Abstract:

The University of Žilina (next UNIZA) has security as one of the strategic topics. More faculties of the UNIZA are dealing with the issues of safety and security. The aim of this paper is to presents the activities linking eeducation and research at the UNIZA.

Within the Faculty of Security Engineering (next Faculty), a research project, funded by the Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, science, research and sport of the Slovak Republic, Assessment of Societal Vulnerability due to Failure of Important Systems and Services in the Power Industry is currently being solved. Within this project new dependencies of protection and security in power engineering are investigated. The ambition of the researchers is to create a theoretical framework for research into the vulnerability of society and to link it to real practice. The Faculty cooperates effectively with energy companies. Employees of the company make selective lectures and arrange excursions and practice for students.

The aim of the Faculty's teaching staff is to provide students with top-level knowledge using a variety of pedagogical methods and procedures. Standard lectures and exercises are currently supplemented by excursions and selective lectures by experts from practice. As in other universities, the study is interconnected in practice mainly by active search for professional practices and internships. A relatively large group of students, especially in the second stage, are leaving for three-month Erasmus plus internships in companies. The main benefit of these internships is a change in student's attitude to study. In practice, they are fully aware that professional subjects are closely linked to real practice.

There are also dozens of researchers working in the university structure who are more indirectly involved in teaching. Each of them solves a specific research project and regularly prepares interim and final reports. As part of our studies at some faculties, we have been organizing competitions for the best student scientific work for decades. The best works are automatically further elaborated as final theses (bachelor and master theses). Students who are interested in science by participating in the competition for the best student scientific work develop their skills and knowledge also in solving partial problems to the solved scientific research projects of the university. For the second year in a university grant system, second-level students can apply for a university grant to support the tasks of science and research. The best projects are awarded at university level.

A unique project within the university is the optional subject Occupation of Entrepreneur where visits of successful entrepreneurs are organized at regular intervals, who usually invented a new product or service in the framework of their diploma thesis. As a startup topic, they gradually developed and subsequently built a real company that employs people, brings profit and is successful in the market. Lectures of successful young people from practice are usually motivational in nature and are presented to all interested people from different fields of study and various study programs.

Leading managers, researchers and other successful university graduates are invited to the academic grounds at major scientific and educational conferences to present their life story and generally motivate current students to get the best results from their studies.

Keywords:

Education, research, security, knowledge.