Friday, 2 June 2023 PROMETHEUS OF SCIENCE AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATION FOR 2022

The Slovenian Science Foundation (SZF) awarded the Prometheus of Science Awards for 2022 at a ceremony held at the Prešeren Hall of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences (SAZU) on Tuesday, 30 May 2023. Among the winners of the University of Primorska are the UP Faculty of Education (UP PEF), together with Radio Koper, and the InnoRenew CoE research institute. The Communicator of Science Award for 2022 was awarded to Dr. Lovrenc Lipej.

The Prometheus of Science Award was given to the InnoRenew CoE (Centre for Research and Innovation in Renewable Materials and Healthy Living Environments), which the University of Primorska and a consortium of project partners established in 2017. It now brings together 68 experts from 20 different countries in five research groups in a highly interdisciplinary way.

Their excellence is best illustrated by their new institute building, which combines cutting-edge expertise in several fields to achieve sustainable construction, including architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, psychology, ergonomics, information technology, wood science, and the expertise of multidisciplinary researchers in the field of healthy living environments.

More than 2,300 people of all generations have visited the building in the meantime.

Since its foundation, they have continuously worked to popularise the science of wood and sustainable construction in various ways – through national and international associations, by participating in trade fairs, round tables, and conferences, by teaching at the faculties of Slovenian and foreign universities, by workshops at primary and secondary schools, and by active participation in the co-creation of study programmes such as »Sustainable Built Environment« and »Renewable Materials for Healthy Built Environments«.

They use many channels to inform the Slovenian and international general public - social networks, websites, publications in various regular columns, newsletters, newspapers and magazines, TV and radio programmes, conferences, by organising various events, exhibitions, ceremonies and international conferences, as well as through the activities of the InnoRenew CoE Living Lab.

Among the recipients of the highest and only award of its kind - the Prometheus of Science, which has so far been introduced for those researchers, artists, teachers and journalists who stand out in communicating science to different audiences, is also the UP Faculty of Education (UP PEF), the Department of Class Education and Radio Koper for the joint radio programme »One cat, four mice«, which consists of eight series.

This popular science programme explains one of the most important sciences - mathematics - to the general public through a narrative interweaving, dating back to the earliest civilisations (Late Neolithic, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, India, Ancient Greece and the Arab world). The audience is further engaged by the anecdotes, the musical background and the unique style of the presenter/editor. The contributions to the show were prepared by Prof. Dr. Mara Cotič (didactics of mathematics), Prof. Dr. Darjo Felda (professor of mathematics), and Asst. Daniel Doz. The show was aired every Monday in April and May, in the year 2022 (archive of the show).

The honorary title of Communicator of Science for 2022 was awarded to Dr. Lovrenc Lipej, full professor at UP FAMNIT, where he shares his knowledge with students of the courses »Marine Biodiversity«, »Biotic Globalisation in the Oceans«, »Ecology of the Sea« and »Selected Chapters in Zoology of Marine Animals«.

Congratulations to all the award winners!