Institute for Philosophical and Religious Studies

The Institute for Philosophical and Religious Studies (IFRŠ) was established in 2013. At its founding, it brought together eight researchers and one young researcher. The institute represents a central place in the Primorska region for the study of classical and contemporary philosophical topics in both basic and applied studies. The institute’s researchers include experts in modern and contemporary philosophy, social and environmental ethics, comparative religious studies with theology, and feminist studies. The field of intercultural philosophy has been particularly developed within the institute, bringing together researchers from the fields of Islamic, Indian, and Chinese philosophy.

Dr Lenart Škof, Principal Research Associate

Who we are

IFRŠ is based on the study of contemporary phenomena from the broader field of philosophy. The institute’s priorities and directions include:

• basic research in the field of philosophy, culture and art
• the philosophy of American pragmatism
• environmental philosophy and ethics and sustainable development
• the ethics of animal rights
• contemporary studies in the field of political and social philosophy and philosophy of law
• ethics and peace studies
• ecofeminism research in the field of dialogue between cultures and religions (Mediterranean, Islam, Asia)
• Asian Studies (India, China) and Applied Buddhist Studies

Competencies and achievements

IFRŠ operates as a scientific institute in the field of philosophy. Already within the framework of the operation of the first Institute for Humanistic Studies (formerly ISHDŠ, until 2013), the members of the institute have acquired four fundamental projects, three postdoctoral projects, three bilateral collaborations, one CRP project and two young researchers at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. We have been the organizers of several high-profile international conferences in the fields of ethics, Ayurveda, environmental ethics and contemporary social and political philosophy. In the last five years, in addition to a number of scientific articles at home and abroad, we have published more than ten scientific monographs. The members of the institute are established researchers in their fields, who publish their achievements in prestigious global publishing houses.

Mission and vision

The goal of the IFRŠ is to be one of the centers of philosophical research in Slovenia, whereby the researchers of the IFRŠ cover areas that other institutions of this type in Slovenia and beyond do not cover. Among these areas, the philosophy of American pragmatism, environmental ethics, studies in the field of Islam and Asian philosophies, ecofeminism and feminist theology, and the philosophy of Luca Irigaray are prominent. One of the fundamental missions of IFRŠ is maintaining and strengthening its international visibility. At the same time, IFRŠ is closely committed to the philosophical thematization of the most pressing social challenges at the moment, such as migration and the ethics of hospitality, modern political ethics and democracy, dialogue between cultures and religions, environmental philosophy and sustainable development. The aim of the institute is thus to preserve and further strengthen a superior, innovative and creative environment, in which new ideas and new possibilities for its development and, at the same time, the development of the entire ZRS Koper will be born. At the same time, the new institute promotes the integration of ideas from the field of humanities and modern interdisciplinary approaches, and thereby also aims to connect academic fields.

Head: Dr Lenart Škof, Principal Research Associate

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Tel.: +386 5 663 77 00

KAPODISTRIAS RESIDENTIAL FELLOWSHIP

(Deadline 1.8.2026)