Dear students. I am pleased to welcome you at the University of Maribor upon the beginning of a new academic year. A particularly warm welcome goes to our first-year students who are joining our academic community.

You are entering an environment in which you will develop your abilities, broaden your horizons, and build your future. To all of you continuing your studies, I wish you a successful academic year in which you deepen your knowledge and make the most of the many opportunities that university life has to offer. The years spent at university are a time for gaining valuable experience, but also a time for creating memories and forming friendships that will accompany you throughout your life.

The beginning of this academic year is especially significant for me as well, as, upon assuming the office of Rector and receiving the Rector’s Insignia, I have taken on the responsibility of leading the University of Maribor over the next four years. During this period, I will strive for the development of the University and promote the well-being of all those who help shape it. Students have a particularly important role in this endeavour, and I will work to ensure that the University of Maribor continues to provide excellent conditions for your studies and the development of your potential.

At the University of Maribor, you are part of a community of more than 15,000 students. As a research-intensive university, we connect education with the creation of new knowledge and work closely with industry and the broader social environment. This provides you with opportunities to collaborate with employers during your studies, address real-world challenges, and gain valuable experience through cooperation with experts from a wide range of fields. Our goal is to empower you: to equip you with high-quality knowledge, foster independent and critical thinking, strengthen your confidence in your abilities for a successful transition into the labour market, and encourage an understanding that learning and the development of knowledge continue long after graduation.

I encourage you to make the most of the opportunities available also beyond your formal study obligations. Become involved in research, artistic, sporting, and other student projects and initiatives within your faculty and across the University of Maribor. Explore the international exchange opportunities offered through Erasmus+, the University of Maribor Career Centre services, and the activities of the University of Maribor Student Council. The University of Maribor Student Hub can also be a valuable source of information and support throughout your studies.

A university is a place where diverse ideas meet, established assumptions are challenged, and new knowledge is created. You, too, make an important contribution to this process through your questions and initiatives. Let curiosity guide you. Ask questions, explore, and seek connections between different fields of knowledge. Knowledge requires time and perseverance. In your studies, let responsibility, integrity, openness, and solidarity be your guiding principles. In doing so, you will build the foundations of your future professional career while also helping to create a community in which individual success is closely linked to collective progress.

Your studies will present you with demanding challenges, but you will not face them alone. Academic staff, mentors, tutors, and professional support staff will be there to assist you in your studies and help you overcome difficulties along the way.

Dear students, I wish you a curious, creative, and successful academic year 2026/27. I look forward to your ideas, initiatives, and achievements.

Prof. dr. Dean Korošak
Rector of the University of Maribor