On Wednesday, 24 May, Israeli ambassador, His Excellency, Eyal Sela visited Koper. After he stopped at the Port of Koper, he participated in a meeting at the University of Primorska, where he met the rector, prof. Dragan Marušič, PhD, Deans of UP FHŠ and UP FAMNIT, prof. Irena Lazar, PhD and assoc. prof. Klavdija Kutnar, PhD and UP FTŠ vice dean assoc. prof. Gorazd Sedmak, PhD. Afterwards he also wished to visit UP FAMNIT. 

During a pleasant and relaxed meeting at the faculty, we presented the extensive collaboration we are having for years with Israeli institutions and people. Our students are participating at an elite international summer school Kupcinet-Getz International Summer School. They are very active in Open International Internet Olympiad, where our university received a Title of the Winner University last year and two years ago, they had a chance of meeting 15 Nobel laureates in the field of physics, chemistry, biology and economics in Israel.

Also our research collaboration is excensive. UP FAMNIT implemented 3 bilateral projects with Israeli institutions in recent years. Besides, Ben Gurion University of the Negev participated as an associate partner in the project EuroGiga GREGAS. The ambassador commended the collaboration with the Ben Gurion University of the Negev and emphasised the strategic importance of collaboration with them, as they will receive extensive development funds for the future with an expectations of further development and increase of influence.  

UP FAMNIT researchers published tens of joint SCI articles with Israeli colleagues, while is research cooperation intensive also in other areas: Israeli professors and researchers participate in our pedagogic process and they are giving lectures and participating at summer schools and scientific meetings, which we organise.

After the general presentation of collaboration, the Department of Applied Natural Sciences more specifically showcased their work. The countries share the challenges in the Mediterranean agriculture, even if the conditions are different. Considering the research progress, everyone agreed that there is still a lot of potential for future research and general cooperation between our and Israeli institutions.