ASEF Podcast

In this episode, we discuss computer vision, distinguishing it from computer graphics, and delve into the challenges of 3D computer vision. We also examine the current state of autonomous driving research and discuss deepfakes.We host two experts in the field:Žan Gojčič a senior research scientist at Nvidia, with a research focus is on 3D deep learning, weakly supervised learning, and domain adaptation.Aljoša Osep a senior research scientist at Nvidia, working on learning to understand the dynamic world from raw and unlabeled streams of sensory data.Timestamps:1:30: What initially drew you to the field you are currently in, and what continues to motivate you in your research? 6:35: Studying abroad14:38: Why did you decide to go into industry instead of staying in academia?20:02: What is computer vision (and the difference between computer vision and computer graphics) and what are some common applications of computer vision in today's world?24:10: 3D computer vision and What needs to be “synthesized” to create a realistic scene?27:09: Challenges in the filed20:31: Current state of research in autonomous driving and challenges 42:50: Deepfakes49:34: Emerging trends, open problems56:18: Book recommendations and closing words

In this episode, we dive into another part of the technology transfer and entrepreneurship ecosystem - venture capital (VC) and business angels. We discuss the different VC funds in Slovenia, how startups should approach funding, opportunities and challenges in the local area, as well as success stories in the region, and perspectives abroad. We host three experts from the Slovenian venture capital scene:Nina Dremelj, Managing Partner at Vesna deep-tech Fund, President of Slovenian Business Angels, and Board Member of the European Business Angels NetworkGregor Rebolj, serial entrepreneur and investor, co-founder of Klika, Sportradar, and 1Home, as well as founding partner of Silicon GardensRok Habinc, partner at Pan-Adria Partners, previously partner at STH Ventures Fund, and active business angel and Board member at Business Angels of Slovenia.Timestamps:Venture Capital 101: What is VC and how does it support startups? (1:30)VC landscape in Slovenia: Insights into Slovenian funds and their focus areas. (06:03)Differences between VC funds: What should startups look for? (18:05)Accelerators and Incubators: Early entrepreneurial education and wider ecosystem (27:33)Scaling and foreign capital: How does a local startup scale and seek funding abroad (37:25)Challenges in Slovenia: policy, legislation, and culture (47:40)Opportunities and success stories: what the region is good at and achievements (1:03:30)Global perspectives: Practical examples and best practices to learn from. (1:12:10)Advice for young founders: Insights on fundraising, mentorship, and determining investment readiness. (1:18:52)

In this episode we talk about University Spin-Outs. How is it different from a “classic” start-up? What is the process of founding a univesity spin-out in Slovenia?We look at the journey of two such companies: prof. Tomaž Skrbinšek presents DIVJALabs, where they work on molecular genetics and bioinformatics for biodiversity conservation and research, while Blaž Zoubek, PhD, tells us about SPEKTRAL - the structural engineering and consulting company, both spin-outs from the University of Ljubljana.The host of ASEF Podcast’s Business & Technology vertical is Frenk Dragar, a Master's Student of Artificial Intelligence at Utrecht University. He was an ASEF Fellow 2023 with Dr. Gašper Beguš at UC Berkeley.

In this episode, we host Dr. Jure Knez, Founder of Dewesoft, a world-leading hi-tech company for test and measurement solutions, and vice-president of the Slovenian Business Club.  We talked with Dr. Knez to gain insights about the company's origins, the role of artificial intelligence in test and measurement tools, his views on entrepreneurship, his role and vision regarding the Katapult startup environment, and the main challenges entrepreneurs and companies face in Slovenia. In addition, we get to know Slovenia's main competitive advantages and how the Slovenian business environment can be improved.

In this episode, we host Katarina Van Der Linden, an accomplished Slovenian musician currently residing and working in Australia. Katarina pursued her music education at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Before immigrating to Australia in 2015, she taught in various primary, high, and music schools in Slovenia. Her music education started in Dravograd and continued in Žalec, Velenje, and Ljubljana. She studied saxophone, piano, and music pedagogy. While teaching at Rudolf Maister High School in Kamnik, she co-wrote a curriculum for harmonica, which she has been playing for many years. She also writes poetry in Slovenian and English, and her works were published in various Celjsko and Saleško literarno društvo publications. One of her latest poems TU-JI-NA was made into a choir piece. The music was written by a young Slovenian composer, Uršula Jašovec, and was premiered at Slovenska Filharmonija in October 2023.

In this episode, we host three guests related to healthcare in Slovenia:Dr. Alenka Kolar, Director of the General Directorate for Digitalisation in Healthcare, SloveniaGašper Čehovin, Managing Director and Partner of Parsek, a company developing a multi-purpose platform for supporting integrated care aiming to reduce administrative burden in the healthcare sector significantlyFederico Potočnik, dr. med., a physician specializing in infectious diseases and a graduate of the Stanford MSx ProgramIn this episode, we explore the state of healthcare deliverance in Slovenia and discuss how public versus private healthcare models may pave the way for future healthcare deliverance.  In absorbing three valuable perspectives in the transformation process, we gain insight into the numerous factors impacting healthcare transformation into the digital age. Join us in this conversation! The ASEF Podcast host is David Turk, an ASEF Fellow 2020 from the Visiting Slovenia program. 

In Episode 24, we talk with Dr. Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel, Partner at SYSTEMIQ, and advisor to thought-leading institutions such as the European Forest Institute. Listen as we discuss about climate change.Dr. Janez Potočnik's academic journey began with honors from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Ljubljana. He pursued further studies at the same university, completing his master's degree in 1989 and obtaining a Ph.D. in 1993. In July 1994, he assumed the role of Director at the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development of the Republic of Slovenia. Subsequently, in April 1998, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia appointed him as the Head of the Negotiating Team for the Accession of Slovenia to the European Union. His extensive involvement in European affairs continued as he served as Minister Councillor at the Office of the Prime Minister in June 2001 and later became the Minister without portfolio responsible for European Affairs on January 24, 2002. Dr. Potočnik joined the European Commission on May 1, 2004, and from 2004 to 2010, he held the responsibility for Science and Research. In 2010, he assumed a second mandate as a Member of the European Commission responsible for Environment, concluding on November 1, 2014. Post-2014, Dr. Potočnik's commitment to environmental causes persisted as he was appointed a member and Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme. Simultaneously, he took on roles such as Chairman of The Forum for the Future of Agriculture and a Member of the European Policy Centre's Advisory Council. Since April 2016, he has been a Partner at SYSTEMIQ. Additionally, from 2020 onwards, he holds the position of President of ThinkForest. In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Potočnik has received multiple honorary Doctor of Science degrees from institutions such as London Imperial College, Ghent University, and Finland Aalto University. Notable accolades include the United Nations' 2013 Champions of the Earth Award for promoting resource efficiency and reducing food waste in the European Union, the ACER Award for visionary contributions to the European Research Council, the Twelve Stars for the Environment Award for his science-based approach to environmental sustainability, and the Hans-Carl-Von-Carlowitz-Award 2015 for his courageous and international work in advocating for the circular economy in Europe.The ASEF Podcast host is Tanja Janko, a Master's Student of Chemistry at the University of Zurich. She was an ASEF Fellow 2019 with Dr. Dimitri Krainc at Northwestern University.

In this episode, we host three guests related to the entrepreneurial landscape in Slovenia:Charlotte Taft, Education Coordinator at the US Embassy in LjubljanaDanijela Pavlica, Head of Educational Content at POPRI, from Primorska Technology ParkJakob Gajšek, director of LUI, Ljubljana University IncubatorWe talk about youth entrepreneurship in Slovenia and the world. What is the state of youth entrepreneurship in Slovenia? What is being done in Slovenia and the region? We discuss best practices worldwide and their vision for developing and improving youth entrepreneurship in Slovenia.  We discuss creativity, the entrepreneur mindset, and traits: passion, ambition, experimentation, risk, learning, market fit, and many others.

In this episode, we host Mr. Boštjan Gorjup, ex-president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia and Managing Director at BSH Adriatic East, the largest manufacturer of small home appliances in Europe, one of the largest companies in Slovenia and also one of the most important companies in BSH. We talked with Mr. Gorjup to gain insights about the company's growth, the role of artificial intelligence in smart manufacturing, and recent challenges related to the floods in Slovenia. In addition, we get to know Slovenia's main competitive advantages and how the Slovenian business environment can be improved.

In this episode, we host Teja Tegelj, an accomplished Slovenian artist. Teja Tegelj earned her bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Education, Program Art Pedagogy at the University of Ljubljana. She later pursued a Master of Science in Art Pedagogy. During her studies, she took part in a student exchange in Germany. She also researched aboriginal art in Australia, which greatly influenced her art expression development. She was awarded the Grand Prix of the International Visual Art Award Ex-Tempore Ptuj and the Golden Osten Award at the Osten Biennial of Drawing Skopje. Since 2015, she has been a Slovenian Association of Fine Arts Societies member.

In Episode 20, we talk with Dr. Tamara Trošt, Associate Professor at the School of Economics and Business at the University of Ljubljana, and Dr. Manja Klemenčič, Associate Senior Lecturer on Sociology offering higher education courses at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University and in General Education at Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Listen as they discuss the field of sociology.Dr. Tamara Trošt is an ASEF Tutor and Associate Professor at the University of Ljubljana School of Economics and Business. She received a Ph.D. in Sociology from Harvard University and an M.A. in Political Science from Syracuse University. She has published about stereotypes, identity, populism, history education, collective memory, sports, and nationalism and specializes in qualitative research methods.Dr. Manja Klemenčič is an Associate Senior Lecturer on Sociology offering higher education courses at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, and General Education at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Klemenčič is a local affiliate at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University. Klemenčič is an external associate researcher at the Centre for Educational Policy Studies, Faculty of Education at the University of Ljubljana and collaborates with the research group at CMEPIUS, Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes, in particular as a member of the global academic network APIKS - Academic Profession in Knowledge Societies. She researches, teaches, advises, and acts as a consultant in the area of sociology and politics of higher education, European and international comparative higher education.The ASEF Podcast host is Tanja Janko, a Master's Student of Chemistry at the University of Zurich. She was an ASEF Fellow 2019 with Dr. Dimitri Krainc at Northwestern University.

In this episode, we host Mr. Tone Stanovnik, Founder and CEO of Špica International, a regional leader in Time Management and Access Control focusing on Workforce Management, Supply Chain Management, Sales Force Automation, and Asset Management. We talk with Mr. Stanovnik about the start of his entrepreneurial career and its development. He shares his insights into his company's growth, his views about efficiency and how it can be enhanced, and the many challenges they faced, such as adapting to changes such as migrating from on-premise to cloud models and licensing business models to subscriptions. In addition, we get to know his vision for the field of time management solutions, how he compares the business environment in Slovenia to other countries, the main competitive advantages of Slovenia, and how the Slovenian business environment can be improved.

In this episode, we host Polona Kunaver Ličen (Lona Verlich), a Slovenian painter, illustrator, graphic designer, exhibition creator, and musician. Polona Kunaver Ličen earned her bachelor's and master's degree at the Academy of Fine Arts, Ljubljana. During her master's degree, she spent a year in Helsinki, Finland, studying illustration and graphics. In 2006, she won the first prize in Austria for her illustrated book "The Secret of Old Man Bertold" at the author's book competition. She is a member of the Society of Fine Artists of Northern Primorska. Since September 2003, she and her husband have been running the art and design center Lična hiša in Ajdovščina, Slovenia.

In Episode 17, we talk with Dr. Vita Godec, Managing Director at Lenis farmacevtika d.o.o. and ASEF professor Dr. David Sarlah, Associate Professor at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Listen as they discuss the field of chemistry.Dr. Vita Godec is an ASEF Mentor who received her BSc in Biochemistry and her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Later she received her MBA from IEDC-Bled School of Management. Currently, she is a Managing Director at Lenis farmacevtika d.o.o., a Slovenian pharma wholesaler specializing in imports of niche and unlicensed medicines, where she focuses on digitalization in business process management.Dr. David Sarlah is an ASEF Professor who received his BSc in Chemistry from the University of Ljubljana in 2006 and his Ph.D. from the Scripps Research Institute in 2011. Following a postdoctoral stay at ETH Zürich, he joined the faculty at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2014, where he holds the position of Associate Professor at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.The ASEF Podcast host is Tanja Janko, a Master's Student of Chemistry at the University of Zurich. She was an ASEF Fellow 2019 with Dr. Dimitri Krainc at Northwestern University.

In this episode, we host Mr. Marko Bitenc, Founder and CEO of GenePlanet, one of the most prominent and innovative personal genetics companies, and Co-Founder of Universal Diagnostics, which is developing primary prevention methods for cancer through the use of blood tests. We talk with Mr. Bitenc about the start of his entrepreneurial career and its incredible development. He shares with us his insights into the growth of his companies, the products they offer, and the motivation behind them. We get to know his vision for the field of personal genetics and its increasingly tighter cooperation with clinical medicine in the future, as well as his thoughts on the potential for similar future life science companies in Slovenia.

In this episode, we host Slovenian academic painter Matej Metlikovič. Matej Metlikovič earned his bachelor's degree in 1978 at the Academy of Fine Arts, Ljubljana, under professors Štefan Planinc and Milan Butina, and completed his master’s degree under Kiar Meško and Janez Bernik in 1981. Since he completed his studies, Matej has continually worked, exhibited, and participated in national and international exhibitions, art workshops, and symposiums. His artworks are kept in numerous collections around Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Canada. He has been a freelance artist since 1992.

Why is it important to research mathematics? Do we discover maths, or do we invent it? What is the research purpose in the fields of topology and graphs? In which fields of mathematics does Slovenia have strong research groups? How does the research environment in Slovenia differ from other countries?In Episode 14, we talk with ASEF professors Bojan Mohar, Sara Kališnik, and Andrej Bauer. Listen as they discuss the field of mathematics.Bojan Mohar is a world-recognized mathematician in the field of graph theory. He is a Canada Research Chair in Graph Theory at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada, and a Full Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Ljubljana, was a post-doctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University, and was a Fullbright Visiting Scholar at the Ohio State University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Mathematical Society, and the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics. He received the John L. Synge Award and the prestigious Euler Medal. The Republic of Slovenia awarded him the Ambassador of Science Award.Sara Kališnik is a Senior Scientist in the Department of Mathematics at ETH Zurich. Her research focuses on using methods from pure mathematics to study data. She is the co-director of the Applied Algebraic Topology Research Network, which hosts a popular weekly Online Seminar. She obtained her Ph.D. at Stanford University and performed post-doctoral research at Brown University and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences. In the academic year 2020/2021, she was an Assistant Professor at Bentley University. Her research focuses on applied algebraic topology.Andrej Bauer is a professor at the University of Ljubljana. He obtained his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University and received the School of Computer Science Distinguished Dissertation Award for his Ph.D. thesis. He was the main coordinator for the 47th International Mathematical Olympiad held in Slovenia. In 2022 he received the American Mathematical Society Levi L. Conant Prize for the article “Five stages of accepting constructive mathematics.”The ASEF Podcast host is Tanja Janko, a Master's Student of Chemistry at the University of Zurich. She was an ASEF Fellow in 2019 with Dr. Dimitri Krainc at Northwestern University.

In this episode, we host Ms. Ajša Vodnik, Msc., CEO of AmCham Slovenia and Vice President of AmChams in Europe. In this episode, we talk about her early career, her current role as CEO of AmCham Slovenia and Vice President of AmChams in Europe, lessons learned, and her vision for  Slovenia. Among other things, we asked her how business ties can be strengthened between USA and Slovenia, what collaborations should be established between Slovenia and other countries across Europe, and in which areas Slovenia has the most business potential.

In this episode, we host Slovenian painter, lithographer, and graphic artist Leon Zakrajšek. Leon Zakrajšek graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1986. He specialized at the Centre Internacional de Recerca Gràfica, near Barcelona, and later as a Japanese government scholarship holder at Tama Art University in Tokyo. Between 1997 and 1998, he studied at the private printmaking studios of Hanga Kobo-Seya-Ku under Harumi Sonoyama and with master woodcutters Fumiu Kitaoka, Yukio Rei, and Seiko Kawachi. Zakrajšek has been a member of the Society of Slovenian Visual Artists (DSLU) since 1987, a member of the Kamakura Print Collection since 1998, and a selector and member of scientific committees in Cremona, Italy (since 2000) in Haifa, Israel, and Sofia, Bulgaria. He is also an honorary member of the Tokyo Print Association Han 17 in Tokyo, Japan, and an honorary member of the Petrovaradinska Tvrdjava Art Circle in Novi Sad. In addition to the above, the artist also organizes exhibitions at home and abroad.

Is the Metaverse a potential stepping stone for robotics and human-machine interaction? Does gamification enhance rehabilitation outcomes? Will we be able to build a comprehensive human-person digital twin for health purposes? How will Digital Twins and robotics change the manufacturing industry? What are the opportunities for Slovenia in this field? What is needed to build an ecosystem among industry and universities similar to the existing ones in the US? Can Slovenia become a test environment for self-driving cars?In Episode 11, we talk with ASEF professors Miloš Žefran, Vesna Novak, and Mitja Trkov. Listen as they discuss robotics and human-machine interaction.Miloš Žefran is an Electrical and Computer Engineering professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he also received an M.S. in Electrical Engineering. He received an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and 1996, respectively. From 1997 to 1999, he was a National Science Foundation (NSF) Postdoctoral Scholar at the California Institute of Technology. He was on the faculty at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and held a visiting position at the University of Pisa, Italy. Dr. Žefran received an NSF Career Award in 2001 and has been continuously supported by the NSF since then. His main research areas involve Human-Robot Interaction, assistive robots, cyber-physical systems, autonomous vehicles, runtime monitoring, and switched systems.Vesna Novak is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Cincinnati. She received her diploma and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Ljubljana in 2008 and 2011, respectively. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Sensory-Motor Systems Lab at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, from 2012 to 2014, and then an Assistant and Associate Professor at the University of Wyoming from 2014 to 2021. Her research interests include rehabilitation robotics, wearable robotics, virtual reality, serious games, affective computing, and human activity recognition.Mitja Trkov is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University.  He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, in 2016. He received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2007. Before his graduate studies, he worked as an R&D engineer in the naval industry. Before joining Rowan University, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT. His main research areas involve wearable and assistive devices, human-machine interactions, soft robotics, mechatronics, rehabilitation, and biomedical engineering, ergonomics, and biomechanics.The ASEF Podcast host is Tanja Janko, a Master's Student of Chemistry at the University of Zurich. She was an ASEF Fellow in 2019 with Dr. Dimitri Krainc at Northwestern University.