School of Advanced Social Studies in Slovenia

26/03/2026

🤖 Artificial Intelligence and Media Literacy: Guest Lecture by Dr. Denijal Jegić

On Wednesday, 25 March 2026, within the MA course Contemporary Theories of Media and Communication, we hosted Dr. Denijal Jegić from the Lebanese American University (Beirut, Lebanon), who carried out an Erasmus+ teaching mobility under the Erasmus+ KA171 project with our partner institution Lebanese American University (Beirut, Lebanon). The lecture, titled Artificial Intelligence and Media Literacy: Current Challenges, was also attended by undergraduate students from the Media Culture course. 📚

The guest lecture highlighted key challenges that the rapid development of AI poses for media literacy, with a particular emphasis on:
🔹 the role of AI within the broader military–technological–academic complex,
🔹 ethical and legal implications of its use in the context of current global conflicts,
🔹 research on biases in generative models (e.g., ChatGPT) and their impact on transnational and economic frameworks. 🌐

A big thank you to our guest for an excellent lecture and to the students for their active participation and insightful discussion! 👏✨

12/03/2026

🥨 11th Danube Salon in Berlin 🇩🇪

Last week, Berlin hosted the 11th Danube Salon, an event organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg in cooperation with Priority Area 8 (PA8) of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). 🌍

The Danube Crafts project was presented by Janja Lozar, together with Jasmina Jakomin, representing the Culinary Trail of the Ethnic and Local Cuisine in the Danube Region project. 🤝 The exhibition space attracted more than 500 visitors, including representatives from politics, business, diplomacy, and international organisations from across the Danube Region. 🏛️💼

We shared our stand with the and projects. Together, we showcased cultural heritage, regional traditions, and approaches to sustainable tourism development in the Danube Region. ✨ Visitors had the opportunity to learn about our projects and admire traditional handmade products from Slovenia and Bulgaria. 🇸🇮🇧🇬

Particular interest was drawn to handcrafted bottle openers and wine stoppers made from old wine barrels from the Vipava Valley 🍷, proposed by the Zavod za turizem TRG Vipava. Visitors were able to take home a small piece of heritage connected to the renowned wines of the Vipava Valley. 🍇

The Culinary Trail project also presented its digital platform 🌐 www.culinarytrail.eu and the traditional Slovenian potica 🍰, one of the country’s most recognisable desserts.

The event provided an excellent opportunity for networking and for promoting the projects and the rich cultural heritage of the Danube Region! 🥂✨

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05/03/2026

🌍 Building global bridges in higher education!
Yemeni universities strengthened their international and communication capacities during training in Egypt as part of the YHELD project.

From 1–4 Dec 2025, Yemeni universities gathered in Cairo for the WP4 ONSITE Training led by UNIMED - Mediterranean Universities Union, Università degli Studi Link & CESIE ETS 💡

📅 THERE WAS 4 DAYS of intensive learning, sharing & planning:
1️⃣ Day 1: Action plans for internationalisation + Erasmus+ insights 🇪🇺
2️⃣ Day 2: Launching the Yemeni & Euro–Yemeni Networks 🤝
3️⃣ Day 3: Strategic communication & visibility training 💬
4️⃣ Day 4: EU dissemination & stakeholder engagement 📣

💪 Results:
✅ Concrete IRO action plans
✅ Frameworks for cooperation networks
✅ Improved outreach & communication capacity
✅ Stronger Euro–Yemeni partnerships

✨ “By investing in internationalisation, we invest in the future of Yemen’s academic community.” – Silvia Marchionne, UNIMED

🔗 More info: www.yheld.net

26/01/2026

🍽️🌍 We are introducing a new feature in the Culinary Trail project – a website that brings together the culinary heritage of minorities and ethnic groups of the Danube region in one place.

06/01/2026

"Knowledge Without Borders" – Interview with Ivana Brkljača 🌍💡

Meet Ivana Brkljača, owner of IB Management and a PhD student at the School of Advanced Social Studies. Her career is a remarkable journey of continuous growth—evolving from an educator, economist, and banker to a director and successful entrepreneur.

In an interview with Inova istraživanja, Ivana discusses education, entrepreneurship, and the culture of success. Her motto, "Knowledge Without Borders," reflects the inexhaustible energy and creativity required to make pivotal decisions in today's world.

Curious about how her extensive professional experience shapes her vision for the future?📖 Read full interview (in Croatian) below.

Ona je vlasnica IB Managementa i doktorandica na Fakultetu za uporabne družbene študije u Ljubljani u Sloveniji . Njezina karijera je obilježena kontinuiranim radom, stjecanjem znanja,…

24/11/2025

📌Opening of the Culinary Trail Demonstration and Training Centre in Novo mesto and the Culinary Roadshow

On Tuesday, 18 November 2025, we officially opened the Culinary Trail Demonstration and Training Centre in Novo mesto. The centre brings together culinary heritage, modern approaches, and innovative sustainable solutions from across the Danube Region.

👉The audience was addressed by the project leader, Prof. Dr. Borut Rončevič, and the event was also supported by the Mayor of the Municipality of Novo mesto, Gregor Macedoni, and Father Gregor Kos. With the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, we symbolically opened a space dedicated to learning, research, presentations, and the collaboration of local producers, hospitality providers, experts, and the wider public.

Culinary Trail Roadshow in Novo mesto! 🎉
Following the official opening, the newly established Culinary Trail Demonstration and Training Centre transformed into a lively fusion of flavours from Thailand, Bosnia, Turkey, Macedonia, and Ukraine. Each community showcased its finest – from live Thai barbecue and traditional techniques to colourful displays of authentic dishes.

Guests also enjoyed local specialities from Dobrote Dolenjske, along with a curated selection of local and ethnic drinks and wines. 🍷🥘

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special! ❤️

The project Culinary Trail of the Ethnic and Local Cuisine in the Danube Region is co-funded by the Interreg Danube Region Programme and brings together partners from 14 Danube countries.
Learn more about the project: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/culinary-trail

The Culinary Trail Demonstration and Training Centre is located at Dilančeva 7, Novo mesto.

17/11/2025

Opening of the Culinary Trail Demonstration and Educational Centre!

We are delighted to announce that, within the framework of the Culinary Trail of the Ethnic and LocalCuisine in the Danube Region project, we will officially open the Culinary Trail Demonstration and Educational Centre – a space where knowledge, tradition, and innovation in the culinary arts of the Danube region come
together. 🍲🌍
The centre is dedicated to preserving, researching, and promoting the culinary heritage of the Danube region, as well as connecting local producers, chefs, and visitors.

“With the opening of the centre, we aim to create a place where tradition, modern approaches, and intercultural dialogue come together in one space.”— Borut Rončević, Project Manager of Culinary Trail

📍 Novo mesto, Dilančeva 7
📅 Tuesday, 18 November 2025, at 15:00

🥘 Everyone is warmly invited!

Between 15:00 and 19:00,a public event - Culinary Roadshow - will take place –
showcasing the cuisine of the ethnic groups of the Danube region.
Experience the diversity of culinary traditions, taste authentic dishes, and discover the stories of the people behind them!

🔗 More about the project: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/culinary-trail

The Culinary Trail project is co-financed by the Interreg Danube Region Programme.

Slovenian partners: FUDŠ, Rudolfovo, and FIŠ, in cooperation with partners from 14 countries of the Danube region. 🇸🇮🤝🌍

24/10/2025

📢 Regular monthly YHELD meeting – October 2025

🗓️ The October monthly meeting of the YHELD project took place online on October 16, 2025, and was dedicated to discussing one key topic: The planning of upcoming training sessions.

🎓 A key event in the coming weeks will be the organization of a training session in Cairo, which will be hosted free of charge by Cairo University. The partners discussed possible dates and agreed that November 24 and the first week of December are the most feasible options. The training will last four days and will focus on strengthening the partners' capacities and the successful implementation of the project objectives.

🤝 Common highlights:
- The partners remain committed to cooperation, transparency, and the timely implementation of all activities.
- The focus remains on the effective organization of training

🤝 The meeting reaffirmed the strong cooperation between the partners and their commitment to the effective and timely implementation of project activities.

30/09/2025

🌿✨ Danube Crafts at Bistriška tržnica! ✨🌿

The Danube Crafts team was invited to tržnica in Ilirska Bistrica – a traditional event celebrating local creativity, culinary heritage, and community spirit – held from 26 to 28 September 2025.

On the basis of the public call of the Slovenian Regional Development Fund (SRRS), LAS Med Snežnikom in Nanosom – managed by the Društvo za razvoj podeželja med Snežnikom in Nanosom – successfully implementated the “Rokodelska ulica” (Craft Street) project. This project enriched the programme of Bistriška tržnica, which traditionally offers a space where local creativity, culinary heritage, and friendly gatherings come together. This year, the market featured 77 exhibitors, who presented a diverse selection of handmade products, local produce, culinary delights, and unique crafts.

For SASS and the Danube Crafts project, this was a wonderful opportunity to see how such an event can bring together local craftsman and the wider community. We spoke directly with artisans and craftsman about their challenges and opportunities, insights that will help shape our future project activities and strengthen support for traditional crafts across the Danube region.

👏 A big thank you to LAS Med Snežnikom in Nanosom and the organisers for the invitation and for showcasing such a great example of good practice!

29/09/2025

📢 YHELD September Coordination Meeting 2025

On September 18, partners of the YHELD project – representatives from Yemeni universities and European institutions – met again for the regular monthly coordination meeting. The meeting focused on reviewing achieved results and planning upcoming activities to further strengthen the role of Yemeni universities in the international arena. 🌍

👉 Highlights from this meeting:
✅ Three project deliverables were submitted (D2.1, D2.2, D5.1), while four are still in progress.
✅ Discussions were held on new strategies to promote the internationalization of higher education.
✅ Training courses for Yemeni partners were confirmed, to be held in Cairo or Amman in November 2025.

➡️ Looking ahead, the consortium will focus on key tasks:
🔹 Aligning the dates and content of the training courses
🔹 Preparing for the regular October meeting
🔹 Signing the annex to the partnership agreement

The YHELD project continues its joint work to build stronger universities and foster more active international collaboration. 💡📚

24/09/2025

🚨 Project Update – September 2025 🚨

On 18 September 2025, our consortium of Yemeni universities and European partners gathered for the monthly coordination meeting.
🔑 Key Highlights
✅ 3 deliverables submitted (D2.1, D2.2, D5.1) – 4 more on the way!
✅ 6-month project extension requested to boost activities & internationalization.
✅ Training courses confirmed for Cairo/Amman – Yemeni partners prefer Cairo in November.
✅ Budget gap of €22,000 identified for training & final conference.
✅ Solution: co-financing model through staff cost categories – no out-of-pocket expenses for any partner.

⚠️ Main Challenge
The shortfall comes from the EU requirement for 2 participants per Yemeni university at both the trainings and final conference. The consortium agreed to reallocate funds so all travel, accommodation, meals & visa costs are fully covered.

➡️ Next Steps
📍 Finalize training dates & venue
📍 Sign project amendment & partnership addendum
📍 Next monthly meeting in October

🌍 Together, we remain committed to empowering Yemeni universities and strengthening their role in international collaboration.