How ASEF Alumni Are Shaping Science at Home and Abroad

Summer is a vibrant season for the ASEF community. Our alumni continue to represent scientific excellence on the global stage while actively giving back to young talent in Slovenia. A prime example of this dual impact is Domen Pregeljc (2022 ASEF Fellow and current doctoral student at ETH Zürich), who achieved two major milestones this summer.

Representing ASEF at the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Domen was selected to attend the prestigious 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany, a landmark event bringing together roughly 70 Nobel Laureates and 600 top young scientists from across the globe.

The week-long conference focused on interdisciplinary science and addressing tomorrow’s challenges through four core themes: Resilience, Information, Integrity, and Life.

A major highlight for Domen was engaging in direct, deep discussions with Nobel Laureates across various disciplines:

• Dr. John Jumper (2024): AI and protein design
• Prof. Michael Levitt (2013): The dawn of computational chemistry
• Prof. Katalin Karikó (2023): Perseverance in mRNA development
• Prof. Duncan Haldane (2016): Insights into his Slovenian roots

“Most of the Laureates were very approachable and willing to share both their advice and the struggles they encountered on their paths. It was incredibly encouraging to see so many young scientists discussing science and broader societal challenges with such motivation, determination, and hope.” – Domen Pregeljc

Inspiring High School Students at the 4th Interactive Chemistry Summer School

In addition to his international achievement, Domen spent the beginning of July inspiring the next generation back home. He led the 4th Interactive Chemistry Summer School with Imperial College London Graduates in Trenta, organized in collaboration with the Association for Technical Culture of Slovenia (ZOTKS).

The mentoring team also included fellow Imperial graduates Andrew Bulata and Daniel Dalland. Together, they offered high school students an exclusive glimpse into life and research at world-leading institutions such as Imperial College London, ETH Zürich, and University College London.

Hands-On Experience and Industry Insights

The summer school emphasized practical learning, with students spending most of their time in the laboratory designing experiments, putting theory into practice, and drawing their own scientific conclusions.

Participants also had the opportunity to learn directly from leading experts in academia and industry:

• Dr. Luke Delmas (Imperial College London)
• Prof. Zdenko Časar (Head of Early Development of Pharmaceutical Products at Lek)
• Prof. Janez Mavri (Head of the Laboratory for Computational Biochemistry and Drug Design)
• Dr. Rok Sekirnik (Director of ASEF Institute and Head of Process Development mRNA/pDNA at Sartorius BIA Separations)

Fulfilling the ASEF Mission

By sharing knowledge acquired at top global universities with younger generations in Slovenia, our Fellows perfectly embody the core mission of ASEF: connecting Slovenian talent worldwide and giving back to their home community.

We congratulate Domen and everyone involved for their dedication and outstanding achievements!