Why the University of Primorska

UP is an internationally engaged university with 20,6% of students and 12,3% of stff coming from abroad. It hosts more than 250 international researchers every year and is building its international network mainly in Europe, Asia, Americas and Oceania.

UP is a member of Transform4Europe (T4EU), a European university allianceof over 150,000 students and 10,000 researchers.

UP is supporting innovativeness of its students and staff in all fields. This has also resulted in UP becoming  one of the 38 members of the European Network of Innovative Higher Education Institutions (ENIHEI), an initiative proposed by Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. ENIHEI is a forum to exchange knowledge, ideas and experience on how higher education can promote an innovation culture, and enable creativity, entrepreneurship and talent.

UP established the NEBAcademy Pioneer Hub for Sustainable Built Environments with Renewable Materials (NEBAP Hub) and took a leading role in the European Commission’s initiatives to accelerate the transformation of the construction industry for a more sustainable future.

The European Union is fighting climate change by implementing ambitious policies in the EU and by working closely with international partners. Europe plans to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, it adopted the European Green Deal, which was followed by the New European Bauhaus initiative.

The NEBAP Hub at UP is focusing on the sustainable built environments that are regenerative and inclusive spaces that minimise environmental impacts through decarbonisation and lead to positive societal and economic impacts, including health and wellbeing.

In partnership with the Škocjan Caves Regional Park, the UP launched the UNESCO Chair of Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Heritage Approaches, which fills the gap of existing UNESCO chairs in the world, recognizing the key to sustainable heritage management in interpretation and education through integrative heritage approaches. The main guideline shall include participatory and “value-based” approaches, which can achieve integrative and sustainable management of both natural and cultural heritage through community involvement.

From the side of professional sciences, the Chair covers heritage studies, anthropology and cultural studies, archeology, geography, history, intercultural studies, management, and biology. The main goal of the chair is to develop interpretation and education for professionals and the general public within an integrative heritage approach. The UNESCO Chair is complemented by the goals and research activities of the UP FHŠ internal program group on the topic of heritage.

The UP also ensures the well-being of its community: it has established several student and staff facilities (library access 24/7, reading rooms, study spaces), a university outpatient clinic, a centre for holistic psychological support and a career centre. It also advocates a healthy lifestyle among its employees and students through SPORT UP, organising regular recreation and trips, such as hikes, skiing trips, etc.

Additionally it organises events focused on the reception, orientation and integration of students and staff.