Political and La Grande Fête Announcements: Security de la ASEF Fellowship Consultations Francophonie Program page 2 > page 3 & 4 > page 5 & 6 > NEWSLETTER MARCH 18, 2016, VOLUME 12, NUMBER 5 Colorado National Guard Leadership Visit the Embassy On Tuesday, April 15, strengthening of future cooperation 23 years, peaking in a partnership 2013, Major General H. Michael between the Slovenian Army (SV) program of exercise and training Edwards, Adjutant General of and Colorado National Guard of members of SV and CNG in Colorado National Guard, and (CNG) within the framework of Colorado and Slovenia for the some 20 senior military staff State Partnership Program. The operations and management of members of Colorado Department partnership was launched in 1993 OMLT (Operational Mentor and of Military and Veterans Affairs when the Colorado National Liaison Team) in Afghanistan. paid their annual visit to the Guard was chosen to help Slovenia The established partnership added Slovenian embassy. The delegation in meeting the NATO standards significally to the friendly relations met with Deputy Chief of Mission, necessary for joining the Alliance and between Slovenia and the U.S., Vladimir Kolmanič, and Defense to support the restructuring of the which is one of the reasons why both Attaché, Colonel Ivan Mikuž. Slovenian Armed Forces. sides hope that this most valued The meeting at the Embassy The cooperation has been relationship will continue in the was dedicated to discussing the very intensive and fruitful in the past future. Embassy of Slovenia 2410 California Street, NW twitter.com/SLOinUSA Washington, D.C. 20008, USA T: +1 202 386 66 01 E: [email protected] washington.embassy.si facebook.com/SLOembassyUSA DCM Kolmanič and Col. Mikuž welcoming Major General Edwards. Some 20 senior military staff members visited the embassy. POLITICAL AFFAIRS Political and Security Consultations Between Slovenia and the U.S. The United States hosted international and regional political The Slovenian side underlined the regular annual political and security and security issues, the fight against importance of the open-door policy consultations with Slovenia in terrorism, managing migration, both and the enlargement of NATO, Washington on March 9. The U.S. countries’ activities within NATO, including the related issue of the delegation was headed by the Deputy their participation in U.N. peace Euro-Atlantic prospects of countries Assistant Secretary at the Bureau for operations, and the possibilities of in Western Balkans. Political-Military Affairs, William enhancing bilateral cooperation on The debate also focused on G.P. Monahan, whereas Slovenia was political and security matters. the situation in Afghanistan and the represented by the Acting Director- Both sides also exchanged international community’s efforts General for Multilateral Affairs, views on Western Balkans. With to stabilize the country. Both sides Development Cooperation and regard to NATO, the discussion also reaffirmed their support for the International Law, Sanja Štiglic. focused on the challenges in the east activities of ITF – Enhancing Human This, the ninth regular and south, and on preparations for Security. consultations were devoted to topical the July NATO Summit in Warsaw. SPORTS Matjaž Vrhunc Raced the Rock ‘n’ Roll, D.C. Marathon Member of the Slovenian By invitation of the Defense Armed Forces athletic team and Attaché, Colonel Ivan Mikuž, he also Slovenian Ministry of Defense’s staff attended the reception on the occasion member Matjaž Vrhunc competed on of the visit of the Colorado National Saturday, March 12, in the Rock ‘n’ Guard leadership at the Embassy Roll D.C. Marathon. Among 2,477 of Slovenia, where Deputy Chief of participants, he took 43th place and Mission, Mr. Vladimir Kolmanič, 2nd place in his age group. With the and the Colorado National Guard excellent result of three hours and three Commander, Major General Michael minutes, he successfully represented Edwards, congratulated him for his the Slovenian Armed Forces and outstanding run. Slovenian Ministry of Defense. MARCH 18, 2016, PAGE 2 PUBLIC DIPLOMACY La Grande Fête de la Francophonie On Friday, March 18, the Slovenia traditionally attractions and cultural characteristics. Embassy of France in Washington hosted participates in the event due to its status The visitors were invited to sample perhaps the most eagerly anticipated as an observer at the International Slovenian traditional foods, wine event during “le mois de la francophonie”, Organization of La Francophonie and beer, and a lot of their attention La Grande Fête de la Francophonie. The (OIF - Organisation internationale de and admiration was also given to the traditional cultural and promotional la Francophonie). Although Slovenia Slovenian national costume. Next to event, which attracted around 1500 is not a French-speaking country, our Slovenia, more than 30 embassies of visitors, was the highlight of the annual embassy recorded a large number of member and observer states joined in Francophonie Cultural Festival. visitors at the presentation of our tourist presenting their culture and cuisine. EDUCATION Mann Elementary School Students Visit the Embassy As part of the Embassy are participating in an academic students, and to impart global Adoption Program, Mann program (offered in partnership education in the classroom. One Elementary School students with the D.C. Public Schools and of the program’s highlights is field visited the Slovenian Embassy the Washington Performing Arts trips, so the students can experience on Friday, March 18. Both the Society), the mission of which is firsthand their adopted culture. Slovenian Embassy and the school to work with 5th- and 6th-grade This was the fifth graders’ MARCH 18, 2016, PAGE 3 Learning Slovenian. Learning about Slovenia. first visit to Slovenian Embassy. their questions. After the lecture and the famous Carniolian sausage The group of some 40 students was about the country and a lesson of (kranjska klobasa). The 5th graders welcomed by Ms. Nuška Zakrajšek, Slovenian language, the students also learned about Slovenian who explained to them the role had a chance to taste traditional traditional costume and folk music, of an embassy and answered to Slovenian walnut roll-cake “potica” and took a dance lesson. MARCH 18, 2016, PAGE 4 ANNOUNCEMENT ASEF Fellowship Program 2016 The American-Slovenian special effects for film, medical simulation, Mechanical Engineering: Education Foundation (ASEF) fellowship finite element methods, model reduction Princeton University, Prof. program provides student financial and control of nonlinear systems. Andrej Košmrlj, who works on projects at support, allowing fellows to focus on Stanford University, Prof. Jure Leskovec, the intersection of physics and mechanical their research. Fellowships build lasting who focuses on data science and modeling engineering. Projects are focused on relationships between ASEF and of human activity traces. Analysis of investigation of mechanical metamaterials, academic institutions. The purpose of large social and information networks. mechanics of structures, nonlinear the fellowship is to strengthen research Applications of recommender systems, mechanics and mechanics of biomaterials. and study exchange between Slovenia machine learning and data mining to big and the U.S. with the objective of giving data problems. Applications should include: talented Slovenian students the ability University of California Berkeley, - Application form to realize their potential to the fullest. Prof. Dawn Song, who is looking for - Curriculum Vitae with a focus on The ASEF fellowship provides funding students focusing on computer security, applicant’s research. (travel, housing, and living expenses) for a including security and privacy issues in - Transcripts of applicant’s courses. 10 week summer research visit to a U.S. Web and mobile systems; analysis of and - A Research statement (no longer than 2 university or research institution in the defense against malicious code; using pages) that should include: area of applicant’s field of study/expertise. program analysis, algorithms design, and Previous research experience: list and machine learning for security and privacy. describe all of your project/research work Eligibility for courses, participation at research Applications are open to full- time Computational and molecular biology: projects, lab work at your department, Slovenian as well as Slovenian-American University of California, San your independent research, relevant students enrolled in a higher education Francisco, Prof. Andrej Šali, who works on summer internship experience, and sim. institution. A typical applicant is a senior projects that use large-scale computational - A proposal for a project or an idea for undergraduate, master’s, or junior PhD models grounded in the laws of physics your thesis/dissertation that you want to student. and evolution to study the structure work on during your visit. Describe the and function of proteins. Developing project or the idea and argue why you Participating institutions methods for: predicting the structures find it interesting. Include list of scientific The fellowship provides funding of proteins; determining the structures references related to your field of research. for a 10 week summer research visit to the of macromolecular assemblies; and - Two reference letters. following research groups: annotating the functions of proteins using The letters should (among other