FT Students United at the Traditional M&M Day in Ljubljana

At the Student Campus in Ljubljana, we hosted our autumn M&M Day – a traditional event of the Faculty of Tourism, University of Maribor, which we organise twice a year: in spring in Brežice and in autumn in Ljubljana.

With M&M Day, we bring together students from both of our study locations – those attending the Slovene-language programmes in Brežice and those studying in English in Ljubljana. The event is also joined by visiting Erasmus students. The aim of M&M Day is to connect students from both locations, encourage cooperation, idea exchange, creativity, and broadened horizons.

From Brežice to Ljubljana – in the spirit of artificial intelligence
Early in the morning, two buses filled with students departed from Brežice to Ljubljana, where they joined their colleagues at the Campus. We began the day with a welcome address by the Dean, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marjetka Rangus, who highlighted the importance of such events for strengthening connections and building the FT community.

This was followed by joint lectures in English and the highlight of the day – the AI Challenge. Students competed in a quiz on artificial intelligence, and the top two teams then participated in a “pro et contra” debate, where the speakers presented different viewpoints on the opportunities and challenges of AI in everyday life. The audience voted for the team supporting the positive impact of AI, which proudly took home the M&M Challenge Trophy. The trophy will again be awarded at the spring edition of the event in Brežice.

This year’s theme focused on artificial intelligence, which profoundly influences all aspects of modern life and work. Through the quiz and debate, students demonstrated critical thinking, understanding of the topic, and teamwork skills.

Students as organisers
After the competitive part, students and staff – both academic and administrative – enjoyed a joint lunch and relaxed socialising. The event concluded in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere, once again proving the importance of collaboration between our two study locations.

This year’s event was fully organised and carried out by our 3rd-year undergraduate students within the Event Management course. Over the past month, they carefully planned the logistics and successfully ensured a smooth execution on the day of the event.

We have been organising M&M Day for four years now, each time addressing relevant contemporary topics such as food waste reduction, tree planting, building cultural bridges, carbon footprint reduction, and storytelling. This time, our students explored the role and impact of artificial intelligence. The next, spring edition will once again take place in Brežice and will be combined with the Faculty’s Career Fair.