Meetings of Slovene specialists in Slovenia
Each summer, foreign specialists who teach and research Slovene at foreign universities and institutes, or study it at graduate or postgraduate level, attend the traditional Seminar of Slovene Language, Literature and Culture. This event (in 2011 the 47th) is held every year in the last week of June (the intensive language course) and the first two weeks in July (the main two-week event). It is attended by over 130 Slovene specialists from more than 25 countries; over 100 of them are students and teachers from Slovene lectureships who can also obtain various types of grants for attending the Seminar. The Seminar offers in-depth study of Slovene through language courses, lectures and optional courses in language, literature and culture, as well as contact with teachers at the Department of Slovene Studies, the use of the libraries at the Faculty of Arts, and being in the capital city, access to the major Slovene research institutions. The afternoon and evening programme is devoted to socialising at events such as concerts, attending exhibitons, excursions and literary evenings. The Seminar is financed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.
The international gathering of Slovene specialists known as the Obdobja (Epochs) Symposiumis a high-level academic event that takes place each November, alternating between linguistic and literary themes, encouraging interdisciplinarity. It is intended for specialists in Slovene or Slavic languages, linguists and literary theorists, as well as experts from other humanities fields, who are interested in contributing a paper that is published in the Symposium proceedings. Towards the end of 2011 the 30th such Symposium will be held, under the title Interdisciplinarity in Slovene Studies.
