The rector particularly touched upon the issue of connections between science, culture and national identity. He said: »Science and knowledge are an indispensable part of culture and as such they are the core pillars of national identity.« He reminded us that it was precisely scientific and research works of the great Slovene personalities, such as Trubar and Valvasor, that had fortified the space of the Slovenian language, art and culture within a wider European context
At the same time, the rector pointed out the future needs of the Slovenian society: »It is estimated that Slovenia will need some 10,000 highly educated staff members annually over the next decade, while the fact is that every year there has been some 3,000 unoccupied working positions of this kind. Wouldn’t it be wise to pay a proper attention to the Slovenian institutions of knowledge?«
The rector also emphasised the challenges faced by the European higher education area, such as fragmentation, due to which European universities tend to poorly compete with bigger American and Asian institutions. The University of Nova Gorica responds to these challenges by actively participating in international networks such as the European University ACROSS, which connects ten European universities situated in the cross-border regions.
