The University of Ljubljana global alumni and associates network or SMUL for short, was established in 2015 as one of the activities aimed at improving the quality of the university's study programmes and strengthening its international cooperation and reputation on the international stage. SMUL brings together Slovenian scientists, professors and other prominent personalities with ties to Slovenia who are active in the academic, research and development environment abroad. The network currently comprises more than 250 members working at universities and other institutions abroad.
The SMUL Council works within this framework and consists of the President, two members working outside Slovenia, and the Vice-Rector of the University of Ljubljana. In the 2024-2026 mandate period, the SMUL Council is chaired by Dr. Mihaela Pavličev, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Vienna. She is joined on the SMUL Council by Dr. Veronika Fikfak, a Full Professor in Human Rights and International Law at University College London, School of Public Policy and a co-Director of the UCL Institute for Human Rights, Dr. Uroš Seljak, a Professor of Astronomy and Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and Dr. Boštjan Markoli, Vice-Rector for Quality and Internationalisation at the University of Ljubljana.
The University of Ljubljana actively involves SMUL members in its activities while encouraging connections among SMUL members, staff and students. SMUL members participate in the annual meetings of the Doctoral School, the Conference for Doctoral Students, the Committee for the Uroš Seljak Prize for the best scientific articles by first and second cycle students, and the Committee for the Dr. Ana Mayer-Kansky Prize for outstanding doctoral theses. Additionally, SMUL members visit the University of Ljubljana and engage in various research projects. Cooperation is also promoted through funding short-term research projects that connect Slovenian researchers abroad with students at the University of Ljubljana.
In the previous mandate period, on the initiative of the then SMUL management, we launched the lectures "Science for All - Presentations of SMUL members' achievements", during which SMUL members or their research group members present the results of their achievements and research, share their results, share experiences, and address current social issues.
This year, we organised the first international SMUL conference, where lecturers from Slovenia and abroad discussed the return of Slovenian experts from abroad, the importance of organised knowledge and universities in the modern world, and how knowledge can contribute to a fairer society.
