A delegation from IBM, led by Meredith Stowell – Vice President, IBM Z Ecosystem, visited Bulgaria and TU-Sofia for the first time, and at the beginning of the conversation emphasized the strategic importance of our country for the development of the IBM Z ecosystem and the training of new specialists.
Ms. Stowell and the IBM Bulgaria team discussed with the Rector of TU-Sofia, Prof. Georgi Venkov, and representatives of the rectory leadership, deans, and faculty, new opportunities for the development of joint programs to prepare highly qualified personnel for the digital economy. The focus of the discussions was on deepening cooperation in training students on the IBM Z mainframe platform – a key technology for critical corporate systems, which requires specialized knowledge and skills. IBM also presented new opportunities through IBM SkillsBuild and the IBM Z Xplore Learning Platform, which provide students with access to the international IBM SkillsBuild platform.
It includes certification courses and thematic tracks on:
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning;
- Cloud computing;
- Cybersecurity;
- Quantum technologies and other innovative disciplines.
Students will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the IBM Z Xplore educational platform, through which university graduates can enter the world of IBM Z and gain practical experience.
TU-Sofia and IBM discussed jointly developing educational content and organizing hackathons, primarily aimed at enhancing students' skills in working with Z/OS, DevOps, LinuxONE tools, and system integration on IBM Z.
The guests toured the "IBM InfiniTech Lab" at the Faculty of Telecommunications. They expressed their impressions and admiration for the opportunities for practical training and scientific research available to students. The Rector of TU-Sofia stated that the partnership with IBM allows students to access cutting-edge technologies and internationally recognized certifications, which will significantly enhance their competitiveness in the labor market. Meredith Stowell assured those present at the meeting that the IBM Z platform is at the core of the global financial and industrial infrastructure. Together with TU-Sofia, she added that they will help the next generation of engineers acquire unique skills that businesses urgently need.
