UP employees will have a rich programme of workshops, hikes, excursions and other meetings on Rector's Day, to which students are also invited. Some events require registration to facilitate their organisation. Based on last year's survey, we have tried to make it possible to attend several events during the day, and we are repeating some of them so that you can visit them over the years.

PROGRAMME

Below you will find an overview of the programme by strand. You are invited to read the full programme and combine the activities from the different strands. The application form is the same for all strands and the deadline for applications is Tuesday 17 October 2023 at 10:00. If there are any changes, we will inform you in due course. In the event of an emergency, we reserve the right to change the programme.

REGISTRATION FORM

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SPORTS 

• Cycling trip along the Parenzana from Koper to Milj and back (Difficulty: 3)

9.00, mixUP | Full equipment is required. Meeting point will be on the platform behind the UP building at 9.00. The trip is led by Alex Žigante (RIC UP).

• Walk along the sea from Koper to Izola (and back) as far as Simon's Bay with the possibility of a guided tour of the Archaeological Park at 11.00 (Difficulty: 1)9.30, Žusterna, 11.00 guided tour | The guided tour will be in Slovenian language.

The meeting point will be at the entrance to the macadam car park in Žusterna at 9.30. There are no guided walks.

• Seafront walk from Koper to Izola (and back) with the possibility of a guided tour of the InnoRenew CoE building at 11.00 (Difficulty: 1)

9.30, Žusterna, 11.00 guided tour | The guided tour will be in English.

The meeting point will be at the entrance to the gravel car park in Žusterna at 9.30. There are no guided walks.

• Walk along the sea from Turistica to Piran (and back), with a visit to the Aquarium (Difficulty: 1)

9.30, UP FTŠ | A relaxed walk to Piran with the possibility of a group visit to the Aquarium at 10.30. The walk and tour are not guided.

Meeting point will be at the Turistica car park at 9.30.

• Tinjan hike with SportUP (Difficulty: 3)

9.30, Dekani | Circular walk along the trail to Tinjan

The meeting point will be at the cemetery car park in Dekani at 9.30. The tour is led by Luka Kejžar (Sport UP).

• In the Footsteps of Migrants - Testimonies of Life Stories (Difficulty: 1)

10.30, Koper Passenger Terminal | Eco-sustainability walk along selected Istrian migrant routes in the vicinity of Dragonja, which also draws attention to migration trends in our region and the difficult situation of migrants crossing our borders (the so-called "migrants' stories"). Balkan route) or trying to do so, leaving behind traces that will be turned into exhibition artefacts that can document the life and hope of "everyday people" in search of a better world, as they did with migration decades ago.

The collection point will be in the car park under the lift in the passenger terminal at 10.30. Please let us know if you can provide transport or if you need it. The trip will be led by Dr Michael Mrissa (UP Rector's Office) and Dr Katja Hrobat Virloget (UP FHŠ).

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CULTURAL AND SOCIAL

• Literary walk in Koper with poetry reading and a relaxing end with tea and coffee (held in slovenian language)

9.00-10.30, UP surroundings and mixUP | The UP Book Club meeting will take the form of a leisurely stroll through the literary spots around the university, a visit to the library and a closing with coffee and tea at mixUP.

• UPreplet (UP Volunteering)

10.30-12.30 in mixUP | This year, anyone who would like to take a break from work but can't make it to the events is invited to bring something creative from home - something you like to do or create, and then chat or share knowledge with your colleagues in mixUP. You can drop off your products and we will donate them to the relevant charities.

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WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS 

• Travel lecture: 51 days in Thailand and the Philippines - Lovrenc Habe (UP PEF) (held in slovenian language)

8.30-9.30, P2, UP PEF | During this travelogue you will smell the streets of Bangkok, throw yourself into the muddy roads and drive on suspicious concrete roads, all the way to the childish elephants. You'll hear from hearty locals, meet lady boys and suicidal monkeys.

• Stress and mindfulness at work - Meta Lavrič (UP IAM, SCRS) (held in slovenian language)

11.00-12.00, UP FAMNIT lobby | At the workshop we will learn about the basics of mindfulness, which are the foundation for coping with various everyday situations. We will also learn about and try out practical mindfulness exercises, which, if needed, can also be done at work. We will therefore equip ourselves with knowledge and skills that can help us to manage stress both in our private lives and at work. (60 min, between 11.00 and 13.00)

• ChatGPT API on Raspberry Pi - Dr. Igor Riznar (UP FM)

13.00-14.00, P2, UP FM | Using ChatGPT on Raspberry Pi with Open AI API implementation.

• Fundamentals of Investing - Dr. Jan Frančeškin (UP FM) (held in slovenian language)

14.00-15.00, P2, UP FM | In recent years, the global economy has been undergoing a major test. We have witnessed the global pandemic of COVIDA - 19 which is heading into a period of elevated inflation in 2022. It is precisely the increased inflation and the low interest rates on bank deposits that are forcing individuals and households to be exposed to riskier investments. This raises the key issue of financial literacy, which is a prerequisite for the prudent selection of a portfolio of slightly riskier investments.

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LECTURES

• The mission of knowledge in the age of artificial intelligence - a human perspective - Dr Simona Kustec (held in slovenian language)

10.00-11.00, P1, UP FM | The aim of the lecture will be to discuss the future vision and role of knowledge in the new, sixth wave of the so-called technological revolution, characterised by artificial intelligence. In this respect, the different missions (categorisations) of knowledge and their relevance for the development of AI will be presented. The central part of the paper will highlight the role of knowledge as a moral compass and social gatekeeper of the technological development of AI. Starting from the thesis that the use of knowledge must also be approached in a deliberate manner for the purposes of further civilisational development, selected historical examples of the use of knowledge for the development of technological innovations will be highlighted, which have had negative consequences for the further development of societies. In conclusion, all the findings presented will serve as an open space for further debate on the image and mission of different types of knowledge for human-centred technological progress.

• Gender issues - presentation of the AGRIGEP project - Dr. Štefan Bojnec and Dr. Patricia Blatnik 

12.00-13.00, P1, UP FM | The European Union places great emphasis on gender equality, with a focus on gender issues in research and educational institutions. Our university has also already adopted a Gender Equality Plan for UP, which defines the vision and mission of UP in ensuring gender and other equality for the period 2021-2027. However, gender equality issues also vary according to the fields of study and research, where, for example, in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, gender equality issues are already well known and specific action plans have also been developed.In addition, gender equality issues in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics are also well known and have been addressed by the European Commission. However, some other areas do not yet have systematically identified specific actions and plans to mitigate them. The objectives of the AGRIGEP project, in which UP FM is collaborating with five other consortium partners, are, inter alia, to assess the current state of implementation of gender equality policies and to improve capacities through intensive capacity building. These results could also lead to long-term institutional reforms and the establishment of a system for mainstreaming gender equality issues in the education system and in the professional training of students. You are invited to a presentation of the AGRIGEP project, where you will also have the opportunity to raise your own issues and experiences to contribute to the search for solutions.

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SIDE EVENTS

• PROMOTION OF PHDS

Thursday, 19 October 2023, at 12 noon in the UP Armeria Hall.

The Vice-Rector for Scientific and Research Activities of UP, Dr Štefko Miklavič, will inaugurate 13 new PhD students who completed their studies between March and September 2023.

• FIRST EVENT - LITERARY EVENING - IN THE NEW LIBRARY OF THE UP (held in slovenian language)

Thursday, 19 October 2023, at 19.00 at the University Library of the University of Primorska (Trubarjeva 1, 6000 Koper).

Marcello Potocco will present his latest collection of poems, Odyssey(ka) in the Labyrinth. The discussion will be moderated by Barbara Jurša Potocco.

Marcello Potocco is a poet, literature researcher and university professor. He graduated and received his PhD in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana, and now teaches at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Primorska. He has published six collections of poetry. He was nominated for the Veronika Prize in 2008 for his collection "Corrections to a Poetry Collection" and for the Jenk Prize in 2012 for his collection "Via Francigena". He has participated in literary festivals at home and abroad, and his poems have been translated into many foreign languages, including an anthology of Slovenian poetry in Hebrew and Czech. Recently, he has also been featured in bilingual editions of contemporary Slovenian poetry in Italian and German.

• OFFICIAL OPENING OF STUDENT HOUSE OF PRISOJE 9b (held in slovenian language)

Friday 20 October at 12 noon, Prisoje 9a

On the first day of the academic year, the UP Student Halls of Residence opened their renovated section in Prisoje. This important addition brings students 82 extra beds in double or triple dormitories, equipped with en-suite bathrooms and kitchens. The new part of the dormitory is adjacent to the existing dormitory of the ŠD Prisoje dormitory, which has 160 student beds. In total, the Prisoje Student Residence will have 121 rooms with 242 beds. At the end of 2022, UP also bought the former Garni Hotel Pristan from Luka Koper d.d. and has already built 55 beds for students in 18 rooms, which were already occupied by students in February this year.

• ETHICS DAY: A CONSULTATION ON TRENDS IN ACADEMIC ETHICS AND INTEGRITY (held in slovenian language)

Thursday, 24 October at 12 noon, Burja 1 lecture room at UP FHŠ

In recent years and months, we have seen major shifts in the field of academic integrity and ethics, as we have witnessed the emergence of artificial intelligence tools in the higher education space and a paradigm shift in the approach to student misconduct. Artificial intelligence thus raises a number of issues related to the quality and credibility of student products, while in the area of student misconduct, action is moving from retributive justice to restorative justice, which seeks to understand the circumstances in which misconduct occurred. The event will also present the findings of the working group for the preparation of the document with the working title "Position on the use of artificial intelligence at the University of Primorska" and the working group for the implementation of the UP Integrity Plan.
 

REGISTRATION FORM