Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School (IPS)
The Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School (IPS) was established in 2004 as an independent higher education institution. Its study programmes were approved by the Slovenian National Council for Higher Education. The initiative for the establishment of IPS came from the Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI). It was strongly supported by industry (Gorenje, Kolektor, Alpacem) and an international network of cooperating universities and research institutes from the European Union, USA, Japan, and many other countries. The Jožef Stefan Institute provides the central research and educational basis, whereas other partners, such as invited research institutes, industrial and other enterprises also contribute their knowledge and innovation capacities for solving developmental problems.
Mission
"Direct integration of research and postgraduate studies to create knowledge and promote innovativeness"
Vision
IPS aims to achieve worldwide recognition among leading institutions providing postgraduate education in the fields of nanosciences and nanotechnologies, ecotechnologies, information and communication technologies, and sensor technologies. Its goal is to provide the highest quality postgraduate studies at the master and doctoral level through a joint research and educational process in an intensive research and development and innovative environment and to contribute to the strengthening of the role of science and high technologies in the developmental potential of society. This can essentially contribute to the economic strength and harmonic social development. IPS acts as a centre of excellence which closely integrates basic research with postgraduate education and development of innovations.
Quality
IPS strives for constant quality improvement of its services and to meet the demands and expectations of all participants involved in its educational and research processes.
This is achieved by:
- planning educational, research, managerial and support processes,
- implementing the processes,
- monitoring the efficiency of these processes and
- taking actions in order to ensure constant improvement of the processes.
Our Research-Educational Strategy
Postgraduate studies for Master and Doctorate degrees are oriented towards solving research and development problems which require a multidisciplinary synthesis. The main research-educational strategy of IPS is therefore:
- widening and deepening knowledge, and mastering and development of research methods and techniques, in natural sciences and high technologies, information and communication sciences and technologies, environmental sciences and ecotechnologies, and in management of technologies and innovations – with the aim of supporting excellence in basic research, strategic choice of priority developmental areas, systematic control and permanent innovation of processes and products, increasing economic efficiency and environmental acceptability;
- development of an integral process of thinking which will support multidisciplinary communication, comprehensive definition of problems and their solving in group work, decision making in uncertain conditions, and long-term oriented strategic planning with emphasis on sustainable development.
Realisation of this strategy is presented more in detail in IPS study programmes:
- Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies,
- Information and Communication Technologies,
- Ecotechnologies,
- Sensor Technologies.
Research Base
Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) is the main research base of IPS with over four hundred researchers with doctoral degrees. More than one third among them are elected university teachers. Researchers and university teachers are engaged by IPS for cooperation in research-innovation projects in the interest of IPS partners.
JSI develops all types of research – from basic research to the direct transfer of research results into new processes and products. Priority is given to interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary synthesis of basic research results, and to direct cooperation with developmental capacities of industry and services. Special care is given to research for environmental management and sustainable development.
Main research areas of JSI are:
- physics of materials, physics of elementary particles, and nuclear physics,
- inorganic chemistry,
- biochemistry, molecular and structural biology,
- material science,
- nanosciences and nanotechnologies,
- computer systems, information and communication technologies, new electronic media,
- nuclear and reactor technologies,
- rational use of energy,
- environmental sciences and technologies.
JSI has modern research equipment which is available to all qualified users. JSI research groups cooperate with leading research institutes and universities in their fields worldwide. In some fields they contribute to the highest levels of European and global research. There is cooperation in about two hundred EU research projects, and also an extensive bilateral cooperation.
The wider research base of IPS forms the research capacities of IPS partners, in particular the National institute of Biology (NIB) and Institute of Metals and Technology (IMT) as well as cofounding and partner companies.