The University of Primorska celebrates its anniversary every year in the week around 17 March, since it was entered in the Court Register on 17 March 2003. Thus, every year, the UP Week takes place, and within it there is always a Solemn Academy, at which the UP awards prizes to all those who have contributed to the reputation, development and success of the University through their work or activities.
This year’s Academy started with a special occasion – in the company of the first Rector, Dr. Lucija Čok, both Rectors – Dr. Rado Bohinc and Dr. Dragan Marušič, Dr. Klavdija Kutnar, who wore the current insignia during her first term, accepted the new insignia. The first Rector’s insignia was donated by the designer Oskar Kogoj at the time of its creation, and now all those who proudly and responsibly wore it have put it in a commemorative frame with their signatures. With the new decade, the design of the new insignia was donated to the University by the academic painter Dr. Tilen Žbona, a teacher at the University of Primorska and the initiator of the establishment of the Visual Arts and Design art study programmes at the University of Primorska.
The participants were first addressed by the Rector of UP, Prof. Dr. Klavdija Kutnar, who emphasised in her speech: »Our university, which is still mostly portrayed only as the youngest and smallest public university in the Republic of Slovenia, is thus taking a leading role in shaping the future of the construction ecosystem in the European Union and is committed to the three core values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, beauty and inclusion.«
Lana Erjavec, President of the UP Student Council, gave a special greeting to the students: »I would like to thank all the students for your significant contribution to co-creating our academic community. I appreciate that you dedicate your free time and energy to improving the experience of all UP students. I am always impressed by how driven we are, eager for knowledge and willing to make the world a better place.«
Last year, we hosted the keynote speaker Mariya Gabriel, in her role as European Commissioner, who has made her efforts to strengthen higher education institutions a reality through the creation of ENIHEI – the European Network of Innovative Higher Education Institutions, of which UP is a member. This year, she was invited to be the keynote speaker, but had to limit her presence to a video address, due to her commitments related to the assumption of the Presidency of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria. We will meet her in person at UP when she will be awarded the UP Honorary Doctorate for 2023. In her address, she emphasized: »I’d like to congratulate everyone at the University of Primorska and thank your fore being an active participant in key European initiatives in the areas of higher education. You are a concrete example, how by connecting the spheres of innovation and education we can encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of the next generation.«
The UP Prizes for 2023 were awarded.
Recipients of the University of Primorska awards for 2023
PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA – PROF. RADO BOHINC
On the proposal of the Rector of UP, the 2023 title of Professor Emeritus of the University of Primorska is awarded to Prof. Rado Bohinc for his outstanding achievements in the development of his scientific discipline, for his dedication to teaching and supervising activities, and for his contribution to building up the reputation and visibility of the University of Primorska.
Dr. Rado Bohinc was the Rector of UP from 2007 to 2011, during which time he was also a teacher and researcher at UP. In almost 40 years of scientific activity (his first monograph was published in 1981), he has published 40 scientific monographs, 17 independent scientific papers or chapters in monographs, 52 original and 12 review articles. Dr. Rado Bohinc’s research interests have in many respects been characterised by his field of employment: business law, comparative corporate governance, social responsibility, economic democracy, social economics, property ownership, university and higher education, science and research, public governance (public administration, the public sector), EU law, political systems, human rights, and the media. He has been a long-serving lecturer in all three study cycles at both the University of Ljubljana and the University of Maribor. He was first employed at UP as a visiting professor, then in 2007 as Rector and later as a teacher at UP FM.
Dr. Rado Bohinc has always been active in governance bodies at various social and institutional levels. During his term of office at UP, he contributed crucially first to the financial rehabilitation of the University, then to the development of study programmes and faculties, especially the advancement of the University’s research activities and, last but not least, to its investment development. During that time, he was also the President of the Slovenian Rectors’ Conference and the Alps-Adriatic Rectors’ Conference (2010–2011). He made a significant contribution to the international standing of UP by concluding numerous international agreements. He served as Rector of UP and performed other academic leadership positions with responsibility, dedication and conscientiousness, striving to increase UP’s quality, excellence and international standing.
SOLEMN CHARTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA – ASST. PROF. ALEKSANDAR TOŠIĆ (UP FAMNIT IN UP IAM)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies and the UP Andrej Marušič Institute, the 2023 UP Solemn Charter is awarded to Assist. Prof. Aleksandar Tošić for his significant contribution to the development of UP in all of its activities and for his extremely successful integration of scientific research work with industrial projects.
Dr. Aleksandar Tošić received his PhD at UP, where he completed all three cycles of his studies. He works at the Department of Information Sciences and Technologies at UP FAMNIT, where he regularly receives excellent evaluations as a lecturer. His scientific interest is distributed systems, especially distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) and blockchains. He has published several high-profile works, including 11 scientific papers in SCI-listed journals in the last three years, two of which were published in A’’ journals. The integration of his research with industrial projects is especially important, and is reflected not only in his successful work in industry but also in his applying for and supervising six Creative Pathways to Knowledge projects. These are aimed at introducing students to working on projects with companies, including projects with successful industrial applications. He is also extremely active in the popularisation and visibility of his research field: his smart floor innovation was exhibited at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for several months. Lastly, he continues to inspire young people to get involved in computer science through designing, managing and organising the Faculty Programming Competition.
UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE AWARD – ASSOC. PROF. ANNA MAŁGORZATA SANDAK (UP FAMNIT IN UP IAM)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies and the UP Andrej Marušič Institute, the 2023 UP Scientific Excellence Award goes to Assoc. Prof. Anna Małgorzata Sandak for her outstanding research in wood science and her leadership of a prestigious ERC project.
Dr. Anna Małgorzata Sandak completed her PhD studies in 2010 at the University of Poznan, Poland. She has been employed at UP since 2016, working as a researcher and transferring her knowledge to Master’s and PhD students of renewable materials and sustainable built environment at the Department of Applied Natural Sciences of UP FAMNIT. She is also head of the Materials research department at InnoRenew CoE. Since coming to UP, she has carried out scientific research, teaching and leading the way in popularising science and improving the visibility of UP. In particular, she has organised numerous international conferences and workshops, and is a member of the editorial boards of many international journals. She has published over 90 scientific papers, 7 of which were published in 2023. She is a world-renowned and internationally engaged researcher, which is demonstrated by the outstanding number of international grant projects she has been awarded, including the first ERC Consolidator Grant led by a female researcher. Her five-year ARCHI-SKIN project, titled “Bioinspired living skin for architecture”, worth almost €2 million, focuses on the development of a protective biocoating made from engineered living materials.
GOLD MEDAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA – ASSOC. PROF. JERNEJ VIČIČ
On the proposal of the Rector of UP, the 2023 Gold Medal of the University of Primorska is awarded to Assoc. Prof. Jernej Vičič for his particularly significant contribution to the development of UP by establishing IT support for the administrative processes underpinning educational, research and support activities.
Dr. Jernej Vičič completed his doctoral studies at the University of Ljubljana in 2012 and has worked at UP since 2001. His research interest is language technologies, particularly language and translation models of natural languages and distributed systems. He is head of the UP Distributed Systems and Language Technologies Laboratory – D(LT)^2, and has interdisciplinary links with the Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts as well as with InnoRenew CoE. Particularly noteworthy is his leadership of the project Smart, Resilient and Sustainable Communities – European Digital Innovation Hub. In addition to conducting scientific research and teaching at UP, he is also responsible for the IT support of education and research. For many years now, he has been in charge of the Moodle learning platform at all the faculties. As head of the Centre for Application Design and Development (UP IAM CORA), he manages the development team of the UNIS personnel information system and the travel orders application – a unique open source integration system that allows the control and integrated use of information from different sources. The system also provides a comprehensive overview of the data of staff, research projects and other university projects, as well as extracts used in reporting, which is an essential element of the informatisation of the university.
SREČKO KOSOVEL AWARD FOR UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA STUDENTS – ANA KUDER (UP FAMNIT)
On the proposal of UP FAMNIT, the 2023 Srečko Kosovel Award for UP Students goes to Ana Kuder for her Master’s thesis Assessing cognitive sequelae of COVID-19 using telepsychological testing under supervisor Assist. Prof. Maja Smrdu and co-supervisor Assist. Prof. Bojan Rojc.
Ana Kuder has graduated from the Psychology MA programme at UP FAMNIT. She approached her excellent Master’s thesis with extraordinary independence, a remarkable ability for analytical thinking, use of the latest scientific sources and detailed familiarity with statistical analytical methods. Her work, which perfectly integrates various contemporary areas of knowledge in cognitive psychology and the use of psychodiagnostic tools, explores the cognitive functioning in people who have survived a mild or moderate case of COVID-19 and compares them with those who have not been affected or who had been affected more than a year before. Her research work includes setting up and carrying out Biological-Psychological Student Conferences at UP. She is also a member of SiNAPSA, the Slovenian Neuroscience Association, where she helps to organise the annual Neuroscience Conference. She has already published two scientific papers in indexed journals and presented her work at several conferences and symposia. Shortly after graduation, she completed her traineeship in healthcare and passed her professional examination. At the beginning of this academic year, she became a research assistant in clinical neurophysiology at University Medical Centre Ljubljana.
SREČKO KOSOVEL AWARD FOR UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA STUDENTS – DR. SARA ZUPAN (UP FHŠ)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Humanities, the 2023 Srečko Kosovel Award for UP Students goes to Dr. Sara Zupan for her PhD thesis The influence of geographic and ecological isolation of populations of the false ringlet butterfly Coenonympha oedippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) on genetic structure and phenotype expression, under supervisor Assoc. Prof. Jure Jugovic and co-supervisors Prof. Elena Bužan and Assoc. Prof. Valentina Brečko Grubar.
Dr. Sara Zupan completed her PhD in Geography at UP FHŠ with an extremely extensive and multifaceted doctoral thesis, whose results have been published in five scientific papers. The PhD thesis excels at applying an outstanding interdisciplinary approach, in which the author combines elements of geography, genetics and ecology, thus providing a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the habitat and populations of the false ringlet butterfly (Coenonympha oedippus) in Slovenia, an endangered species of pan-European importance. Dr. Sara Zupan is employed at the Department of Biodiversity of UP FAMNIT, where she is active in both the scientific area and in education. Her innovative teaching and her involvement in the INOVUP project show her desire to improve the quality of higher education. She has also participated in several projects, helped organise conferences and brought together four institutions in the Interreg Italy-Slovenia Kras4us project application. She is an exceptional researcher and educator who exceeds high expectations in all areas of her work.
GOLD MEDAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA – UP FHŠ GROUP OF CO-WORKERS TO OBTAIN UNESCO CHAIR
On the proposal of UP FHŠ, the 2023 Gold Medal of the University of Primorska is awarded to a group of associates from the UP Faculty of Humanities for facilitating the establishment and acquisition of the first UNESCO Chair in the Humanities in Slovenia and the first at UP.
Specialist trends point to the need for an inclusive approach to heritage management. In August 2021, the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris approved the establishment of a new UNESCO Chair for Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Heritage Approaches at UP FHŠ, which became operational in 2022. It is only the fourth Chair in Slovenia and the first in the humanities. The Chair fills a gap in the existing UNESCO Chairs around the world, recognising that the key to sustainable heritage management lies in interpretation and education through integrated heritage approaches. The activities of the Chair are based on the world-renowned International Summer School of Museology and other educational and research activities of UP FHŠ, organised in collaboration with the Škocjan Caves Regional Park, Slovenia’s oldest UNESCO destination. The newly established Chair has thus put UP on the world map of the most prominent and excellent institutions in heritage studies, strengthening its reputation, excellence and visibility at the international level. The following people have made the establishment of the Chair possible through their long-standing heritage research and teaching: Prof. Irena Lazar, Assist. Prof. Neža Čebron Lipovec, Assist. Prof. Zrinka Mileusnić, Assoc.Prof. Katja Hrobat Virloget and Assoc. Prof. Alenka Tomaž.
SOLEMN CHARTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA – ASST. PROF. ŽIGA KOZINC (UP FVZ)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Health Sciences, the 2023 UP Solemn Charter is awarded to Assist. Prof. Žiga Kozinc for his significant contribution to the development of UP in all of its activities and for his incisiveness and excellence in scientific research.
Dr. Žiga Kozinc received his PhD from UP FVZ in 2021, having been employed there since 2020. Immediately after his PhD, he obtained an internal university postdoctoral project, and, this year, also an ARIS postdoctoral project. He has contributed to strengthening the international visibility of UP both through established collaborations with a number of experts from abroad and his scientific excellence in foreign journals, which is recognised in his appointment to both editorial and review boards. He is the author or co-author of 113 scientific papers, ranks 2nd among sports researchers with 2,863 points (SICRIS) and is a co-author of a patent in metrology. Moreover, he is an excellent teacher, being one of the most highly rated lecturers. He supervises students in their final theses in all study cycles (including those who have won some faculty- and university-level prizes) and in the publication of scientific papers. On his own initiative, several students have presented their papers at conferences. He has been involved in curricular renewal, has designed lifelong learning courses and co-authored a textbook. He is singled out by students as one of the best teachers – extremely accessible, responsive, professional and fair.
UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE AWARD – PROF. ŠTEFAN BOJNEC (UP FM)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Management, the 2023 UP Scientific Excellence Award goes to Prof. Štefan Bojnec for achieving outstanding results in scientific research in the social sciences.
Dr. Štefan Bojnec completed his doctoral studies in 1988 at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Zagreb, and has worked at the University of Primorska since 2003. He is head of the Department of Economics at UP FM and a lecturer and teacher in seven courses. In 2023, he published a total of 19 original scientific papers, 9 of which were published in top international social science journals indexed by SCI, SSCI and A&HCI. His high-profile work is confirmed by the numerous citations of his publications – 1,696 in WOS and 2,112 true citations in Scopus in the last 10 years. He has also been awarded numerous projects, especially in the last few years. The most recent ones are AGRIGEP from the prestigious Horizon programme, WE-GREEN from the Erasmus+ KA2 programme and one ARIS basic project. He is also involved in three targeted research projects. His international engagement is evident in the five bilateral cooperation projects he has carried out in the last year and in his membership of the editorial boards of more than 20 international journals. He is also a member of around 10 international professional associations, an evaluator of Horizon 2020 projects and a member of the German Scientific Advisory Board of IAMO.
UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE AWARD – PROF. ANDREJA ISTENIČ (UP PEF)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Education, the 2023 UP Scientific Excellence Award goes to Prof. Andreja Istenič for having achieved outstanding results in scientific research in didactics.
Dr. Andreja Istenič completed her doctoral studies in 2002 at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana, and has been employed at the Department of Educational Sciences of UP since 2005. She is in charge of the in-house research programme Post-digital Learning Environment and Educational Technology for Innovative Learning and Career Paths. She is one of the leading researchers in education and has a high citation record (593 WOS citations and 847 Scopus citations), with 829 true citations and 138 citations for her most outstanding work over a five-year period. Her career is characterised by successful and dedicated teaching, supervising students in all study cycles, and by strong international engagement. For example, she has been appointed to a five-year term by the American Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) as a member of an expert panel formulating educational development policies in the USA. She is currently an editor at Taylor & Francis and has served as editor of various journals and special anniversary issues of foreign journals. Her good cooperation with foreign organisations is reflected in the extensive list of guest lectures and degrees awarded by foreign universities in Russia, Australia and the US.
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2022/2023 – ASSOC. PROF. ARMAND FAGANEL (UP FM)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Management, the 2023 UP Educational Excellence Award goes to Assoc. Prof. Armand Faganel for his outstanding educational work and for sharing both theoretical and practical knowledge with his students.
Dr. Armand Faganel completed his doctoral studies in 2015 at UP FM, where he has been working since 2003, currently as an associate professor in marketing. He is a lecturer and teacher of several courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. He is a dedicated university teacher, a thesis supervisor and a long-standing head of the Marketing Department. His research interests include inter-organisational and consumer marketing, sales, service quality perception in higher education and brand management. His dedication to teaching is evident from the many reviews from his students, who describe him as a lecturer who approaches the subject in a way that is always new, innovative and exciting. In his work with students, it is clear that he wants to give the best experience possible since he constantly involves them in his scientific work, while at the same time familiarising them with the real-world working environment during their studies. He keeps in touch with his graduates, thus forming a bridge between theory and practice, which he understands very well thanks to his many years of experience as a manager in retail, wholesale and the automotive industry.
SREČKO KOSOVEL AWARD FOR UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA STUDENTS – MATEJ VREČIČ (UP FM)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Management, the 2023 Srečko Kosovel Award for UP Students goes to Matej Vrečič for his thesis The pitfalls of investing in cryptocurrencies under supervisor Assoc. Prof. Suzana Laporšek.
Matej Vrečič has graduated from the Management BA programme at UP FM. In his thesis, he dealt with the highly topical area of cryptocurrencies. Applying a clear theoretical background, he explained the existence and functioning of cryptocurrencies and the pitfalls of investing in cryptocurrencies for individual investors and society as a whole. The thesis demonstrates an in-depth and comprehensive knowledge of the chosen topic. At the end of the thesis, he even puts forward suggestions for improvement and specifically points out that the lack of regulation in this area may lead to crypto crime. He displayed remarkable independence and research curiosity when drawing up his final project thesis. The fact that this is an area where research is lacking and few sources are available confirms that the thesis is a particularly significant contribution to the profession and to raising financial literacy in cryptocurrency investing. His thesis is extremely topical, as it deals with one of the most exciting yet relatively poorly researched areas in the financial world. As one of the first in Slovenia, it represents an important step towards awareness and knowledge of the risks and pitfalls of cryptocurrencies.
UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA PRIZE FOR UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA STUDENTS – LANA ERJAVEC (UP FVZ)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Health Sciences, the 2023 UP Prize for UP Students is awarded to Lana Erjavec for her exceptionally active involvement in curricular and extracurricular activities at UP and for conveying the voice of the students.
Lana Erjavec has been actively engaged in the curricular and extracurricular life of the Faculty and the University since her enrolment at UP FVZ. She has become a role model for many students through her actions, commitment, motivation, her genuine empathy and self-sacrifice. She has thus contributed to building a community and a sense of belonging, which was lost among students in the post-COVID era, raising awareness of social responsibility among students. She has helped develop and promote the entire tutoring system and the UP FVZ and UP Student Councils. She has been involved in the launch of the student magazine Ad Salutem and helped break down taboos and stigma surrounding several social issues among students. She has also promoted the acquisition of informal skills and participation in the UP FVZ and UP Alumni Clubs. Since November, she has been the UP representative on the Transform4Europe (T4EU) Student Council. Besides competently handling many tasks, she is above all an admirable person, still finding time for voluntary work to which she has been committed for many years, at SOS telefon, a helpline for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Lana Erjavec proves that by being organised, determined and willing it is possible to successfully balance one’s studies and extracurricular activities.
UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA PRIZE FOR UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA STUDENTS – ALJA POLANEC (UP PEF)
On the proposal of the UP Faculty of Education, the 2023 UP Prize for UP Students is awarded to Alja Polanec for her active involvement in curricular and extracurricular activities at UP and her tutoring work.
Alja Polanec has shown outstanding dedication and commitment at faculty and university level. After having taken over the organisation of events for students, her work has developed into active participation in both the Student Council and the tutoring team. As the coordinator of UP PEF Tutors, she has monitored and advised students and new tutors, and has transferred her experience to the university tutoring system, which has gained new dimensions, success and momentum with her involvement. She has demonstrated versatility and the ability to handle a wide range of responsibilities, which she does with pleasure, great energy and conscientiousness. She is a member of the Faculty Student Council, Vice President of the University Student Council and a member of the Transform4Europe (T4EU) Student Council. In addition, she is extremely passionate about acquiring new knowledge, as she is a student of Adult Education at UP PEF and Biopsychology at UP FAMNIT, and takes part in conferences both as a volunteer and as an active participant. Her work in different capacities reflects a high level of responsibility, organisational skills and an outstanding commitment to the student community.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA FOR 2023 – BLANKA PALČIČ (RECTORATE UP)
On the proposal of the UP College of Deans and Directors, the 2023 Acknowledgement of a Member of the UP Support Staff is awarded to Blanka Palčič for her conscientious work and successful stewardship of the important UP GDI project.
Blanka Palčič joined the UP team in December 2010. Today she is in charge of the sound operation of the Scholarship Fund, is a trustee of the UP Board of Trustees and has established the UP Alumni Office. She has been entrusted with the management of the important GDI UP project – Green, Digital and Inclusive UP, co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and the European Union – NextGenerationEU. Thanks to her effective organisational skills, she is in charge of the timely reporting and implementation of the project in accordance with the provisions set by the funding bodies. She demonstrates a high sense of protocol and precision in the organisation and high-quality delivery of various events and workshops. She has earned the respect and trust of the various stakeholders involved in her work and tasks by constantly reinforcing the reputation of UP, while also demonstrating a high level of loyalty to the University.
