Highlights in 2016

Using a method for the automatic analysis of magnetic resonance images of brains, which was developed at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, it is possible to monitor the development of brain diseases and the course of their treatment very accurately. The method for the snapshot volumetric analysis of multi-sequence MR images was presented by Assist. Prof. Dr. Žiga Špiclin with associates in an article published in NeuroImage, which was then upgraded in Neuroinformatics for monitoring longitudinal changes in atrophy and lesions. 

The Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre held the 8th pan- Slovenian education and career fair entitled Informativa, where more than two hundred study programmes were presented to secondary school and university students and adults. Visitors could also meet with representatives of University of Ljubljana Members and receive all information about studies at the University, extra-curricular activities and other services offered to students at the largest university in Slovenia. After the closure of the fair, visitors assessed the University of Ljubljana as the best exhibitor.

The General Assembly of AUF (L'Agence universitaire de la Francophonie) of the Francophone University Association admitted the University of Ljubljana as its member. This opened up numerous new opportunities at the University for cooperation, particularly in the Balkans and central Europe, where several universities and faculties have already become AUF members (Zagreb, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Skopje, Budapest, Bratislava, Prague). 

The Rector of the University of Ljubljana Prof. Dr. Ivan Svetlik, the Chairman of the Board of Hram Holding financial company Jaroslav Žontar and a Member of the Board of Hram Holding Sašo Tanko formally signed a sales contract for the purchase of a land plot on the northern side of the Kazina facility in Ljubljana. The University of Ljubljana will thus gain a multi-purpose concert hall along with classrooms and practice rooms that will be used by the Academy of Music of the University of Ljubljana.

The Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, organised a one-day international conference entitled Reading literacy – responsibility of all professional workers in education in cooperation with educational institutions. The conference hosted some hundred participants and domestic and foreign experts in literacy who answered various questions relating to the topic.

Researchers from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, led by Prof. Dr. Tatjana Avšič Županc were the first in the world to prove that the Zika virus in an infected pregnant mother may infect the foetus’s brain, causing permanent brain damage and microcephaly.

The Faculty of Administration, University of Ljubljana, co-organised the 9^th Trans-European Dialogue – TED9 Conference. The topic of the conference was Openness, transparency and ethics in public administration: Are they mutually supportive? Some 50 top experts from Europe and the USA discussed and searched for solutions to improve the situation in an area that fails to meet the standards and expectations of a modern democratic society.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Boštjan Genorio from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, and his associates developed mixed CoSx and MoSx catalysts that may substantially reduce the cost of hydrogen production. Hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future and can be used in internal combustion engines and fuel cells. The discovery was published in the prestigious Nature Materials magazine.

Prof. Dr. Tomaž Prosen from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, won the European funding ERC Advanced Grant to study quantum transport, with the field of application entailing a possibility to study ballistic (ideal) transport at high temperature.

The 2016 international European Robotics Forum held in Ljubljana was attended by 760 European robotics experts, predominantly from Germany, Slovenia, England and Italy. The organiser of the 2016 European Robotics Forum, which has set new development trends in robotics, is euRobotics AISBL, an international non-profit association of all European stakeholders in robotics that is domiciled in Brussels. One of the local partners in the organisation of the event was the Laboratory of Robotics from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana.

Rector of the University of Ljubljana Prof. Dr. Ivan Svetlik received student athletes who participated in international university sports events in 2015. They represented the University of Ljubljana in ten different sports.

Rector of the University of Ljubljana Prof. Dr. Ivan Svetlik presented the Rector’s Award for the Best Innovation of the University of Ljubljana for 2016. The mentioned contest is an incentive for University students and employees to enter the labour market with their innovations and commercialise their ideas. The award for the best innovation went to a project entitled Piezoelectric deformable mirror¹, followed by the projects Inhibitors of butyrylcholinesterase for treating Alzheimer’s disease² and SupraLac³.The authors of all three winning innovations received support for the commercialisation of their innovations and a cash prize from the Rector’s fund. The contest is held in cooperation with the Ljubljana University Incubator.

The University of Ljubljana presented possibilities to study in Ljubljana to Serbian students at the 13^th international EDUfair in Belgrade. Visitors could receive all information about first- and second-cycle studies and PhD study programmes. There was also a presentation of the Slovenian Lectorate at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade.

^{1 This is a thin flexible mirror with piezoelectric actuators on the back side. The shape of the mirror may be randomly changed by steering voltage on actuators. The mirror enables a double-axle tilt and simultaneous image sharpening and is distinguished for extremely fast operations and great accuracy.}

^{2 Members of the team discovered the potential new active substances that inhibit the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), active in Alzheimer’s disease, with extreme efficiency. These active substances show the possibility of treatment in later stages of the disease as well, when the existing medications have no effect.}

^{3 The innovation is a spherical particle of lactose that may be used as an excipient for producing solid pharmaceutical forms. It provides a simple production of spherical lactose agglomerates in the spherical crystallisation process that may be subject to industrial application. Spherical lactose agglomerates have improved physicochemical and mechanical properties and enable the production of tablets with elevated tensile strength compared to other commercially available lactose types.}

Researchers from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, in cooperation with the Institute of Chemistry, Department of Environmental Sciences at the Jožef Stefan Institute, and the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, succeeded in preparing new compounds with a non-peptidic backbone structure that inhibit the activity of the enzyme immunoproteasome. As a result, they opened up new possibilities for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer. 

University of Ljubljana students accepted the international Microtransat challenge and started designing and constructing a sailing boat that would in two years’ time be the first autonomous sailing boat in the world to sail the Atlantic on its own. This is the largest student interdisciplinary project of the University of Ljubljana and is being carried out by the University of Ljubljana and Zavod 404. It involves about one hundred students from five faculty Members of the University of Ljubljana: Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport, Faculty of Computer and Information Science and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Students are guided by professors, successful researchers and experts from the wider economy. 

The University of Ljubljana presented its programmes at the Days of Education and Career in Skopje. The presentation was delivered under the aegis of Study in Slovenia, and visitors could learn more about studying at the University of Ljubljana, study programmes, calls for enrolment, enrolment procedures, recognition of education, learning Slovenian and other information for foreigners, such as scholarships, accommodation and cost of living.

Students at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, won the grand finale of the world competition in understanding EU law at the European Law Moot Court (ELMC), which took place at the seat of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg. The competition is traditionally attended by all prestigious European and American universities, as it involves a simulation of a preliminary ruling procedure at the Court of Justice of the European Union. This year’s central theme was the liability of Member States and the EU. 

Members of the international project The Return of the Religious in Postmodern Thought organised a scientific opening meeting to the same topic at the Faculty of Theology, University of Ljubljana. The meeting was attended by 19 domestic and foreign lecturers. The goal of the opening meeting was to explore three directions of modern thinking about religion: a theological turn, hermeneutical thought and alternatives to the postmodern approach.

The University of Ljubljana organised the 4^th University goes on the market festival, the largest event intended to integrate and network students and employers, held in Kongresni trg in front of the Rectorate. At the event University of Ljubljana students made connections with representatives of 46 companies operating on the Slovenian market. They learned about quick date forms, rehearsed a job interview, made new networks and acquaintances, and discussed ideas and possibilities of potential cooperation.

The Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, co-organised the conference Wood – material in harmony with nature within the scope of the ‘Beauty of the Wooden Ambient’ event. Participants were acquainted with the advantages of using wood in terms of establishing a positive attitude to this natural resource.

Researchers from the Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Katja Kozinc and Prof. Dr. Gregor Majdič and their Italian colleagues researched molecular mechanisms of spleen development and disorders leading to underdeveloped spleen disease in humans, which are still largely unknown. They assessed the impact of Tlx1 gene in spleen development. The achievement was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The results of the research are important for understanding the normal course of spleen development and particularly for understanding the occurrence of inborn defects in its development. 

A team from the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, won the international competition in understanding asylum law, the International Asylum Law Moot Court Competition, which took place in Trnava in Slovakia. The team confirmed the quality work, particularly by the Legal Clinic for Refugees and Foreigners at the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, as this was not the first time our competitors won top spots. 

The Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, organised an international event entitled Green infrastructure – new challenges for urban landscape planning. More than 180 participants from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, Iceland, Serbia, Slovenia and the USA listened to 13 lecturers from Croatia, Germany, Great Britain, Portugal, Serbia and Slovenia. The event highlighted the urgency of strategic and comprehensive planning of green surfaces and noted the importance and role of green surfaces for the quality of living environment, mitigation of climate change impacts and enhanced resilience of towns against their consequences. It also highlighted the role of green surfaces in the generation of social, cultural and economic value of the urban environment.

The Stingray water pipe, the work of an Industrial Design student Rok Kostanjšek at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana, became one of five winning design solutions at the international student competition for the Hansgrohe Design Prize 2016. This is one of the most prestigious international design competitions. It received over 11,000 competition proposals from around the world.

A team of scientists from the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, and the Institute of Chemistry with Prof. Simon Horvat as the leading research author and associates from the University of Edinburgh discovered a new gene called TST (thiosulphate-sulfur-transferase), which participates in the defence against obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The scientists expect that new and more effective medications could lead to the development of complementary new therapies for diabetes, which is related to obesity. The study was published in the Journal Nature at the beginning of June.

The Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, held the international Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE), which drew over three hundred participants/researchers from around the world. The underlying theme of the conference was information support for connecting people and the use of social media within the scope of information systems. The main part of the conference lasted three days and was accompanied by various events (seven workshops, three working conferences, a doctoral consortium and an industrial symposium).

The University of Ljubljana received an international award for its work performed in the study of natural disasters along with a possibility for further research work with the establishment of a UNESCO Chair for Water Related Disaster Risk Reduction. The concern for the work of the UNESCO Chair was assumed by the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering of the University of Ljubljana. The Chair will be able to continue its successful international cooperation in research related with water disasters for the next four years. 

Researchers Prof. Dr. Nevenka Hrovatin, Prof. Dr. Nives Dolšak and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jelena Zorić from the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, analysed factors influencing decisions of Slovenian processing companies on investments in energy efficiency and clean technologies using (bivariate) probit models on company panel data between 2005 and 2011. They published the results in the internationally renowned Journal of Cleaner Production. The empirical analysis showed that the mentioned companies continued to invest in energy efficiency during the crisis, but they were more frugal as regards investments in clean technologies. 

The Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, organised the 23^rd International Public Relations Research Symposium BledCom 2016. The central theme of the conference was Engaging People in a Disengaged World. The Symposium was attended by 120 academics and practitioners from 24 countries.

The University of Ljubljana advanced to 477^th place on a list of over 25,000 higher education institutions in the world on the global university rankings by the Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR), which represents the largest academic rankings of world universities. CWUR publishes world universities rankings, classifying them with respect to the quality of student education and training, reputation of faculty members and the quality of their research. In addition to being listed on CWUR rankings, the University of Ljubljana is also listed on the other three most influential global rankings. It is listed between places 601 and 650 on QS World University Rankings, between 401 and 500 on the Shanghai (ARWU) Rankings for several years in a row, and between 601 and 800 on the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings.

The Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, organised the 52^nd Seminar of Slovene Language, Literature and Culture. This is a two-week event intended for foreign experts on Slovenian language and Slavic languages, i.e. university teachers, scientists, students as well as translators, culture professionals and educators from abroad. The seminar was attended by 103 participants from 26 countries.

At the 3^rd European University Games held in Zagreb and Rijeka, the University of Ljubljana won nine medals – three gold, two silver and four bronze. These Games were the largest academic multi-discipline sports event on the Old Continent hosting almost 6,000 participants (athletes and accompanying staff). The University of Ljubljana ranked 7^th in the number of medals won on the overall rankings showing the successes of participating higher education institutions. 

The University of Ljubljana held a regular annual meeting of members of the University of Ljubljana Global Alumni and Associates Network (SMUL). The central topics of the meeting were integration with the University of Ljubljana and quality research work.

Upon an invitation by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia, the Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, was visited by a delegation of the Chinese Ministry of Education. The purpose of the visit, led by the Chinese Deputy Minister of Education Prof. Dr. Liu Limin, was to learn about and exchange experiences in the education and training of sports staff.

A Unique Design/Glass student at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana, Kristina Drnovšek became one of the finalists in one of the largest international competitions in glass design for the Stanislav Libensky Glass Award 2016 with her diploma thesis The Unbearable Lightness of Being in Glass Shoes. The diploma thesis, produced under the mentorship of Prof. Mag. Tanja Pak in the 2015/2016 academic year, comprises two pairs of glass shoes. The first pair is part of an artistic spatial installation while the other pair features wearable leather shoes with a glass heel. 

The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, held the 17^th Waste Management ‘GzO’16 – green urban mining’ conference. It was attended by 34 domestic and foreign experts on urban waste management. The articles published in the electronic GzO’16 conference proceedings were presented by six domestic and seven foreign lecturers. Within the scope of the event a field trip was made to the new Hazardous Waste Management Centre in Kidričevo, managed by Saubermacher Slovenia.

Researchers Assist. Dr. Polonca Štefanič, Assist. Prof. Dr. Barbara Kraigher and Prof. Dr. Ines Mandić-Mulec from the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, and their colleagues from Harvard University were the first in the world to show that strains of Bacillus subtilis bacteria produce kin discrimination. That means that only swarms of the most closely related bacteria strains interact. The research and its findings were presented in the renowned PNAS magazine. Descriptions of kin discrimination in microorganisms are very rare, and no study of kin discrimination in sympatric bacteria populations has been conducted so far. 

The Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, received its third international excellence award with AMBA accreditation . It is the only faculty in the wider region to become part of an elite group of international schools holding triple accreditation, i.e. the international EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA accreditations. This achievement places it among top one percent of business and economics schools in the world. 

Researchers from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Jelena Vasiljević, Danaja Štular, Assist. Prof. Dr. Brigita Tomšič, Prof. Dr. Jožef Medved and Prof. Dr. Barbara Simončič in cooperation with researchers from the Institute of Chemistry developed a new procedure to produce multi-functional highly durable inorganic-organic hybrid sol-gel film to achieve simultaneous superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning, antimicrobial activity and improved thermal stability of polymer substrates. The sol-gel film is extremely important for the production of high-tech technical textile products with protective properties and high added value. 

Within the scope of the September working meeting of University of Ljubljana representatives at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, the University of Ljubljana signed an agreement on mutual cooperation between the universities. It is ELTE’s desire to deepen cooperation and establish cooperation with other University of Ljubljana Members, particularly to increase the number of exchange professors and students between the universities.

This year’s generation of freshmen at the University of Ljubljana entered the 2016/2017 academic year within the scope of the traditional Freshmen Welcome 2016 event. Kongresni trg, the largest square in Ljubljana, hosted an interesting social gathering intertwining music, dancing and singing. In addition to varied events on the stage, all 26 faculties and academies of the University of Ljubljana presented themselves.

The model environment developed by Prof. Dr. Tomaž Katrašnik from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, is the only one in the world that enables mechanistic real-time modelling of modern multi- cylinder engines for personal vehicles. The innovative generic model environment for the simulation of thermodynamic processes in internal combustion engines he developed is already used in development departments of the leading global vehicle manufacturers.

The Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana, organised the 6th social work congress Constructive Social Work as the Agent of Co-Creative Dialogue. The congress was attended by some 250 participants from several countries. It featured 116 contributions in the form of lectures, workshops, panel discussions and posters. Discussions were held on impacts and responses to connections between social policy and social work, transfer of abstract concepts into practice, employment and working conditions of social workers, enhancement of the sources involved in original work projects, and the public image of social work. It also touched scientific research and education for constructive and cooperative social work and reorganisation of social work centres. 

For the third year in a row, the University of Ljubljana won recognition with the StudyPortals Award for Excellent International Student Satisfaction 2016. Foreign students gave the University of Ljubljana an average score of 9+. 

The Higher Education and Scholarships Fair opened in Zagreb, which then moved to the University of Rijeka. Within the scope of the University of Ljubljana presentation, the fair was attended by associates from the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Economics and the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, all of whom made the event more interesting and attracted visitors to participate. Several lectures and panel discussions were held throughout the fair.

Within the scope of a working visit by two Chinese universities co-financed by the Confucius Institute of Ljubljana, the University of Ljubljana signed a cooperation agreement with the Nanjing University and Sichuan University from Chengdu. The universities are ranked among the top ten Chinese universities.

The Ramiz Salčin sports hall in Sarajevo was the venue of the third Sarajevo University Fair. In addition to providing information about studying in Ljubljana, representatives of the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana, allowed visitors to see which celebrity they resembled the most and view Slovenia in 3D. 

The University of Ljubljana became a member of the Guild of European Research Intensive Universities, which is intended to strengthen the cooperation of the leading European universities in research and education. Members of the Guild are committed to sharing knowledge, experiences and good practices, and to cooperating with politics and private and public institutions. The goal of the network is to improve public debates and promote excellence in higher education. 

The Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana, organised the international scientific symposium entitled Slovenian public music education: a view into the past and a vision for the future . The symposium was one of the central events of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Slovenian public music education. Scientific contributions were delivered by 24 authors from four countries. The contributions were published in an independent topical issue of the Music Education Journal of the Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana.

University Week is commemorated every year at the beginning of December when the University of Ljubljana celebrates its anniversary. At the central event, a formal session of the Senate, top awards were presented: Honorary Doctor1, Pro Universitate Labacensi plaquettes2, Golden plaquettes and certificates of recognition for young university teachers and associates. 

Students were presented with the Prešeren Awards, certificates of recognition for study achievements and engagement in extracurricular activities. Professor emeritus of University of Ljubljana titles were also conferred. This year’s University Week was again devoted to the presentation of top research achievementsy.

^{1Prof. Dr . Michael W. Apple received the title University of Ljubljana Honorary Doctor for his outstanding achie-vements in critical analysis of modern education and for his successful cooperation with the University of Ljubljana. Prof. Dr. William Lazonick received the title University of Ljubljana Honorary Doctor for his outstanding achieve-ments in the analysis of modern capitalism – corporate financialisation and development of the theory of innovative enterprise, and for his successful cooperation with the University of Ljubljana.} 

^{2Pro Universitate Labacensi plaquettes are awarded to natural and legal persons who have made a major contri-bution with their assets or work to the development of the University’s material capacities or to the training of its associates. In 2016, the Pro Universitate Labacensi plaquette was presented to: RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, Mag. Vojmir Urlep, Prof. Dr. Matija Tuma and Assist. Prof. Dr. Jelena Vojvodič Tuma and Parus Foundation.}

The Confucius Institute of Ljubljana, which operates in cooperation with and within the premises of the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, received the Confucius Institute of the Year award at the 11^th Confucius Institute Conference in Kunming, China.

The University of Ljubljana signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the University of Trieste (Università degli Studi di Trieste).

The Centre for extracurricular activities of the University of Ljubljana organised the first student ball at the Student dormitory Ljubljana in Rožna dolina. Visitors could sway in the rhythms of standard and Latin American dances. 

The Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, organised the 2^nd International Student Conference of Comparative Literature Prva stran: Literature against the System. The conference was attended by 90 students and professors from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the Czech Republic and Great Britain appearing as lecturers, listeners or writers. The theme of the conference was Literature against the System, i.e. to what extent can literature be a factor and motor of social change, in what way it reacts to existing structures and situations and what its transformative strength is. 

The Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, organised the 8^th international scientific ‘Youth sport’ conference. Over 85 researchers, more than half of them from abroad, presented their scientific research work. A motley and diverse international gathering of scientists from 21 countries was an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and discoveries in various areas of sport. The conference presented topical issues in youth sport, such as challenges in sports education and development of sports in young people, principles of different training methods and dilemmas relating to a career in sports.

• Adoption of a new University of Ljubljana Statute
• Victory of students from the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, at the pre-moot competition in Paris
• Reception for University of Ljubljana student athletes who participated in the 28th Winter Universiade in Kazakhstan
• Reception of professors and students from the Doshisha University
• Archaeology study programme at the University of Ljubljana ranked among top 200 of such programmes in the world
• Presentation of the Rector’s award for the best innovation of the University of Ljubljana 2016
• European Research Council approval of prestigious financing for a research project to Prof. Dr. Marta Verginella from the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
• Presentation of studies at the University of Ljubljana at EDU Fair in Belgrade and the Laboratory of the Future in Trieste
• Online presentation of the University of Ljubljana from the Webinar Series Russia
• Working meeting of representatives of KU Leuven and Waseda University
• Working visit to the University of Tirana
• Election of the Managing Board of the University of Ljubljana for the 2017-2021 term of office
• Election of the University of Ljubljana Rector for the 2017-2021 term of office