State Secretary of Education and Sport Magdalena (Alenka) Šverc, Ph.D.

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Magdalena (Alenka) Šverc was born on 2. August 1967 in Dovže in Mislinjska dolina.

On completing secondary school, Dr Šverc enrolled at the Faculty of Theology in Ljubljana and received her degree. During her studies and afterwards Dr Šverc was actively involved in the creation and development of the student religious pastoral service in Maribor,and in particular in the emergence of the Sinai Centre and of Amos - the Academic Catholic Association. Dr Šverc also managed, with success, the project entitled Schools for Activity Leaders, which is today to be found throughout Slovenia. When democratic change started in Slovenia, she became involved in student politics in Maribor. Thus Dr Šverc became the first democratically elected chairwoman of the Student Organisation of University of Maribor.

After taking her degree at the Faculty of Theology, Dr Šverc accepted the offer made by the Bishop of Maribor to study at the International Pontifical Salesian University in Rome and obtained the degree of Master of Pedagogical studies. She completed her studies with the degree Master of Pedagogical Sciences. Dr Šverc completed her doctor's studies as a teaching instructor at the Faculty of Theology in Ljubljana. In addition, she specialised in the field of youth work and Gestalt Therapy in Germany and Austria.

Dr Šverc was employed at the “Anton Martin Slomšek” Episcopal Grammar School and at the Faculty of Theology in Ljubljana, Maribor Unit.

She has been actively involved in an international school project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In recent years, Dr Šverc has headed voluntary work in Sarajevo together with grammar school and university students and is the co-founder of the initiative entitled “School on the human scale.”