24th Slovenian Science Festival to be held under the slogan “Nature, People and Experiments”

  • At the festival, jointly organised by the Slovenian Science Foundation, the pharmaceutical company Lek and University of Ljubljana, around 80 different scientific events will take place. 
  • Most events will fascinate the participants by presentation of experiments, in particular from the field of natural science. The admission to all events is free.
  • The main venues of festival events are the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical technology and the Faculty of Pharmacy, the participants will also have the opportunity to view the Lavička Collection at Lek.
19. 9. 2018

The 24th Slovenian Science Festival with international participation will be from Tuesday, September 25, until Thursday, September 27, 2018, the central national arena popularising science for all those who enjoy acquiring new knowledge. The underlying theme of this year’s festival will be Nature, People and Experiments. The main partners in the organisation and execution of the festival are Lek and the University of Ljubljana.

This year’s central theme Nature, People and Experiments draws attention to nature to which we, as living beings, belong. When learning about nature, a number of questions arise, particularly about our relationship to animals and plants, our own vulnerability and personal responsibility. And these are the questions to which the participants of the festival will try to find answers with the help of program animators. 

The principal organiser of the festival is the Slovenian Science Foundation. Edvard Kobal, PhD, the director of the Slovenian Science Foundation, stressed: »We will present nature also as a subject affected by social changes, processes and conflicts. However, most events will fascinate the participants by presentation of experiments, in particular from the field of natural science, as well as artistic components in combination with science and modern technology.«

The University of Ljubljana and Lek are the co-founders and co-organisers of the Slovenian Science Foundation. 

On this occasion, Prof. Tanja Dmitrović, PhD, Vice-Rector of the University of Ljubljana, said: »Curiosity as a basic human virtue in early childhood should be encouraged and developed. This is not only the task of parents and educators, but also us who work in science. Einstein once said that most of the fundamental ideas in science are essentially simple and if we make an effort they can be expressed in a language and in a manner that can be understood by all. The Science Festival fulfils this mission with excellence. At the University of Ljubljana, we are delighted that such events exist and it is our honour and pleasure to be able to participate in them – together with professors and researchers from different faculties. The university is no longer an old-fashioned institution using the “ex cathedra” method where the lecturer reads a course text out and students listen and memorise the content, with no room for questions. We want to have curious and inquisitive students who have a sparkle in their eyes and absorb and co-create new knowledge. This is also a challenge for us, the teachers, as the students often ask questions that trigger our own curiosity which generates new research challenges and creates new knowledge. Therefore, I wish that as many young people as possible, their teachers and parents, take part in this festival. Undoubtedly we can all learn something new and look at the world from a different perspective.«

»Scientific innovation is key to fulfilling our mission – to find new ways to improve people’s lives. We co-create the Slovenian science environment and are aware that young curious and ambitious scientists can help us unveil different views on the challenges that we face. This is why our support to the Science Festival is the right investment for a healthy future,« said Assoc. Prof. Zdenko Časar, PhD, board member and President of the Science Council of the Slovenia Science Foundation and Head Prototype Analytics at the Sandoz Development Center Slovenia.

During the festival, around 80 events aimed at curious and ambitious youngsters will be held in different locations. The main part of the program, which is linked to natural science and the use of experimental methods in research, was prepared by two members of the University of Ljubljana: the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology and the Faculty of Pharmacy. This year, the program animators from Austria, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain and the United States will join the festival activities.

The largest pharmaceutical-medical collection in Slovenia with outstanding cultural, educational and scientific importance, the Lavička Collectionthe owner of which is Lek, will also be open for viewing.

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Novartis is the leading provider of medicines in Slovenia, where Lek, Novartis Pharma Services and Sandoz, operate. Together we are building and maintaining the reputation of a dynamic, ethical, and trusted pharmaceutical company. Lek develops, manufactures, and markets effective, safe, and high quality medicines and active pharmaceutical ingredients. With our knowledge, quality, and experience we have gained an important role in Novartis' organizational structure, especially in the Novartis Technical Operations, Global Drug Development, Novartis Business Services, and the generic division Sandoz. We are the leading Sandoz development center, and one of the key development sites for technologically complex projects. We invest a great deal in the development, education, and training of our employees. Novartis invested in Slovenia more than EUR 2 billion since 2003. More than half of this investment has been devoted to development, and the rest to modernize and expand our production capacities.

Sandoz is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. As a division of the Novartis Group, our purpose is to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives. We contribute to society's ability to support growing healthcare needs by pioneering novel approaches to help people around the world access high-quality medicine. Our portfolio of approximately 1,000 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2017 sales of USD 10.1 billion. In 2017, our products reached well over 500 million patients. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany's Greater Munich area.

Sandoz is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Sandoz_global at http://twitter.com/Sandoz_Global. Follow our blog at www.sandoz.com/makingaccesshappen.

Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2017, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.1 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 125,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

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This press release contains statements and conclusions based on projections of Lek’s future business operations. These estimates are derived from the best information currently available. In case these forecasts prove unreliable, the actual results could prove different from those projected.

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For additional information contact:
Katarina Klemenc
Corporate Communications 
Lek Pharmaceuticals d. d.
Phone: +386 1 580 22 43
Fax: +386 1 580 24 32
katarina.klemenc@sandoz.com