University of Primorska Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies
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Thursday, 19 March 2026 23rd UP Solemn Academy

The UP Solemn Academy marks the highlight of UP Week every year—a week around March 17 , when theUP celebrates its anniversary , as it was entered into the Court Register on that date in 2003. This year’s ceremony, at which awards are presented to all those who have contributed to the university’s reputation, development, and success through their work or activities, was dedicated to Srečko Kosovel, as the award for UP students is also named after him; this year, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia dedicated the award to the Karst poet on the 100th anniversary of his death.

The attendees were first addressed by the Rector of the University of Primorska, Prof. Dr. Klavdija Kutnar , who began her speech with the thought: “We are still young, still ambitious, and no longer very small, yet we remain innovative and forward-thinking,” then highlighted the successes and achievements of the past year across various areas of the university’s operations, and concluded with the words: “The UP is still at the heart of our name, so we will continue to move forward in the coming year.”

Matic Bončina, President of the UP Student Council, extended a special greeting to the students and emphasized that the award recipients: »Have made sure that all of us attending the University of Primorska today are extremely proud to be part of such an incredible academic and student community. Your achievements are not just personal successes, but serve as an inspiration to many students.«

Last year marked the first celebration of Slovenian Science Day, which will be observed annually on November 10. To mark the occasion, the UP set up and opened a gallery in the University Library featuring recipients of Zois Awards or recognitions and Science Ambassador awards among UP employees. Among them was the academy’s solemn speaker—Prof. Dr. Tomaž Pisanski, who received the Zois Award for lifetime achievement in the field of discrete mathematics on the eve of the holiday. In his opening remarks, he offered this reflection: “What can a dinosaur from the first half of the last century—or indeed from the last millennium—tell you? When a person of my age looks back, it seems as though nothing changes from one day to the next. But when he thinks back a few years or even decades, he notices that the changes are enormous—so great that a young person, who knows them only from history, finds it very difficult to imagine certain things that were once a constant.”

The speeches were followed by the award ceremony, which was rounded off by a cultural program that also intertwined the university and the poet. The university is also linked to Kosovel by numbers, as Srečko Kosovel was born on the very day of the academy in 1904, while the UP celebrates its founding the day before. His poetry was set to music by the Karst musician Boštjan Pertinač, and in an original choreography, he was accompanied between songs by two ballerinas who began their dance careers in the Divača dance society—Katarina Jurišević and Nika Lipolt, both UP alumni—the former from UP FTŠ Turistica, the latter from UP FAMNIT.

At this year’s ceremony, the rector, together with the presenters, awarded sixteen prizes, which we present below.

RECIPIENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRIMORSKA AWARDS 2025

Svečana listina Univerze na Primorskem - Doc. dr. Nuša Zadravec Šedivy, UP FAMNIT & UP IAM

At the proposal of UP FAMNIT and UP IAM, the UP Solemn Charter for 2025 is awarded to Assist. Prof. Nuša Zadravec Šedivy for her significant contribution to the fields of suicidology and mental health, with a focus on vulnerable groups and loneliness.

Assoc. Prof. Nuša Zadravec Šedivy has developed an outstanding and internationally recognized research path in suicidology and mental health, with an emphasis on vulnerable groups and loneliness. She led a postdoctoral project on loneliness among the elderly and is the coordinator of national prevention programmes for adolescents. She is the editor-in-chief and author of the central Slovenian monograph Suicidal Behaviour of Adolescents, a key reference work for professionals that introduces scientifically grounded preventive approaches into the Slovenian context. At the national level, she has collaborated with the National Institute of Public Health in developing protocols for the early identification of distress and for professionals. She also participates in major international conferences and is a member of relevant national and international associations. Her work meets the highest international standards and makes a significant contribution both to the advancement of science and to the improvement of the population’s mental health.

2025 Gold medal of the University of Primorska - Assist. Prof. Peter Glasnović, UP FAMNIT and UP IAM

At the proposal of UP FAMNIT and UP IAM, the 2025 Gold Medal of the University of Primorska is awarded to Assist. Prof. Peter Glasnović for his outstanding contribution to the development of botany and strengthening the reputation of UP in this field.

Through many years of dedicated work, Assist. Prof. Peter Glasnović has established, collected, prepared and curated the University of Primorska Herbarium, which now includes nearly 6,000 herbarium specimens of plants and algae and represents a key research and educational resource. Thanks to his efforts, the herbarium was entered in the international register Index Herbariorum in 2024. His extensive research focuses on the conservation of plant species and the study of the flora of the sub-Mediterranean region. Among his notable achievements is his co-authorship in the discovery of a new genus of Lamiaceae, Petrolamium crnojevicii, which has significantly contributed to the understanding of biodiversity in Southeast Europe. As a university lecturer, he successfully carries out his teaching responsibilities, while demonstrating scientific excellence through active participation in international projects and European networks. He is an important promoter of the natural sciences and was awarded the Prometheus of Science Award in 2025 for his work in science communication.

2025 University of Primorska Scientific Excellence Award - Prof. Elena Bužan, UP FAMNIT and UP IAM

At the proposal of UP FAMNIT and UP IAM, the 2025 UP Scientific Excellence Award is presented to Prof. Elena Bužan for the publication of a scientific article in the journal Nature.

Prof. Elena Bužan’s research spans several interconnected disciplines, with a particular focus on the use of molecular biology techniques in basic and applied research in the fields of evolution, population genetics and conservation biology. She is also actively involved in the field of citizen science. She leads a number of national and international projects and is a member of several relevant professional associations. Last year, she co-authored a scientific article in the journal Nature titled Global meta-analysis shows action is needed to halt genetic diversity loss. It is based on a landmark study conducted by an international team of researchers. In what is the most comprehensive global analysis of genetic diversity to date, the team found that genetic diversity is declining worldwide; however, certain conservation measures have proven effective in helping preserve species.

2025 University of Primorska Scientific Excellence Award - Assist. Prof. Aleksandar Tošić, UP FAMNIT and UP IAM

At the proposal of UP FAMNIT and UP IAM, the 2025 UP Scientific Excellence Award is presented to Assist. Prof. Aleksandar Tošić for his exceptionally impactful research in computer science and information technology.

Assist. Prof. Aleksandar Tošić completed his doctoral studies in 2022 at UP FAMNIT, where he is currently employed. He is an extremely incisive researcher in computer science and information technology, with publications spanning a wide range of interdisciplinary topics, from distributed computing and blockchain to air quality, NFT ecosystems and solutions for AI infrastructures. He enjoys high international recognition as the leader of international projects and a guest lecturer at prestigious conferences. At the national level, he makes an important contribution as a member of several expert bodies, including the Digital Transformation Council, a task force for the acquisition of a supercomputer and the expert group of the Financial Stability Board at the Bank of Slovenia. In addition to his research excellence, he contributes to the development of early-career researchers and has long been involved in organizing programming competitions.

 2025 Srečko Kosovel Award for University of Primorska Students - Dr. Meta Lavrič, UP FAMNIT in UP IAM

At the proposal of UP FAMNIT and UP IAM, the 2025 Srečko Kosovel Award for UP Students goes to Dr. Meta Lavrič for her doctoral thesis Experiencing storytelling: developing and sharing written stories as an intervention to strengthen mental health in gatekeepers under supervisor Prof. Vita Poštuvan.

Dr. Meta Lavrič completed the doctoral study programme in Suicidology and Mental Health at UP FAMNIT. In her doctoral dissertation she examined experiences with suicidal behaviour from the perspective of gatekeepers – employees who encounter suicidal behaviour at work but for whom this is not their primary responsibility. Her study included prison officers, a vulnerable and often overlooked professional group, thereby demonstrating a high level of ethical sensitivity, empathy and research integrity. After gaining insight into their experiences, she introduced a psychological intervention aimed at improving the participants’ well-being and mental health, based on a written storytelling approach. By synthesising the collected data, she developed a theoretical model that provides a novel and comprehensive understanding of the usefulness and underlying mechanisms of this intervention. The dissertation represents an above-average achievement and a pioneering contribution with clear practical applications for the development of psychological interventions, thus constituting a valuable contribution to psychology and related disciplines.

2025 Srečko Kosovel Award for University of Primorska students - Adela Horvat, UP FAMNIT

At the proposal of UP FAMNIT, the 2025 Srečko Kosovel Award for UP Students goes to Adela Horvat for her final thesis The impact of environmental factors on the breakdown of the incompatible reproductive system of the invasive Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae L.) in the Mediterranean under supervisor Assist. Prof. Peter Glasnović and co-supervisor Assoc. Prof. Živa Fišer.

Adela Horvat completed the first-cycle study programme in Conservation Biology at UP FAMNIT. Her final thesis deals with the current and scientifically demanding topic of reproductive biology of invasive plants, demonstrating an exceptional understanding of the mechanisms that affect the spread of non-native species in a changing environment. The thesis stands out for its topical focus on the reproductive biology of invasive plants, its methodological precision and its in-depth analysis of the influence of climatic factors on the morphological characteristics of flowers. When drafting the thesis, the student demonstrated high research maturity, independence and the ability to critically interpret the results. She voluntarily joined and actively participated in large-scale international research within the COST project ConservePlants, where she played a key role in the morphometric analysis of samples from twelve Mediterranean countries. The results of her work have been presented at several conferences, and the findings will also be included in a scientific publication.