Minister Andrijanič and Rector of the University of Ljubljana Gregor Majdič came together: “We have a lot of talent in Slovenia that we have to keep at home at all costs.”
Minister Andrijanič was received today at a courtesy meeting by prof. Gregor Majdič. The Minister of Digital Transformation informed the Rector about the current activities of the Government Office for Digital Transformation. Among the tasks awaiting the new government service, he highlighted the introduction of a digital voucher for lifelong learning, scheduled for next year, and the establishment of an international institute for applied artificial intelligence.
One of the main topics of the meeting was the promotion of interdisciplinary and international programs at the largest Slovenian university. In this regard, Minister Andrijanič emphasized that science should be more actively linked to entrepreneurship, as this will accelerate innovation and start-ups in Slovenia. Prof. Majdič said that proper control over the use of funds is of key importance in financing research and development projects.
Both the Minister and the Rector are aware that Slovenia has not yet exhausted all possibilities for attracting ICT experts back to their homeland, and at the same time we are facing the challenge of how to retain the talents we are educating in Slovenia.
Minister Andrijanič pointed out the fact that Slovenia lags behind other more developed countries in the teaching of digital skills in primary and secondary schools. The Rector agreed that the basics and logic of information content, such as programming, should be introduced into the curriculum as soon as possible.
At the end of the meeting, Minister Andrijanič and Rector Majdič committed themselves to strong and more active cooperation between the University of Ljubljana and the Strategic Council for Digitization.