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.
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:
- the quality standards for evaluation in the procedures of initial accreditation of undergraduate, graduate, integrated, specialist, and short-term studies and
- the quality standards for evaluation in the procedures of initial accreditation of doctoral studies.
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).
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.
2022
Ordinance on Conditions and Manner of Exercising the Right to a State Scholarship on the Basis of Socioeconomic Status
In order to grant state scholarships in the academic year 2021/2022, based on the implementation of the project Awarding scholarships for students of lower socioeconomic status in the Operational Programme Efficient Human Resources 2014-2020, a new Ordinance on Conditions and Manner of Exercising the Right to State Scholarship on the Basis of Socioeconomic Status was published in the Official Gazette No. 106/2021
Decision on the amount of the minimum fee for performing student work for 2022
Pursuant to Article 12, paragraph 3 of the Student Affairs Act (Official Gazette, No. 96/2018 and 16/2020), the Minister of Science and Education issues a Decision on the amount of the minimum fee for performing student work for 2022, which came into force on January 1, 2022.
The Act on the Recognition and Assessment of Foreign Educational Qualifications entered into force
At the end of June 2022, the Act on the Recognition and Assessment of Foreign Educational Qualifications entered into force. This Act regulates the method and procedures for evaluating foreign educational qualifications for the purpose of accessing the labour market in the field of professions that are not included in the list of regulated professions in the Republic of Croatia, and are carried out in accordance with special regulations, as well as the method and procedures for recognizing foreign educational qualifications and periods of education for the purpose of continuing education. At the same time, the act also determines the competent bodies that carry out procedures for the evaluation and recognition of foreign educational qualifications.
The Act on Higher Education and Scientific Activity entered into force
The Act on Higher Education and Scientific Activity entered into force in October 2022 (OG 119/22). Its main goal is the modernisation of the system of higher education and scientific activity, strengthening institutional capacity and harmonisation with the adopted principles and core values of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), European Education Area (EEA) and the European Research Area (ERA).
The new Act on Higher Education and Scientific Activity comprises, inter alia, the following legal solutions:
- setting down simple procedures for the admission of teachers, students and researchers;
- cancelling the overlapping and ambiguity with respect to normative mechanisms regulating the founding of new higher education institutions and the launching of new study programmes;
- laying down clear provisions on internal organisation of universities and research institutes;
- regulating the change of status of higher education institutions and research institutes;
- laying down the framework content and the procedure of concluding funding agreements as a new model of public funding of public higher education institutions and public research institutes.
The basis for adopting a new legislative framework in higher education and science is also set down in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021 – 2026 of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. It envisages the modernisation of higher education and science which is to be put in place by improving the legislative framework that will provide a legal and funding framework for the organisational and functional integration of universities and research institutes as well as a dialogue on institutional goals, along with a new results-based funding framework: more influential publications, a greater number of competitive projects, stronger international co-operation, a larger number of projects carried out in partnership with the economic sector etc.
These measures will allow for comprehensive digital transformation of higher education as well as infrastructure investment aimed at meeting the goals of a green and digital Europe.
The new Act on the Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Science
The Act on the Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Science (OG 151/2022) entered into force in January 2023. The new Act introduces a centralised procedure of accreditation of new study programmes by the Agency for Science and Higher Education based on uniform criteria for both public and private higher education institutions as opposed to a previous legislation whereas the public universities had the authority to accredit the study programme internally.
A new requirement in the initial accreditation of a study programme is the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service on the compatibility of the new study programme with the labour market needs and the alignment with the standards of qualifications listed in the Croatian Registry of Qualifications. In order to improve the national database system of higher education and enable a centralised enrolment system, the scope of the Central Applications’ Office at the Agency for Science and Higher Education has been expanded to include all public and private higher education institutions in the enrolment process for all level of education.
The Act also prescribes that a joint study of a Croatian higher education institution and a foreign higher education institution will be accredited by an EQAR-registered agency selected by HEIs. This kind of accreditation will be conducted by directly applying the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programme.
Another novelty is that requests for external quality assurance shall be submitted directly to the Agency and not to the Ministry which means that the final decision on accreditation is given by the Agency.
(Pravilnik o izmjenama i dopunama Pravilnika o uvjetima i načinu ostvarivanja prava na državnu stipendiju za studente pripadnike romske nacionalne manjine)
Ordinance on specialist medical training of doctors, 2022
(Pravilnik o specijalističkom usavršavanju doktora medicine)
2021
SIDERAL project – Social and International Dimension of Education and Recognition of Prior Learning
The Ministry of Science and Education organized the final conference of the Erasmus+ project SIDERAL - Social and International Dimension of Education and Recognition of Acquired Learning on July 7, 2021.
The project addressed the social dimension in higher education and the recognition of prior learning as a tool supporting inclusion. The project partners were the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) and the European Students Union (ESU). The aim of the project was to support the implementation of the National Plan for Enhancing the Social Dimension of Higher Education in the Republic of Croatia 2019-2021, which included publishing a study on vulnerable and underrepresented groups of students, developing a methodology for collecting data on the educational and professional pathways of students, and, in cooperation with the European Students’ Union, a study of students’ experience in online learning and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project also co-funded the Bologna Follow-up Group Advisory Group on Social Dimension, and through conferences, peer learning activities and working groups actively contributed to comprehensive European and national debates on the social inclusion and recognition of prior learning in higher education.
Law on Amendments to the Law on the Croatian Qualifications Framework (CROQF)
On 19 February 2021, at the proposal of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Act Amending the Act on the Croatian Qualifications Framework (hereinafter: the Act) was adopted. The Act was published in the Official Gazette on 26 February 2021 (No. 20/2021) and entered into force on the first day after its publication in the Official Gazette in accordance with Article 18. The law comprehensively regulates relevant issues related to the CROQF and the improvement of the qualification system at all educational levels.
In connection with the Decision of the Constitutional Court No. UI-2854/2018 and UI-2855/2018 of March 2020 (Official Gazette, No. 47/2020), the Act regulates the placement of qualifications acquired by completing professional studies at levels CROQF, in a way that clearly distinguishes the levels of qualifications acquired upon completion of professional and university studies, while accepting their value and diversity.
Therefore, instead of eleven levels of full qualifications, as was the case in the previous regulation, the Act introduced thirteen levels. The qualifications acquired upon completion of undergraduate professional studies are placed at the level of the 6-professional study, and the qualifications acquired upon completion of undergraduate university studies are placed at the level of the 6-university study. Qualifications acquired upon completion of specialist graduate professional studies are placed at the level of 7.1. professional study, and qualifications acquired upon completion of university graduate studies and integrated undergraduate and graduate university studies at the level of 7.1. university study.
Furthermore, the Act introduced additional changes that were deemed necessary for the effective further development and implementation of the CROQF. This includes primarily changes related to the allocation of competencies to existing agencies in the education system, procedures for evaluation and adoption of occupational standards and qualification standards, the role of sectoral councils, as well as the appointment and dismissal of presidents and members of the National Human Resources Development Council.
This aims to improve efficiency, simplify and speed up the procedures for entering occupational standards and qualification standards in the CROQF Register, and improve their applicability and quality. In doing so, the direct participation of stakeholders in the CROQF processes will be strengthened and the existing resources in the education system will be strengthened and more involved.
Decision on the amount of the minimum fee for performing student work for 2021
Pursuant to Article 12, paragraph 3 of the Student Affairs Act (Official Gazette, No. 96/2018 and 16/2020), the Minister of Science and Education issued a Decision on the amount of the minimum fee for performing student work for 2021, which came into force on January 1, 2021. The decision prescribes the minimum fee for performing student work in 2021 HRK 26.56 per hour.
BAQUAL - Better Academic Qualifications through Quality Assurance
In June 2020, the Ministry of Science and Education started the implementation of the project BAQUAL - Better Academic Qualifications through Quality Assurance, which aims to encourage the application of the qualifications framework in internal and external quality assurance procedures in higher education in three countries: Croatia, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia.
All three countries have adopted relevant legislation to implement and make full use of the qualifications framework to ensure and increase the quality of higher education within the objectives and principles of the European Higher Education Area.
As part of the project, each country will develop one qualification standard, update an existing or develop a new study or education program, i.e., a program for acquiring competencies, and finally conduct a "test" external evaluation of the program in accordance with European standards and quality assurance guidelines. The three countries participating in the project will support each other in exchanging experiences and will rely on consulting with countries that have more experience in developing qualification standards and using them in quality assurance.
The project will also use the Guidelines for the development of qualification standards and the Guidelines for the harmonization of study programs with qualification standards and the development of new study programs harmonized with the Croatian qualifications framework.
Implementation of the project began in June 2020 and will last until May 2022.