Embassy Facilitates Visit Between U.S. Science Official and Education Ministry

July 10, 2008

On July 7 and 8, William J. Valdez, Acting Director for the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists and Director of Planning and Analysis for the Office of Science at the Department of Energy, visited Slovakia at the invitation of Slovak Minister of Education Jan Mikolaj.  The invitation arose from a November 2007 meeting in Washington, DC suggested by the Embassy.  Impressed with U.S. strategies for organizing science education and research, Minister Mikolaj invited Mr. Valdez to speak to the science education community in Slovakia.  Mr. Valdez described best practices and challenges in the U.S. and the coordination between various governmental and non-governmental organizations including the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and private industry.  After the discussion, Mr. Valdez toured BIONT, a cyclotron center, and met with Rectors of the major universities and the leadership of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.  Mr. Valdez also met with members of the NGO community attempting to influence government plans for EU structural funds and other financing dedicated to science and technology.  Education officials in Slovakia expressed a continued desire to work with Mr. Valdez and other U.S. officials, and the follow-on meeting in Slovakia is a promising start.