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.
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.« More HERE.
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.
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.
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.
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.
At this year's University of Primorska Solemn Academy, we witnessed outstanding achievements and efforts shaping our University's future path. On the occasion of receiving the awards for scientific and pedagogical excellence, we congratulate Prof. Štefan Bojnec for his outstanding achievements in the field of scientific research and Assoc. Prof. Armand Faganel for his dedicated work in imparting knowledge to students. Their achievements are an expression of hard work, dedication and professionalism, which we value and respect. In doing so, the University of Primorska continues its path towards becoming a leader in the European higher education area. We also congratulate Mate Vrečič, the recipient of the Srečko Kosovel Prize for UP Students 2023, for his outstanding thesis on the traps of investing in cryptocurrencies. His contribution to understanding and raising awareness of the financial risks in this area is also outstanding, and at the same time represents an important step towards raising the financial literacy of our students. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere congratulations to mentor, Associate Prof. Dr. Suzana Laporšek, for her guidance, mentorship and support in the development of Matej's thesis. In doing so, the University of Primorska continues on its path towards establishing a leading role in the European Higher Education Area.
MORE HERE.
21. SLAVNOSTNA AKADEMIJA
