Curriculum Vitae:

Dr. Mateja Rek works as a professor at the Faculty of advanced social studies and the Faculty of information studies. She is a full professor of sociology and a researcher in the field of communication studies, regularly lecturing at domestic faculties and also as a visiting professor abroad. From 2009 to 2013, she was the Dean of the Faculty of media in Ljubljana, and from 2016 to 2018, the Dean of the Faculty of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica.
Currently, she is particularly active in researching and promoting the importance of media literacy and digital citizenship within the EU. She has published several highly ranked scientific works in the fields of media literacy and education, media construction of reality, strategic communication, digital transformations, active citizenship, and civil society in the EU.
She is Head of the following projects:
• Infrastructure Program – data collection, management, and archiving on media literacy in Slovenia, funded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (2022–27)
• Media literacy for resistance against online fake news, disinformation and misinformation (MELI RESIST), partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Embassy (2024–25)
As a researcher or scientific adviser, she participates in the following projects:
• European network for digitalization and e-governance (ENDE NETWORK), Jean Monnet Policy Debate project, funded by Erasmus+ (2023–26)
• Research program “Development processes and interactions in the digital society” at the Faculty of Information Studies, funded by ARIS (2024–28)
• Digital citizenship in educational institutions – strengthening competencies for the digital society (DIGI.DR), co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Education, and the European Union – NextGenerationEU (2024–26)
Some of the recent notable projects include:
• Head of the Jean Monnet academic module “Media literacy for active citizenship” (MELI Module), 2020-23, funded by the European education and culture executive agency, Erasmus+
• International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP Fellow), funded by U.S. Department of State, 2023, fellowship topic: 21st Century Changemakers: Countering Disinformation among Older Adults
• Researcher and scientific adviser in project Media literacy observatory for active citizenship and sustainable democracy (MELIA Observatory), Interreg Danube Transnational Program, 2020-22, Co-funded by European Union funds (ERDF, IPA, ENI)