The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering was created when the Faculty for Natural Sciences and Technology at the University of Ljubljana was reorganised in 1994. It hosts four departments:
Welcome to the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, at the crossroads of science, technology, and art.
Our story began in 1919 with the establishment of the University of Ljubljana and the first study programmes in mining and geology. Over the decades, the fields of metallurgy, textiles, graphic technology, and design were added to the existing programmes. In 1994, these disciplines were brought together under the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, as we know it today. This remarkable tradition forms the foundation upon which we build our future.
The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering is unique in its composition. It unites four departments: the Department of Geology, the Department of Geotechnology, Mining and Environment, the Department of Materials and Metallurgy, and the Department of Textiles, Graphic Arts and Design. This interdisciplinarity, this intertwining of science and art, is our greatest strength. It enables us to transcend the boundaries of individual disciplines, develop creative solutions, and successfully respond to the challenges of modern society.
We know that without the knowledge developed within our departments, there can be no green transition, no advanced materials, no sustainable use of natural resources, and no design that merges aesthetics with functionality. Without our research, there is no protection from natural disasters and no care for a healthy environment, which is the foundation of a high-quality life. With our knowledge and research, we ensure the very existence of civilisation as we know it, while at the same time opening doors to its future development.
In all the fields we cover, we strive for excellence, responsibility towards the environment and society, as well as mutual respect and cooperation. The Faculty is not merely a place for acquiring knowledge, but also a space for dialogue, inclusion, and co-creation. We take pride in our diverse community of students, researchers, professors, and partners, who together shape a better tomorrow.
With a clear vision, state-of-the-art research, and high-quality study programmes, we remain committed to tradition while building the future. We are convinced that only through interdisciplinary integration and international collaboration can we create new pathways for the development of science, profession, and art.
I invite you to discover the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering – a faculty of rich tradition, interdisciplinary expertise, and creative spirit.
Dean
Prof. Dr Andrej Šmuc
The study of mining and geology first began in 1919 with the foundation of the University of Ljubljana; an independent study programme of Metallurgy was launched in 1939 within this section, while the study of textiles began as part of the Department of Chemical Technology in 1956. Chemical education and computer sciences were launched in 1982. Since 1961, the Department of Textiles, Graphic Arts and Design has been offering Textile Technology studies; in 1979, this was expanded with Textile and Clothing Design and then Graphic Technology in 1996.
The Faculty is very diverse and offers a wide array of disciplines. It nurtures basic, applied and developmental research in geology, mining, geotechnology, material sciences, metallurgy, textile engineering, graphic technology, textile, fashion and graphic design and IT.
At the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, we understand the challenges of modern society. We therefore actively co-create it with education, research and design in the fields of geology, geotechnology, graphic arts, materials and metallurgy, textiles, and textile and clothing design. We focus on excellence, creative solutions and placement in the international environment.
The culture of operation of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering is based on the values that we share with our partners within the framework of our educational and research mission.
Knowledge: Discovering, understanding and imparting knowledge is the foundation of our mission.
Innovation: We strengthen and encourage the innovation of all employees and students, hence discovering new possibilities and horizons.
Responsibility: We are responsible and sustainable towards ourselves, our colleagues, students, business partners, the society and the environment.
Interdisciplinarity: We are interdisciplinary in our essence, as we bring together different disciplines in the fields of science, technology and art, helping us see more.
Cooperation: We build good relationships at the highest level of respect and trust with all stakeholders, both inside and outside the Faculty.
Contemporary tradition: We intertwine modern and classic. We use positive experiences from the past to shape the future.
By 2027, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering will be among the most recognisable interdisciplinary institutions in the fields of geology, geotechnology, graphic arts, materials and metallurgy, textile and clothing design, and textiles in the domestic and international space. In these fields, we will be a leader in providing quality and student-centred education and research.