This year, the title of Slovenia’s Congress Ambassador went to 17 exceptional individuals, whose dedication, commitment, international involvement, and perseverance helped Slovenia host international scientific, professional, and other business and sports events over the past couple of years.
Due to the importance of the project for Slovenia’s meetings industry, we wanted to highlight four interviews with this year’s Slovenian Congress Ambassadors. All of them emphasized the importance of live events, but are at the same time aware that hybrid events are the new reality.
Prof. Ivan Eržen said: »Everybody wants live events, but I believe we have slowly accustomed ourselves to hybrid events in light of the current environmental problems we face. I think hybrid congresses will have an advantage in the future.«
Prof. Damijan Miklavčič thinks that with the hybrid congresses at least one part of researchers, perhaps the younger ones, from yet undeveloped countries, will have the chance to attend and be in contact with world-famed scientific experts.
Slovenian Congress Ambassadors already have plans for the future. Prof. Leon Cizelj mentioned: »Once Covid is gone, we will return to a much more active live conference situation, into meeting people. That is when Slovenia will again have the chance to bid for such events to be organised«.
Prof. Majda Pajnkihar said: »The Slovenian Ambassador Programme has similar goals at the University of Maribor in the field of internationalisation of science and education and Slovenia’s recognition around the world«.
WATCH THE INTERVIEWS
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Prof. Leon Cizelj
Jožef Stefan Institute, Reactor Engineering Division
Prof. Ivan Eržen, MD, PhD
National Institute of Public Health Slovenia
Prof. Damijan Miklavčič
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana
Prof. Majda Pajnkihar, PhD, RN, FAAN, FEANS
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor
The Slovenian Ambassador Programme was launched in 2019 with the support of the Slovenian Tourist Board, in cooperation with the Ljubljana Convention Bureau at Tourism Ljubljana. It aims to identify, recognize and support Slovenian scientists, doctors, professors, researchers, business people, athletes and other individuals who are members of international associations, experts in their respective fields and who strive to bring international events to Slovenia. Today, the Slovenian Ambassador Programme has 67 ambassadors.
Watch all the interviews
You can watch all of the interviews and read more about individual ambassadors on the following link:
The project was carried out with the financial support of the Slovenian Tourist Board.