Slovakia’s best scientists for 2014 announced

Five Slovak scientists received awards as part of the 'Slovakia's Scientist of the Year 2014' event on Tuesday, with President Andrej Kiska in attendance. "Big and fantastic ideas can also emerge from a small country", said Kiska, adding that Slovakia can be proud of its scientists. Fedor Gömöry from the Slovak Academy of Sciences' (SAV) Electrotechnical Institute was chosen as the country's best male scientist for research into magnetic fields. He said that the situation concerning science is improving in Slovakia. "If you want to engage in theoretical science, this can already be done pretty well in Slovakia. If you need new technologies, this is beginning to operate thanks to structural funds", said Gömöry, adding that one positive feature is that ever more young people are getting involved in science. Meanwhile, Lucia Kučerová from SAV's Institute of Experimental Oncology was selected as the best female scientist for the results of her research into tumorous stem cells and cell therapy of aggressive human metastatic tumours. Sergej Hloch from the Faculty of Production Technologies of the Technical University in Košice was selected as 'Personality of the Year in Technology', Pavol Miškovský from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice was given the award of 'Personality of the Year in EU Programmes', while Ľubomír Švorc from the Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology at the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava became the best young scientist.