The doctoral study programme Karstology is intended for candidates who have completed the previous study programme leading to a Bachelor’s degree or a second-level study programme in various fields and wish to gain knowledge on karst to become karst researchers or karst managers. The programme offers a broad-based insight into karstology (e.g. geological, surface and underground and hydrological features) on the one hand and highly-focused orientation on the other, depending on the students’ requirements (e.g. karst waters, use and protection). The programme places great emphasis on small number of compulsory courses and a wide range of general elective courses. The study also gives great stress to autonomous research work. Last year two students inscribed the programme. The procedure of planned cooperation with Yunnan University (Kunming, China) and the transfer of knowledge to Asian students at the Yunnan International Karst Environmental Laboratory within Yunnan University is in the course.
D.10 Educational activities
COBISS.SI-ID: 3056891We are involved in individual projects related to the development and protection of the natural and cultural heritage of karst areas, regional planning, water supply systems and protection of water resources, the construction of transportation infrastructure and water treatment plants, the collection of data on karst caves and their protection, karst ecology and determining the extent of human influence on the karst underground, planning and monitoring the exploitation of karst phenomena for tourism, and setting up museum exhibitions of karst phenomena. In this way our basic knowledge about karst is successfully applied for solving the acute problems in the process of development of karst regions.
F.17 Transfer of existing technologies, know-how, methods and procedures into practice
COBISS.SI-ID: 3603050921st international karstological school was organised between 10th and 14th June at the Karst research institute SRC SASA. The school was organised under patronage of Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO and with help of Speleological Association of Slovenia, International Speleological Union and Karst Commision of the International Geographical Union. Work of the school was in the form of invited lectures on the schools' topic, selected lectures of participants, poster presentations and half or whole day fieldtrips. 113 people from 23 different countries attended to the School.
B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting
COBISS.SI-ID: 1067358In 2013 two issues of Acta Carsologica Volume 42 were published. Both issues are available on-line and in printed version. The Impact Factor (JCR 2012) is 0.542. In 42/1, 12 papers by 41 authors from 15 countries, were published on 165 pages. In 42/2-3, 16 papers by 35 authors from 5 countries were published on 180 pages. Issue 42/2-3 includes papers from international meeting Carbon and Boundaries in Karst organised in Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA by the Karst Waters Institute. This keeps journal's high topical and geographical diversity. It includes papers from all fields of karst research and authors from almost all the continents. Issue 42/2-3 presents an excellent set of review papers on carbon cycle in karst by leading experts. Since 2013 the on-line editorial process within Open Journal System has been introduced.
C.05 Editorial board of a national magazine
COBISS.SI-ID: 2540227We collect documentation of all known and documented caves, the number of last inscripted cave is 10.726. Cave registry consists of texts, maps and photographs. Caves are registered on the base of unique registry number and name. New entries in 2013 were made on the base of new documents received in the Cave registry. Part of the data was included in digital data base, which is the base for state cave identification. This data base was sent to Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment. In the year 2013 number of known caves increased for 475 and in the data base 1.733 changes or corrections were made.
F.16 Improvements to an existing information system/databases
COBISS.SI-ID: 35380269