The Faculty of Environmental Protection opened 2026 with notable achievements in scientific research. In the final week of January, the Faculty’s researchers published four peer-reviewed articles in leading international scientific journals, with a fifth article accepted for publication. It is uncommon for researchers from a single institution to publish multiple high-quality contributions within such a short timeframe.
The published papers span a broad range of research areas, including waste management, social dimensions of environmental policy and public trust, soil protection and environmental education, wildlife ecology and population management, as well as contemporary approaches in molecular ecology and genomics. This thematic breadth clearly reflects the Faculty’s interdisciplinary orientation, which systematically integrates natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences and humanities to address complex environmental challenges. The publications also confirm the quality of the Faculty’s research and its growing integration into the international research community.
In one of the leading interdisciplinary journals addressing societal and technological change, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Kristjan Breznik, along with co-authors, published the article “Waste management–related trust, acceptance, and reputation: A multidisciplinary big data analysis across knowledge domains.” The study employs advanced data-driven and analytical approaches to examine social aspects of waste management.
In the field of molecular ecology and genomics, Elena Bužan, with co-authors, published the article From permits to samples: Addressing key challenges for high-quality reference genome generation in Europe in Molecular Ecology Resources. The paper addresses key challenges in obtaining high-quality reference genomes for target species and represents an important contribution to the development of European genomics.
Insights into changes in European wildlife populations were advanced by Boštjan Pokorny, who, together with co-authors, published the article Trends of ungulate species in Europe: Not all stories are equal in Mammal Research. The authors analyzed long-term population trends of multiple ungulate species across Europe, highlighting significant interspecies differences and identifying key environmental and societal drivers behind these trends.
At the intersection of science, education, and public awareness, Katja Črnec and Borut Vrščaj published the article Raising soil awareness in primary and secondary schools through indoor workshops—designs and lessons learned in Land. The paper presents innovative approaches to strengthening soil awareness among primary and secondary school students and underscores the role of education in environmental management and protection.
We extend our sincere congratulations to all authors for their outstanding achievements and for their significant contribution to scientific advancement and to the international visibility of the Faculty of Environmental Protection.
