Joint programmes in Croatia: First Experiences of the University of Zagreb

1. Jointprogrammes in Croatia: First Experiences of the University of Zagreb Aleksa Bjeliš Second Meeting of UNICA Bologna Lab Coordinators - University of Vienna (10 December 2004 )

2. Croatian Higher Education – actual facts • HE System: • 6 universities, 5 polytechnics, high schools ~130.000 students, about 12% of population (from 25 to 65) with higher education • Bologna study scheme obligatory by the academic year 2005/2006;

3. University of Zagreb(in 2002/2003) Within the present (“Central European”) system: Undergraduate cycle[first four (or more) years of study]: ● 51.700 (43.500 full time) students ● 7.644 awarded degree Postgraduate cycle (two or three years): ● 5.100 students in 132 study programmes ● 705 masters (“magistar” – scientific or professional) ● 254 doctors of science

4. International cooperation • Considerable participation of foreign lecturers and students (particularly through TEMPUS and similar programmes); • Usually master programmes; • Examples in 2002 – 2004: • Environmental Management • Management in Civil Engineering • Sustainable Energy Engineering • European Studies • Cognitive Neuroscience

5. Main motivations for joint studies: 1. Fields and disciplines linked to European integrations, with relatively large needs regarding number of students (Public administration, Urban studies, Journalism, European studies) 2. New and/or young (usually developing interdisciplinary) programmes (Neurocognitive Science, Medical Neuroscience, Crisis Management, ...) 3. (Relatively) strongly developed disciplines, endangered by small numbers of students at the master and higher levels [fundamental disciplines in natural sciences (e. g. Physics, Mathematics, etc); Arts (e. g. Musics, etc), ... ] 4. “Small endangered” disciplines (like everywhere ...)

6. Public administration Specialization one year programme; • Employees in national, regional, etc, institutions • 5 basic, 8 optional courses • Two courses – lecturer from Sorbonne 2 Plans: - To extend to two years master programme (and to add a higher (doctoral) programme later • Looking for interested partners (towards a joint programme) … Financing: ~ 2/3 : contract with Government (covering tuition fees for 25 students per year in next three years) ~ 1/3 from other sources

7. Urban studies Two years programme: • All profiles connected with urban planning, administration, environmental protection, traffic, socio-psychological aspects, etc • Three modules, 6 basic courses, 15 optional courses Plans: • Applied for participation in UNICA-COBRAW group Financing: • Initial preparatory work subsidized by the City of Zagreb; • Realization of the programme: negotiations towards contracted extension of the support in 2005

8. Journalism • Master study programme; • Obvious need for an improvement of quality of studies and an increase of educational level in the whole SEE area: • Demands for freedom of media • 40% of journalists in Croatia without completed higher education Financing and plans: • TEMPUS grant to University of Zagreb (Faculty of Political Sciences) for 2004 – 2006 approved; contractor – University of Vienna - Steps towards extending the network of universities and other partners under way

9. Neurocognitive science • Initiative inside UNICA already established (Budapest, Vienna, Zagreb) • University of Zagreb: interdisciplinary programme Language Communication and Cognitive Neuroscience startedin 2003 as a TEMPUS project • Fall 2004: grant from Croatian Foundation for Science and Higher Education approved

10. Neurosciences • Interdisciplinary doctoral programme launched by School of Medicine University of Zagreb in 2004, with participation of few other faculties. Participation from abroad: • Universities of Budapest (Semmelweis, Eötvös Loránd) • University of Vienna • University of Amsterdam

11. Physics Strengthening and developing PhD programmes at Central European universities by joining their programmes Activities: • Joint schools (one to two weeks), • mobility of students, • co-supervision in the research leading to PhD these Involved: - International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste • University of Trieste • University of Padova • University of Vienna • Comenius University of Bratislava • University of Zagreb • University of Ljubljana • Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest • Charles University of Prague

12. Support for joint programmes TEMPUS projects: • few joint programmes per year from 2001, • three years projects, • 200.000 – 300.000 Euros per project Croatian Foundation for Science and HE started in 2004: ☺ support of initiatives and initial realization of joint programmes; ♥ 300.000 Euros in 2005, covering up to 10 proposals

13. But – still uncertain: • Financing of higher cycles (particularly master programmes) by the state; • Tuition fees – crucial reforms urgently needed; - Position and organization of “post-master” (doctoral and other) study programmes