2025
New information system – Indicators and Quality Information System (ISPIK)
Higher education institutions included in the 2025 Higher education institutions re-accreditation plan are required to prepare the analytical appendix to the self-assessment report using the new information system ISPIK. The self-assessment report is one of the key elements of the reaccreditation process, it is prepared before the visit of the expert committee, and the reaccreditation procedure is based on it. The analytical appendix to this report contains over thirty tables that present qualitative and quantitative data about the higher education institution, including information on infrastructure, study programs, students, faculty, and scientific activities, and its preparation is demanding.
Given that the existing system (MOZVAG) did not meet new needs, the Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE) and the University Computing Centre (Srce) developed a process for preparing the analytical appendix that will facilitate this demanding process for higher education institutions.
The Indicators and Quality Information System (ISPIK) and its Reaccreditation module contain the data necessary for generating the analytical appendix and are integrated with existing key source systems of information, such as the Science Information System (CroRIS), the Higher Education Institutions Information System (ISVU), the Higher Education Records Information System (ISeVO), and the Study Program Register.
Decision on the Amount of Financial Support for Covering Transportation Costs for Students with Disabilities for the 2024/2025 Academic Year
In accordance with the Regulation on the Conditions and Procedures for Obtaining Financial Support for Covering Transportation Costs for Students with Disabilities (Official Gazette 114/2023), the Minister of Science, Education, and Youth has issued the Decision on the Amount of Financial Support for Covering Transportation Costs for Students with Disabilities for the 2024/2025 academic year.
2024
Use of revenues of budget users under the competence of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth
In July 2024, two ordinances related to higher education institutions, public scientific institutes and other budget beneficiaries under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth entered into force:
Decision on the amount of the minimum wage for performing student work for the year 2024
In accordance with Article 12, paragraph 3 of the Act on Student Employment (Official Gazette, no. 96/2018 and 16/2020), the Minister of Science and Education issued a Decision on the amount of the minimum wage for performing student work for the year 2024, which entered into force on January 1, 2024.
According to the decision, the minimum wage for performing student work per hour in 2024 is EUR 5.25 net. The minimum wage for performing student work per hour is calculated by dividing the amount of the minimum gross salary in the Republic of Croatia by 160.
The Ministry of Science and Education signed the first 14 programme agreements with public scientific institutes and public polytechnics
The Ministry of Science and Education signed the first 14 programme agreements with public scientific institutes and public polytechnics.
The programme agreement is a new instrument of public financing of scientific institutions in the 100 percent amount of their budgets (all costs, including the financing of the salaries of all employees as well as the possible employment of new ones), which enables the institutions to independently manage scientific activity, but in accordance with national strategic goals and based on results.
The programme agreement determines the total four-year financing of public scientific institutes from the state budget, and consists of a basic, development and implementation budget component in accordance with the new Act on Scientific Activity and Higher Education.
The programme agreement enables public scientific institutes and higher education institutions to determine their goals and the means to achieve them, with related investments from the state budget and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The funding criteria of the programme agreement are based on national strategic guidelines and directly depend on the results and quality of scientific work.
The total four-year value of all programme agreement for the first 14 institutions that completed the negotiations is EUR 302,189,829.63, of which EUR 19,670,838.90 are additional funds provided for the institutions' research projects from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which is an increase of more than 10 percent per year compared to 2023.
An overview of institutions that have signed programme agreements is available on the website of the Ministry of Science and Education.
The Plan of Measures for Enhancing the Social Dimension of Higher Education for the Period 2023 – 2025 was adopted
The National Group for improving the social dimension of higher education adopted on September 13, 2023, at its 6th electronic session, the Plan of Measures for Enhancing the Social Dimension of Higher Education for the Period 2023 – 2025.
The plan of measures is based on the European document Principles and Guidelines to Strengthen the Social Dimension in Higher Education in the EHEA, which was adopted as part of the Rome Communiqué in 2020.
It is based on the guidelines from the Report on the Implementation of National Plan for Enhancing the Social Dimension of Higher Education in the Republic of Croatia (2019 – 2021, Eurydice report entitled Towards Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education in Europe 2022, the National Education System Development Plan for the period up to 2027 and the Action Plan for the Implementation of the National Education System Development Plan for the period until 2024, which were adopted in accordance with the Government Decision from March 2023 (OG, no. 33/2023). Prior to the adoption of the plan of measures, consultations were conducted with relevant stakeholders from the education and training system.
The plan of measures will serve as a recommendation to higher education institutions, institutions in education and training, state administration bodies and relevant civil society organisations for improving inclusion, equity and diversity, i.e. improving the social dimension of higher education in the Republic of Croatia.
2023
The National Plan for the Development of Education and Training until 2027
The National Plan for the Development of Education and Training until 2027 which was adopted in March 2023, within the specific objective No. 5. The objective of Increasing completion in higher education lists the following priorities such as creating a central system of records in higher education, including the establishment of a central record of diplomas and diploma supplements, improving the internal and external quality assurance system in higher education, increasing the relevance of study programmes for the labour market and society, increasing the level of internationalisation of higher education, improving student standards by further providing state scholarships for students of lower socioeconomic status, further provision of state scholarships for students in STEM study programmes and study programmes for occupations in high demand and modernisation of student accommodation infrastructure, including increasing accommodation capacity for disadvantaged students.
Reforms of the higher education financing and quality assurance system
The reform of the higher education financing system continued. In July 2023, the Government Regulation on Programme Funding for Public Higher Education Institutions and Public Scientific Institutes in the Republic of Croatia entered into force. The Regulation refers to the subject and content of the programme agreement, the basic, development and implementation budget component of the programme agreement, the procedure for negotiating and concluding the programme agreement, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of its implementation.
The program agreement provides for multi-year financing of the basic, development and implementation budget components of a public higher education institution with funds from the state budget of the Republic of Croatia.
Quality assurance in higher education was improved by the implementation of the new Act on Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Science. In May 2023, based on the Act, the following were adopted:
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the quality standards for evaluation in the procedures of initial accreditation of undergraduate, graduate, integrated, specialist, and short-term studies and
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the quality standards for evaluation in the procedures of initial accreditation of doctoral studies.
Adoption of ordinances for implementing the Act on Higher Education and Scientific Activity
To implement the Act on Higher Education and Scientific Activity, the following ordinances were adopted:
Ordinance on the Content and Use of Information Systems in Higher Education (OG, 36/23)
Ordinance on the Register of Higher Education Institutions (OG, 56/2023)
Ordinance on the Register of Study Programmes (OG, 56/2023)
Ordinance on the Conditions and Method of Exercising the Right of Full-Time Students to Subsidised Housing (OG, 68/2023)
Ordinance on the Conditions and Method of Exercising the Right to a State Scholarship in STEM Science Fields (OG, 70/2023)
Ordinance on the Form and Content of Higher Education Certificates, Diplomas and Diploma Supplements (OG, 08/74).
Adoption of ordinance for implementing the Act on Recognition and Evaluation of Foreign Educational Qualifications
To implement the Act on Recognition and Evaluation of Foreign Educational Qualifications, the Ordinance on Fees for the Costs of Recognition and Evaluation Procedures, the Method of Distribution of Fees, Exemptions from Fees, and Other Matters of the Costs of Procedures was adopted.