Founded in 1869, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) includes 42 research units. The Academy is the nation's foremost scientific organization that conducts basic and applied research in the fields of the natural, technical and social sciences. BAS also organizes training activities and participates in the formulation of the national policy for science and technology. BAS has bilateral agreements with scientific organizations in 45 countries and such governmental organizations as WMO and UNESCO. The Academy is a member of more than 20 international nongovernmental organizations. It has its own publishing house and is the most important organizer of international scientific events in Bulgaria.