Eurodoc member the Young Academy of Slovenia has celebrated its 30th anniversary on November 24, 2025 – three decades of connecting PhD students and early-career researchers, supporting their professional development, and working together to improve the research environment.
The event was held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, and took place at the School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana. Opening addresses were given by Aleš Musar, the First Gentleman of Slovenia, and one of the founding members of the Young Academy, Jure Gašparič, State Secretary at the Ministry for Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and Neja Bizjak Štrus, current President of the Young Academy.
The core part of the program highlighted key milestones – from the founding years under the name Association of Young Researchers of Slovenia to the present day. We honored past leadership teams, including Dušan Caf (1995-1997), Mirna Macur (1997-1999), Branko Lobnikar (1999-2000), Jurij Žurej (2000-2003), Damjan Dvoršek (2003-2005), Kristina Nadrah (2005-2007), Anže Županič (2007-2010), Matevž Leskovšek (2010-2012), Miha Rihar (2012-2015), Urška Slapšak (2015-2019), Tea Romih (2019-2022), Jure Mravlje (2022-2024), and current president Neja Bizjak Štrus (2024-2025).
Former active members joined us on stage to share personal memories, adding a warm and authentic touch to the celebration. These memories also highlighted the history of the society’s international collaborations, including its involvement with Eurodoc and the organization of the Eurodoc conference in Ljubljana. Among the guests were several former delegates of the society to Eurodoc and Sebastian Dahle, a former president of Eurodoc. The event concluded with a group photo, informal networking, and a reception that offered a chance for past and present members to reconnect.
To mark this occasion, a commemorative monograph is under preparation, scheduled for publication in April 2026. It will feature key milestones and personal stories from members who have shaped the mission and identity of the Young Academy over the past three decades.