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About SASA

Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti
Novi trg 3
SI-1000 Ljubljana

Phone: +386 1 4706-100,
fax: +386 1 4253-423 and +386 1 4253-439
E-mail: sazu@sazu.si

The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (by short SASA), founded in 1938, is the supreme national institution of sciences and arts. It associates scientists and artists, who have been elected as its members for their outstanding achievements in the field of sciences and arts.

SASA cultivates, encourages and promote sciences and arts, through its activities, contributes to the development of scientific thought and creativity in the arts, particularly by:

addressing basic issues of sciences and arts;
participating in establishing the policies of research activities and creativity in arts;
giving appraisals, proposals and opinions on the position, development and promotion of sciences and arts, and on the organization of research activities and creativity in the arts;
organizing research work, also in cooperation with universities and other research institutions, particularly in the fields which are important for the awareness of and gaining insight into the natural and cultural heritage of the Slovenian nation and for the development of its language and culture, and
developing international cooperation in the field of sciences and arts.

The management bodies of SASA are the Assembly, the Presidency and the President. The Assembly is the management body of SASA, composed of all full and associate members. The honorary and corresponding members of SASA may also participate in the work of the Assembly. The Presidency of SASA is composed of the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary-General, the Secretaries of Sections and three SASA members elected by the Assembly in accordance with the Law. The current affairs of the Presidency are dealt with by the Executive Board, composed of the President, the two Vice-Presidents and the Secretary-General. The President, the two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary-General and the Secretaries of Sections are elected for the period of three years with the possibility of one further re-election.

The Executive Board of the Presidency:

Acad. Jože Trontelj, President
Acad. Tadej Bajd, Vice-President
Acad. Marko Marijan Mušič, Vice-President
Acad. Andrej Kranjc, Secretary-General

SASA has a maximum of 60 full and 30 associate members. The limitation relates to members under 75 years of age. At present it has 89 full and 9 associate members. SASA has also a maximum of 90 corresponding members from scientific institutions abroad. At present it has 80 corresponding members.

The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts is active in different classes of research, as reflected in the corresponding following six sections of the Academy:

Section of Historical and Social Sciences has 14 full members, 2 associate members and 16 corresponding members. Secretary is Associate member Peter Štih. Section has two subsections. Head of Subsection of Historical Sciences is Associate member Peter Štih, Head of Subsection of Social Sciences is Acad. Slavko Splichal.
Section of Philological and Literary Sciences has 15 full members, 0 associate members and 13 corresponding members. Secretary is Acad. Andrej Inkret.
Section of Mathematical, Physical, Chemical and Technical Sciences has 20 full members, 1 associate member and 19 corresponding members. Secretary is Acad. Josip Globevnik. Section has two subsections. Head of Subsection of Mathematical, Physical and Chemical Sciences is Acad. Gabrijel Kernel, Head of Subsection of Technical Sciences is Acad. Janez Levec.
Section of Natural Sciences has 11 full members, 3 associate members and 10 corresponding members. Secretary is Acad. Robert Zorec.
Section of Arts has 19 full members, 1 associate member and 11 corresponding members. Secretary is Acad. Niko Grafenauer.
Section of Medical Sciences has 11 full members, 2 associate members and 8 corresponding members. Secretary is Acad. Franc Strle.

The Academy has two special units:

Department for International Relations and Scientific Coordination is headed by a full member of SASA. The head of the department is Acad. Branko Stanovnik.
The SASA Library is the third greatest library in Slovenia, regularly exchanges publications with scientific institutions all over the world. The Library is headed by Petra Vide Ogrin.

Office of Acad. France Bernik, Honorary Member of SASA.

The following committees, councils and foundations have been established at the Academy:

Council for energetics is headed by Acad. Janez Peklenik
Council for Slovenian space culture and identity is headed by Acad. Marko Marijan Mušič
Council for environmental protection is headed by doc. dr. Davorin Tome
Committee for ethnic minorities studies is headed by Acad. Jože Pirjevec
Committee for Slovenian langauge has two commissions: Expert commission for slovenian language (headed by Acad. Jože Toporišič) and Commission for Slovenian in public use
Committee for sustainable development
Commission for human rights is headed by Acad. Alenka Šelih
Commission for statutory issues is headed by Acad. Marijan Pavčnik
Committee for printing and publications is headed by Acad. Kajetan Gantar
Dr. Bruno Breschi Foundation is headed by Acad. Kajetan Gantar
Janez Vajkard Valvasor Foundation is headed by Matjaž Kmecl

SASA is a member of:

The Administration of SASA is headed by Executive Director who is also responsible for economic-financial and administrative-technical services in the special units. The present Executive Director is Zoran Mezeg.

SASA has been also the founder of important research institutes, such as Jozef Stefan Institute, National Institute of Chemistry, Turboinstitute and Milan Vidmar Electric Power Research Institute. It is still the founder of the latter one. It should be pointed out that the Academy is the founder of the Scientific Research center of SASA which is an autonomous research organization yet closely connected with the Academy. Namely, together with SASA, the Center has been implementing the long-term program Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Slovenian Nation in the following institutes: Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language, Institute of Archaeology, Milko Kos Institute of History, France Stele Institute of Art History, Institute of Musicology, Institute of Slovenian Literature and Literary Sciences, Institute of Slovenian Ethnology, Institute of Ethnomusicology, Institute for Slovene Emigration Studies, Institute of Philosophy, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Karst Research Institute, Ivan Rakovec Institute of Paleontology, Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Sociomedical Institut, Istitute for Cultural History and Institute of Anthropological and Spatial Studies.