About the Faculty

The faculty’s goal is to become an internationally established higher education institution in the field of Slovenian and international studies. It will train graduates sought after in the labour market through educational activity of high quality, linking theory and practice, integrating pedagogical and research work and international cooperation. Furthermore, the faculty wants to become a reliable partner to a domestic economic and non-economic sector as well as to foreign profit and non-profit institutions.

Goal I: To shape an integrated study programme in order to obtain the knowledge of processes which have formed the Slovenian culture and national identity from the Early Middle Ages up to the present day. This is the basis which enables the understanding of the special features of the identity of the Slovenian nation and their place in the cultural identity of Europe as a whole. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to include interdisciplinary study contents in the field of humanities with social and science subjects that build upon it and add applied value to the programme.

Goal II: To emphasise the ever-greater importance of contemporary interdisciplinary knowledge as well as a theoretical and applied link between historical, artistic, linguistic, philosophical, cultural, ethnic, environmental and heritage theory on the one hand, and social, economic and legal practice on the other hand in order to train efficient and creative individuals for integrating society and continuous development of Slovenia within the EU.

Goal III: To research, maintain and teach Slovenian studies, that is, the Slovenian identity as a specificity in the EU. Only the knowledge of origin and development of the Slovenian identity and culture, on which the establishment of the Slovenian state is based, can contribute to a long-term maintenance of diversity in a united Europe.

Goal IV: To educate experts:

– who will be able to analyse the structure of the Slovenian national system, to understand the structure, cohesion and development of Slovenia by theoretically assuming that the national identity is an open and dynamic value;

– with knowledge and virtues required by the changed socio-political and economic conditions in Slovenia and in the world;

– who will be able to confront complicated and unforeseeable situations and challenges of an ever-growing development and will be recognised by their critical thinking and their ability of independent (creative) work.

Goal V: To educate graduates in the wide interdisciplinary field of humanities (history, language, art, philosophy, culture, theology and cultural heritage), social sciences (sociology, law, geopolitics and international relations) and natural sciences (nature, economy, infrastructure and sustainable development) for an immediate involvement in a creative work process in workplaces which require thorough knowledge of the Slovenian identity; in diplomacy, in the departments of the EU, journalism, creative and cultural industries, in public administration and national services, in cultural and tourist organisations, in municipal administration and by the holders of public authorisation, in the economy and entrepreneurial development projects.

Goal VI: To guarantee a complete students’ mobility at a national and an international level with a clearly designed structure of a credit system, entirely based on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).

Goal VII: To emphasise the importance of individual and independent study and research work supported by a mentor and in the framework of the study requirements in order to develop the graduates’ applied competence and creativity with the assured evaluation of the students’ independent work in the framework of the credit system.

Mission

 Faculty of Slovenian and International Studies will have a central role in the development of Slovenian identity and will, for this purpose, build suitable conceptual foundations and supporting instruments. Slovenian identity cannot develop solely on the basis of knowing and spreading the Slovenian language, but also through the knowledge of the whole system of the Slovenian national question – the nation’s history as well as the perspective of its development. The faculty will form and carry out studies to enable students to study the humanities interdisciplinarily and to expand their knowledge of different fields– subsystems of the Slovenian society – multidisciplinarily. Much attention will be given to the graduates’ competences and employment opportunities.

The faculty will represent a solid core of the academic union of professors, researchers, students and other associates as well as create a sense of belonging to the institution. By its research, education, professional and public operation, the faculty will aim to become established in Slovenia and in the world. In cooperation with economic organisations and service organisations in public and private sectors, with state authorities, local communities, and civil society, the faculty will promote the use of its research and academic achievements as well as contribute to social development.

Vision

 The faculty’s vision is to become a quality institution as well as internationally established educational and scientific and research higher education institution in the interdisciplinary field of Slovenian studies that will creatively contribute to the quality of humanistic and interdisciplinary studies as well as to the development of the scientific disciplines of the Slovenian society. The faculty wants to achieve the latter through educational activity of high quality, by linking theory and practice, integrating pedagogical and research work, and international cooperation. Focussing on quality higher education, the faculty will train graduates sought after in the domestic and international labour markets.

The vision of the study programme is to establish Slovenian studies as an academic discipline in a broader national and international environment. This also means improving and establishing the contents of Slovenian studies on scientific and theoretical bases.

Values

 The faculty strives for an integrative union of professors, researchers, students and other associates, strengthening their interrelationship, individual research work and a sense of belonging to the institution. With its research, education, professional and public activities, the faculty strives to become established at home and in the world. In cooperation with economic organisations and service organisations in public and private sector, with state authorities, local communities, and civil society, the faculty tries to enforce Slovenian studies in a broader social and scientific and research environment. It aims at a general use of its research and academic achievements according to open science criteria and thus contributes to social development.

The faculty’s activities are based on the following values:

• quality and academic excellence on the basis of internationally comparable standards in all areas of activity;
• autonomy and independence from the state, political parties, corporations and religious communities;
• academic freedom of the associates and students, especially the freedom of creativity, and the development of civilizational accomplishments of humanism and human rights, including equal possibilities and solidarity;
• loyalty and openness with co-shaping the awareness of common goals; the faculty is open to domestic and international academic as well as broader social space;
• ethical and responsible attitude towards the academic and scientific community.