In the Aula of the Sofia University was held a national forum on „Antiplagiarism and academy – problems and solutions „organized by the Center for Distance Learning of the University and the Rector’s Office of Alma Mater.

The forum discussed and presented pedagogical, technological and administrative-normative approaches and solutions for the prevention and combating of plagiarism and fraud during testing.

The forum focused on one of the current and painful topics related to academics and the quality of higher education in the 21st century. Issues that have also been reflected in the amendments to the Law on the Development of the Academic Staff in the Republic of Bulgaria.

The Director of the Center for Distance Learning of the University of Sofia Prof. Rumyana Peicheva-Forsay presented the results of the research carried out by the Center on the opinions and attitudes of the students and the academic staff of Alma Mater to testing fraud and plagiarism.

Deputy Rector of Sofia University Assoc. Prof. Elisa Stefanova examined possible technological solutions for prevention and combating plagiarism and fraud at the University, while Plagiat.pl Executive Director Ali Tahmazov spoke about the plagiarism detection system.

Prof. Rumyana Peycheva-Forsyat introduced the students-based system of student authentication and establishing their authorship (Project TeSLA under Horizon 2020). The experience of the New Bulgarian University in the prevention and fight against plagiarism and fraud was presented by Assoc. Prof. Ventsislav Dzhambazov, Dean of the Faculty of Distance, Electronic and Continuing Education and Dr. Hristo Chukurliev, and the experience of the Technical University by Prof. Anna Rozeva, Head of the Department of Informatics at the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Informatics.

Assoc. Prof. Valentina Kaneva, Chair of the Ethics Committee of Alma Mater, spoke about the promotion of good practices in the research of Sofia University, and Prof. Elisa Stefanova summarized the administrative approaches for the prevention and fight against plagiarism and fraud.

The conference also featured the experience of colleagues using TeSLA tools and antiplagiarism software.