University of Maribor, Slovenia

The University of Maribor was founded in 1975. With its 17 faculties, the University Library of Maribor and student residences, it is the second largest and second oldest university in Slovenia with a long tradition. The University of Maribor (UM) is a successful scientific institution whose primary mission is to disseminate and enrich knowledge. It is rapidly developing new areas of activity, testing new study methods and seeking new ways of connecting with the environment.

Strengthening our role as a research university is one of our priorities. UM encourages interdisciplinarity. UM faculties cover natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, medicine, biotechnology, social sciences, humanities and other sciences. By creating a working environment that fosters academic freedom, UM aims to promote excellence in science and the arts.

The awareness that a university is made up of people is present at all levels of education and research. This is why particular attention is also paid to involving students in research and decision-making bodies, and to working with industry, both in the transfer of knowledge and technology into practice, and in connecting and networking students and graduates with employers in the context of the transition to the labour market. The University of Maribor is an institution that offers many opportunities for career development. Graduates, researchers and professors are successful and well-known in Slovenia and abroad.

UM is a central development institution, establishing links with the economy and, together with its partners, creating a sustainable development hub for the wider region. We are rapidly developing new areas of activity, testing new study methods and finding new ways of connecting with the environment. The 17 faculties offer 179 study programmes for more than 14,000 students, of whom around 10% are international students. UM employs around 1,000 higher education teachers.

The faculty involved in this project is the Faculty of Education, which develops study programmes for early childhood educators and teachers at different levels and is engaged in scientific research work in the field of teaching at different areas and levels.

The Faculty of Education runs study programmes at first, second and third level, with around 1 300 students studying each year. The programmes offered at the Faculty of Education University of Maribor are Early Childhood Education, Basic Education, Music Pedagogy, Art Pedagogy, Sports Training, Inclusion in Education and Educational Sciences.

Brain Game Ccenter Slovenia is an interdisciplinary research and development unit under Faculty of Education that brings together cognitive and educational sciences. It focuses on the development and testing of scientifically grounded interventions designed to strengthen cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, perception, language, and learning. By transferring research findings into educational practice, BGC Slovenia supports the development of innovative pedagogical approaches that help learners acquire key skills and knowledge for the future.