CV

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Home institution: University of Nova Gorica, Materials Research Laboratory

ORCID: 0000-0001-5286-1871

Office adress: Vipavska 11c, 5270, Ajdovščina, Slovenia

Office contact: +386 05 365 35 15

E-mail: blaz. belec@ung.si

 

EDUCATION and INTERNSHIPS

       

2017                       PhD in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology, Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Slovenia 

2013                       Univ. Dipl. Ing. Kem. Tehnol., Faculty for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Slovenia

2012-2013             Internship at the Synthesis of Materials department, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia

 

CURRENT POSITIONS

2021                      Assistant Professor at the University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia

 

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

2019-2021           Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Nova Gorica, Materials Research Laboratory, Slovenia

2018-2019           Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Materials for Electronic and Magnetism- IMEM, Department for                                                Advanced Magnetic Materials, Parma, Italy

2017-2018           Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Nova Gorica, Materials Research Laboratory, Slovenia

2013-2017           PhD candidate, Jožef Stefan Institute, Department for Material Synthesis, Slovenia

 

TEACHING and SUPERVISION 

  •        Supervisor of PhD Student 
  •        Supervisor of Master student 
  •        Course principal and Lecturer at University of Nova Gorica, School for Environmental Sciences , Slovenia; Course title:                     “Instrumental Techniques in Environment”
  •        Course principal and Coordinator at University of Nova Gorica, School for Environmental Sciences, Slovenia; Course title:                “Practical Placement”
  •        Assistant at University of Nova Gorica, School of Engineering and Management, Slovenia; Course title: “Advanced materials”
  •        Assistant at University of Nova Gorica, School for Environmental Sciences, Slovenia; Course title: “Diploma Seminar”

 

INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

2025-                 Chair of the Committee of the UNG Foundation for the Allocation of Financial Aid in the Field of Scientific Research                               and Artistic Activity"

2023-                 Senate member , School for Environemntal Sciences, University of Nova Gorica 

2023-                 Member of the Equality Committee, University of Nova Gorica 

2017-                 Quality assurance coordinator, School for Environmental Sciences, University of Nova Gorica 

 

RESEARCH PROJECTS (leading role)

2025-2027    ARIS research project (J2-60031), HELICOSS - Peak Absorption Targeted Photothemrally Triggered CO2 Desorption                                 from Monolithic Sorbents, (Applicant, PI), Budget: 100.000€/year

2025-2026   Complementary ERC ARIS scheme (N2-0389), HELICOSS - Optimized Photothermal CO2 Desorption using Narrowband                          Light Sources in Monolithic Sorbents (Applicant, PI), Budget: 130.000€/year

2024-2027   ERA-MIN EU project, Greener permanent magnets without or with less critical raw materials/GENIUS (PI at UNG) – UNG                                budget: 33.000 €/ year  

2020-2023   Postdoctoral ARRS project (Z2-2644), Exploitation of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) for detection of                                  nanoparticles topological surface states (TSS) and development of new photothermal topological                                                            insulator nanomaterials (Applicant, PI) Budget: 50.000 € /year

 

INVITED CONTRIBUTIONS

 

2025                  Lecture at the Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Parma, Italy. Title: Narrowband-light-triggered                                 photothermal CO2 desorption from monolithic sorbents

2025                  Talk at the Slovenian Rector's conference, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Title: ključene_i v raznolikosti: okviri in prakse                                             Univerze v Novi Gorici 

2024                  Lecture at Vinča institute of Nuclear Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia. Title: Synthesis, characterization, and optical                                           properties of Cr-doped Bi2Se3 nanoparticles

2024                  Plenary lecture, 5. slovensko posvetovanje mikroskopiscov, Slovensko društvo za mikroskopijo, Sovenia. Title: From                               electrons to emission : exploring cathodoluminescence for advanced material characterization 

2022                  GIAN course, Indian Institute of Technology. Title: Characterization of materials and Magnetic                                                                     materials

2019                  An invited section in a review article on the topic of bi-magnetic composite nanoparticles: Journal of Physics D.

2019                  Lecture at Department of Chemistry Ugo Schiff, University of Florence, Italy. Title: Synthesis of inorganic                                                     anisotropic nanoparticles

2018                  Lecture at the Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Parma, Italy. Title: Synthesis and characterisation                               of inorganic anisotropic nanoparticles

2018                 Invited lecture by EU-project consortium (AMPHIBIAN, H2020-NMBP-2016) entitled Bi-magnetic composite                                                  nanoplatelets combining hard-magnetic hexaferrite core covered with a soft magnetic iron oxide layer.

2018                 Lecture at the Department for Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy. Title: Synthesis of inorganic nanoplatelets

 

AWARDS and ACHIEVEMENTS

2016                IPSSC 2016 award for the 3rd best oral contribution in Nano SectioN

2016                IPSSC 2016 award for the best scientific contribution in Nano Section

2015                IPSSC 2015 award for the best scientific contribution in Nano Section

2014                Scholarship for AdSTEM workshop, Slovenian Society for Microscopy

2012                Dean award for research in the field of genetic

 

ENGAGEMENT IN PROFESSIONAL GROUP BOARDS

2025 -          Elected member of  the Slovenian Chemical Society General Committee

2022-           Elected Member of the National Agency for High Education Quality Assurance (Assessor)

2022-           Elected Member of UNG Foundation f Scientific Council

2021-           Elected member of  the Slovene Society for Microscopy Executive Committe

 

COMMISSION OF TRUST

2025            16th Multinational Congress on Microscopy, Organizing committe, Chair of the session 

2024            5th Slovene Microscopy Symposium: Organizing and Executive committee

2021            4th Slovene Microscopy Symposium: Organizing and Executive committee

2021-           Slovenian Chemical Days: Committee for best oral student award

 

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

  • Dr. Adrian Queasada, Instituto de Ceramica y Vidrio (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
  • Dr. Cesar De Julian Fernandez, Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, CNR, Parma, Italy
  • Dr. Jelena Rmuš Mravik, dr. Sanja Milošević Govedarović, dr. Sandra Kurko, Institute of Nuclear Sciences Vinča, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Prof. Monica Ferraris, Politechnico di Torino, Italy

 

DOMESTIC COLLABORATIONS

  • Karla Kosmač, dr. Boris Saje, Kolektor Mobility d.o.o 
  • Jožef Stefan Institute
    •      Deparment for Material Synthesis
      • Dr. Sašo Gyergyek
      • Dr. Slavko Kralj
    •      Department for Nanostructured Materials       
      • Dr. Petra Jenuš Belec
      • Dr. Andraž Kocjan
      • Dr. Aljaž Iveković
      • Dr. Nina Kostevšek
  • Catalysis and Organic Synthesis Group, Faculty for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Slovenia
    •   Dr. Sebastijan Kovačič

PUBLICATIONS

  • 18 peer reviewed journal papers
  • > 40 conference papers
  • 4 popular science contributions and 2 interviews

 

CITATIONS

  • 506 citations, h-index= 11 (source: Google Scholar on 12th July 2025)
  • 376 citations, h-index=9(Source: Sicris on 12th July 2025)

MAIN RESEARCH INTEREST

  • Synthesis of hybrid nano(structured) materials
  • CO2 adsorption and desroption
  • photothermal and photoacoustic effect
  • electron microscopy