Expert profile

Barbara Bradač Hojnik is a Full Professor of Entrepreneurship and Head of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Slovenia. She has more than 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship education and research. She teaches across bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes, including a doctoral course in Sustainable Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Osijek, Croatia. In 2024, she received the University of Maribor Award for Pedagogical Excellence. She leads the Slovenian Entrepreneurship Observatory project and is a member of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Slovenia team and the Entrepreneurship for an Innovative Society research programme. She participates in the Horizon Europe CROCUS project, focusing on sustainable and inclusive business models. She has mentored entrepreneurs and start-ups and contributed to entrepreneurship policy and support frameworks. Her international expert and evaluation work includes assignments for the European Commission, OECD, and APPEAR Austria, as well as a reviewer for the Croatian Science Foundation. As the PRME lead at her Faculty, she promotes responsible and sustainable management education. Her research covers startup entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and sustainable, digital, corporate and international entrepreneurship.