It associates scientists and artists who have been elected as its members for their outstanding achievements in the field of sciences and arts.

[3] In 1925 the Slovene Society, the National Gallery of Slovenia and Pravnik association drafted the first proposal for the law which would establish the academy.

[3] SAZU was established in 1938 and was initially named Academy of Sciences and Arts (AZU).

[4] Due to the efforts of Milan Vidmar, the epithet Slovenian was added to its name in 1943 with a decree by Leon Rupnik, the mayor of Ljubljana under the Italian annexation.

His father, the literary historian France Kidrič was elected its president, and confirmed for the second term in 1948.

[5] In 1949, an amendment to the act was passed that allowed for membership not only of scientists and artists, but also of those the deeds of which had a "special significance".

Despite this, humanistics, social sciences and classical natural history remained the dominating fields.