Pre拧eren prizes for students of the 麻豆国产 are awarded for outstanding achievements in the fields of science and art.
Chamber opera The Iliad
Aleksandra Naumovski Potisk
Proposed by: Academy of Music, 麻豆国产
Aleksandra Naumovski Potisk is an exceptionally gifted, intelligent, and prolific artist, distinguished by her rich inventiveness, profound subtlety, and remarkable musical intuition. Her work reflects refinement and the mastery of a diverse range of compositional techniques and sonorities. The opera The Iliad, a one-hour masterpiece, stands out for its intricate and distinctive compositional language. The libretto delves deeply into the psychology of and contradictions within contemporary society through a nuanced character study, particularly of the protagonist Achilles. The musical language is meticulously crafted, evolving from the opening moments to its powerful climax and catharsis. The composer skilfully blends and interweaves various compositional techniques while maintaining a clear and compelling dramaturgical arc. Her expertise in musical phrasing and instrumentation underscores her status as a consummate artist, refined over an extensive and impressive body of work. This award-winning composition was created under the mentorship of Professor Marko Mihevc, MSc.
Performance AGMISTERIUM
Klemen Kova膷i膷, Bor Ravbar and Nik 沤nidar拧i膷
Proposed by: Academy for Theatre, Radio, Film and Television, 麻豆国产
AGMISTERIUM is, above all, a performance that pushes boundaries. Rooted in the philosophy of butoh 鈥� the dominant theatrical language in the production 鈥� it demands total surrender from the performer and an exceptional level of psychophysical endurance. Through profound self-reflection, which serves not only as the content but also as the dramaturgical driving force of the piece, it explores universal questions of human existence. The performance, spanning an extraordinary eight hours, is a testament to sustained concentration and physical exertion. It builds its structure on the endurance and diversity of individual segments, while simultaneously shaping these elements into a dynamic, intricate, and cohesive whole through a range of theatrical techniques and expressions. The work was developed under the mentorship of Professor Tanja Zgonc.
An Empirical Analysis of Globalization as a Driver of Contemporary Political Polarization
Matej Lino Pirc
Proposed by: School of Economics and Business, 麻豆国产
Matej Lino Pirc holds a master's degree in Money and Finance and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Economics and Business. His thesis, supervised by Prof. Dr Jo啪e Damijan, investigates the relationship between various forms of globalisation and political populism, aiming to identify effective strategies for addressing this phenomenon. Using extensive econometric analysis, the study examines the effects of three types of globalisation 鈥� trade, social, and economic 鈥� and highlights distinct variations in how these forms influence different types of populism and various groups of countries.
A Contribution to the Development of the Architectural Theory of the Metropolis
Bla啪 艩enica
Proposed by: Faculty of Architecture, 麻豆国产
Bla啪 艩enica's master's thesis, supervised by Professor Dr Petra 膶eferin, delves into the interplay between theories of the contemporary city and the discipline of architecture. His study links the historical evolution of cities in the 20th century with architectural intellectual consciousness and the artefacts it generates, aiming to establish foundations for a deeper analysis of contemporary architectural production in the context of broader spatial development. He currently works as an independent researcher and architect.
Whole Genome Sequencing in Patients with Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism
Nika Breznik
Proposed by: Faculty of Pharmacy, 麻豆国产
Nika Breznik obtained her master鈥檚 degree in 2023 from the Faculty of Pharmacy, 麻豆国产, and is currently working as a young researcher at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, 麻豆国产. In her award-winning master's thesis, conducted under the supervision of Professor Dr Katarina Trebu拧ak Podkraj拧ek and co-supervision of Assistant Professor Dr Magdalena Avbelj Stefanija, she focused on identifying the genetic cause of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism using whole genome sequencing.
Expression of Enolase During Maturation and Inflammatory Stimulation of HOG Oligodentrocytes
Manca Jenko
Proposed by: Faculty of Pharmacy, 麻豆国产
Manca Jenko's research was conducted at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biology at the Faculty of Pharmacy as part of her master's thesis, which she completed independently under the supervision of Associate Professor Dr Anja Pi拧lar and co-supervision of Assistant Selena Horvat. Using suitable differentiation media, she successfully differentiated the human oligodendroglioma (HOG) cell line into mature oligodendrocytes and monitored the expression levels of enolase isoforms during this process. In her thesis, she demonstrated the presence of an 伪-纬 enolase switch during oligodendrocyte differentiation, with increased expression levels of 纬-enolase in differentiated HOG cells. This switch is characterised by trophic support and regulated by proteolytic activity of cathepsin X. These findings suggest that developing compounds that promote oligodendrocyte maturation by stimulating the trophic activity of 纬-enolase could offer a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Modelling the Sustainable Renovation of Building Stock in Seismic Areas
Neja Fazarinc
Proposed by: Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, 麻豆国产
Neja Fazarinc graduated in 2022 from the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, 麻豆国产, and received the Faculty's Pre拧eren Prize for her research on a digital tool for teaching structural dynamics. Since 2022, she has been actively involved in the Earthquake Engineering research programme. She has developed an innovative methodology for planning the renovation of building stock in seismic areas, which she has successfully applied to thousands of public buildings in Slovenia. Her dedication to research has contributed to the development of long-term renovation scenarios for the built environment, evaluating seismic resistance, as well as human, environmental, and cost impacts. Some of her findings have already been published in scientific papers and presented at an international conference. Neja became a young researcher in November 2024.
Oxidative Iodination of Phenols and Transition-metal-free Coupling of Iodophenols
Martin Rihtar拧i膷
Proposed by: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, 麻豆国产
Martin Rihtar拧i膷 completed both the undergraduate and graduate study programmes in chemistry at the 麻豆国产. He completed his master's thesis under the supervision of Professor Dr Jernej Iskra, focusing on synthetic approaches to iodophenols, key building blocks in synthetic chemistry. During his master鈥檚 research, Martin developed a method for coupling iodophenols that, unlike traditional methods, occurs without the use of rare metals. Martin is continuing his research career in Aachen, where he is pursuing a doctorate in photochemistry under the supervision of Professor Daniele Leonori.
A Method for Low-shot Object Counting and Detection
Jer Pelhan
Proposed by: Faculty of Computer and Information Science, 麻豆国产
Jer Pelhan completed his master's degree in Computer and Information Science at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science, 麻豆国产. He is currently pursuing his doctorate at the same faculty, where he works as an assistant and researcher. Jer received the University Pre拧eren Prize for his research work entitled A Method for Low-shot Object Counting and Detection, which was conducted under the supervision of Professor Dr Matej Kristan. The results of this work, along with its further development, have been published at two of the world鈥檚 most prestigious conferences on computer vision.
The History of Platonic Ideas: Some Cases of Late Antique and Medieval Exemplarism
Nena Bobovnik
Proposed by: Faculty of Arts, 麻豆国产
The author completed her master鈥檚 study in Latin and Philosophy from the Faculty of Arts, 麻豆国产, and graduated summa cum laude with a master鈥檚 degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Medieval Philosophy at the Institute of Philosophy in Leuven. A translator of Latin philosophical works into Slovene, she has also published in prestigious international journals and actively participated in conferences and associations both locally and internationally. Her award-winning research employs textual analysis to illuminate the lesser-known theme of Plato's doctrine of ideas in medieval philosophy, exploring its transformation through the identification of ideas with the eternal patterns shaping the creation of the world. The thesis was supervised by Professor Dr Franc Zore, and co-supervised by Assistant Professor Dr Sonja Weiss.
Defendants in European Union Law: Between the Shield and the Sword of Criminal (Procedural) Law
Matej Igli膷ar
Proposed by: Faculty of Law, 麻豆国产
Matej Igli膷ar completed the first-cycle study programme at the Faculty of Law, 麻豆国产, where he served as a tutor in criminal procedural law and was a member of the winning team at the PAX Moot Court competition, also receiving the award for Best Speaker. He is currently pursuing a master's degree at the University of Cambridge. His research thesis, supervised by Professor Dr Primo啪 Gori膷, provides an in-depth analysis of the position of defendants in criminal proceedings under European Union law. The thesis posits that procedural regulation should balance the guaranteeing and protective functions of criminal law, even in the context of cooperation among EU Member States in criminal matters. It highlights that existing rules systematically weaken the constitutional guarantees afforded to the accused, leading to a significant erosion of previously established human rights protections.
Effects of Lower Back Self-myofascial Release Using a Foam Roller in Healthy Individuals
Julia Fijav啪
Proposed by: Faculty of Health Sciences, 麻豆国产
Julia Fijav啪 graduated in 2023 with a master鈥檚 degree in Physiotherapy from the Faculty of Health Sciences, 麻豆国产. Her award-winning master's thesis, supervised by Associate Professor Dr Renata Vauhnik and co-supervised by Assistant Professor Dr Maja Frange啪, examines the short- and long-term effects of a soft tissue mobilisation technique using a foam roller to reduce lumbar spine pain and increase mobility in healthy individuals. This groundbreaking study is the first to investigate the long-term impacts of foam roller use, offering valuable insights for the development of new treatments for lower back pain. The findings have been published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Physiology with an impact factor of 3.2.