FACULTY OF POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF POLYMER TECHNOLOGY

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PARTNER DESCRIPTION
Faculty of Polymer Technology is an internationally recognized academic institution tightly linked with the economic sector. It grows on the excellence of study, development and research work, while also enabling students and industry to acquire knowledge in one of the most interesting technical fields in the world. It is the only one in Slovenia offering holistic study programmes of polymer technology and materials. It offers bachelor and master study programs in the field of Polymer technology.

Graduates are greatly demanded on the labour market due to the fast development of this particular industrial branch and lack of skilful workers. Therefore, the graduates can start and continue their professional career in more than 1,500 companies engaged in plastics processing, and 200 tool production unities in Slovenia. The data show that more than 96% of graduates find a job within six months after graduation. This success rate results also from its active engagement in current economical, technological and academic trends and its’s close cooperation with industry, as well as the fact that at least one third of lecturers are directly involved in business or come from foreign universities. It employs 18 full time employees and more then 30 lecturers who cooperate in the study proces on a contractural basis. It has 128 students currently studying.

Because of its small size and entrepreneurial mindset, it can be more agile in adopting innovative pedagogies that can serve as good practice examples for other HE institutions. It is also very close to industry and consequently has a very good insight into the needs of the potential employers.

ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCE OF THE ORGANISATION IN THE AREAS RELEVANT FOR THIS PROJECT

Faculty of polymer technology is a private non-profit HE institution located in Slovenj Gradec, outside the university centers in Slovenia. It provides bachelor and master programs in one of the most prosperous industry areas in the world. As the only academic institution focusing on polymer technology in Slovenia, FTPO bases its activities on three pillars: Education, Research and Industry cooperation. We strive to provide our students with the necessary knowledge and skills to become innovative and competent engineers that are fit for responsible tasks in their future assignments. To achieve these goals, we live by our values: Responsiveness, Continuous improvement, Practical Attitude and Personal Approach. In-line with the mission and values described above, one of our strategic goals is "Educating graduates to be fit for the challenges of the future in a rapidly changing world". In line with these strategic goal, we have developed and implemented various new activities in the area of innovative study methods, extracurricular activities, strenghthened the role of the Career center and International office, renewed our bachelor study program and the course syllabuses of the master study program, implemneted a new e-learning platform, developed a new tutor system and conducted several student projects with industry also with the help of national and EU funds. 

Our management and staff is very motivated to implement new pedagogies and because of the small size and clear strategic goals described above, we can also be very agile in doing so and wish to become a good practice in this regard not only in Slovenia, but also the wider region. FTPO has cooperated in various national and EU projects, as a coordinator and partner and has all the necessary means and skills needed for successful project implementation and management (staff skills and experience, financial means, operational means, networks, quality assurance, communication and dissemination skills). 

FTPO also has a wide network of HE partners in Slovenia and EU as well as a wide network and close cooperation with different national and regional agencies and ofcourse industry partners, it cooperates very closely also with regional secondary and primary schools, all this will ensure not only successful implementation but also wider impact and dissemination of the outcomes. 
 

KEY PERSONS INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT

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Maja Mešl
Maja Mešl is the Head of the Career Center and International Office with a Masters in International relations. She has been actively involved in development of study programs and other trainings, as well as developing and implementing activities at different education levels aimed at encouraging and harnessing innovativeness and creativity in students. She has actively participated with the Ministry of education science and sport on these issues and participated in workshops at the EU level. She is the prevous director at the faculty and a project leader of projects at the Faculty of Polymer technology, which address the issue of developing activities and innovative study methods for educating engineers of the future.

She has also succesfully coordinated bigger EU projects. She is excellent in management, consultancy, organisation of events, networking, coordination and has excellent communication and presentation skills.
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Assoc. prof. dr. Irena Pulko
Assoc. prof. dr. Irena Pulko is the Prodean for education at FTPO with a PHD in chemical engineering. Dr. Pulko has lead and participated in many EU projects. She was also involved in development and renovation of study programs and courses. She is responsible at the Faculty for the study pillar and has succesfully lead innovation activities, with the emphasis on e-learning. She is also one of the best graded lecturers at FTPO and has excellent ICT skills.
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Sara Jeseničnik
Sara Jeseničnik has a Master in Cultural Studies and is the Erasmus coordinator at FTPO also responsible for PR activities and organisation of events as well as project reporting for Erasmus and other projects. She has excellent organisational and people skills. She also has vast experiences in PR and dissemination activities, including web and social media. She also has excellent ICT competences. She has lead many student projects and has a very good insight into their needs. Within the project Polyflip she is responsible for reporting, communication and the dissemination of the project results.
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Assoc. prof. dr. Blaž Nardin
Assoc. prof. dr. Blaž Nardin has a PhD in mechanical engineering. He is the Dean of the faculty and a lecturer in polymer processing. He has worked as a manager in industry in the area of polymer technology for more then 10 years and has been te president od the Chamber of commerce. As a lecturer, he has implemented several innovative pedagogies and has lead the implementation of new e-platforms and software. He has also lead and cooperated in many EU projects and has cooperated in development of new study programs and courses. He has excellent presentation, organisation and motivational skills.
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Sen. lect. Silvester Bolka
Silvester Bolka is the head of the Centre for cooperation with industry and a professor at the Faculty of Polymer Technology in Slovenj Gradec. He is a master engineer of polymer technology (Faculty of Polymer Technology Slovenj Gradec) and an engineer of physics (University of Ljubljana) with 17 years of experience as an R&D engineer and R&D manager in manufacturing companies for the development of new materials. He has experience with research and development projects with industry and project management. Technical skills and competencies: development of new materials and technologies, recycling of thermoplastics and thermosets, up-cycling of thermoplastics, biocomposites and bionanocomposites, natural fibres for reinforcement of composites, composites with high thermal conductivity, extrusion of multilayer films, welding of foils, collaboration with suppliers, working with laboratory equipment: DMA, DSC, TGA, GPC, microscope, hardness measurements, good knowledge with different materials: thermoplastics, thermosets, glues, glass, carbon, aramid fibres, epoxy, polyurethane and polyester resins, acrylic glass, polymerisation techniques, epoxy and PU based paints and varnishes, problem-solving in production processes, optimization of the production processes. He is the author of two patents and one patent application. He performs training in companies for technical staff in the field of processing (injection moulding and extrusion) and characterization.
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Teja Pešl
Teja Pešl received her Diploma (M.Sc.) in Polymer technology in 2020 from the Faculty of Polymer Technology (FTPO), Slovenia. She works at FTPO as an assistant at bachelor and master study at FTPO. Being a member of the FTPO team since 2017, she works in laboratory at multiple research and industry projects and supports students during laboratory and thesis work.
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Rebeka Lorber
Rebeka Lorber is a master engineer of Polymer technology (FTPO) and is since working at FTPO is an assistant at multiple courses including Introduction of plastic processing technologies and moulds, Dimensioning of products and industrial design basics and Processing technologies of polymer materials 1. Besides the polymer processing, she is also skilled in characterisation of polymers and 3D modelling. Her research focus was related to R&D projects, most recent ones were Mapgears, where new composites for gears were developed, and Maska 100, where health protective equipment was developed. Presently she is working on PHD in field of material development and processing of vitrimers.
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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Miroslav Huskić
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Miroslav Huskić is a Vice Dean for research at FTPO and teaches Chemical engineering, Nanocomposites and Functional polymer materials. He holds a PhD in chemistry. All the professional career was devoted to polymers. The main topics of his research were polymer synthesis, polymer composites, nanocomposites and polymer characterisation. He was involved in several national, EU and Eureka projects. He was a president of Technical Committee Polymeric materials and products (TC-IPMA) at the Slovenian Institute for Standardization and director of his own company. His goal in Polyflip is to use flipped classroom approach in teaching activities.
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assist. JANEZ SLAPNIK
Janez Slapnik has a master's degree in Polymer Technology from FTPO and is currently doing a PhD in Polymer Engineering at the University of Leoben. He is an assistant at FTPO, covering multiple courses in the field of polymeric materials. His main research fields are additive manufacturing, biocomposites and innovative polymer processing techniques. He has experience with the implementation of novel teaching methods in his courses and is striving to implement flipped classroom approach in his teaching activities.

VIDEO LINKS

Website: https://www.ftpo.eu/en

Promo video: https://youtu.be/R83PiCc3FLI

Laboratories FTPO: https://youtu.be/VgGz9KdHC1g

Inovative/project/study room FTPO: https://youtu.be/wkoCiaapUmM

Cooperation project with company Skaza d.o.o.: https://youtu.be/kU9XcRsrQPE