The Slovenia Times

Science & Education

An event marks the opening of the Slovenian language section at the European School Brussels I. Photo: Education Ministry
After years of efforts, a Slovenian language section has opened at one of the four European Schools in Brussels. Nursery school is available this year, to be joined by primary and secondary school classes later on.
The new Slovenian language section is an opportunity for Slovenian children to recei
Secondary school students tour the Planica Nordic Centre laboratory, which specialises in human physiology and medicine in space or extreme conditions. Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA

Planica centre hidden world of space technology

Health & MedicineScience & Education
Nestled in an Alpine valley in northwestern Slovenia, the Planica Nordic Centre is not only a place famous for ski jumping but also a scientific hub where researchers study human physiology and medicine in space and extreme environmental conditions.
As secondary school students participating in a U
Researchers Mojca M. Plesničar and Tina Lebar win ERC starting grants. Photo: STA
Slovenian researchers Mojca Mihelj Plesničar and Tina Lebar have each won a €1.5 million starting grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for projects dealing respectively with penal decision-making in the criminal justice system and the expansion of genome editing capabilities.
The two Slov
Barbara Breznik, head of the Cancer Biology Group at the National Institute of Biology. Photo: Bor Slana/STA

Research offers new hope for glioblastoma treatment

Health & MedicineScience & Education
Researchers at the National Institute of Biology are exploring new avenues for more effective treatment of glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. They have discovered different biomarkers that could be used as drug targets in the future.
In Slovenia, approximately 100 patients are
A primary school. Photo: Bor Slana/STA
Schools across Slovenia came alive in controlled chaos on 2 September, as nearly 280,000 students returned after their two-month summer break. Meanwhile the primary and secondary education systems, as well as kindergartens, are in growing crisis due to lack of teaching staff.
The new school year st
Peter Andolšek wins his fourth consecutive gold at the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics in Brazil. Photo: Dunja Fabjan
Slovenian secondary school student Peter Andolšek has achieved a remarkable feat that no other student in the world has achieved before. He has won his fourth consecutive gold at an International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, and emerged as the overall winner for the second time in a row.
A European pond turtle. Photo: Ljubljana Marshes Nature Park
On the southern edge of the Ljubljana Marshes, in the Draga Valley, there are ponds teeming with life. Apart from many species of birds, fish and plants, they are also home to the only freshwater turtle native to Slovenia, the European pond turtle. Since it faces many threats, efforts are being mad
A Slovenian-Polish project sets out to describe scents of museum artefacts for a library of scents. Photo: Heritage Science Laboratory Ljubljana
Slovenian and Polish researchers have teamed up to describe the scents of selected items from the two countries' national museums to understand the role of scent in historical context and develop methods to reproduce and archive these scents for future generations.
A collaboration between the Natio
Release of Alpine ibexes in the Hohen Tauern in Austria. Photo: Ljubljana Zoo

Slovenian captive ibexes help revive wild population

Environment & NatureScience & Education
Five Alpine ibexes that were kept in the Ljubljana Zoo have been released into the wild as part of an international conservation project that aims to help the wild Alpine ibex population.
The Ljubljana Zoo was asked to take part in the project because its herd of 28 ibexes is one of the three large
Event marking the start of the academic year in Ljubljana. Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
Slovenian 15-year-olds perform below average in creative thinking, view aspects of creativity more negatively, and are less open to obtaining new knowledge and experience, according to fresh study results that have educational authorities concerned.
The PISA Global Competence survey, coordinated b
Prime Minister Robert Golob and ESA director general Josef Aschbacher sign Slovenia's membership agreement. Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA
Slovenia has signed an agreement to become a full member of the European Space Agency (ESA) effective in 2025, a move years in the making that is seen as a major boost to the local aerospace industry.
The agreement was signed on 18 June by Prime Minister Robert Golob and ESA director general Josef
Researcher Taja Jeseničnik from the Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana. Photo: Jakob Pintar/STA

New technique might overcome GMO stigma

Environment & NatureScience & Education
Europe remains apprehensive about using genetically modified organisms in agriculture and has strict laws against GMOs, which is why researchers have started working on various ways to use genetic techniques without altering plant genomes in order to overcome the stigma of GMOs. The Biotechnical Fa