The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, will by the end of the week propose Dr Žiga Turk for the post of Minister without Portfolio - head of the Government Office for Growth. The National Assembly will decide on the nomination at the regular February session.

 

Dr Žiga Turk was born 4 February 1962 in Ljubljana. He is a professor at the University of Ljubljana. He holds a PhD in technical sciences, an MSc in computer science, and a BSc in civil engineering.

 

The wider public knows him as the initiator and expert editor of the magazine on microcomputers ''Moj mikro' (1984-87). He was one of the pioneers in introducing the internet to Slovenia, and developed several applications which have earned him wider acclaim. Besides teaching at the University of Ljubljana, he has been a guest lecturer at Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Istanbul Technical University and the University of Zagreb. He reviews national research projects for Austria and Finland. He regularly reviews scientific articles for several international magazines and sits on the planning committees of most international events in his field. He is the co-founder and co-editor of the international scientific magazine ‘ITcon’. He has been participating in European research programmes since 1994, and has coordinated two projects worth several million euros. From 2006 he has been President of the Supervisory Board of the telco Telekom Slovenije.

 

He has collaborated in the drafting of National Research and Development Programme for the period 2006-2010 and the strategy of target research projects. He has been a member of the group for tax reform with the reform Committee. He is a member of the Scientific Council at the Slovenia Research Agency and Vice-President of the Strategic Council for Culture, Education and Science.

 

The Prime Minister justifies his nomination with Dr Turk's vast experience in research and development, his understanding of strategic reform objectives and guidelines from the Framework of Economic and Social Reforms, his wide expertise, international recognition and the results of his work, which reflect his continuous efforts to meet the objectives set out in Slovenia's Development Strategy.

 

Dr Žiga Turk has accepted his nomination. "It is a great honour to be invited to work for one's country. The decision has not been easy; however, it was the only one possible. Throughout my entire career I have been involved in research and the technologies of the future. Care for the development of a country is a challenge, which I accept, expecting team work and constructive collaboration with everyone dealing with the issues of the future," he wrote in his letter of acceptance to the PM.

 

The candidate for Minister without Portfolio, Dr Žiga Turk, will first present his views on research and reforms to the relevant parliamentary body and then to the wider public.