Slovenia's co-operation in the NATO Science Programme
Slovenia has been participating in the NATO Science Programme since
1996 when it became a member of the Partnership for Peace. The
priority areas of collaboration are: natural and technical sciences,
life sciences, environmental and earth sciences, civil research
related to issues of security, scientific and technological policy and
organisation.
The collaboration of Slovenia in the NATO Science Programme is
coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. The
Ministry encourages Slovene experts to participate in current NATO
Science Programme competitions. The Ministry of Education is also the
contact body for all information about the Science Programme and is
responsible for passing on available information to the relevant
experts.
So far, Slovenia has collaborated in the organisation of fifteen
Advance Research Workshops. The aim of these workshops is to evaluate
present knowledge in a particular scientific field, to get
familiarised with future research orientations and to promote closer
contacts between scientists from various countries.
In August 1997, the NATO Science Committee announced a competition
for collaboration in joint research-development projects within the
framework of the new sub-programme entitled "Science for
Peace". Proposals for the research project were submitted by 31
Slovene experts from 9 organisations. The NATO Committee approved
funding for five Slovene project proposals amounting to US $ 560,000.
These projects represent high quality applicable and industrially
oriented research and technological development, which may also be
demonstrated by the submitted patents, inventions and scientific
publications resulting from work on these projects.
Between 1999 and 2001, Slovene scientists were granted 13
collaborative linkage grants, intended to promote cooperation between
Partner-country and NATO-country scientists and research groups,
working together on joint projects.
In 2000, 6 Slovene experts were granted fellowships to visit
research organisations in NATO Member States.
In March 2002, a Slovene delegation attended the 5th Joint Meeting
of NATO RTB and Partnership countries in Mandelieu in France during
which the State Secretary for science at the Ministry of Education,
Science and Sport, Dr. Zoran Stanic, presented a paper on
"Slovenian Perspective on the Role of Science in the Context of
Counter Terrorism". This was the first presentation on science in
Slovenia to this body of the NATO Alliance.
Contact Ministry:
Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
http://www.mszs.si/slo/ministrstvo/mednarodno/znanost/vecstransko.asp#nato
Dr. Andreja Umek Venturini, (andreja.umek@gov.si)
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