Enhancing Academic Mobility in Croatia: Croatia’s Entry into Erasmus HANDBOOK Institute for the Development of Education Zagreb, 2008 Title of the handbook Translation and proof-reading Enhancing Academic Mobility in Croatia: Martina Kado Croatia’s Entry into Erasmus Mirna Furdek Nina Vranešević Publisher Institute for the Development of Education Printing and binding Preradovićeva 33/I, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia Bauer grupa www.iro.hr Graphic design Editor-in-Chief Netipični Ninoslav Šćukanec Zagreb, 2008. Executive Editor Thomas Farnell This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. The publication “Enhancing Academic Mobility in Croatia: Croatia’s Entry into Erasmus” was published through the pro- ject “Enhancing Mobility of the Croatian Academic Community (MOBIL)”, which is financed by the European Commission through the Tempus programme (Grant Agreement number SCM C018B06-2006 HR). A C.I.P. catalogue record for this publication is available from the National and University Library in Zagreb under the code number 668716. The project is funded by A project coordinated by the Institute ISBN 978-953-95614-1-1 the European Commision for the Development of Education Table of contents Editor’s note Ninoslav Šćukanec, President, Institute for the Development of Education, Croatia ............................................. 07 Foreword Prof. Daniel Rukavina, M.D., D.Sc., Rector of the University of Rijeka, President of the Croatian Rector’s Conference, Croatia .............................................................................................................................. 10 Radovan Fuchs, Ph.D., State Secretary for Higher Education and International Cooperation, Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Croatia .................................................................................................................. 11 PART I: BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT 1. Enhancing the Mobility of the Croatian Academic Community: Overview of the “MOBIL” Project Thomas Farnell, Institute for the Development of Education, Croatia ............................................................... 15 2. Preparations for Croatia’s Entry into Erasmus Loredana Maravić, Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Croatia Tina Šarić, Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes, Croatia .......................................................................... 19 PART II: ABOUT ERASMUS 3. Erasmus in Theory: Overview of Erasmus Objectives and Actions Filip Gašparović, Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes, Croatia .................................................................. 24 4. Erasmus in Theory: Prerequisites for Participation in Erasmus Danijela Dolenec, Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia ....................................................................28 5. Erasmus in Practice: Existing Models for the Implementation of Erasmus at the University Level Helena Deršek Štuhec, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia ............................................................................... 30 6. Erasmus in Practice: Existing Models for the Implementation of Erasmus at the National Agency Level Jari Rusanen, International Programme Office for Education and Training, Sweden ............................................. 35 PART III: ERASMUS IN CROATIA 7. Capacities and Expectations of the University of Rijeka for its Entry into Erasmus Prof. Zdravko Lenac, Ph.D., University of Rijeka, Croatia ............................................................................... 40 8. Towards Raising Academic Mobility in Croatia: A Research Report on the Capacities of Croatian Univesities to Implement the Erasmus Programme Danijela Dolenec, Karin Doolan, Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Croatia ................................................. 43 9. Self-Assessment of Capacity of Croatian Universities for Participating in Erasmus and Action Plans for their Entry into Erasmus Introduction Thomas Farnell, Institute for the Development of Education, Croatia ........................................................... 62 9.1. University of Dubrovnik Prof. Vjekoslav Damić, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for International Relations, University of Dubrovnik, Croatia .............. 64 9.2. Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek Prof. Drago Žagar, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Education and Students, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia ........................................................................................................................................... 69 9.3. Juraj Dobrila University of Pula Prof. Marinko Škare, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Croatia ........................................................................................................................................... 74 9.4. University of Rijeka Prof. Zdravko Lenac, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations, University of Rijeka, Croatia ........................................................................................................................................... 79 9.5. University of Split Prof. Roko Andričević, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Science and International Relations, University of Split, Croatia ........................................................................................................................................... 84 9.6. University of Zadar Prof. Srećko Jelušić, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Inter-Institutional and International Cooperation, Library and Publishing, University of Zadar, Croatia ................................................................................................ 89 9.7. University of Zagreb Prof. Ivan Šimonović, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Inter-Institutional and International Cooperation, University of Zagreb, Croatia .............................................................................................................. 94 Conclusions Thomas Farnell, Institute for the Development of Education, Croatia ........................................................... 99 10. Future Outlook: Final Recommendations for Croatia’s Entry into Erasmus Jari Rusanen, International Programme Office for Education and Training, Sweden ............................................ 101 Helena Deršek Štuhec, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia .............................................................................. 103 APPENDIXES Appendix I SWOT Analysis of Croatian Universities’ Entry into Erasmus ...................................................................... 106 Appendix II List of Contributors to the MOBIL Project .............................................................................................. 108 Appendix III Biographies of MOBIL Project Expert Team Members ............................................................................... 111 7 Editor’s note NiNoslav ŠćukaNec President / Institute for the Development of Education, Croatia Academic mobility brings about positive changes at the individuals’ employability and competitiveness on the job individual, institutional and wider social level. It is there- market, raises their social awareness, increases their level fore important that all relevant institutions are included of tolerance and heightens their awareness of the need in the process of shaping and implementing academic to fight any form of discrimination. Academic mobility mobility policies, so as to ensure that proposed solutions contributes to the development of a democratic culture and are based on needs identified through analyses, research to the shaping of a European citizenry that supports the and consultations. In other words, in order for academic creation of a global society in a multicultural setting. mobility to achieve the above-mentioned positive effects, this process should involve not only On the institutional level, students and teaching staff higher education institutions and relevant government participating in academic mobility are the bearers of bodies, but also employers, social partners, non- new ideas and new contacts, which contribute to buil- governmental organisations and local authorities. ding stronger international cooperation among higher education institutions and to creating and developing It is precisely due to the positive effects of academic higher education networks. Mobile students and teaching mobility (along with the complexity of the development staff also enable the exchange of scientific experiences of academic mobility) that political decision-makers in and research findings, which helps create an environment Europe were prompted to include mobility and measures that is conducive to the development of innovation for its increase into key policy documents such as the and competition in higher education, as well as to the Bologna Declaration and the Lisbon Declaration and to introduction of new content and methods into curricula launch programmes at the EU level aimed at increasing and into the learning process. The experience gained academic mobility. Among such programmes, Erasmus through academic mobility leads to reexamining traditi- is of particular importance as the oldest and most onal roles and practices in higher education institutions significant exchange programme in the field of higher and provides the opportunity to compare institutions