The International competition “KARST UNDER PROTECTION – GIFT FOR THE FUTURE GENERATION” is organized by the Experimental Laboratory of Karstology of the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Foundation Center on Karstology "Vladimir Popov".
The organizers have many years of experience in interdisciplinary karst research and in the development and experimentation in international cooperation of various forms of innovative training and education for and through the karst. They have also developed a pilot specialized educational strategy ProKARSTerra-Edu, one of the initiatives of which is the international competition for the karst. Besides promoting this unique but still little known in society a natural phenomenon, the aim of the organizers is through the interest in karst to attract young people to study it.
The Competition editions are carried out in partnership with many institutions and organizations, namely: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; UNESCO; Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science; Directorate of Nature park "Shumen Plateau" and Regional Library "Stiliyan Chilingirov" – Shumen, Bulgaria; National Museum "Earth and Man" - Sofia and National Museum of Natural History, BAS - Sofia, Bulgaria; Scientific-methodological journal "GEOgraphy` 21", “Titan Zlatna Panega cement” (Titan, Bulgaria), Yamaguchi University and Akiyoshi-dai Quasi-National Park in Japan, Administration of the PLA "Moravian karst" and Cave Administration of the Czech Republic; Administration of Silesian Landscape parks – Poland, and others. The Fifth edition of the Competition is dedicated to the International Year of Caves and Karst (IYCK)
The Competition remains open for new partners and sponsors. For contacts and suggestions, please use the specified contact addresses.