ASEF at SEI 2026: Domen Škerlep Shared His Inspiring Journey

This year, ASEF once again joined the Education and Student Entrepreneurship & Internship (SEI) 2026 program, organized for the 15th consecutive year by the U.S. Embassy in Ljubljana and AmCham Slovenia. The program is designed for Slovenian university students who wish to gain practical experience in entrepreneurship, business, and economics.

At the event, held on Wednesday, July 8, at the NLB Centre for Innovative Entrepreneurship, ASEF Generation 2024 Fellow Domen Škerlep presented the ASEF Fellowship Program and shared his remarkable multidisciplinary journey as part of the Young Minds lecture series.

Domen Škerlep studied Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. As part of his studies, he also completed an exchange semester in Astrophysics at The University of Queensland in Australia.

As an ASEF Generation 2024 Fellow, Domen spent ten weeks conducting research under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Andrej Košmrlj at Princeton University. His project focused on the vibration analysis of specially reinforced thin plates. The research involved modeling vibrations using the finite element method in the FEniCS software framework, while high-speed camera measurements were used to experimentally analyze the dynamic response of plates with different reinforcement configurations subjected to various vibration impulses.

Domen’s achievements extend well beyond the laboratory. He has competed in prestigious international debating tournaments in Bangkok and Hanoi, as well as at Harvard University and Yale University, where his team placed third among all European teams. He has also been playing volleyball competitively for more than a decade, participating in the Slovenian, Dutch, and Australian national leagues. In his free time, he enjoys skiing and playing tennis. Alongside his academic pursuits, Domen is currently gaining business experience through his work at the consulting firm Deloitte.

Presenting Opportunities for Young Talent

During the SEI 2026 event, Domen introduced participants to the ASEF Fellowship Program, explaining the application process, the importance of mentorship, and the invaluable support provided by the ASEF community, which opens doors to some of the world’s leading research institutions. The audience listened with great interest, asking questions about balancing elite sports, studying abroad, and conducting research while expressing strong enthusiasm for becoming part of the ASEF community.

We believe that Domen’s presentation perfectly demonstrated the lasting impact that international research exchanges can have on both personal growth and professional development.

Our sincere thanks go to AmCham Slovenia and the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia, especially Charlotte Taft, for inviting ASEF to participate each year and for sharing our commitment to creating new opportunities for young talents.