Jani Kozina is a human geographer at the Anton Melik Geographical Institute of ZRC SAZU and dean of the Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU. He earned his PhD in geography from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana with a thesis on the living environment of people in creative professions in Slovenia. His research focuses on the role of creativity, culture, and innovation in spatial and regional development, particularly in the context of small and medium-sized towns. In addition to his research, he teaches at the Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU and the University of Maribor, is the chief editor for human geography at the journal Acta Geographica Slovenica, and leads international research projects.
Jani Kozina works at the intersection of cultural, economic, and regional studies. His main research field is the spatial dynamics of creativity, culture, and innovation and their role in urban and regional development. In his research, he combines theories of the creative and knowledge-based economy with a critical understanding of industrial spaces, peripherality, and inequality.
His achievements include the international awards "Diploma of Excellence for the Black Sea - Danubian Social & Economic Innovator" and "Danube Strategy Flagship," which he received for leading the AgriGo4Cities and WIN projects under the aegis of the European Commission – DG MARE and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in 2019 and 2025, and the "Excellent in Science 2022" diploma awarded by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency for the article Forgotten values of industrial city still alive: what can the creative city learn from its industrial counterpart?
He is involved in international research projects: he coordinated the AgriGo4Cities and WIN projects, and led work packages in others (e.g., YOUIND, MINERVA, FilmInd); as part of the FilmInd project, he also co-created an online geoatlas of European film locations.
His further research focuses on comparisons of peripheral industrial regions, improving the socio-economic and demographic aspects of less developed areas, and preparing recommendations for inclusive development policies.
- Kozina, J., Clifton, N., Bole, D. 2025: People or place? Towards a system of holistic locational values for creative workers. Cultural Trends 34-1.
- Harfst,J., Kozina, J., Sandriester, J., Tiran, J., Bole, D., Pizzera, J. 2025: Problematization and policy responses to youth (out)migration in small and medium-sized industrial towns. European Planning Studies 33-4.
- Mayer, H., Bole, D., Cima, O., Goluža, M., Kozina, J., Morisson, A. 2025: Going beyond city size: Agency and multiscalarity in the transformation of industrial towns in Slovenia and Switzerland. Regional Studies 59-1.
- Kozina, J., Stachowiak S., Ciglič, R., Gašperič, P., Urbanc, M. 2024: European screen locations in the Indian film industry: evolutionary, spatial, and collaborative perspectives. GeoJournal 89.
- Stachowiak, K., Janta, H., Kozina, J., Sunngren-Granlund, T. (ur.) 2024: Film and Place in an Intercultural Perspective: India-Europe Film Connections. Routledge.
- Bole, D., Goluža, M., Kozina, J. 2024: Linking industrial culture and human agency in three (post)industrial towns: Collective and individual agency shaping development paths. Geoforum 150.
- Tiran, J., Kozina, J., Bole, D. 2023: Industrial culture as an agent of social innovation: reflections from Velenje, Slovenia. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research 36-2.
- Bole, D., Kumer, P., Gašperič,P., Kozina, J., Pipan, P., Tiran, J. 2022: Clash of Two Identities: What Happens to Industrial Identity in a Post-Industrial Society? Societies 12-2.
- Kozina, J., Bole, D., Tiran, J. 2021: Forgotten values of industrial city still alive: what can the creative city learn from its industrial counterpart? City, Culture and Society 25.
- Kozina, J., Clifton, N. 2019: City-region or urban-rural framework: what matters more in understanding the residential location of the creative class? Acta Geographica Slovenica 59-1.
- (Hidden) Industrial Champions: Origins, Features and Futures of Industrial Small Towns (international research project • February 1, 2025 - January 31, 2028)
- Geography of Slovenia - national research programme (research programme • January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2027)
- Improving the position of Women in the labour markets of peripheral INdustrial regions (applied research project • January 1, 2024 - June 30, 2026)
- ESPON Territorial study – Quality of life in the Alpine Convention Space (international research project • May 1, 2023 - February 29, 2024)
- Places that don’t matter? Socio-economic transformation of industrial towns in Switzerland and Slovenia (fundamental research project • November 1, 2020 - October 31, 2024)
- M.C.RUK: Network of research arts and culture centres (marketing project • January 30, 2020 - June 15, 2023)
- MINERVA: MappINg Cultural HERitage: Geosciences VAlue in Higher Education (international project • September 1, 2020 - December 31, 2022)
- Youth in Industrial Regions – Strengthening institutional capacities to cope with the outmigration of young people from industrial towns (INTERREG • April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2022)
- The Indian film industry as a driver of new socioeconomic connections between India and Europe (international research project • March 1, 2019 - February 28, 2022)
- Trans-making – Art / culture / economy to democratize society. Research in placemaking for alternative narratives (international research project • January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2020)
- AgriGo4Cities - Urban agriculture for changing cities: governance models for better institutional capacities and social inclusion (INTERREG • January 1, 2017 - June 30, 2019)
- Bright Future (research project • March 1, 2017 - March 1, 2020)
- Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU, dean and lecturer in the Comparative Study of Ideas and Cultures program, Human Geography module, and Environmental and Regional Studies program, Regional Studies module
- University of Maribor, lecturer in the study program Contemporary Tourism Practices
- Regional Studies Association Network on Urban Policy for the Sustainable Urban Manufacturing, 2026
- Danube Strategy Flagship, EU Strategy for the Danube Region: Priority Area 9 “People and Skills”, 2025
- Excellence in Science Award, Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency, 2022
- Diploma of Excellence for the Black Sea - Danubian Social & Economic Innovator, Under the aegis of the European Commission - DG MARE on the occasion of the European Maritime Day in Romania, 2019
- 2nd price of the Danube Transnational Programme Video Competition, 2019
- Special Mention of the Jury of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards, 2015
- Award for Contribution to Sustainable Development of Society, Slovene Human Resources and Scholarship Fund, 2010
- Award for Contribution to Sustainable Development of Society, Slovene Human Resources and Scholarship Fund, 2009
- Faculty of Arts Prešeren Award for Students, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, 2008
- Dean of the Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU
- Member of the Supervisory Board of the Public Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Regional and Rural Development
- Member of the Statistical Advisory Committee of the Population Statistics of Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia
- Member of the Commission on the Dynamics of Economic Spaces (CDES) at the International Geographical Union (IGU)
- Member of the Regional Studies Association (RSA)
- Member of Steering Group of the Danube Local Actors Platform (D-LAP)
- Member of the Inter-Municipality Initiative, Cross-border eCollaboration in the Danube eRegion
- Member of the Ljubljana Geographical Society
- Chief Editor for Human Geography at Acta Geographica Slovenica
- Member of the Editorial Board of the Geography of Slovenia Book Series
- Member of the Editorial Board of the Georhythm Book Series
- Member of the Editorial Board of the Regional Development Book Series
- Member of Steering Committee of the Slovenian Regional Days Symposium