July 2026

For more than four years now, since the first issue of kULturnica was published on the occasion of the Slovenian Cultural Holiday in 2022, the cover of each issue has greeted us on the last Monday of the month. At once a comment, a side note, a joke, a mirror and sometimes even a kick in the ribs, each cover illustration bears the signature of Prof Msc Milan Erič, academic painter, illustrator, animation filmmaker and long-serving professor at the University of Ljubljana’s Academy of Fine Arts and Design (UL ALUO). His drawings never remain mere decoration – they always have something to say, respond to the world around them and play with current affairs. Sometimes they make us laugh, sometimes they alert us to something, and often they surprise us; but they never leave us indifferent. He recently retired, making this the right moment to thank him for all his contributions, past and future, created entirely pro bono for all fifty-five issues to date. Thank you, dear Milan.

Milan Erič, born in 1956 in Slovenj Gradec, grew up in Maribor, where he showed exceptional drawing talent from an early age. In 1979, he graduated from the Department of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Ljubljana, and two years later completed his postgraduate specialisation in painting. Since 1980, he has exhibited continuously in Slovenia and abroad and is a member of the Association of Slovenian Fine Artists. His artistic expression is rooted in drawing – in the line as both thought and observation, comment and play. His work is characterised by figurative storytelling infused with caricature and grotesque, humour and a subtle observation of society. He frequently combines analogue and digital techniques, creating works that bring drawing, painting, illustration and animation together into a unified visual world.

Between 1984 and 1998, he and Zvone Čoh created the feature-length animated film Socializacija bika [The Socialisation of the Bull], which became a cult work of Slovenian animation. The film received the Grand Prix in Portorož, the Prešeren Fund Award and the Award for Humour at the International Animated Film Festival in Stuttgart. With this film, the two artists set new standards and opened up space for contemporary Slovenian animation, which would later develop on these foundations.

As an educator, he has had a significant impact on generations of students. He taught drawing and painting at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana (UL NTF), and later at UL ALUO, where he became a full professor of design. Students remember him as a professor who placed drawing at the centre of artistic thinking and understood it as a fundamental way of seeing the world.

His work has earned him many of Slovenia’s most important awards, including the Zlata ptica Award, the Prešeren Fund Award, the Hinko Smrekar Plaque and Award, the Rihard Jakopič Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Saša Dobrila Award, and the ZDSLU Lifetime Achievement Award for Drawing. His body of work has shaped the development of Slovenian drawing, illustration and animation and influenced numerous younger artists. Through his distinctive style, teaching and pioneering animation projects, he has left a lasting mark on Slovenian art – and, in recent years, on the visual identity of kULturnica as well.

– Prof Msc Matjaž Drevenšek, Vice-Rector for the Arts and Sport

FLUID Design Forum is a renowned international design forum in Montenegro which every May offers lectures, workshops and exhibitions in the field of visual communications. As part of its programme, it also presents regional awards for young designers. This year, one of the awards went to Gabriel Klančar, a master’s student at UL ALUO.

Representatives of UL ALUO regularly participate in FLUID, with lecturers from the Department of Communication Design taking part as speakers and mentors, while students participate as attendees and competitors.

The same was true of this year’s 14th edition of FLUID, with the UL ALUO team led by Prof Domen Fras and Assistant Professor Alja Herlah. This year’s award for a poster on the theme “REZ” [“CUT”] went to our postgraduate Graphic Design student Gabriel Klančar, who shared first place with two fellow female designers from Montenegro. Speaking about his award-winning work, he explained that it emerged from research through reduction, or from exploring how little is needed to express the meaning of a cut.

Congratulations!

– Sara Bešlin Vatovec, UL ALUO

On Monday, 6 July, the fifth Toporišič Award was presented at the ceremonial opening of the 62nd Seminar of Slovene Language, Literature and Culture at Cukrarna. The award was presented to Associate Professor Elizabeta Jenko of the Department of Slavic Studies at the University of Vienna for several decades of outstanding work in the field of Slovene Studies, her contribution to the development of the teaching of Slovene as a second and foreign language through innovative teaching materials and approaches, and for strengthening cooperation between the University of Vienna and the University of Ljubljana.

The Toporišič Award for an outstanding student achievement was also presented for the second time. It went to Robert Kajstura of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Silesia in Katowice for his contribution to research into lexical heritage and its reflection in contemporary Slovene, as well as to the promotion of Slovene Studies in the international academic community. The award, presented by the Department of Slovene Studies at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana (UL FF), together with the Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language, was presented by Prof Mojca Schlamberger Brezar, Dean of UL FF.

– Assistant Professor Mojca Nidorfer, Chair of the Toporišič Award Committee

On 8 July 2026, an exhibition of works by master’s students of the Department of Visual Communication Design at UL ALUO opened at the MUZA TR2 Gallery. The works were created as part of the Cankar150 project.

The project presents a selection of student works created as part of five project assignments in the second-cycle programme of the Department of Visual Communication Design at UL ALUO, in the fields of Graphic Design and Illustration. The exhibition is part of the broader Cankar150 programme, prepared to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Cankar, one of Slovenia’s most important writers, playwrights and social critics. Through diverse approaches to contemporary visual communication, the project establishes a dialogue between Cankar’s literary opus and the present day, exploring how his works and ideas can address today’s spaces and audiences.

The first section consists of illustrations created by students of Illustration under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Suzi Bricelj. The starting point for their work was Cankar’s short prose, from which the young authors developed individual interpretations of literary motifs and characters. The resulting illustrations became the basis for further design projects by students of Graphic Design, who, under the mentorship of Prof Radovan Jenko, designed books for each individual short story. The focus was on experimental approaches to book design, exploring typography, page rhythm, materiality and the relationship between text and image.

The exhibition also features large-format posters created under the mentorship of Prof Eduard Čehovin. Students designed posters connected in content to the life and literary opus of Ivan Cankar. They expanded the traditional poster medium through the use of digital applications and animation: when a mobile phone is pointed at the poster, the static image is transformed into a moving visual animation. As part of the Visual Thinking course, led by Assistant Professor Roman Ražman, students drew on Cankar’s pronounced social criticism and his sensitivity to social issues. They identified specific social messages addressing themes of the present day.

The exhibition also presents internationally award-winning student projects created under the mentorship of Prof Eduard Čehovin. These included the development of the identity of the fictional brand #10:50, named after Ivan Cankar’s time of birth. Students developed the name, visual identity and packaging, or can, of the product, using contemporary design approaches to explore ways of connecting literary heritage, visual culture and the principles of brand communication.

The opening of the exhibition featured addresses by Matko Mioč, Director of NLB MUZE, who welcomed visitors on behalf of the hosts; Assistant Professor Alen Albin Širc of the Department of Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at UL FF, who prepared a selection of Cankar’s short prose for the project and on this occasion highlighted the exceptional relevance of the writer’s works; and Prof Radovan Jenko, the project leader and one of the mentors of Cankar150.

The exhibition will on display at Trg republike in Ljubljana until 4 October 2026.

– Sara Bešlin Vatovec, UL ALUO

The solo exhibition by Brita Mandelj at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana (UL NTF), presents research carried out during the 2025/2026 academic year as part of the course Visual Analyses of Graphic Products 2. Through digital prints and photographic documentation, the artist presents three sacred buildings that were destroyed during the Second World War in Slovenia and, drawing on archival photographs and field research, has created Vzorčno prekrivanje preteklosti s sedanjostjo [Patterned Overlaying of the Past with the Present].

In this artistic research project, we examined the Church of St Lucy in Dražgoše, the Church of St Gertrude above Lajše and the Church of St Roch on Felič Vrh. All three sacred architectural structures were destroyed during the Second World War and subsequently rebuilt as symbols of sacrifice, perseverance, duty towards collective memory and the re-establishment of spiritual life in the communities concerned.

We developed the creative component using archival photographs of the original churches and photographic material created in the present day. Using graphic design software, we interpreted the photographic material in the form of silhouettes. Linear drawing represents the difference between historical styles and modern interpretations or architectural plans. Using vector graphics, we created patterns which, when juxtaposed, were constructed through overlapping; the distinction between the two periods is represented by two different colours. The patterns also symbolically refer to rules and the repetition of patterns in society or religion. We supplemented the patterns of the sacred architecture with typographic titles intended to draw attention to the constant process of renewal – of the individual, society and, ultimately, space itself. The patterns are accompanied by the words obnova, prenova and znova [restoration, renewal and again].

The series of patterns establishes a dialogue between the old red and new blue images of the churches, showing the contrast between Baroque and modernist and postmodernist styles, as well as the relationship between destruction and renewal. This interpretation does not merely document historical facts, but also opens up space for reflection on the meaning of heritage, the relationship between ruins and restoration, and how contemporary artistic practice can shed new light on the stories that these sacred buildings and their builders can tell. An interpretation of two of the sacred buildings was printed on tarpaulin and, in the form of a contemporary stained-glass window, displayed as a performative graphic intervention on the bell tower of St Roch on Felič Vrh for five hours in January 2026.

Mentors: Assistant Professor Tanja Medved, Assistant Professor Boris Beja

The exhibition was created in collaboration with and with the support of: the UL Humanities and Arts Development Fund (HUD), UL NTF, Marko Mandelj, Gašper Mesojedec and Tara Tkalec.

– doc. Boris Beja, UL NTF

From 18 June to 24 July 2026, the Bažato Gallery hosted the joint exhibition of students from UL ALUO and the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Zagreb (ALU), entitled MIGRATORIJ // Dialog akademij: Zagreb-Ljubljana [MIGRATORIJ // Dialogue of Academies: Zagreb-Ljubljana].

The traditional summer exhibition of UL ALUO students, which presents current student production at the Bažato Gallery at the end of the academic semester, took on an international dimension this year. The exhibition concept was expanded through the participation of students from ALU Zagreb, establishing a dialogue between two related institutions and opening a space for encounters between different artistic approaches and creative practices. The exhibition presented a selection of 49 works by 29 young artists – 16 students of UL ALUO Ljubljana and 13 students of ALU Zagreb.

The exhibition brings together a range of artistic media, from painting, drawing and conceptual practices to spatial and two-dimensional installations, video animations and interdisciplinary art projects. In dialogue with one another, the works establish a network of relationships between individuals, institutions and cultural spaces, highlighting the importance of international cooperation as one of the key elements of contemporary artistic production. The exhibition thus serves as a platform for presenting young artists who actively contribute to contemporary visual art through their work and help shape the broader artistic landscape.

Participants:

Students of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (UL ALUO):
Aljoša Potokar, Ana Malnar, Ana Žele, Anja Kočar, Bojan Pejović, Eva Žgajnar, Izabela Malovrh, Jasmina Debevc, Kaja Podgoršek, Klara Polajnar, Maks Jeriha, Maruša Pajnič, Miha Freund, Milan Radomirović, Nejc Zorenč, Tinkara Nemec Herkess

Selection of works: Prof Msc Ksenija Čerče, Assistant Professor Msc Mitja Ficko and Assistant Professor Msc Uroš Potočnik
Exhibition coordinator: Vida Šturm

Students of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb (ALU):
Antonio Petrić, Barbara Jurić, Bartol Galović, David Pavlović, Dominik Hudin, Franka Vrljić, Karlo Kopić, Karlo Sabolić, Lara Kutić, Lorenzo Lepur, Magdalena Katarina Petrčić, Majda Vukalović, Nika Lamešić

Selection of works: Tomislav Buntak and Prof Dr Art Robert Šimrak
Exhibition coordinator: Korana Littvay

– Sara Bešlin Vatovec, UL ALUO

On 14 July 2026, the next exhibition in the UL ALUO Highlights: Award-Winning Student Projects series opened at the TAM-TAM Street Gallery on Vegova Street in Ljubljana. The fifth exhibition in the series presents the award-winning graduation project of Liza Jutra Norčič, who graduated from the Department of Painting at UL ALUO.

The series of ten exhibitions highlights outstanding creative, research and study projects by UL ALUO students, awarded during the 2024/2025 academic year. Liza Jutra Norčič presents her graduation project Sto let na dan [A Hundred Years in a Day], for which she received the UL ALUO Prešeren Award for 2024/2025.

Liza Jutra Norčič’s graduation project comprises four works, four projects brought together under the title Sto let na dan [A Hundred Years in a Day]. The written component is divided into four acts, each of which opens up a space for one of the projects in its own way. Almost nothing remains of the artworks discussed. Only a group of cranes, part of the project addressed in the fourth act, Tišina, ki jo dolgujemo [The Silence We Owe]. But as co-mentor Associate Professor Tomo Stanič points out, their disappearance is nothing other than evidence of a process of becoming, change, forgetting and fragmentation that takes place day after day.

This graduation project is highly personal, constantly interweaving the author’s life, observations, visions and thoughts – moving from herself into the world and from the world back into herself. As the author herself explains, she explores artistic articulation through long-term, repetitive and process-based practices rooted in the body, thought, memory, absurdity and sociopolitical sensitivity. The project is a response to the present moment. A time in which we are left with nothing but hope, a time without a voice … And yet it is also a time that needs speech, which is why the project concludes: “I know that I will not remain silent. Loud as a crane, I will demand silence. Long live a free Palestine.”

The text of Liza Jutra’s graduation project functions as an extension of her former artistic projects, as a new layer that opens up different readings and ways of seeing these visual works and the world from which they emerge.

The exhibition is on view until 4 August 2026.

Bachelor’s programme in Painting
Mentor: Prof Žiga Kariž
Co-mentor: Associate Professor Tomo Stanič

The exhibition Tišina, ki jo dolgujemo [The Silence We Owe] was presented in January 2024 at Gallery P74 as part of the MLADI series, a programme of the P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. Institute dedicated to the professional presentation of artists of the younger generation. The exhibition was curated by Nina Skumavc.

Photographs on the posters: Archive of the P74 Centre and Gallery, photographs by Dejan Habicht

Exhibition coordination: Prof Dr Petra Černe Oven and Sara Bešlin Vatovec, UL ALUO
Poster design: Assistant Professor Roman Ražman, UL ALUO

Exhibition organised by: TAM-TAM Institute in co-production with UL ALUO

The Poster Gallery is a project of TAM-TAM, implemented and managed by the TAM-TAM Institute.

– Sara Bešlin Vatovec, UL ALUO

The exhibition Odtisi med nami [Imprints among us] lies at the intersection of contemporary design, clothing and textile studies, sustainable practices, and socio-humanistic reflections on the body, textiles, clothing and the environment. It draws on the concept of sustainability as a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing the material, social and symbolic imprints of human activity. The project explores how individuals – as inhabitants of the planet, users, consumers and designers – co-create the environment through their actions or inaction, and how the environment in turn shapes them.

The exhibition presents the results of this process: printed garments and textiles that, through the lens of materiality and sustainability, express an understanding of the relationships between the individual, the community and the environment. Based on theoretical reflection, students developed concepts through drawing, writing and digital media and created collections of patterns and garments. An important part of the process was the development of digital textile patterns printed directly onto fabric pattern pieces – an approach that follows the principles of reducing textile waste and responsible design.

The visual and narrative qualities of the digitally printed patterns, garment forms and expressive details invite reflection on the impact of contemporary lifestyles on the environment and future generations.

The project was carried out in collaboration with Prof Dr Katarina Nina Simončič of the Faculty of Textile Technology at the University of Zagreb. It was co-funded by the UL Development Fund.

Authors of the exhibited works: Čarna Berk, Hana Birsa, Luka Bončina, Ema Cestnik, Klara Čretnik, Alex Devetak, Zarja Ivačič, Neža Kavčič, Nina Mašera Lisjak, Lejla Lamija Mešanović, Lucija Novak, Sandra Pregeli, Janž Rener, Taja Sejdić, Pia Wallner

Mentors and co-authors: Prof Dr Katarina Nina Simončič, Prof Almira Sadar, Prof Nataša Peršuh, Prof Elena Fajt, Assistant Professor Petja Zorec, Prof Marija Jenko, Associate Professor Msc Katja Burger Kovič, Assistant Professor Msc Arijana Gadžijev, Assistant Alenka More, Assistant Nataša Hrupić, Assistant Sara Valenci, Assistant Kristi Komel, Assistant Anže Mrak, Professional Associate Nina Glavič, Professional Associate Mojca Košir

– prof. Elena Fajt, UL NTF

From 6 to 10 July 2026, Piran and Portorož hosted the sixth edition of the international Design+Science summer school, entitled “Wet Dreams: Sea in us”. The project, co-created by UL ALUO, the PiNA Cultural and Educational Association, the Department of Visual Communications Design at the Arts Academy in Split and the Joanneum Institute at the University of Applied Sciences in Graz, brought together 17 young researchers, artists and designers from around the world. Through the synergy of different disciplines, they sought answers to key environmental questions of our time. The hosts at the Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport (UL FPP) provided excellent conditions for the programme, which were reflected in the results of the work.

This year’s central theme stemmed from the fact that humans are biologically inseparable from the sea, which we too often treat merely as a resource to be exploited or as an aesthetic backdrop. In four thematic strands, participants systematically questioned our relationship with aquatic ecosystems: they explored the pressure exerted by humans and invasive species, focused on warming seas, analysed geopolitical maps of power, and examined the impact of mass tourism on local environments. They built a strong professional foundation with the help of renowned lecturers. Climatologist Prof Dr Lučka Kajfež Bogataj introduced them to the limits of planetary growth, Robertina Šebjanič addressed noise pollution in the oceans, and Dr Tinkara Tinta discussed marine microecology. The scientific mosaic was further enriched by evolutionary biologist Dr Mihaela Pavličev, maritime expert Dr Elen Twrdy, sustainable tourism expert Dr Miha Bratec, and sociologist Dr Oliver Vodeb, who offered critical reflections on the social and communication aspects of the projects.

Under the guidance of design mentors Associate Professor Dr Ivica Mitrović, Dorijan Šiško, Assistant Professor Emil Kozole and Illya Pavlov, participants transformed raw data into three speculative projects that hold up a mirror to our society. The first is a short film that turns the conventional narrative about invasive species on its head through the eyes of a blue crab. The second is a sensory escape room simulating the stress experienced by marine organisms as a result of underwater noise and waste. The third is a street performance that addresses spatial occupation and the loss of local identity caused by mass tourism through the ritualistic interweaving of tourists’ towels in public spaces.

The project’s depth of content and excellent organisation were ensured by the team of Prof Boštjan Botas Kenda (UL ALUO), Associate Professor Dr Marina Klemenčič, Borut Jerman, Maja Drobne, Assistant Professor Emil Kozole and Ana Markežič. Once again, the school demonstrated that transdisciplinary projects are essential for developing social empathy and seeking sustainable systemic solutions.

“We speak, write and assert that bringing science and design closer together is essential, and this is constantly being demonstrated in different ways. It represents an independent perspective from an unconventional point of view. No, these are not parallel worlds. Each of them needs the other from its own perspective. This fact is demonstrated and lived out in everyday life. This is the Design+Science summer school, and this is what it is after its sixth edition,” emphasised Prof Boštjan Botas Kenda, co-founder of the Design+Science summer school.

The D+S summer school was made possible by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the University of Ljubljana (RSF funding) and the Eutopia initiative.

– Ekipa D+S

A two-day international workshop was held at the Department of Conservation and Restoration at UL ALUO, focusing on contemporary methods for cleaning paper and other sensitive surfaces using gels. The event brought together the conservation-restoration profession, heritage science and advanced technologies for material analysis, offering participants an insight into the latest approaches to the protection of cultural heritage.

Under the guidance of paper conservator and UNESCO expert Antonio Mirabile, participants learned about the use of various gels that enable precise and controlled cleaning of water-sensitive surfaces while reducing the risk of unwanted intervention in the original material. The results of the procedures were analysed using advanced optical equipment, including a Hirox digital microscope, presented by researcher Ibrahim Elrefaey from the Heritage Science Lab Ljubljana (HSLL) at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology.

The workshop demonstrated how connecting conservation-restoration expertise, heritage science and contemporary technologies can contribute to the development of more effective and safer methods for preserving cultural heritage, while strengthening cooperation between research and professional environments. The workshop was supported by the Slovenian node of the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS.si).

– prof. mag. Lucija Močnik Ramovš, UL ALUO

From 6 to 10 July 2026, this year’s technology-themed art workshop with Ajkec was held at the Department of Conservation and Restoration at UL ALUO. This little spider has been helping children discover the secrets of art and conservation-restoration during the summer holidays for 26 years.

This year’s workshop, entitled Ajkec med zemljo in zlatom [Ajkec between Earth and Gold], was set in the Gothic period. Participants learned about Gothic painting techniques and materials, explored the technologies used to create gilded paintings on wood, examined the causes of their deterioration, and learned about the work of conservators-restorers.

The workshop was part of this year’s Conservation-Restoration Transversal programme, organised by UL ALUO and the Association of Restorers of Slovenia. We would like to thank the entire team of professional associates and students who helped make the workshop possible, as well as the National Gallery, Kolektor ETRA and Rotary Club Ljubljana for their support of the project.

Above all, thank you and congratulations to our enthusiastic young artists and conservators-restorers, with whom we discover new dimensions of cultural heritage preservation every time.

Project leader: Associate Professor Tamara Trček Pečak

Concept and workshop leadership: Associate Professor Tamara Trček Pečak

Professional associates: academic painter Gregor Kokalj, academic painter Sara Štorgel, Prof Dr Deja Muck (UL NTF); UL ALUO students

– Sara Bešlin Vatovec, UL ALUO

As part of the summer events organised by the Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language, which operates within the Department of Slovene Studies at UL FF, 308 participants studied Slovene between 29 June and 17 July. One hundred and thirteen students and professors from foreign universities in 27 countries, as well as Slovenes from neighbouring countries working in education and culture, attended the 62nd Seminar of Slovene Language, Literature and Culture. Seventy-seven participants from 27 countries attended the 45th Summer School of Slovene for Adults, while 118 children and young people from 21 countries attended the 21st Youth Summer School of Slovene.

In addition to traditional Slovene language instruction through language classes, phonetic exercises and conversation, participants in all three events also took part in an accompanying programme. They explored Ljubljana and watched Slovenian films, tested their skills in various workshops, visited Šmarna Gora, Ljubljana Castle and Ljubljana Zoo, went swimming and visited the seaside, attended theatre and music and dance events, socialised at introductory, sporting and closing events, and took part in study excursions around Slovenia (Bled, Velika Planina, Terme Snovik, Lipica, Postojna Cave, the Sečovlje Salt Pans and Piran). As part of the Seminar, expert lectures were held on the theme Voda v slovenskem jeziku, literaturi in kulturi [Water in the Slovene Language, Literature and Culture], and the Toporišič Award was presented for the fifth time. As always, the atmosphere at this year’s events was positive, with participants making new connections and improving their Slovene.

– doc. dr. Damjan Huber, UL FF

The project Posodobitev pedagoških študijskih programov (PŠP) [Modernisation of Teacher Education Study Programmes], which ran from 2024 to 2026 and made an important contribution to the renewal of education for future teachers, concluded on 3 June with the opening of a poster exhibition in the atrium of UL FF. The project resulted in new or updated curricula, digital teaching materials, examples of good practice and professional recommendations for the further development of teacher education.

At UL FF, 20 pilot projects were carried out as part of the project, involving twelve departments. Particular emphasis was placed on developing contemporary approaches to teaching, strengthening digital and sustainability competences, introducing innovative didactic approaches and preparing new educational materials. Numerous higher education teachers and students from various teacher education programmes were actively involved in the project.

The project, co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Education, and the European Union – NextGenerationEU, was carried out within a consortium of three universities – the University of Ljubljana, the University of Maribor and the University of Primorska. Prof Dr Janez Vogrinc, head of the consortium as a whole and of the project at the University of Ljubljana, emphasised on the occasion: “All the faculties of all three universities that offer teacher education study programmes participated in the project. Together, we considered which content should be included in teacher education study programmes, and what knowledge and competences future teachers and counselling staff employed in Slovenian primary and secondary schools should have. We updated approximately 160 courses. We introduced content related to sustainable development and the development of our students’ digital competences into the courses.” In addition to changes to the study programmes, the project also produced various study materials, two handbooks, a scholarly monograph and other materials that will make an important contribution to the further development of teacher education.

At UL FF, the project was coordinated by Prof Dr Irena Samide and Associate Professor Dr Andreja Retelj, who emphasised: “The project confirmed that investing in contemporary teacher education is one of the most important investments in the future of society. Although the project is formally coming to an end, its effects are only now truly beginning – through the new knowledge, competences and approaches that will help future teachers co-create the school of the future.”

Sustainable development was an important thematic contribution to the project. Prof Dr Katja Vintar Mally of the Department of Geography at UL FF, who introduced a new course entitled Uvod v trajnostni razvoj [Introduction to Sustainable Development] for future teachers, emphasised: “In the course, we placed particular emphasis on developing practical competences for sustainable development. Students were able to test for themselves how to bring these competences into future teaching. During the seminar, we created 19 different teaching materials for use in secondary schools, which will be available for exchange.”

– Kristina Zajc Božič, UL FF

I was born in Banja Luka (BiH), where I completed my secondary education. After finishing secondary school, I moved to Ljubljana and enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana, to study graphic design. I graduated in 2025 and decided to continue my studies at the same academy, this time specialising in illustration. I am currently completing my first year of the Master’s programme. Through my creative practice, I explore various visual approaches, ranging from illustration, design, drawing and painting to printmaking, ceramics and photography. Within these visual approaches, I explore various techniques. Conceptually, I am interested in socially relevant topics, the significance and conservation of flora and fauna, psychology, emotional states and human identity.

– Đorđe Božić, student UL ALUO