Professional characteristics

Mgr. Zuzana Heinzová, PhD. has been affiliated with the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Education, Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica since 2000. After completing her doctoral studies in educational psychology, she worked as an assistant professor and has held the position of university associate professor since 2023. Since 2021, she has served as Head of the Department of Psychology, and since 2023 she has been a member of the Academic Senate of Matej Bel University.

Her teaching focuses primarily on social and applied psychology, history of psychology, positive psychology, mediation and conflict resolution, coaching fundamentals, psychological interventions in practice, and courses connecting psychology education with professional practice and service-learning. She has long supported the development of students’ practical, reflective and research competences in psychology.

Her research interests include emotional intelligence, emotion regulation and emotional flexibility, personal and social responsibility, service-learning, volunteering, civic engagement and the development of professional competencies in helping professions. She has served as principal investigator or deputy principal investigator in several national VEGA and KEGA projects and has been a member of national and international Erasmus+ project teams focused on service-learning, inclusion, democratic competences and community-engaged education.

She is the co-author of scientific and professional publications in the fields of emotional intelligence, emotion regulation and flexibility, service-learning, students’ responsibility and competence development. In 2015, as a member of the author team, she received the Rector’s Award of Matej Bel University for the university textbook Service Learning: An Innovative Learning Strategy. Her professional profile combines academic expertise, a strong practice-oriented approach to psychology education and long-term engagement in the development of the department, faculty and university community.

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