Marko Fišer & ASEF Young Minds in Maribor: First Expanded Edition in Collaboration with the Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor

On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, a special event within the ASEF Young Minds lecture series took place at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Maribor. For the first time, the event was organized in close cooperation with the Department of Geography and the Association of Geography Students of Maribor (DŠGM). The programme was expanded into three lectures in which geography students presented their academic and research experiences abroad.

The event opened with welcoming remarks by Dr. Uroš Horvat, Head of the Department of Geography, who expressed pride in the students’ achievements and highlighted the importance of connecting the department with external organizations and international opportunities. This was followed by a presentation by Hana Podjed, ASEF Fellow of the 2025 generation, who introduced the mission of the American Slovenian Education Foundation (ASEF) and its scholarship programmes that connect young researchers around the world.

The central lecture was delivered by Marko Fišer, a master’s student of geography and history at the Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, and an ASEF Fellow of the 2025 generation, titled From beneath Pohorje to Iowa’s cornfields: Urban heat island analysis. He presented his master’s research on urban heat islands in the cities of Maribor and Ames (USA), focusing on their links with environmental and social factors. A dedicated part of the lecture was devoted to his research visit at Iowa State University, where he worked under the mentorship of Dr. Alenka Poplin as part of the ASEF scholarship programme and gained insight into academic life and everyday experiences in the United States. Among interesting highlights, he noted that the Atanasoff–Berry Computer, the first automatic electronic digital computer, was developed at the host university. On a personal note, he also described the striking temperature contrasts he experienced during his three-month stay in Iowa, from hot September days to snowfall and sub-zero temperatures in November.

This was followed by lectures by Špela Leva, who presented her experience within the Erasmus KIP programme in Brno, and Ana Pozderec, who shared insights from her research visit to Santiago de Compostela, carried out within the framework of the University of Maribor’s Call for Individual Student Research Challenges. Their presentations further highlighted the diversity of international opportunities available to geography students.

The event concluded with a special symbolic moment, as Dr. Uroš Horvat presented awards for outstanding achievements to students of the Department of Geography for the first time, in the presence of numerous students and staff members. At ASEF, we are honoured that this joint event was chosen for such a ceremonial occasion and regard this trust as a meaningful recognition and an encouragement for continued collaboration.

The event once again demonstrated that collaboration between students, academic departments, and organizations such as ASEF creates a valuable space for the exchange of knowledge, experience, and inspiration, while strengthening the integration of young researchers into the Slovenian academic environment. We wish the Department of Geography and the Association of Geography Students of Maribor continued research success and thank them for the organization and the warm, welcoming atmosphere.

This project is supported by the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth and the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad.