About University

Country: Croatia

City: Krapina

PIC: 938925760

Organisation ID: E10066389

Erasmus Code: HR KRAPINA01

contact: international@vhzk.hr

Background

Region and demographics

The Krapinsko-Zagorska County is situated in North-western Croatia, in immediate proximity to the capital Zagreb and the border with Slovenia. The population (according to the 2011 census) accounts for 142.432 inhabitants. The proportion of higher educated population is below the average of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the one in more developed European countries.

The founders of the university decided to establish this higher education institution motivated by controversial facts and indicators that, in their own time, showed that despite a healthy entrepreneurial atmosphere, proximity of the neighbouring countries, as well as the most developed region in Croatia, the Zagreb belt, together with great traffic connections the Krapinsko-zagorska County still did not show satisfactory levels of economic growth.

For these exact reasons, numerous founders have recognised the need to establish a university in the City of Krapina. Among the founders, besides the County and the local government, there were many strong entrepreneurs who know that survival on the market would be impossible without educated and capable young people. The founders were ready to subsidise some of the students hence enabling the most prominent students to continue their education despite a challenging financial situation. A part of the costs that students bear for the education outside of the County stays and can be re-invested in young people either through scholarships or otherwise.

 

Motivation

The founders realised that neither the County nor the City can build the development strategy for the higher education or even economy on a system of higher education institutions situated in counties other than their own. A demotivating quantity of expertise combined with an unsatisfactory level of economic development, a traditional orientation towards textile, forestry and other industry sectors and the lack of interest of cities and municipalities to provide scholarships for studying in other, fair richer, regions represented a dead end for many young people. By establishing the University, young people are enabled to continue their education and to be empowered for employment and enterprise. The founders of this institution recognised this initiative as the solution for the Zagorje – Krapina region.

Creating an institution with useful and prospective programmes attracts prospective students. A modern approach to modern development is founded on the knowledge society and highly efficient purposeful business education while the Bologna process aims to connect higher education and economy, especially on the regional level. Economy urges for constant improvement, rationalisation, creativity and innovation with the aim to increase efficiency. The experiences of developed countries speak of the need of life-long learning and the life-long education. The establishment of the University brought quality programmes closer to potential students.

The economic development of Croatia and especially its north-western part, including the Krapinsko-Zagorska County, depends on the development of the enterprise, traffic connectivity, as well as ICT as an essential part of economy and social activities. Nowadays, there is a hiatus between the needs of SMEs and the knowledge provided by the academic study programmes.

The University continuously explores possibilities for further programmatic profiling and seeks confirmation for its findings within the wider community; as happened with the first three study programmes that were accepted by acclamation in their wider community.

 

The Beginnings

The Higher School for professional education “Hrvatsko Zagorje Krapina” has been solemnly opened on October 22^nd, 2007.

On September 16^th, 2010, the Higher School received a permit for the study programme in operational management and fulfilled the criteria to be transformed into a university. This happened on January 20^th, 2011 through a positive opinion from the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia. The University “Hrvatsko Zagorje Krapina” was officially registered in the main book of the Court Register on the April 13^th, 2011.

 

The Study Programmes

The University runs three bachelor study programmes:

1. Information Science
2. Traffic Logistics
3. Operational Management.

The main purpose is educating young experts who will eventually assume leadership of the business and infrastructure sectors representing the core of the economic and societal development of the Krapinsko-zagorska County.

The education programme for our students is based on exploring disciplines necessary for successful management of business operations related to traffic logistics, enterprise and information technology. The selection of specific subjects, their distribution per study year and the exploration span of each discipline are a harmonised principally with the defined needs of the student. Core disciplines such as mathematics, statistics, foreign languages, information science and economy provide students with general knowledge necessary in everyday trade. Specific subjects ensure the acquisition of competences necessary for successful professional performance and the performance of complex expert operations as well as specific knowledge needed for the further economic development of the County.

The documents, the work and the structure of the institution are completely congruent with the principles of the Bologna Declaration. The students receive 180 ECTS upon completion of the study programme, therefore satisfying the criteria for further postgraduate and doctoral studies.

The classes are held in small groups and the University has as its disposal space and equipment above the Croatian average.  All main course holders are ether MA or PhD with tenure, lecturer, assistant professor or professor status. All classes are held in Krapina.

The institution is not allowed to divide profits among founders. It has the obligation to re-invest it in improving the study conditions.

The University is compatible with similar institutions within the EU, allowing it to engage in student exchanges, such as the Erasmus programme and other EU programmes, possibly also through bilateral agreements.

 

Development

The University is open for developing further study programmes. With the amendment of the founding contract, the County gained a leading role in proposing and inciting the development of new study programmes in the interest of developing the whole area of the County.

Within the bigger picture of the development of the County, the University represents a knowledge centre. There are many experts based in the County that had to seek work in Zagreb. They showed good will to get involved in the work of the University and become the core around which high expertise is developed and at the same time the motivation for further postgraduate studying that will inevitably result in a higher number of expert higher-educated people in the County.

Opening of the University “Hrvatsko zagorje Krapina” led to the advancement of the economic and social status of the citizens, together with the advancement of education and the improvement of the quality of life. All of these features result in motivating the higher-educated professionals for staying in the County.

The study programmes per se empower young experts for employment and entrepreneurial initiative.

 

MISSION AND VISION

Vision

The vision of the University "Hrvatsko zagorje Krapina“ is to:

• Become an elite higher education institution with the recognisable image and the market orientation providing high quality services on the market
• Create experts capable of solving the business challenges of the future by using quality knowledge and competence transfer
• Enable leaders who will be on the forefront of the advancement of the economy in the region and the Republic of Croatia; young experts ready to appear on the European labour market.

 

Mission

The mission of the University "Hrvatsko Zagorje Krapina” is to:

• Create higher educated experts who will successfully support to modern business challenges and consequently raise the quality of higher business education in Croatia
• Use study programmes to promote knowledge relevant to society and at the same time taking into consideration business ethics and upholding higher value criteria
• Design, explore and develop innovation in the area of technical science and economics
• Use scientific and technical support to assist the development of the County and the Republic of Croatia.

 

SPACE AND EQUIPMENT

SPACE

There is a contract of cooperation and rent of space with the Open Public School in Krapina, as well as an Office Rent Contract with the Krapina High school. These two document provide the University with all the needed space and equipment.   

Initially, 1.660 m² of usable space was ensured, consisting of tan amphitheatrically shaped room with 165 sitting spaces on one and 80 on the other. These two spaces can be connected to form a unique space able to take in 240 persons. The University has 18 modern classrooms with 30-36 sitting spaces, three specialised cabinets for electronics and measurements (one of them used as the physics cabinet) as well as digital electronics. There are also five computer classrooms. There is a library as well as the teacher offices, directly connected to classrooms. The spaces respond to all the needs of the administered study programmes on the highest level.  

The University can also use 20 more modern classrooms with 30 places each, two 60 place classrooms, cabinets for pneumatics, hydraulics, sensory and diagnostics.

The Urban plan “Krapina Nova – zapad” guarantees the possibility to erect a structure of over 32.000 m² for higher education purposes.

 

Equipment

The contract with the Krapina High school provided the University with all the necessary equipment.

The high school provides modern new classrooms with new furniture. Each classroom is equipped with a CD beamer, a screen and a blackboard. The students use five interconnected computer classrooms with over 80 modern computers.

 

Network Equipment

Server segment 1 GB (24 porta switch)

Classrooms - 5x 24 porta 100 Mb

Library - 100 Mb

 

INTERNET ACCESS

Gateway 2x ADSL (8 Mb/512 Kb + 2 Mb/256 kB)

All computers are on the network and with web access

2 servers W 2003 (application and domain)

1 server W 2003 (application)

Students have at their disposal 6 m² approximately of usable space, every computer is used by less than three students and each permanently employed teacher covers 28 students on average.

Other prerogatives for the functioning of the University

The work of a higher education institution is not possible if the students and teachers are not allowed to access information in a consistent and modern way, as well as a modern and well equipped library.

The Public Open School and the Krapina High school both have a library and a reading room with a rich book fund. They both enrich their fund in harmony with the needs assessed by the University and with it’s and the County’s financial assistance.

Today Krapina has a modern city library with expert staff, regular intake of the newest book materials and well equipped spaces.