The first graduate of the international tourism programme
On the last day of June, the first student from the English undergraduate study programme in tourism successfully defended his thesis. Mr. Sona Shaji thus set a new milestone and became the first graduate of the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor to successfully complete the international higher education professional program Tourism in English, which started three and a half years ago.
Sona Shaji defended his diploma thesis entitled POTENTIALS AND POSSIBILITIES FOR A HOLISTIC-GLAMPING SITE IN POMURSKA REGION OF SLOVENIA at the dislocated unit of the Faculty of Tourism in Ljubljana, on the Student Campus, where the study process is conducted in English. In front of the defense committee of Assist. Prof. Dr. Andreja Trdina, Assist. Prof. Dr. Tanja Lešnik Štuhec, and in the presence of supervisor Assist. Prof. Dr. Milica Rančič and assistant supervisor Mr. Tomi Špindler, Mr. Sona successfully defended his thesis and graduated with honors.
The Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor started the academic year in 2018/19 with the implementation of its tourism study programmes in English, and the graduate Sona Shaji, who otherwise comes from the Indian state of Kerala, was the student who first arrived in Slovenia and he is the one who was also the first to graduate of the first-generation students.
Sona always studied diligently and regularly fulfilled his study obligations, and he also managed to gain a lot of practical experience during his studies. He considers this to be one of the main advantages of studying tourism, as the practice is already included in the study process. He also says that the way the study is carried out enables students to find a good student job in the field of tourism, which opens up many opportunities for employment even before completing their studies. The faculty is friendly to students and adapts the schedule to their wishes and needs. He already has quite a few opportunities for regular work, but he decided that employment will wait a little longer, as he will also continue his studies in the Master's programme Tourism Destinations and Experiences. He will certainly be well prepared for it, as he says that the experienced experts at the faculty also taught him well in scientific writing and thinking.
The study programs in English and the support that the Faculty of Tourism offers to its international students are constantly developing and improving in the right direction, and, as Sona says, it offers a "perfect student life".
Sona, we are proud of you and we believe that this is only the beginning, because you have proven that with conscientious work and effort it is possible to succeed, even for students who come from other parts of the world.

Dear students!
We want to notify you that The Call on ECTS Accredited Extracurricular Activities of the University of Maribor in the 2022/23 Academic Year is open.
The application form, The Call on ECTS Accredited Extracurricular Activities, and additional information are published on the website my.UM.si: https://moja.um.si/en/study/Strani/6.-Extracurricular-Activities.aspx.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdBb8rR7iRI&t=1s.
The UM offers - in addition to academic curriculum activities - ECTS accredited extracurricular activities in the fields of sports, art and culture, research, project work, voluntarism, health etc. The student may use credit points earned through an ECTS accredited extracurricular activity in the framework of open elective courses that are part of the accredited study programme or as additional courses. In so far these obligations fall within the study programme the student is enrolled in, the recognised obligations and ECTS credits are counted in the total number of ECTS credits of the study programme. If a programme does not offer open elective courses, the course selected under the ECTS accredited extracurricular activities shall be entered in the student records as an additionally completed course that is not part of an accredited study programme. The course's ECTS credits shall be added to the total sum of ECTS credits of the study programme the student is enrolled in (students thereby obtain additional credit points), but they shall not affect the number of ECTS credits required for progression to a higher year of study.
The Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor, which became a connecting link of Slovenia's cultural routes as part of the Interreg Mediterranean BEST MED project, organized the event named Sustainable management of cultural routes in Slovenia: Culture and Active Mobility, which took place on Friday, 17th June 2022 in Slovenian Ethnographic Museum. The event was attended by many representatives of cultural and thematic routes in Slovenia and representatives of cultural policies in Slovenia.
The participants were addressed by the Interreg Mediterranean BEST MED project coordinator, Assoc. Prof. Maja Turnšek, PhD, from the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor. Stefano Dominioni, PhD., Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, gave the following introductory address. On behalf of the Directorate for Tourism (Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia), Ms Ksenija Flegar also addressed the gathering. Ms Irena Marš gave the last introductory speech in the name of the Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia).
One of the primary purposes of the event was to present eight cultural routes of the Council of Europe in Slovenia: Réseau Art Nouveau Network, European Cemeteries Route, Impressionism Routes, Iter Vitis Route, Women Writers Route, Routes of Reformation, Saint Martin of Tours Route and the Iron Age Danube Route. The European Network of Holy Week and Easter celebrations, the candidate for the certificate as Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, was also presented.
In the continuation of the event, four examples of good practices were presented, which can provide answers to the needs of cultural paths in Slovenia; namely: How to build strong interregional governance (Maša Klavora, Walk of Peace), How to organize a network of tourism providers (Klemen Langus, Juliana Trail), How to involve the local community (Mateja Hafner Dolenc, Association of Historic Towns of Slovenia) and What are the advantages and disadvantages of collaborating? (Matej Kandare, Slovenia Outdoor GIZ).
The central part of the event ended with a round table, where participants highlighted the opportunities to finance the further development and integration of cultural routes and the possibilities for developing tourism products and their promotion. In the continuation of the event, the attendees were able to attend one of the two thematic interactive workshops, which were aimed at sustainable management of cultural routes and the development of competencies in outdoor tourism.
The conclusion of the participants of the event was that in order to achieve long-term sustainable management of cultural and thematic routes, a collaboration between the routes in the form of an association of cultural and thematic routes in Slovenia is necessary. By forming an association, jointly representing interests and exchanging knowledge and experience, the routes in Slovenia will be able to develop products that will be attractive to both tourists and locals and will ensure the development of cultural tourism and the preservation of cultural heritage.
This year, on June 15 2022, the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor got the seventh generation of graduates of the professional, academic and master's programmes Tourism. Twenty-one graduates of the professional study programme, fourteen of the academic programme and three master's graduates of the postgraduate study programme (who graduated between March 2021 and February 2022) were issued diplomas and master's certificates by the Dean of the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, Assoc. Prof. Dr Boštjan Brumen.
Mayor of the Municipality of Brežice, Mr Ivan Molan, addressed those present at the full Knight's Hall of the Posavje Museum Brežice and emphasized the excellent cooperation between the Faculty and the Municipality, which is becoming increasingly recognizable in terms of tourism.
Graduate of the academic study programme Mark Zgrinskić gave the speech in the name of this year's generation. In his speech, he thanked all who participated and helped in their success, looking at past student days. Assist Prof. Dr Barbara Pavlakovič moderated the event; Klara and Lovro, a music duet from the local environment, enlivened the event with their performance.
After two years of graduation ceremonies without guests, the gathering continued in a relaxed atmosphere in the beautiful castle courtyard of Brežice Castle. We are proud of the 2022 generation, and on this occasion, we once again sincerely congratulate the graduates for their success and wish them luck and perseverance on the way forward and good use of the acquired knowledge.
Dear students.
The summer exam period starts next Monday, 13.6.2022, and lasts until 8.7.2022.
All exams will be held live in the classrooms (written and oral exams). Slovenian programs in Brežice and English programs in Ljubljana. Hours and locations of the exams will be entered into AIPS at least two days before the exams.
Let us remind you, as always, to pay attention when applying if you have the conditions for taking the exam. If you don't have the conditions, you have to withdraw (not later than two days before the exam). If you don't withdraw from the exam, you will be banned from attending the next exam period.
We wish you good luck!

On Thursday, May the 5, Brežice arrived in Ljubljana for a MIX AND MINGLE, an introductory event for students from Brežice and their colleagues of English programmes who study in Ljubljana.
We met up on Student Campus outside the lecture halls and without Powerpoint slides. Through social games organized by the Student Council of the Faculty of Tourism, students of Slovenian and English programmes got to know each other better, socialized and had fun. After the Mix and mingle event, they attended one of the most famous student concerts/parties in Slovenia Škisova tržnica. Laughter and good mood were not lacking this time, so we will definitely repeat this one next study year.
More photos are available at our FB page @fakultetazaturizem
The University of Maribor offers additional places for the enrolment of displaced persons with temporary protection from Ukraine under the Call for Enrolment in Undergraduate and Integrated Master's Study Programmes and the Call for Enrolment in Postgraduate Study Programmes of the University of Maribor in the 2022/23 Academic Year.
Application periods will be open from 26 April to 1 September 2022.
Candidates must submit their application for enrolment electronically via the eVŠ web portal. Candidates applying for places intended for enrolment of displaced persons with temporary protection from Ukraine must answer “YES" to the third statement in the first chapter of the application: »I have a recognized international protection status or I am an international protection applicant.« Higher education institutions obtain proof ex officio from the competent authority (i.e. Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia).
Candidates also submit all supplemental documents required for application and proving the fulfilment of admission requirements via the eVŠ portal. If candidates are unable to prove their formal education with documents, in accordance with the first paragraph of Article 18 of the Decree on the Methods for Ensuring Rights of Persons Enjoying Temporary Protection, the higher education institution will decide on the enrolment of persons with temporary protection.
Within the application periods for the enrolment of displaced persons with temporary protection from Ukraine, candidates may apply for enrolment in the first year of study in the following study programmes:
- additional places for enrolment in undergraduate and integrated master's study programmes
- additional places for enrolment in master's study programmes
- additional places for enrolment in doctoral study programmes
If faculties of the University of Maribor do not offer additional places for the enrolment of displaced persons with temporary protection from Ukraine, applicants for temporary protection may apply for places that are available to citizens of the Republic of Slovenia and other EU Member States for enrolment in the 2022/23 academic year.
More information:
- Call for Enrolment in Undergraduate and Integrated Master's Study Programmes in the 2022/23 Academic Year
- Call for Enrolment in Postgraduate Study Programmes of the University of Maribor in the 2022/23 Academic Year
Source: my.UM
We would like to inform you that the building of the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor will be closed from April 27, 2022 to Monday, May 2, 2022, due to collective leave (April 28 and April 29, 2022) and holidays.
Dear students,
below is a link to the current list of FT partner organizations where internship is also possible. To get in touch with the desired organization, please contact the internship coordinator at FT UM, Assist. Prof. Dr Boris Prevolšek (boris.prevolsek@um.si).
LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS FOR PRACTICAL TRAINING 2021_2022
We wish you a successful internship and a lot of useful knowledge.























