Mission, vision and strategy

1.1 MISSION, VISION, VALUES AND STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING GOALS

NU Euro-FL has a clearly articulated mission and vision, from which emerges a quest for wider recognition and quality. To achieve this, it has developed a strategy, which is contained in the Action Plan to achieve the mission and vision of NU Euro-FL. 

1.1.1 THE MISSION

The fundamental mission of NU Euro-FL is to provide excellence in the creation and delivery of knowledge in the field of law and the interdisciplinary field of infrastructure and real estate law and management, which will create legal professionals and professionals with specific skills in infrastructure and real estate law and management and enable their competitive integration into the national and international labour market. 

To this end, the Faculty, through its activities, is involved in the European and wider international higher education space by facilitating student and faculty exchanges with partner faculties and universities abroad, by implementing joint study programmes with the latter through transnational higher education and by participating in international calls for tenders and projects. 

The Faculty places particular emphasis on international scientific publications, where our professors, in co-authorship with renowned foreign researchers, actively apply the latest findings and research in the field of law and real estate. In doing so, the faculty places great emphasis on student involvement, thereby fostering students’ scientific literacy, thinking and ability to interpret scientific problems in a broader sense.  

From the outset, the Faculty has facilitated and promoted, wherever possible given the nature of the subject, problem-oriented lectures and their relevance to practice, the local and regional environment and the benefits of the country. The academic staff and the management of the Faculty are convinced that practice is an excellent route to theory, and that the applicability of the knowledge imparted by the Faculty to its students is not an obstacle to the theoretical explanations of the subjects of their study and research. 

The Faculty sees competition in the field of spiritual creativity and higher education as a welcome stimulus for its development. It strives for complementarity of its programmes in comparison with those of other comparable Slovenian and European colleges and universities. 

As a member of the New University, the European Faculty of Law cooperates with the Faculty of National and European Studies and the Faculty of Slovenian and International Studies, associate members of the New University, as well as with the best national and international universities. It aims to expand its fields of education by establishing new study programmes, introducing new interdisciplinary programmes and internationalising existing programmes. Synergies at university level are created by the European Faculty of Law through institutional and disciplinary integration at the level of study programmes, research and international cooperation. 

1.1.2 VISION

The European Faculty of Law of the New University strives for excellence in law education and in the interdisciplinary field of law and management of infrastructure and real estate. The Faculty is aware that the institutions of the rule of law and a democratic state are a prerequisite for the existence and survival of the Slovenian nation and state. Their quality depends on the people who co-create and shape the rule of law on a daily basis, both in the public administration and in the private sector. Teaching and research at the European Faculty of Law is therefore based on the values of human dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity and pluralism, and on the principles of constitutional democracy and the rule of law. NU Euro-FL places students at the heart of our teaching and activities through lectures and small group exercises and, above all, through dialogical discussions and personal contact between professors and students. The strength of NU Euro-FL is its excellent academic staff, which combines theoretical and practical approaches to teaching in an excellent way. Many of our professors work on a daily basis at different levels in the wheel of the institutions of the Slovenian democratic and rule of law state. We are proud of our graduates, who in recent years have achieved excellent results in the National Judicial Examination. We are also proud of our professors and researchers, who are among the best and most frequently cited Slovenian researchers in the field of law abroad. At the Faculty, we strive for educational and research excellence based on mutual respect among students, professional staff, members of the academic staff and management. The students and graduates of the European Faculty of Law of the New University are the main reason for our existence and the hope for improving the functioning of the legal and democratic Slovenian state. Our vision is that the students we educate today will take our place in the future, carry forward our vision and be even better than the teacher. 

NU Euro-FL aims to maintain its role as a leading Slovenian institution in the field of legal education and aims to become an internationally recognised higher education institution in the field of law and in the interdisciplinary field of law and management of infrastructure and real estate, which will produce graduates in demand on the domestic and international labour market through high-quality educational activities, integration of theory and practice, combining teaching and research work, and international cooperation. It will also build its international profile through a transnational education system. In this sense, as a member of the New University, it aims to become an elite higher education institution in terms of the quality of its study programmes, the selectivity of its enrolment and its international comparability, while at the same time becoming an even more reliable partner of both the domestic economic and non-economic sectors, as well as of for-profit and not-for-profit institutions from abroad. 

The European Faculty of Law is a distinctly pan-Slovenian higher education institution. Although it has been anchored in Nova Gorica since its establishment and operation shortly after its foundation, the Faculty also has its study centres in the capital Ljubljana and in Kranj. Its strategic goal of internationalisation is pursued through the study programmes it already runs or will run in cooperation with universities in Kosovo, Croatia and the United States of America. In the spirit of internationalisation of Slovenian higher education, the Faculty’s ambitions are not limited to the above-mentioned partners, but in the coming years the Faculty aims to reach even further afield. 

1.1.3 VALUES

The faculty, its university teachers and assistants adhere to the following values in their activities, research and education:

• human dignity, freedom, pluralism, equality, solidarity,
• academic quality,
• academic freedom,
• ambition,
• excellence,
• innovation,
• personal and social responsibility,
• dialogue and mutual respect,
• progress.

1.1.4 LONG-TERM GOALS AND STRATEGY FOR ACHIEVING THEM

NU Euro-FL has developed its long-term objectives and a strategy for achieving them in line with its mission and vision. The strategic plan for the implementation of the set objectives is contained in the Action Plan for the realisation of the vision and mission of NU Euro-FL. 

1.1.4.1 GOALS AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT

A clearly defined and formulated strategy for the development of the institution and an organisational chart whose participants carry out their tasks quickly, efficiently and to a high standard are key elements contributing to the overall quality of the implementation of NU Euro-FL activities. The authorities in charge will continuously monitor the functioning and composition of the existing bodies, working bodies and organisational units, taking into account the full membership of the faculty in the New University. 

1.1.4.2 GOALS AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY

Education is the main activity of NU Euro-FL, and the strategic orientations relate to ensuring its excellence. It is essential to keep pace with change, both in the content of the study programmes themselves and in the way they are delivered. The integration of modern and creative forms of teaching and learning and the promotion of the use of ICT in the learning process are emphasised. The study programmes are taught by lecturers who are both theoreticians and practitioners, with professional experience at home and abroad, complemented by guests from practice. Students at NU Euro-FL acquire knowledge through regularly updated study programmes which, in addition to theoretical knowledge, also enable students to acquire practical competences by integrating compulsory internships into the study programme itself. The Faculty will continue its efforts to offer quality studies to students in the future and thus increase enrolment, especially in non-concession programmes. 

1.1.4.3 OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF INTERNATIONALIZATION

NU Euro-FL has been involved in the international academic environment since its foundation, and therefore the formulation of a clear internationalisation strategy is one of the fundamental development goals of the Faculty. The Faculty will continue or maintain existing international links and build on them, while also striving to establish new ones. In the coming years, the Faculty will seek to increase the number of international students enrolled through existing channels or by establishing new ones (promotional activities in foreign markets and new collaborations). NU Euro-FL has been an Erasmus University Charter holder since 2008 and a partner in a number of bilateral agreements with foreign Erasmus institutions. The Faculty’s aim is to facilitate mobility for as many students, graduates, higher education teachers and staff as possible. To this end, the Faculty will strive to increase the range of bilateral agreements, to modernise (digitise) exchanges and to offer additional forms of mobility outside the Erasmus programme. 

1.1.4.4 OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH ACTIVITY

In the field of research, the key objective of NU Euro-FL is to increase research activity. The Faculty has two research groups registered in the Register of Research and Development Operators of the ARRS. In the future, it will have to pay more attention to strengthening its staff in this area, in particular by recruiting new researchers and by involving students even more in the research process. In order to fulfil its mission, the Faculty actively encourages and guides the research work of students at all levels of study. NU Euro-FL will continue to encourage teaching staff to pursue individual research work and to publish their research achievements. It will also increase the number of applications for national and international research projects. The further development of research teams, the recruitment of new researchers and the involvement of postgraduate students in particular will enable the Faculty to continue to maintain its position as a high-quality and renowned research institution. 

1.1.4.5GOALS AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF COOPERATION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

NU Euro-FL has established a wide network of partnership links with the national and international environment. The Faculty will continue to strengthen existing collaborations and establish new ones.  To this end, it will focus its activities on organising, promoting and holding professional events aimed at the general public, organising training courses in the context of lifelong learning and networking with the economy and non-economy for the needs of the study process. A key player in this process will be the NU Career Centre, Euro-PF, which will actively contribute to the realisation of the set objectives. 

1.1.4.6 GOALS AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF STUDENTS

An active student population is the cornerstone of NU, EuroPF’s activities. For this reason, the Faculty strives for a constructive cooperation with students, which in the long term will contribute to improving the quality of the study process and extracurricular activities. The Faculty pays special attention to students with special needs and offers them a number of adaptations to the study process. All students can also join the tutoring system at the faculty as an additional help in fulfilling their study obligations. The faculty is also aware of the importance of contact with its graduates and therefore aims to increase the activities of the Alumni Club and regular monitoring of their career paths. 

1.1.4.7 OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

The aim of NU Euro-FL is to ensure a high quality and stable staffing structure for both teaching and administrative staff. The teaching staff is composed of professionals with theoretical knowledge and practical experience. In the future, NU Euro-FL will continue its efforts to involve top-quality staff in the study process and will encourage the best students and graduates to deepen their cooperation with the Faculty. In the long term, NU Euro-FL will strive to recruit new administrative staff in order to ensure an appropriate distribution of work among the staff. The composition of both teaching and administrative staff will be adapted to the staffing and organisational structure of the Faculty. The Faculty’s concern will be to ensure staff satisfaction and to strengthen their competences through education/training. 

1.1.4.8 OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY IN THE AREA OF QUALITY

In order to achieve excellence and visibility of NU Euro-FL, it is necessary to ensure an effective system of decision-making, implementation of development strategies and implementation of necessary changes in the functioning and organisation of the HEI. The Faculty will continue to follow the guidelines of the international ESG (European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance) standards in quality assurance and will ensure continuous institutional and programmatic self-evaluation to provide a quality feedback loop. The Faculty will pay particular attention to monitoring the quality of STI programme delivery by increasing regular visits abroad, organising meetings with foreign partners several times a year and conducting annual programme evaluations. In order to meet the standards of the British Accreditation Council, the Faculty will continue with the measures already outlined to further raise the level of quality of studies at NU Euro-FL. 

1.1.4.9 OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT

NU Euro-FL provides adequate facilities for teaching and research activities at all accredited locations and maintains them on a regular basis. In the future, the Faculty wishes to establish a new study centre in Maribor, extending its activities to the other side of the country. The Faculty will continue its efforts to regularly review and update its computer and recording equipment, taking into account the development of ICT technology and the impact of the epidemic. A key objective of the Faculty is to ensure that students and stakeholders in the study process have access to a modern college and university library with a wide range of scientific and professional literature. NU Euro-FL will therefore work to acquire additional units of domestic and foreign library materials and additional digitised legal resources. 

1.1.4.10 OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY IN THE FIELD OF FINANCING ACTIVITIES

The Faculty will ensure adequate sources of funding and appropriate use of financial resources. The long-term objective is to attract external sources of funding, mainly through the award of national and international public and other projects and the expansion of the commercial activities of NU Euro-FL. The maintenance of ICT technologies and careful planning of spatial development are key to the cost-effective operation of the Faculty.