On 10 December 2015 the Academic Council of Medical University Plovdiv, Bulgaria bestowed upon Prof. Slavik Tabakov, IOMP President and Director of MSc programmes at King’s College London, their Doctor Honoris Causa degree for his contribution to the development of medical physics in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe, and for the introduction of e-learning in the profession. The Rector Prof. Kostyanev and the Chair of Medical Imaging Prof. Velkova spoke about Prof. Tabakov’s contribution to the profession and the University where he started his career in medical physics; installed the first Digital X-ray equipment in the country in 1984; established the first Digital Imaging Laboratory and organised the International Medical Physics Educational Centre with an associated MSc course, which still goes strong.

The official ceremony was attended by more than 300 professors, lecturers and colleagues of Prof. Tabakov from Plovdiv, Sofia and other cities in the country. In his academic lecture, titled “Medical Physics – 50 Years Progress in Service of Healthcare (Medical Imaging Equipment)”, he described the development of medical imaging equipment and its impact on medical diagnostics. Prof. Tabakov underlined the importance of medical physics for medicine and paid homage to the main inventors of these imaging methods and equipment. He highlighted the role of IOMP for the global development of medical physics and the great number of educational and training activities, which the Organisation has led during its 50 years of existence. While describing his own contribution to the development of medical physics in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe, he expressed gratitude to the colleagues from Medical University Plovdiv who took part in a number of educational projects, which he has developed and coordinated. Prof. Tabakov underlined also the importance of the pioneering e-learning projects EMERALD, EMIT and EMITEL for the double growth of the profession during the past 20 years, and pointed out that this has been a manifestation of international collaboration of more than 300 colleagues from 36 countries.

The Award ceremony was the final accord of the celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of the Medical University Plovdiv. At the press-conference Prof. Tabakov expressed special gratitude to the Academic Council of Medical University Plovdiv and his colleagues for this award coming from the city he was born in and started his career. He noted how proud he is to be a member of this second Medical University in the country, established in 1945 by a number of distinguished medical doctors, including his grandfather Dr Theophil Gruev, who introduced the first fluoroscopic equipment in the country back in 1920s and played important role in the life of this ancient city, including for the salvation of Bulgarian Jews in 1943. Currently Medical University Plovdiv has 700 academic staff and 4000 students. Prof. Slavik Tabakov is the 24th person awarded with this highest award of the University.