On 10 June 2021 we celebrated the anniversary of our faculty by holding an online international scientific conference entitled "LEARNING to Live and Work Together", which took place under the auspices of our traditional annual conference under the motto "Research and Education in Nursing”.
The aim of this year's conference was to present current topics, ie. integration of migrant students into the education system; an activity that is also encouraged and supported by the European Commission with the awareness that education has a key role to play in adapting migrant students to the new environment. Numerous papers from domestic and foreign experts will present the quality of life of migrant students, transformational measures in higher education, progress in research and education and experience in the practice of advanced nursing in Slovenia and internationally, with a desire to reduce social exclusion and improve social dialogue in the field of student migration.
The plenary session hosted three invited lecturers. Dr. Rebecco Murray, a higher education teacher employed at the University of Sheffield, Department of Sociological Studies at School of Education; dr. Russell Delderfield of the University of Bradford and Prof. John Wells, Dean of the School of Health Sciences of the Waterford Institute of Technology. The conference was divided into three sections after the plenary session. Higher education teachers and students from reputable universities presented 35 papers.
On the occasion of the anniversary of the Faculty, we also presented awards and recognitions of the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences, to employees, students, partner institutions and our external collaborators. We thanked them for their excellent achievements in education, scientific research and professional fields, for the excellent achievements of students, for successful cooperation with the faculty and for promoting the faculty and the university.
• The honorary title "Honorary Visiting Professor" of the University of Maribor Faculty of Health Sciences, which is awarded to higher education teachers who are not employed at the faculty and benefit the reputation and wider recognition of the faculty, was awarded to Prof. John Wells for excellent professional, scientific and pedagogical qualities. Prof. John Wells addressed the audience through the online tool MS Teams.
• The recognition of the University of Maribor Faculty of Health Sciences for merits in the field of scientific research was awarded to Prof Majda Pajnkihar, PhD, for her exceptional dedication to research and pedagogical work. Prof Majda Pajnkihar, PhD, thanked for the awards on behalf of the award recipients.
• For merits in the field of education the recognition of the University of Maribor Faculty of Health Sciences was awarded to Assist Prof Mateja Lorber and Sr Lect mag. Anton Koželj.
• Assist. Sergej Kmetec received the Recognition for Young Higher Education Teachers and Higher Education Associates for outstanding pedagogical and research achievements at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences, for his dedicated research and educational work.
• Marija Plajnšek received the Plaque of the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences, for merits in performing professional work for her conscientious, professional and responsible work.
• A Certificate of Appreciation for long-term cooperation with employees at the faculty in the field of pedagogical, research and professional work and an important contribution to the development and progress of the faculty was received by the teaching base Dom pod Gorco d.o.o. and the General Hospital dr. Jožeta Potrča Ptuj. Tecnocampus Mataro Spain also received a Certificate of Appreciation for successful cooperation.
• Assist. Lucija Gosak received the Dean's Award for the best research projects of students at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences, for a research paper entitled " Evaluation of mobile applications for acute and chronic life-threatening assessment in a simulated environment using clinical vignettes".
• Deja Petek received the Dean's recognition at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences, for a research paper entitled "Perioperative preparation of a patient with COVID-19 infection".
• Assist. Leona Cilar received the award for the best researcher at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences, for the highest number of points achieved according to the research evaluation methodology used by the ARRS.
• Doroteja Golob is a graduate nurse employed at the Department of Traumatology at the University Medical Center Maribor and a mentor to students at the 1st level of the higher professional study program Nursing. At the suggestion of students, she received the recognition of the University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences entitled "The best mentor in the clinical environment".
At the ceremony the University of Maribor Faculty of Health Sciences also praised its best students of all study programs for their success in studying and thanked student volunteers, tutors and promoters for connecting theory and practice in clinical and practical training of students.
We sincerely congratulate all the recipients and wish them successful, professional work in the future.
