Friday, 29 November 2024 Ana Slavec, PhD, elected President of the Slovenian Society for Open Science (SSOZ)
The Slovenian Open Science Community, which brings together 37 members from various fields of science and research, is ending the year 2024 with decisive steps towards even more openness, collaboration and excellence. At the meeting on October 4, 2024, the members adopted new rules of procedure, which introduce updated internal regulations. The Rules of Procedure provide for the creation of the positions of President and Vice-President, enabling more effective governance of the community, which strives for accessibility and transparency of scientific work.
It is with great pleasure and pride that we inform you that Dr. Ana Slavec, Assistant Professor and Research Associate at the UP Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies and Research Associate at InnoRenew CoE, has been elected as the first Chair of the Slovenian Open Science Community at the next meeting on November 15, 2024. Dr. Sebastian Dahle, Assistant Professor and Research Associate at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Biotechnology, will take over the position of Vice Chair alongside her. Both are also long-standing members of the Young Academy, renowned researchers and experts in open research and committed advocates of open science.
Doc. Dr. Ana Slavec from the Department of Applied Natural Sciences UP FAMNIT
Dr. Ana Slavec, who has been working in the field of open science for eight years, said upon her election: "The community was founded to create an open and inclusive research environment based on transparency and collaboration. In doing so, it aims to ensure equitable access to knowledge and to promote innovation and societal development. The goals we are committed to are strengthening collaboration between scientific institutions, researchers and the public, improving the accessibility of research results and raising awareness of the importance of open science for societal development. " She also pointed out that one of their main goals is "... to expand our membership, so we of course welcome all who share our values and are interested in participating in this community. Membership is open to academic, research and educational institutions as well as other public and private institutions, associations and infrastructures. Membership is also open to individuals who can actively participate in our working groups and other activities. "
The statement continues: "... My election is a great honor and recognition for my previous work and an opportunity to influence the further development of this community and open science in Slovenia. At the same time, I feel a great responsibility to justify the trust placed in me."
The Slovenian Open Science Community is a central platform for promoting free access to scientific publications and data, for networking researchers and for involving decision-makers in the development of open science policy. The community consists of a broad spectrum of members from different disciplines who are experts in various areas of open science, from open publications, open publishing, research data management, open science infrastructures, copyright and research evaluation. Together, they will oversee the implementation of the Open Science policy and work to make Open Science the standard for research. The new rules and new leadership symbolize the continuous development and commitment to goals like these:
- Strengthening collaboration between scientific institutions, researchers and the general public,
- improving access to research results and
- raising awareness of the importance of open science for society and development.
The SSOZ actively brings researchers together and promotes cooperation and the exchange of knowledge. In this way, it makes an important contribution to the creation of a scientific environment based on accessibility, transparency and innovation. The new administrative structure will further support these activities and consolidate the position of the Slovenian Open Science community as an important partner in the development of open research and innovation in Slovenia.
The new leadership, with Dr. Slavec as President and Dr. Dahle as Vice President, brings fresh energy and a clear vision for the future. Both elected representatives emphasized their commitment to continuing the excellent work of the community, communicating effectively with the various stakeholders and working to strengthen its position and reputation nationally and internationally.
The Slovenian Open Science community will enter 2025 with a clear vision and new opportunities to collaborate, build bridges and create a progressive, connected scientific community. Together we will create science that is accessible to all!
