Consortium Meeting Rijeka, Croatia, January 24-25, 2008

1. Tempus JEP project “Capacity Building for Research in Croatia”Progress report for the University of SplitProjectCoordinator: Professor Željko Dujić, MD, PhD Consortium Meeting Rijeka, Croatia, January 24-25, 2008

2. Welcome to Rijeka Thank you all for taking part in this Consortium Meeting

3. Background • EHEA: high quality education research-based and research-oriented; • Croatia needs to include research elements into its education; • Croatia has an urgent need for a more concerted participation in research; • ERA: The EU wants to become the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010; • Croatia, a prospective EU member, needs to invest in research and increase its technological outputs effectively in the coming years; • Solution for Croatia: full participation in EU research programmes;

4. Key priority for Croatia: enhanced participation in FP programmes • Legal prerequisite fulfilled (Croatia full partner) BUT: • Lack of general awareness about these programmes; • Lack of necessary administrative framework; • Lack of technical support for preparing applications; • Lack of adequate equipment; • Lack of investments from business sector;

5. Why this project? • Coordination and cooperation of research activities in a more systematic manner; • International and local networking; • Improving administrative and academic capacities at Croatian universities – educational modules; • Securing adequately trained staff at the universities, MSES and NFS – founding of Research Offices;

6. Consortium and external experts • Partner countries: Croatia, UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Estonia; • 8 Croatian partners (Universities of Split, Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, Dubrovnik and Zadar, MSES, NFS); • 6 foreign partners (Universities of Bristol, Groningen, Leuven, Jena, Granada and Tartu). • External experts: Mr. Albin Babič (advisor at the Slovenian Research Agency) Dr. Sigurd Weinrich (EU project management at the University of Heidelberg)

7. The project • Consortium with maximum expertise for applying and managing research projects; • Research Offices at 6 Croatian universities; • Academic Research Committees in charge of Research Strategy, SWOT analysis, prioritizing; • Experts providing advice and support; • Considerable training programme: foreign lanugages, workshops, site visits;

8. Progress report University of Split The Coordinating Institution

9. Progress indicators for activity 1.1 - Appointment of staff • Project coordinator: Professor Željko Dujić, MD, PhD • International cooperation: Snježana Lisičić, MSc • EU project applications: Zvjezdana Popović, MSc • Technology transfer: Lana Bošnjak, MSc • Research strategy development: Livia Puljak, MD

10. Research Office of the UniSt • Provides counseling on EU projects and grant applications (Zvjezdana); • Counseling on technology transfer (Lana); • CBRC project administration and organization of CBRC activities.

11. Progress indicators for activity 1.2 and 1.3 – Research Strategy • Research Committee (RC) established; • RC proposed criteria for scientist evaluation; • The criteria discussed on two meetings with all vice-deans for science from UniSt; • Self-assessment tool developed; • Next steps: SWOT analysis and research strategy.

12. Research Committee of the University of Split • Professor Željko Dujić, School of medicine, Project coordinator; • Professor Roko Andričević, University of Split, Vice-rector for science; • Professor Ivica Grković, School of medicine, Vice-dean for science; • Professor Sanja Čurković Kalebić, School of philosophy; • Professor Ivica Puljak, Faculty of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and naval architecture, Vice-dean for science; • Professor Mile Dželalija,Faculty of natural sciences, mathematics and kinesiology; • Professor Dražen Derado, Ekonomski fakultet; • Ivica Mitrović, MSc, Arts academy; • The committee met 5 times in 2007

13. Criteria for scientist evaluation • Necessary for SWOT analysis; • Proposed by the Research Committee; • So far criteria for biomedicine, natural sciences, technical sciences, visual arts, humanities and liberal arts have been proposed; • Discussed on two meetings with vice-deans for science; • The plan: other universities to accept these criteria too; • More about criteria on January 25.

14. Meetings with vice-deans for science • Two meetings held so far; • Sponsored by the University of Split School of Medicine because there are no funds for this in CBRC budget; • First meeting: 21 attendees, 8 vice-deans, 2 vice-rectors for science (participants from Split, Rijeka and Zadar); • Second meeting: 19 attendees, one dean, 8 vice-deans, 2 vice-rectors for science (participants from Split and Zadar);

15. Why including vice-deans for science? • University not a legal entity – each School separate story; • Invaluable to have alies in each institution; • Will help with criteria, assessment, SWOT and strategy creation; • Can provide information about scientists and research projects;

16. Self-assessment tool • A one-page questionnaire; • Current involvement in science, education and administration; • Future plans; • Self-assessment: world level, national level or below.

17. SWOT analysis and research strategy will be developed after: • Evaluation criteria for each scientific field developed; • Self-assessment performed and analysed; • Discussions on Faculty Councils and University Senate.

18. Progress indicators for activity 2.1 – Traning workshops • One such workshop planned per year; • In 2007: workshop in Zadar, April 19-20; • "Effective Institutional Research Strategies" • In 2008: not scheduled yet.

19. Workshop on institutional research strategies, Zadar, 2007.

20. Outcomes of Zadar workshop • Learning about research strategies; • Brainstorming about creating research strategies at Croatian universities; • Performing SWOT analysis of a University; • Defining needs of doctoral students: research or education? • Evaluation of progress and performance;

21. Progress indicators for activity 2.2 – Language training • Several RO and RC members attending foreign language courses within the project; • Preferences survey was made; • All prefered semester learning instead of two-week intensive courses;

22. Progress indicators for activity 2.3 – Site Visits to EU institutions • Six foreign partners – six site visits; • However, only five visits in the budget; • First visit combined Bristol and Groningen, October 21-25, 2007; • The most unfortunate combination, considering how close Groningen and Leuven are; • The decision has been dictated from Bristol.

23. Seven CBRC delegates in Groningen. October 2007.

24. Outcomes of Groningen-Bristol visit Groningen: Learning about functioning of research offices and their funding; international office and managing European projects. Bristol: • Research-based university; • RED (Research and Enterprise Development): training of RO staff, quality control, monitoring, project management, staff development, EU projects, visit to BLADE (Bristol University for Advanced Dynamics Engineering), how they perform research assessment.

25. Research Assessment Exercise • of interest to those responsible for: • Research assessment; • Research policy planning. • “the primary purpose of rae2008 is to produce quality profiles of research activity of eligible UK higher education institutions”

26. Progress indicators for activity 2.4 - Educational modules for staff • Will be provided by another Tempus project: InterProject; • 4 educational modules (intercoaching) planned for second half of the second project year; • Detailed presentation by prof. Blazenka Divjak, coordinator of the InterProject.

27. Progress indicators for activity 3.1 – Information leaflets • Leaflets designed and ready for printing; • Competitive tenders received, best offer chosen; • Invoice for printing services sent to Bristol in October – not paid yet; • Therefore – no leaflets yet.

30. Progress indicators for activity 3.2 – Publication of Newsletters • Four newsletters planned for the project; • First published in July of 2007; • Electronic version available; • not printed yet – waiting payement for printing services;

31. Schedule for newsletter • Second planned for February 2008 • Therefore: • We need texts and graphics about: • Activity of your research office; • Research-related events at your Uni; • Description of research activities;

32. Progress indicators for activity 3.3 – Web pages • Web pages created; • Croatian version: www.unist.hr/uzz/pocetna.htm • English version: www.unist.hr/uzz/home.htm • All presentations and documents from CBRC meetings and events available on this page under “Calendar of Events” section.

33. Progress indicators for activity 4.1 – Equipment • Equipment listed in the grant ordered, paid and delivered; • Software and books: not paid yet by Bristol; • Additional equipment: listed by ROs in November, butnot paid yet by Bristol.

34. Progress indicators for activity 4.2 – Scientific web portal • Planned with Tempus “InterProject”; • InterProject was recently approved; • The CBRC will collaborate on this as planned.

35. Progress indicators for activity 5.1 – Monitoring visits • First monitoring visit by Bristol administration performed in July 2007 by Ms. Cheryl E. Lloyd; • No monitoring yet by External Experts; • Subject to availability of External Experts.

36. Progress indicators for activity 5.2 – Meetings of CRO partners • First inter-institutional meeting of CRO partners was held on July 18, 2007 in Split; • The second is scheduled for April.

37. Progress indicators for activity 6.1 – Consortium Meetings • First: January, 2007 in Split; • Second: January, 2008 in Rijeka; • Third: scheduled for September 2008.

38. Progress indicators for activity 6.2 – Project Management • University of Split managing the project; • University of Bristol – financial management and monitoring;

39. Other activities • We became partner institution of CARDS project “Intellectual Property Rights Infrastructure for the Research and Development Sector in Croatia” • Cooperation with Tempus program “Stimulating Croatia's Entrepreneurial Activities and Technology Transfer in Education-CREATE”. • J. Douglas Toma lecture in Split on “Strategies and Management of Higher Education in the U.S.”

40. Problems • Major problem: access to finances in Bristol; • Other problems in Bristol: • First administrator was replaced with Cheryl E. Lloyd, which created delays due to duties take-over; • Ms. Lloyd is a part-time employee and required to administrate two Tempus projects; • Lumping together Bristol and Groningen for site visit, instead of two closer universities; • Delays in payments from Bristol: 2-3 months necessary for reimbursements;

41. Problems contd. • No staff costs have been paid yet; • Problem with equipment payment: • Waiting for payment a long time; • Local bank fees charged to the contracted company, even though bank transfer fees are in the project budget; • Waiting since September response from EC regarding local bank fees – software and books not paid, no additional equipment has been ordered or paid;

42. Conclusion • With only 5% of MSES funds readily available the RO at the UniSt is struggling to organize everything as planned; • Paying for services and equipment a huge problem! • Better financial management and timely actions from Bristol would ensure smooth functioning of the project.

43. Tentative calendar of events in 2008 • February: 2nd newsletter; • February: 2nd Site Visit, Leuven, Belgium; • April: 2nd CRO meeting; • June: 3rd Site Visit, Tartu, Estonia; • September: 3rd Consortium Meeting; • November: 3rd newsletter; • December: 4th Site Visit, Jena, Germany.

44. Contact Professor Željko Dujić, MD, PhD zdujic@bsb.mefst.hr Web: http://www.unist.hr/uzz/pocetna.htm

45. Thank You for Your attention Questions?