion, were the most significant IFIP developments and activities?
Bl. Sendov: During my tenure as IFIP President, the equilibrium of responsibilities between the national and the expert technical representation in the Federation was maintained. For a long time there were repeated discussions on the need of a Technical Assembly, in addition to the General Assembly, and the form of participation of Technical Committees chairmen in the GA.
I remember a lunch in San Francisco during the IFIP Congress 1989, when my tenure had just started. The late I.L. Auerbach, the founding President of IFIP, told me "You will be a good President, if you now have an idea who will be your successor". My answer was "Prof. Rolstadas".
During my tenure, Mr. Plamen Nedkov was involved in the IFIP affairs and this fact speaks for itself.
Delivery Co: Are you currently interested in IFIP? If so, are there any developments, which you like in particular and you feel should be further encouraged?
Bl. Sendov: Now I follow the activity of IFIP from a distance, as my occupation does not permit me to stay closer. As the only living Past President from the Former Eastern Bloc, let me witness the fundamental role of IFIP, and some other scientific and technical NGOs, for the peaceful end of the Cold War. IFIP was for me not only a professional society, but also a unique opportunity to make friends in the other world, with which now we are integrated. I see the role of IFIP in the future as a powerful instrument for closing the so-called "digital gap" between the rich and the poor.
IFIP was my University, in which I was a student, teacher and Rector.
Delivery Co: Are there any specific issues you find important for IFIP to address?
Bl. Sendov: The ultimate tendency to globalization of the world is mainly assisted by the information and communication technologies. I believe that in the long term the world is going to adopt universal values, but will keep the diversity. From its early age IFIP pays attention to social aspects of information processing. My feeling is that the two categories of information: knowledge and wisdom are in a growing unbalance in the world. This could be dangerous. What is IFIP’s role in this direction?
Delivery Co: Please share with us a few words about yourself at present - professional occupation, personal projects, hobbies...
Bl. Sendov: I just turned 70 and in my interviews on this occasion I was asked: "Why did you desert mathematics and become a politician?" My answer was: " It is not true. I am still active in mathematics and I have been a politician for more than 40 years, without ever being a member of any political party". You have to be politician, if you are President of such a prestigious international structure as IFIP. A Rector also has to be politician.
As a Vice Speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament now, I have interesting time with a close friend, Georgi Parvanov (the President of Bulgaria) and former king Simeon II (the Prime Minister of Bulgaria).
My dream is to find time to participate in an IFIP General Assembly to measure the progress of the Federation.