The Minister of Education, Science and Sports, prof. Maja Makovec Brenčič and State Secretary, dr. Tomaž Boh visited the ARRS on Monday, the 26th of October 2015. Fist part of the visit has been dedicated to discussion with the director of the ARRS, prof. József Györkös, the president of the Governing Board, prof. Rado Bohinc and heads of units.

The minister underlined the motivation for strengthened cooperation among the ministry and the ARRS in pursuing the Slovenian key policy orientation – enhancement of excellence. Furthermore, the minister called upon the ARRS to take an active role in spurring collaboration, enhancing international cooperation and supporting objective-oriented activities.

The director of the ARRS expressed support to efforts undertaken by the ministry to regain the positive trend of budgetary financing. As a primary short-term objective, the director highlighted the importance of gradual implementation of systemic changes suggested by the Steering Board, established earlier this year.

The president of the Governing Board underlined the importance of quality and financial controls, and designing of appropriate indicators for policy-making levels, as well as for monitoring of its implementation.

The minister met with members of the ARRS Scientific Council in the second part of the visit. The president, prof. Marko Topič introduced the intensive work undertaken by the council on proposed systemic changes to the ARRS’s rules of procedures and shared some current reflections of the council.

The Minister of Education, Science and Sports, prof. Maja Makovec Brenčič and State Secretary, dr. Tomaž Boh with the director of the ARRS, presidents of ARRS’s Governing Board and Scientific Council, and members of the Scientific Council

The minister drew attention of the council members to the concept of open science, proactively advocated by the European Commission and underlined efforts made by the ministry towards increasing internationalisation of Slovenian science.