Prof. Martin Knez, Ph. D.
Professor at master study (2nd cycle) Earth and Environmental Sciences at Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU.
+386 5 700 1900
martin.knez@zrc-sazu.si
Course principal:
- Earth and environmental studies (master study 2nd cycle):
- Mandatory courses:
- MT004-Fundaments of karstology (9 ECTS)
- Elective courses at the Karstology module:
- MIK03-Application karstology (6 ECTS)
- Mandatory courses:
Biography:
Since 1989, he has been employed at the ZRC SAZU Karst Research Institute. His main field of work involves the stratigraphic, lithopetrologic and microtectonic research of karst terrains, as well as the subjects of selective corrosion and erosion of carbonates and speleogenesis of karst caves as a part of an underground karst aquifer. He studied the karst of Europe, China, Russian Siberia, Brazil, Australia, Iran, Japan, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates.
As a professor he teaches at the Graduate School (Doctoral study program Karstology) and at the School of Environmental Sciences, both at the University of Nova Gorica, he teaches at the Faculty of Humanities Koper of the University of Primorska, and at the School of Sustainable Tourism in Ljubljana.
He was the first Slovene to co-lead one of the global UNESCO IGCP projects, the UNESCO IGCP project No. 598, co-leads also the following, UNESCO IGCP project No. 661.
He is Director of the Doctoral study program Karstology, which is unique in the world, and the only program where students are awarded the title Doctor of Science in Karstology. The program is implemented at the University of Nova Gorica, in close cooperation with the Karst Research Institute.
He is Head of the UNESCO Chair on Karst Education.
From 1995, he has been researching the Chinese Karst. He actively contributed to the 2008 inclusion of the Stone Forest (Shilin), an exceptional karst landscape in the south of China, on UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage List. Currently recording around 5 million visitors per year, the Stone Forest is now successfully marketed under the South China Karst brand name. He is co-founder, member of executive and scientific advisory board of International Center for Karst Research of Yunnan University and the Yunnan International Karst Environmental Laboratory (Kunming, Yunnan, China).
He dedicated several years to work as editor on the fundamental Slovenian karstological work by Ivan Gams bearing the title Karst in Slovenia in Space and Time, which was first published in 2003 and reprinted in 2004.
He participates in and leads planning and construction projects on karst, which includes the issue of protecting the features of this area. Between other, he has been participating in the planning and karstological supervision of motorway and railway construction from 1990. He has led several projects of planning a modernized railway route between Divača, Koper andTrieste.
Other:
- Member of the Karstological Academy;
- Member of the International Geographical Union’s (IGU) Karst Commission;
- Member of the International Union of Speleology’s (UIS) Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis Commission;
- Member of the Slovenian National Commission for UNESCO IGCP;
- Member of the scientific editorial board of journals Geologica Croatica and Karst Development;
- Co-founder and a member of the Executive Committee and Scientific Advisory Committee of the Yunnan University International Joint Research Center for Karstology and Yunnan International Karst Environmental Laboratory at the Yunnan Institute for Geography, Yunnan University (Kunming, Yunnan, China);
- Member of the group which received China’s national award the Yunnan Friendship Award, the American award for Outstanding Contribution to Karst Science, award of Geographical Society of United Arab Emirates.
Selected publications:
- KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, TORAB, Magdy, FAYAD, Noura Hamdy. Karst rock weathering of the Great Pyramid of Giza = Zakrasevanje Keopsove piramide. Acta carsologica. [Tiskana izd.]. 2025, vol. 54, no. 1, str. 11-37, fotogr., tabela. ISSN 0583-6050. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/14332/12577, DiRROS – Digitalni repozitorij raziskovalnih organizacij Slovenije, DOI: 10.3986/ac.v54i1.14332. [COBISS.SI-ID 246889987]SLABE, Tadej,
- KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, AUDRA, Philippe. Karren of Provence (France), Gréolières, Caussols, Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Luberon = Škraplje Provanse (Francija), Gréolières, Caussols in Tourrettes-sur-Loup ter Luberon. Acta carsologica. [Tiskana izd.]. 2024, vol. 53, no. 2/3, str. 145-185, ilustr., zvd. ISSN 0583-6050. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/13889/12264, Digitalna knjižnica Slovenije – dLib.si, DOI: 10.3986/ac.v53i2-3.13889. [COBISS.SI-ID 222346755]
- KNEZ, Martin, DRAME, Leon. Development model of rock relief on thick horizontal and gently sloping rock strata exposed to rain = Razvojni model skalnega reliefa debelega vodoravnega in malo nagnjenega sklada kamnine, ki je izpostavljena dežju. Acta carsologica. [Tiskana izd.]. 2021, vol. 50, no. 2/3, str. 209-230, ilustr. ISSN 0583-6050. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/9308/9659, http://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:doc-W7VPJ05Q, DOI: 10.3986/ac.v50i2-3.9308. [COBISS.SI-ID 90835971]
- BLATNIK, Matej, CULVER, David C., GABROVŠEK, Franci, KNEZ, Martin, KOGOVŠEK, Blaž, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, LIU, Hong, MAYAUD, Cyril, MIHEVC, Andrej, MULEC, Janez, ALJANČIČ, Magdalena, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, RAVBAR, Nataša, SHAW, Trevor R., SLABE, Tadej, ŠEBELA, Stanka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja, KNEZ, Martin (urednik), OTONIČAR, Bojan (urednik), PETRIČ, Metka (urednik), PIPAN, Tanja (urednik), SLABE, Tadej (urednik). Karstology in the classical karst. Cham: Springer, cop. 2020. XII, 222 str., ilustr., zvd., graf. prikazi. Advances in karst science. ISBN 978-3-030-26826-8. ISSN 2511-2066. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-26827-5. [COBISS.SI-ID 17912067]
- KNEZ, Martin, SLABE, Tadej, GABROVŠEK, Franci, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, KRANJC, Andrej, MIHEVC, Andrej, MULEC, Janez, OTONIČAR, Bojan, PERNE, Matija, PETRIČ, Metka, PIPAN, Tanja, PRELOVŠEK, Mitja, RAVBAR, Nataša, ŠEBELA, Stanka, ZUPAN HAJNA, Nadja, BOSÁK, Pavel, PRUNER, Petr, LIU, Hong, KNEZ, Martin (urednik), SLABE, Tadej (urednik). Cave exploration in Slovenia : discovering over 350 new caves during motorway construction on classical karst. Cham [etc.]: Springer, cop. 2016. XIII, 324 str., ilustr. Cave and karst systems of the world. ISBN 978-3-319-21202-9. ISSN 2364-4591. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-21203-6. [COBISS.SI-ID 38828077]
- https://bib.cobiss.net/bibliographies/si/webBiblio/bib201_20260123_155843_a3419491.html
MODULE GENERAL ELECTIVE COURSES
Ecohydrological processes and pressures in karst
Assoc. Prof. Nataša Viršek Ravbar, Ph. D. ,
ECTS: 6
Protection and management of the karst natural and cultural heritage
Prof. Tadej Slabe, Ph. D. ,
ECTS: 6