Prof. Dr. Boštjan Golob New Rector of the University of Nova Gorica
The inauguration of the new rector, Prof. Dr. Boštjan Golob, of the University of Nova Gorica took place yesterday at the premises of the University of Nova Gorica, in the Lanthieri Mansion.
With the symbolic handover of the rector’s insignia, the previous rector, Prof. Dr. Danilo Zavrtanik, handed over the rector’s honours and duties to Prof. Dr. Boštjan Golob, who was elected as the new rector on 3 June 2021 at the 66th session of the Governing Board. His official 2022–2026 term as University rector began on 1 February 2022.
“With this rector insignia, I accept the honour and commitment that as the rector of the University of Nova Gorica I will promote its reputation and honour and act to the benefit of the academic community. I will responsibly devote my expertise, experience and power to its educational, research, artistic and professional excellence. Let this rector’s chain be a symbol of the strong connections between and affiliation of all members of the academic community, including students. I will wear it with a commitment to the values of the university, its autonomy and academic excellence. I will lead the University of Nova Gorica on the foundations of respect for human rights and equal opportunities, nurturing good neighbourly and intercultural relations, comprehensive cooperation and environmental protection”, said Prof. Dr. Boštjan Golob at the inauguration.
“We have come to the point when a couple of new stones are needed in the mosaic of the institution. It is up to us whether the mosaic will continue to grow in a brilliant golden hue of excellence as it has done so far”, said Prof. Dr. Golob in his address after the official taking up of duties.
He tried to answer three important questions, which are the basic guiding principles in the preparation of speeches: “What?”, “How?” and “Why?”
“Let me start with ‘What do we want to accomplish?’ Continued development of the university and its efforts to achieve excellence in the pedagogical, scientific and development fields. As before, this development should be balanced, matched with the human resources capacity of the university”, was the answer of the new rector, Prof. Dr. Golob.
In answering the second question, “How to facilitate such development?”, Prof. Dr. Golob highlighted cooperation. “This is multi-layered. Cooperation at the level of the institution: I do not refer only to the arrival at the workplace and working together in a laboratory, office or lecture room. It is much more than that. It is a common overcoming of difficult times and a shared joy over success, it is about joint deliberation and creation in the noblest sense of the word.”
“Each and every one of us working in science or higher education has a deep personal motivation for our actions. This is reflected in our dedicated work in the specific field of our expertise which we know that we are able to do in a highly competent manner. All personal motivation and endeavours can, ‘if the stars align’, as we often like to say, merge into a higher, broader and uniform vision. I believe that in Slovenia we have the human potential in the field of higher education and research and development which, alongside other geopolitical and geographical features, offers us the opportunity to become a European and widely recognised centre of education and cutting-edge science. Maybe now is a good moment to jointly turn Slovenia into a scientific and educational oasis, where national experts and specialists will receive training, which excellent international students will gladly visit, where top national and international scientists will conduct their research, and all of them would inevitably contribute their share to the progress of society as a whole”, the new rector said in response to the question “Why do we strive for the above?”
On this occasion, the first provost of the University of Nova Gorica, Acad. Prof. Dr. Boštjan Žekš, addressed the audience, emphasising that the inauguration of the rector is always a special occasion for every university, while for the University of Nova Gorica today’s event is something exceptional and therefore presents an opportunity to look back and think ahead. It is his belief that the University of Nova Gorica has achieved its main objective. “We got a university, albeit a small one, which ranks in terms of quality and research strength among the best universities, or at least among globally comparable universities. The second part of the plans at the time of setting up the University of Nova Gorica or its predecessors, i.e. to use this development to influence the development of our higher education in general, is far from being realised. Quite the contrary; with a few exceptions, our higher education arena is mainly moving in the opposite direction, towards mass production and lacking in quality, which is more attractive and comprehensible to our politicians”, said Acad. Prof. Dr. Žekš and thanked Prof. Dr. Danilo Zavrtanik for the substantial part of his life that he had devoted to the University of Nova Gorica and for all that he had done for it. He also thanked the rector, Prof. Dr. Boštjan Golob, for accepting the offered duty and for deciding to embark on this adventure, which will sometimes be difficult but undoubtedly interesting.
In addition to the rector Prof. Dr. Boštjan Golob, the management team currently comprises Prof. Dr. Penka Stateva, Vice-Rector for Education and Arts, and Prof. Dr. Matjaž Valant, Vice-Rector for Sustainable Development and Technology.
Andreja Leban, Public Relations
