Staff

Biography: Irina Elena Cristea received the PhD in Mathematics, with specialization in Algebra, in 2007, from the University of Constantza, Romania. She started the research career in 2003 at the University of Iasi, Romania, where she worked as Teaching Assistant for 4 years. After a postdoctoral position at Udine University, Italy, in January 2012, she was employed at the University of Nova Gorica, as Assistant Professor in Mathematics, conducting research in Algebraic Hyperstructure Theory. Since 2017, she is Associate Professor in Mathematics, being affiliated with and leading the Centre for Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics. Since October 2020 she is chief editor of Italian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, published by Fare-Forum Editrice Universitaria Udinese. Besides she is associated editor for Heliyon, published by Elsevier, and member of the editorial board of Mathematics, published by MDPI, where she has led 4 special issues since 2022. She also acts as a reviewer for numerous mathematical journals.

Role: She is currently teaching Mathematics at the School of Engineering and Management, School of Environmental Sciences, School of Applied Sciences. She is also the coordinator of several Erasmus agreements and member of the senate of the School of Engineering and Management. Currently she is head of the Centre for Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics.

Research interests: algebraic hypercompositional structure theory

---

Biography: Imre Cikajlo received the Ph.D. degree in robotics and electrical engineering from the University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. From 2003 until 2004 he was a post-doc Fellow at the Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, and in 2007 a visiting researcher at University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Currently he is the Dean of The School of Engineering and Management and a Senior Researcher at University Rehabilitation Institute Soča. He has published more than 100 high impact journal papers, chapters in esteemed books and serves as an associate editor of PloSOne and member of the editorial board of International Journal of Rehabilitation Research.

Role: Imre Cikajlo is a Full Professor of electrical engineering at the School of Engineering and Management and a lecturer for Methods of System Engineering, Internet of Things and Digital resource & document management. At the moment he is the Dean of The School of Engineering and Management and a Director of the Bachelor degree programme Engineering and Management.

Research interests: biomechanics, integration of sensory information, control of machine and human movements , rehabilitation robotics and integration of virtual reality and artificial intelligence into robotics.

---

Biography: Hashem Bordbar received the PhD in Mathematics in 2017 from the University of Shahid Bahonar, Iran. His research is related to the commutative algebra and algebraic hypercompositional structures. Also, he was awarded with a scholarship to carry out part of his Ph.D. research in the Gyeongsang National University, South Korea. As a postdoctoral fellow, he worked at the University of Shahid Beheshti, Iran. His research career in this period focused on applications of algebraic (hypercompositional)structures in computer sciences and coding theory. In December 2019 he joint the University of Nova Gorica, as a postdoc in the Centre of Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics. In March 2022 he got his habilitation as Assistant Professor in mathematics.

Role: He is currently an Assistant Professor at the School of Engineering and Management, Faculty of Environmental Science, School of Viticulture and Enology and Faculty of Science. Also, he works as a researcher in Algebra within the Centre for Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics.

Research interests: commutative algebra, ordered algebra, hyperstructure algebra, fuzzy sets, coding theory and cryptography.

---

Biography: Ahmad Hosseini began his PhD studies at Saarland University (Germany) and completed them at Sabanci University (Turkey) with a focus on Industrial Engineering-Operations Research (with a minor in Computer Science), where he also served as a teaching assistant. Following his doctoral studies, he participated in two postdoctoral projects in Industrial Optimization, Mathematical Programming, and Forestry Planning (as a postdoc fellow and postdoc associate) at Umeå University (Sweden), where he was also a lecturer and thesis advisor for graduate students in Mathematics, Industrial Engineering, and Management programs. His primary research interests lie at the intersection of Operations Research (OR), Industrial Engineering, Mathematical Optimization, and Computer Science, encompassing both theoretical and practical aspects. Additionally, he has a strong focus on Machine Learning Algorithms and Statistical Methods, leveraging his extensive experience in Data Analysis to excel in Data-Driven Optimization and extracting meaningful insights from data across diverse scientific fields and industries to support evidence-based decision-making.

Role: He is an Assistant Professor at the School of Engineering and Management and the School of Viticulture and Enology at the University of Nova Gorica. He is also affiliated with the Center for Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics (CITAM).

Research interests: Theoretical and Applied Operations Research (OR), Combinatorial and Industrial Optimization, Mathematical Modeling, Network Flows and Algorithms, Forestry Engineering and Planning, Transportation Networks, Distribution and Logistics, Linear Programming, Statistical Methods, Data Analysis, Machine Learning Algorithms, Data-Driven Optimization, Uncertainty Theory.

---

Biography: Juš Kocijan received the doctorate in electrical engineering from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. His past experience in the field of control engineering includes teaching and research at the University of Ljubljana and visiting research and teaching posts at several European universities and research institutes.

Role: He is currently a senior researcher at the Department of Systems and Control, Jozef Stefan Institute and Professor of Electrical Engineering at the School of Engineering and Management, University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia. His other experience includes: running a number of international and domestic research projects, serving as editor and on editorial boards of research journals, serving as a member of IFAC Technical committee on Computational Intelligence in Control. Prof. Kocijan is a Senior member IEEE, IEEE Control Systems Society, a member of SLOSIM – Slovenian Society for Simulation and Modelling and Automatic control society of Slovenia.

Research interests: modelling of dynamic systems with Gaussian process models, Control based on Gaussian process models, Multiple-model approaches to modelling and control, Applied nonlinear control, Individual Channel Analysis and Design.

---

Biography: Henrik Gjerkeš graduated at the Faculty of Technology in Maribor. He finished his Masters and in 1999 PhD study at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana, where he worked as a researcher and assistant until 2006, when he started work as a fellow researcher and university professor – assistant professor at the School of Engineering and Management and the School of Applied Sciences at the University of Nova Gorica. His scientific-research work is supplemented with cooperation in national and international project activities in the field of sustainable development and innovative systems for renewable energy sources utilisation, in cooperation with economy, local and regional communities, non-government organisations and/or government offices. From 2009 to 2011 he was Minister for self-government and regional policy in the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. Since 2011 he is employed at the University of Nova Gorica and at the Building and Civil Engineering Institute ZRMK in Ljubljana.

Role: Henrik Gjerkeš is a lecturer of the subject Introduction to the modern technological systems at the School of Engineering and Management, and the subject Optimization procedures in environmental protection at the School of Environmental Sciences. He is a member of the Centre for Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics, mentor to numerous graduates, and a member of the Study affairs committee at the School of Engineering and Management.

Research interests: heat transfer, process engineering, sustainable development, renewable energy sources, efficiency energy use, environmental technologies, measurement techniques, modern technological systems, regional development, European cohesion policy.

---

Biography: Irena Subotikj earned her Master of Science in Engineering and Management from the University of Nova Gorica in 2022, graduating with honours and receiving the Alumnus Optimus award for achieving the highest average score in her program. She has conducted extensive research on Sustainability, focusing on the impacts of biogas plants on local communities, the environment, and the economy. Her master's thesis provided a comprehensive sustainability assessment of energy recovery from organic waste, specifically targeting olive oil production waste. Irena's research has shown that investing in biogas production provides a sustainable energy source and has significant environmental benefits, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting circular economy practices. Irena has presented her research at various conferences, discussing the environmental impacts of biogas production.

Role: Since October 2024, Irena Subotikj is a young researcher in the Center for Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics and PhD candidate in the Doctoral study program in Environmental Sciences at the University of Nova Gorica. Additionally, she is involved in the educational process as an assistant lecturer for the Project Management course, which is part of the Bachelor's degree program in Engineering and Management (first cycle).

Research interests: Sustainability, Renewable Energy Sources, Life Cycle Assessment, and Critical Materials for Clean Energy Technologies.

---

Biography: Enrico Talotti received a Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Udine in Italy. He is interested in the study of Algebra, Geometry, and Number Theory, supported by the use of Computational Algebra Systems such as Pari-gp and SageMath, with a particular focus on applications in Cryptography. During his master’s studies, he also developed proficiency in programming with Rust. In October 2024, he joined the University of Nova Gorica as a Young Researcher in the Centre for Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics, where he has begun his research in Hypercompositional Algebra.

Role: He is a Young Researcher in the Centre for Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics. Also, he is currently involved as an assistant in teaching Mathematics at the School of Environmental Sciences and the School of Applied Sciences.

Research interests: Algebra, Hyperstructure Theory, Geometry, Number Theory, and Cryptography.

---

Biography: Tanja Urbančič was the dean of the School of Engineering and Management at the University of Nova Gorica for more than 20 years. Till November 2023 she was a researcher and full professor in the field of computer science, at the same university. Her main research and teaching activities are in the field of knowledge management and knowledge technologies with applications in science and education. Recently, her focus has shifted mainly to open education. She contributed to the development of new methods for modelling of human skill and for knowledge discovery with literature mining. She co-authored several book chapters and journal papers in IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Engineering Review, International Journal of Innovating and Learning, ACM Computing Surveys, Open Praxis and others. She has over twenty years of experience with the design and implementation of study programmes and with the introduction of new teaching methods into practice. She chairs the stirring committee for e-learning at the University of Nova Gorica. Together with mag. Mitja Jermol, she developed and launched an international on-line mentoring program Open Education for a Better World (oe4bw.org). In collaboration with the UNESCO chair on Open Technologies for Open Educational Resources and Open Learning she upgraded it into an international Master's study programme Leadership in Open Education, offered at the University of Nova Gorica.

Role: Tanja Urbančič was full professor of computer science. She acted as a Dean of School of Engineering and Management at the University of Nova Gorica for more than 20 years, where she also tought knowledge management and coordinated students’ projects. She was also the director of the Master's study programme Leadership in Open Education at the University of Nova Gorica.

Research interests: modeling of human skill, knowledge discovery with data mining, knowledge management and its applications in science and education, information technologies for open education.

---