University of Ljubljana receives the ED.VITA Grand Prize for its ULTRA project
Mark Dobrilovič
Date of publication:
The University of Ljubljana (UL) has received the ED.VITA Grand Prize for the “UL for a Sustainable Society – ULTRA” project. Prizes for individual categories have also been won by the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, the Biotechnical Faculty, the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, the Faculty of Education and the Veterinary Faculty. The ED.VITA prize is the first and only national award designed to recognise sustainable initiatives and practices in higher education.
The ED.VITA prize, which is awarded by the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (NAKVIS) and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, highlights best practices in Slovenian higher education, and promotes concrete, measurable and strategically designed changes that contribute to the development of the academic environment, business and society as a whole. It is intended for higher education establishments, students, project groups, associations and initiatives at higher education institutions that are accredited in Slovenia and whose projects, practices or initiatives contribute to the sustainable future of Slovenian higher education and wider society.
ED.VITA Grand Prize for the “UL for a Sustainable Society – ULTRA” project
The ED.VITA Grand Prize is awarded to an organisation with exceptional impact and vision, and a comprehensive approach to realising the values of sustainable development, responsibility and knowledge integration. As the expert committee pointed out in its citation, the University of Ljubljana’s ULTRA project tackles sustainable transformation in a comprehensive way, using innovative teaching approaches and revising 29 study programmes to connect education, research and cooperation with wider society. This strengthens knowledge transfer and partnerships, and lays the foundations for the long-term development and the greater social relevance of higher education.
The UL Vice-Rector for Study and Student Affairs Professor Ksenija Vidmar Horvat, ULTRA project lead, described the award as a “major recognition of the courage that we have shown at the University of Ljubljana in renewing study programmes for green and digital literacy and educational innovation. It is proof of the strength of our knowledge and confidence in the future of our university.”
The award was accepted by UL Rector Professor Gregor Majdič: “We are extremely proud at the University of Ljubljana to have received not only the main ED.VITA award for sustainability in education, but also several awards in other categories, including student categories. These awards confirm our commitment to sustainability and concern for the environment and society as a whole, and show that the focus of the ULTRA project, within which we thoroughly overhauled 29 study programmes, introduced more than 60 new subjects in the field of sustainability and digitalisation, and linked faculties and academies from very different fields together was the right one. Moreover, thanks to this project we have become one of the most advanced universities in Europe when it comes to the introduction of micro-credentials. I am proud of everyone who has taken part in this project, and would like to thank in particular the programme council led by Vice-Rector Professor Ksenija Vidmar Horvat and the Project Office under the leadership of Miha Lebič, who managed and steered the project. I believe that the fact that the University of Ljubljana also received awards for student projects proves that we are successfully passing our commitment to sustainability on to the younger generations.”
Six member faculties/academies also received awards in individual categories
In addition to the ED.VITA Grand Prize, the expert committee also awarded five prizes in individual categories and eight special commendations for projects and initiatives whose quality, innovativeness and impact have made an important contribution to the development of sustainable practices in Slovenian higher education.
The following member faculties/academies received ED.VITA awards in individual categories:
- In the “Research and Innovations” category:
- the Academy of Fine Arts and Design and Društvo Kaverljag for the project “Illustrating the Invisible: Design for an Inclusive Society. Scientific Illustration for the Sight-Impaired”.
- In the “Contribution to Society and the Environment” category:
- the Academy of Fine Arts and Design and the Veterinary Faculty for the project “Visual Hearing Aids”.
- In the “Student Projects/Initiatives” category:
- Zala Hrastar, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering for the project “Reinterpretation of Household Textiles into Contemporary Design Products (A Garden of Fabrics)”.
The following received ED.VITA special commendations:
- In the “Teaching and Curricula” category:
- the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology for the “Materials for Storing and Converting Energy” study pathway.
- The Biotechnical Faculty for the “Geodesign: How to Plan Sustainable Spatial Development in Complex Conditions” programme.
- In the “Contribution to Society and the Environment” category:
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering for the project “BRING/TAKE – Clothes Exchange 2024 and 2025”
- Faculty of Education for the project “Degraded Environments and their Regeneration into Cultural Spaces with Art”