Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

Ben Pascoe recaps the past week and looks ahead to what is happening around Slovakia. This week we prepare for winter by dicussing Christmas markets and skiing.

In this Thursdays show, we will dive into discussions with publishing house Matica slovenská as they reveal the behind-the-scenes of their work and share their thoughts on participating in the prestigious Bibliotéka book fair. We’ll uncover what drives them to attend, their expectations and ambitions tied to the event, and how such gatherings influence their work and interactions with readers. This year, as in previous years, Radio Devin will be part of the exhibition, so here’s a sneak peek of what it is like preparing such event. Offering inspiring insights into the challenges and successes within the publishing industry and outline the publishers’ future plans.

In this episode of the Slovakia Today programme, we bring you an interview with Aneta Bolvanová from Secondary Vocational School of Pedagogy and Social Sciences in Košice about education of Romani elementary and high school students. Next is Maroš Brojo, the executive director of the Slovak Game Developers Association, about Slovak video game industry, its evolution and future perspectives.

Ben Pascoe talks with best selling Slovak author Jozef Banas, about the Slovak book market and about his series of inspirational books about Slovak heroes from the past. This time we discuss Aurel Stodola and Milan Rastislav Stefanik.

In this Monday show, Patka is going to talk to Monika Prikkelová, dance teacher at Mondance dance school but most importantly, she is the pioneer of dance style called voguing and ballroom culture in Slovakia.

In honour of the 35th anniversary of the velvet revolution Ben Pascoe talks with some of those who were involved. Boris Zala from VPN and student leaders Boris Ondreicka and Peter Chowanec talk about what it was really like and what their strongest memories are after 35 years.

Interview: Marek Šulík, the filmmaker behind the film Ms President about the presidential mandate of the first female Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová. Martin Bednárik asks the director what was the making of the film like, what secrets about the presidential mandate of Zuzana Čaputová will the audience learn, and if Zuzana Čaputová liked the film after it was done. And – why is the film about the first Slovak female President important for the Slovak society?

According to the 2022 WWF Living Planet Report, wildlife populations have declined by an average of 69% over the past 50 years. This species loss affects not only animals but also plants, fungi, and microbes—the fundamental building blocks of any ecosystem. In Slovakia, where forests cover over 40 percent of the landscape, biodiversity within these woodlands is also in decline. Grasslands, which make up nearly 30 percent of the country, are similarly under threat.

To better understand the challenges facing these landscapes, we spoke with two experts. Zoltan Kun, a forest ecologist, recently co-authored an open letter to E.U. decision-makers ahead of this year’s COP CBD in Cali, Colombia. Signed by 150 scientists, the letter aims to spotlight the biodiversity crisis in Europe’s vast forests. We also spoke with Monika Janišová, a grasslands researcher with the Slovak Academy of Sciences, who discussed the critical relationship between societies and grasslands.

Ben Pascoe talks with Alan Henderson, Illah van Oijen, Tomas Estok and Guillaume De Canck all of whom organize cultural events in Slovakia in the English language, or at least English friendly. We will find out what they do, what advice they have for others looking to organize events here as well as what they are planning.

In this show, we will discuss the Slovak public’s perspective on nuclear power in connection with new technologies, education and climate change.