Faculty of Management (University of Primorska) is partner in the international project AISAB in the field of innovation and development. Eleven students of undergraduate study programme Management have been participating in the project in 2019: Barbara Kokalj, Matej Vrečič, Marko Stanonik, Dalija Čučko, Niko Kroflič, Julija Kampijut, Monika Kovačič, Marijo Moćič, Klavdija Tojnko, Lorena Šket and Sara Mahmutović. Project coordinators and mentors are prof. Borut Likar and assistant prof. Peter Štrukelj.
In the framework of the project, we have completed five student innovation consultancy projects at the faculty in 2019. In these projects, our students had been visiting selected Slovenian SMEs from different sectors and different regions in Slovenia and had consulted them regarding possibilities for improving their business processes. Participating companies were very much satisfied with the results of students' consultancy work - e.g. one company immediately implemented one of the proposed solutions/improvements from the consulting students.
Cooperation in the project has also enriched participating students' references - they have acquired valuable practical experiences in improving business processes. At the faculty, we are especially proud at this. Therefore, a very positive feedback from students with respect to project participation as well as mentoring is not surprising at all. Some participating students even aim to upgrade their project work and material into their diploma thesis.
AISAB project (Applied Innovation for Students and Business) is led by British University of Gloucestershire and is part of EU Erasmus + programme (Strategic Partnerships). On one hand, the project represents an enrichment of the postgraduate programme, since it addresses at least three from ten most important skills as they were set out by the World Economic Forum in 2016, i.e. complex problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. At the same time, the project represents an important step towards higher cooperation between academic sector and real sector which is in line with fundamental goals and strategic orientations of the Medium-term Development Strategy of University of Primorska for the period 2014–2020.
Text: dr. Peter Štrukelj
