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THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CENTRE

Znanstvenoraziskovalni center SAZU
Gosposka 13
SI-1001 Ljubljana
Slovenia

Tel. + 386 61 125 60 68
Fax + 386 61 125 52 53

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The Scientific Research Centre of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) was founded by the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) on 19 November 1981. The social changes which took place in the early 1990s resulted in ZRC SAZU becoming independent of SAZU, within which it was registered as a research unit. In the middle of 1995, ZRC SAZU acquired the status of a public research institute. ZRC SAZU carries out basic research in the humanities and some sociological and social sciences, its main task being the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Slovene People interdisciplinary long-term research programme, which it still carries out jointly with SAZU.

ZRC SAZU is run by a Management Board which consists of representatives of ZRC SAZU researchers, SAZU representatives and representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The research programme of ZRC SAZU has been drawn up by the Scientific Council, which consists of a certain number of elected research project leaders, with one member of the Scientific Council appointed by SAZU. As a public research institute, ZRC SAZU acquires funds for its activities primarily from the Ministry of Science and Technology. However, the share obtained from international tenders for individual research projects is becoming increasingly important. Research work in Slovenia is organised and financed in the form of projects and this allows a review of the progress and results of research projects and the appropriate allocation of funds. It does not, however, ensure stability in the systematic processing of a large quantity of material, which is how ZRC SAZU predominantly conducts its research. This is one of the main reasons why ZRC SAZU is actively participating in the reorganisation of science in Slovenia.

The activities and operation of ZRC SAZU are organised and managed by its director. Since 1992 this has been Oto Luthar (PhD History), who describes his vision thus: ‘ZRC SAZU is a network of independent research units which are linked together exclusively by a common and well-founded research interest. We are all committed to creating a competitive (yet secure) open (yet regulated) and free (yet responsible) research and educational environment for qualified researchers, and to paving the way for them to be able to embark on the perilous road towards new discoveries without the fear of being deprived of their social status and personal freedom. In addition, we are committed to setting up a responsible, initiative-taking and innovative network of research institutes, the research interest of which is to reach all Slovene regions and, indeed, all continents’.

In 1997, among ZRC SAZU’s 230 employees there were 170 researchers, with one-third holding doctorates and one-tenth being young researchers preparing for their PhD theses. More than one-third of ZRC SAZU researchers are also lecturers at the two Slovene universities, the best and most enterprising of them gaining a reputation for themselves as visiting lecturers abroad. The ZRC SAZU researchers permanently test the results of their work at scientific meetings, many of which are held at an international level.

ZRC SAZU is made up of 15 institutes, which operate as independent units and conduct research in the following areas: linguistics, literary studies, history, musicology, history of art, archaeology, ethnology and ethnomusicology, philosophy, migration studies, geography, karstology, biology, palaeontology, and medicine. The institutes boast numerous collections of national importance and are assisted in their work by organised regional research centres; they also conduct educational seminars and international courses. In addition to the regional research centres, there are two research units whose work is interdisciplinary: the audio-visual laboratory enables the use of film, television and video technology in research work, while the spatial information centre offers access to geographical information systems. The foundation of the latter has coincided with the beginnings of computer-supported research activities and with the rapid development of computer technology over the last decade.

The comprehensive scope of ZRC SAZU’s work also includes publishing. Its own publishing house releases the results of ZRC SAZU research projects in the form of either books or CD ROMs and, in collaboration with the audio-visual laboratory, in the form of videotapes and research films. ZRC SAZU also publishes major research magazines and has created basic reference works such as the Dictionary of Literary Slovene.

Since 1994 ZRC SAZU has presented the ZRC SAZU honorary membership award to researchers who, through their research and other types of work, have significantly contributed to the reputation of the institute, and the ZRC gold medal to ZRC SAZU researchers who have boasted exceptional research achievements, or to researchers from all over Slovenia for the most influential PhD thesis in the humanities. The awards are bestowed at the Generations of Science event, about which the main Slovene cultural magazine wrote: “In Slovenia there is only one event which is a true cultural/artistic experience: the Generations of Science event which this year, for the fourth time, transcended the concept of a mere traditional ceremony. And not only because it successfully promotes researchers: this year the organisers, in the form of an accompanying text, staged passages from Elias Canetti’s work “Head Without a World”, which is about a withdrawn scientist obsessed with how to bed his housekeeper. This is the kind of self-deprecation that only the strongest can afford.”

All materials found in nature are carefully treated in laboratories - so it is in Ivan Rakovec Institute of Palaentology of ZRC SAZU (seating Spela Gorican, PhD, the head of institute)

Under the guidance of Ivan Turk, PhD, the scientists from Institute for archaeology of ZRC SAZU have found in cave Divje babe I near Idrija in Slovenia probably the oldest instrument in the world, a 45,000 years old bone flute

Simon Wiesenthal receives the title Honorary Member of the ZRC SAZU for his exceptional contribution to redressing wrongs committed against humanity (with director of ZRC SAZU Oto Luthar, PhD)

Oto Luthar, PhD, is the director of ZRC SAZU since 1992.

In addition to its original approach, the taking of initiatives in social relationships, competitiveness based on quality, and the transparent operation of science are the major guidelines followed by ZRC SAZU. In 1997 these guidelines proved to be highly necessary and, eventually, successful as ZRC SAZU encouraged links between scientific institutions to address common problems and co-founded the KORIS, Co-ordination of Slovenia’s Research Institutions Association. Moreover, ZRC SAZU was entrusted with the role of president of this informal association, which for the first time since 1992 succeeded in ensuring an adequate share of the budget allocation for science, having laid down new foundations for negotiations between the government and researchers. Finally, as far as science is concerned, ZRC SAZU is committed to understanding tradition. And while it may criticise it if necessary, it will by no means devour it.