Contract signed to build new Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Ljubljana, 27 June - The University of Ljubljana and the Austrian builder Strabag have signed a contract on the construction of a new Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Ljubljana. Worth almost EUR 80 million and co-financed by the EU, the project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026.
The contract was signed on Wednesday by University of Ljubljana Rector Gregor Majdič and Dietmar Cerjak and Karel Bogatin of the builder's Slovenian subsidiary Strabag Slovenija.
In addition to the new Faculty of Medicine and Infectious Disease Clinic, which will also be built in Ljubljana, it is one of the three largest investment projects in Slovenia co-financed from the EU budget and funds in a long time.
"The signing of this contract initiates the second project in an investment package by which the most pressing spatial constraints of the university members will be tackled in following years, hopefully by 2030," the university quoted Majdič.
He added that the new faculty would be a great acquisition for students and the profession, which is becoming increasingly important from the aspect of the One Health concept that combines the health of people, animals and the environment.
Breda Jakovac Strajn, the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, said that the new building would provide suitable premises for students and clinics and laboratories for practical training, while animals will get even better treatment.
The project consists of two interconnected buildings - the higher five-storey building will be used for teaching and to house institutes, while the lower, two-storey building will house veterinary clinics.
University of Ljubljana secretary-general Mihaela Bauman Podojsteršek said that they wanted to pursue sustainable construction and revitalise the space on Gerbičeva Street in the borough of Vič where the existing faculty stands.
After the faculty moves to the new building, located adjacent to the existing building, the old building could provide accommodation for students.
The project is worth EUR 79.97 million, of which EUR 49.34 million will come from the EU under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and EUR 18.11 million from the state budget, while the university will chip in EUR 12.53 million.