For the much awaited beginning of summer, EUNIC – Interviews offers you an overview on the professional experience of one of our most active members: our Slovenian friend and colleague Jana Kulevska Črepinko 🇸🇮🇳🇱🇪🇺
What is Jana’s experience as Advisor for Economic and Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of Slovenia in The Hague? And what projects has she been working on as part of the EUNIC Netherlands team?
1) What role do you play in your institute/embassy?
At the Embassy of Slovenia in The Hague, I am responsible for economic and cultural affairs. I also assist the diplomats in various key areas of their work, such as promoting Slovenian economic/business interests and tourism, providing a range of key consular services, and supporting the good relations between the Governments. Helping with promoting and raising awareness of several important Slovenian initiatives and projects, inter alia, World Bee Day, Slovenia-European Region of Gastronomy 2021 and Europe Readr, is part of my job as well.
Promoting Slovenian culture is an important segment of the Embassy’s work. We showcase Slovenian culture by organising projects, events and collaborations with Slovenian artists, writers, filmmakers, actors, cultural institutions, Friends of Slovenia Association and the Slovenian community. EUNIC Netherlands is an important platform for our promotional activities. At the same time, we are proud to have a diaspora, which makes a meaningful contribution to our country, whether they are raising awareness of our culture or creating a positive image of Slovenia worldwide.
2) How do you contribute to EUNIC?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, with the Slovenian Representations abroad, strongly believes in EUNIC’s mission and actively promotes European cultural relations. The Embassy of Slovenia in The Hague is actively participating in many activities of the EUNIC Netherlands with the aim to present and promote Slovenian culture in the Netherlands, and to foster the European collaboration in culture. The European Literature Night and International Women’s Day celebration are good examples of this successful cooperation.
The Embassy of Slovenia, together with EUNIC Netherlands and local partners, co-ordinates the local implementation of the fantastic European project: “Europe Readr – the Future of Living”.
Europe Readr is a project initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia on the occasion of the upcoming Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU (July-December 2021). Europe Readr is a freely accessible digital platform, providing a free edited selection of European literature on the overarching topic “Future of Living”. It will include works from all EU Member States in their original language (24 official languages), and translated to English. Under the slogan “Open a book for a better future”, the platform www.europereadr.eu will be launched on 1st July 2021. We teamed up with TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, and its students will produce a Europe Readr urban open space for reading and dialogue. ‘Future of Living’ Pavilion will embark on its maiden voyage in September. It will be installed in the central library of Amsterdam Public Library (OBA), and later on continue its journey to other libraries around the Netherlands.
3) What is the best aspect about being a EUNIC Netherlands’ member?
Being part of EUNIC Netherlands network is a great opportunity for different cultural representatives to work together on diverse local cultural projects, and co-create a space for cultural dialogue and collaborations, thus strengthening much-needed European co-operation in culture.
Thank you Jana for your very insightful contribution!
