september 2020

In accordance with the Strategy of the Faculty of Economics & Business
- Zagreb for the period 2020 - 2025, which builds the Faculty as
a transparent platform on which individuals and teams can achieve
their goals and the goals of the Faculty, Dean Prof. Jurica Pavičić,
Ph.D. presented the results of the work of all employees of the Faculty
and the challenges that the Faculty faced from October 2019 to
September 2020.
Although the last year of the mandate was marked by exceptional
circumstances of the COVID 19 pandemic and the earthquake that
hit Zagreb in March 2020, the Faculty Administration pays special
attention to the development of the Faculty, and especially to the
confirmation of the role of the oldest and largest higher education
institution of the economics in Croatia.
Dean Prof. Pavičić especially pointed out that in the past academic
year, extremely fast and successful digitalization of teaching and
work processes was initiated, by which the Faculty responded to the
current needs of both students and teachers, online teaching, and
exam terms. Thus, online teaching encouraged positive changes and
long-term plans to invest in new digital equipment had to be realized
in a very short time. Conference halls for direct teaching were
equipped, and a new server was acquired.
He also mentioned that an information corner for employees has
been opened, while the information system of the student office has
been integrated for students, a digital platform for electronic book
distribution has been opened, additional digital elements have been
introduced in the library, etc. Dean emphasized that the Faculty of
Economics & Business is in the process of EQUIS accreditation and
the process of re-accreditation of ASHE, while Bureau Veritas has
renewed its accreditation.
The first joint lesson for all first-year students - freshmen this year
for the first time was held online. In an online address on September
28, 2020, the Dean Prof. Jurica Pavičić, Ph.D. who on that occasion
pointed out that these extraordinary circumstances caused by the
corona crisis and the consequences of the earthquake put in front all
of us together certain challenges, but also open some new opportunities.
He invited students to tie up with their colleagues and their
teachers, to go through the experience of studying in its fullness,
and he especially emphasized that all employees of the Faculty are
at their disposal to make their study process as successful as possible.
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The students were also welcomed by Assoc. Prof. Božidar Jaković,
Ph.D., Vice Dean for Students and Teaching, and they were also addressed
by the Heads of Professional Services: Mr. Robert Fišić, Head
of the Student Office, Ms. Zrinka Udiljak Bugarinovski, Head of the
Library and Documentation Center, Ms. Suzana Karabaić, Head of the
Office for International Cooperation and Ms. Paulina Lučić, Head of
the Counselling and Career Development Office, while words of support
for new students were delivered by Iva Anić, President of the
Student Union.
Recently, the cooperation of teachers with Asian countries has become
stronger, primarily with partners from China, but also other
countries, both through mobility and through various forms of scientific
cooperation. The scientists and businessmen from Asia display
great interest in coming to Croatia, especially to institutions
that conduct scientific research and professional education. Encouraged
by the fact that the Faculty of Economics & Business - Zagreb
is the leading institution in the region, and in the context of the
geographical position of the Republic of Croatia as a member state
of the European Union, but at the same time also part of the Central
and Eastern Europe region (CEE), by the decision of the Faculty
Council of the Faculty of Economics & Business the Institute for
Eurasian Research was founded in June. The base of the Institute's
work is the development of international recognizability and is the
starting point for all forms of cooperation with Asian partners, in
order to support FEB ZG teachers.
The establishment of the Institute at the Faculty of Economics &
Business - Zagreb will make the Faculty a leader in this initiative
and in that sense ensure a stable position in the environment of
Southeast European countries. Prof. Kosjenka Dumančić, Ph.D., was
appointed as the Head, and Assist. Prof. Anita Čeh Časni, Ph.D. as
Deputy Head of the Institute.
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On September 16, 2020, the Faculty of Economics & Business - Zagreb
awarded Professor But Dedaj, Dean of the Faculty of Economics,
University of Prishtina, with a letter of gratitude for the longterm
partnership and cooperation between the two institutions.
On that occasion, an online meeting was organized where words of
gratitude were addressed as well as a brief review of the successful
cooperation so far. The participants on behalf of the FEB ZG were
Dean Prof. Jurica Pavičić, Ph.D., Prof. Marina Dabić, Ph.D., and Prof.
Lajoš Žager, Ph.D., and the vice-deans Prof. Oliver Kesar, Ph.D., and
Assoc. Prof. Božidar Jaković, Ph.D., then Prof. Mario Spremić, Ph.D.,
Ms. Martina Levačić, Secretary of the Faculty and Ms. Suzana Karabaić,
Head of the Office for International Cooperation.
On September 22, 2020, the Faculty of Economics & Business of the
University of Zagreb and the University of Dubrovnik signed an
Agreement on Cooperation in Teaching at the Joint Postgraduate
University (Doctoral) Study of Business Economics in the Digital
Environment. The contract was signed by Prof. Jurica Pavičić, Ph.D.,
Dean of the Faculty of Economics & Business-Zagreb and Prof.
Nikša Burum, Ph.D., Rector of the University of Dubrovnik, and the
ceremony was attended by Vice Deans Prof. Oliver Kesar, Ph.D., and
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Assoc. Prof. Božidar Jaković, Ph.D., Prof. Mario Spremić, Ph.D., Deputy
Head of the Joint Doctoral Study, Ms. Martina Levačić, Secretary
of the Faculty and Ms. Sanja Šantek, Head of the Postgraduate Studies
Office.
The first postgraduate doctoral study in the field of the digital economy
in Croatia will be conducted at the University of Dubrovnik, in
Croatian and English, and will consist of five interconnected modules
Tourism, Marketing, Management, International Business, and
Digital Business, which will address key issues for areas of business
economics, but unlike existing studies of the same name, will emphasize
the digital transformation as a central guiding line in the
field of business economics of the future.
The study is intended for three key categories of attenders. The first
category consists of entrepreneurs and managers of existing business
entities who see the conditions of digital transformation as an
opportunity for business profit and improving competitiveness in
both domestic and international markets. The second category of
attenders consists of students from abroad who include young scientists
from scientific research institutions with which the University
of Dubrovnik has existing scientific research cooperation, students
who have spent part of their higher education at the University of
Dubrovnik, and students who have not had direct contact with the
University. Dubrovnik, but are interested in attending postgraduate
(doctoral) studies in the field of Business Economics in the digital
environment. Finally, the third group of attenders consists of participants
who are interested in sectoral, regional, national, and international
determinants of growth and development of business entities
and the ability to manage economic flows in the digital economy.
The importance of this study has been recognized by the market, as
evidenced by a number of agreements signed with renowned global
companies operating in the Republic of Croatia, representatives of
local and regional communities, and supporting institutions in the
economy. The actuality of this topic gives the right to the expectation
that the interest in the study will exist outside the borders of
the Republic of Croatia and makes it a unique doctoral study in the
Republic of Croatia.
Prof. Jurica Pavičić, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Economics & Business,
University of Zagreb and Prof. Željko Tanjić, Ph.D., Rector of
the Croatian Catholic University, signed an Agreement on Cooperation
on July 21, 2020, in order to promote academic, professional
and scientific cooperation and cooperation in other areas of common
interest.
"The goals of cooperation are aimed at increasing the quality of
higher education and encouraging scientific research, as well as a
better understanding of global processes in the economic, cultural,
and social environment. We believe that this Agreement will contribute
to inter-university cooperation and future joint projects,"
stated Rector Tanjić.
Foto: HKS
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The signing of the agreement was attended by Prof. Gordan Črpić,
Ph.D., Vice-Rector of the Croatian Catholic University for Organization
and Business, Prof. Hrvoje Štefančić, Ph.D., Vice-Rector of the
Croatian Catholic University for Science, and Mr. Hrvoje Meštrić,
Ph.D., Secretary of the Croatian Catholic University, while on behalf
of the FEB ZG were present Prof. Oliver Kesar, Ph.D., Vice Dean for
Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff, Assoc. prof. Božidar Jaković,
Ph.D., Vice Dean for Students and Teaching, Assoc. prof. Sanja Sever
Mališ, Ph.D., Vice Dean for Strategic Partnerships and Projects,
and Ms. Martina Levačić, B.Sc. iur., Secretary of the Faculty.
The Digital Library of LDC-FEB ZG was released at the end of September,
and is available at the link http://ebook.efzg.hr/
greenstone3/library, as well as on the web page of the Library and
documentation centre
At this stage, the Digital Library will contain exclusively e-editions
of the Faculty of Economics & Business and is primarily intended for
students, research and teaching staff, and other employees of the
Faculty. Searching the collection is possible by title, author, year of
publication, and keywords, and browsing of the collection through
menus: title, author, academic year, manuals / scientific books, and
journals/articles (faculty). The digital library can only be accessed
via personal access data.
SCOOL Academy is a project of the Styria Group in Croatia launched
with the aim of making it easier for students of different specializations
and senior years to enter the labor market. Through interesting
lectures, interactive workshops, and practical work in the departments
of Styria companies, students learn about areas such as digital
marketing, consumer behavior, community management, media
trends and improve the competencies of the modern age. The topics
are diverse and everyone can find something that is interesting to
him, as well as useful advice for professional and personal development,
extended through all lectures.
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One of the winners of Styria: SCOOL Academy 2019 is Julija Puškar,
a student at the Faculty of Economics & Business. She spoke about
her experience at SCOOL and the atmosphere at the lectures in an
interview that you can watch here
Styria: SCOOL Academy will be held for the ninth time this year.
Since 2020 is special in every way, SCOOL will be organized in a
slightly different edition, but just as interesting and useful as before.
Participation is free for all students who successfully pass the selection
process. Lectures and workshops will be held on weekends, and
the topics that students will deal with cover various areas of digitalization
- from digital marketing and project management, through
user experience to creative approaches in reporting and advertising.
As part of the course National Security, Forensic Sciences and Globalization
at the doctoral study of Economics and Global Security,
from July 13 to 17, 2020, along the study-bearer Prof. Dragan Primorac,
Ph.D., guest lectures were given by Asisst. prof. Saša Missoni,
Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Anthropology in Zagreb and H.E.
Ilan Mor, Ambassador of the State of Israel to Croatia.
By continuing to organize guest lectures on relevant and current
topics, the doctoral program in Economics and Global Security contributes
to the development of future scientists and experts.
Audit: Supervisory Mechanism of Corporate Governance
A new book Audit: Supervisory Mechanism of Corporate Governance
has been published by the Croatian Association of Accountants and
Financial Professionals. This book is the result of the work of six
equal authors – Assist. prof. Mateja Brozović, Ph.D., Prof. Ivana
Mamić Sačer, Ph.D., Assist. prof. Ivana Pavić, Ph.D., Assoc. prof.
Sanje Sever Mališ, Ph.D., Prof. Boris Tušek, Ph.D., and Prof. Lajoš
Žager, Ph.D., and is a sequel of a series of books that have been published
in the field of auditing since the first half of the 1990s.
The book, in addition to the usual parts such as a bibliography, an
index of terms, a list of figures and tables, and several appendices,
consists of eight chapters. Each chapter of the book begins with an
overview of the chapter in which the most important topics covered
in that chapter are highlighted and ends with questions for testing
knowledge.
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The first, introductory chapter discusses the role of corporate governance
in enterprise development, financial reporting as a mechanism
of corporate governance, and supervisory mechanisms over the
financial reporting process. The second chapter approaches the design
and analysis of the theoretical framework of the audit as a starting
point for considering the relevant methodological aspects of the
audit process. The third chapter is dedicated to auditing standards
and the professional ethics of auditors, while the fourth chapter
deals with the process of auditing financial statements. The fifth
chapter covers the audit of the most significant business cycles in
the audit of financial statements and the sixth deals with the quality
control of the audit of financial statements. The precondition for the
quality of performed audits is the implementation of quality control
standards at the level of the audit company and the level of each
engagement. An important prerequisite for audit quality is the successful
cooperation of audit committees and external auditors. In
this context, Chapter 7 of the book is devoted to the role and tasks of
audit committees in the corporate governance model. In addition to
considering the membership and organization of the audit committee,
within the systematization of obligations and responsibilities of
audit committees, special emphasis was placed on the relationship
between the audit committee and external audit. Chapter 8 of the
book discusses the prospects for the development of auditing financial
statements. The joint audit, forensic audit, and the impact of
technology on the audit of financial statements are emphasized.
This book, as a university textbook, is intended primarily for students
of economics and business schools, as well as other faculties.
Of course, the book is intended for all those who deal with theoretical
and practical problems of auditing, accounting, and financial
reporting - external and internal auditors, accountants, financial
staff, but also can be useful to a much wider range of users - all
stakeholders in the corporate governance process.
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State Audit: Assumption of Accountability and Transparency in
the Public Sector
The book State Audit: Assumption of Accountability and Transparency
in the Public Sector, work of the eleven equal authors (V.
Akrap, M. Brozović, I. Klešić, I. Mamić Sačer, I. Pavić, L. Pernar, N.
Rogošić, S. Sever Mališ, I. Stegić, B. Vuletić Antić, L. Žager) edited by
three editors (I. Klešić, I. Mamić Sačer, L. Žager) was published by
the Faculty of Economics & Business - Zagreb.
Auditing is, in our conditions, a relatively young profession. In the
context of different types of audits and the increasingly significant
influence of the public sector, a very important place belongs to the
state audit. The umbrella institution for the development of state
audit in our country is the State Audit Office, which last year celebrated
the 25th anniversary of its existence. Apart from the State
Audit Office, the Faculty of Economics & Business of the University
of Zagreb, which this year marks the 100th anniversary of its existence,
also has a very important place in the development of state
audit in the Republic of Croatia. The authors of this book are with
these two institutions, and the book is an excellent example of cooperation
between the academic community and experts in practice.
This book is a logical sequel of a series of books in the field of audit
that had been published since the first half of the 1990s. It consists
of twelve chapters, each beginning with a review of the chapter in
which the most important topics covered in that chapter are highlighted
and ends with questions for testing knowledge.
The book is primarily intended for all those who are in any way referred
to the state audit. First of all, this refers to the budget and
budget users, state-owned companies, and non-profit organizations.
In this context, the role of public management is emphasized. Furthermore,
in addition to state auditors, the book is intended for external
and internal auditors, accountants and financial staff, and all
those who in any way participate in the management process in the
public sector. In addition, this book was written for students of economics
and business schools, and then other faculties where public
sector issues are studied. The issue of public sector accountability
and transparency can indeed be of interest to a whole range of different
users.
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Paraphrasing one of our esteemed professors, who recently said in
a somewhat different context: The faculty is not made up of buildings
but of the people! - let's play a bit with the numbers related
to our big anniversary and those who have been or are employed
at the Faculty of Economics & Business until today.
Today (September 9, 2020), the Faculty of Economics & Business -
Zagreb employs a total of 382 employees, 264 teachers, and 118
non-teaching staff, which makes an approximate ratio of 7: 3.
Since 1920, according to available data, at the Faculty of Economics
& Business and its legal ancestors: the High School of Commerce
and Transport (HSCT) 1920-1925, the Economic and Commercial
High School (ECHS) 1926-1941, the Croatian Economic
and Commercial High School (CECHS) 1941-1945, the Economic
and Commercial High School (ECHS) 1945-1947, the Faculty of
Economics (FE) 1947-1968, the High School of Economics (HSE)
1956-1968, the Faculty of Economic Sciences (FES) 1968-1974, the
Higher School of Foreign Trade (HS FT) 1960-1964, the College of
Foreign Trade (CFT) 1964-1966, High School of Foreign Trade
(HSFT) 1967-1974, the Higher Hotel School (HHS) -1979, the Faculty
of Foreign Trade (FFT) and again the Faculty of Economics &
Business - Zagreb (FEB ZG) 1974- until today (2020) a total of
1703 employees have been registered. Of that number, 1089 were
teachers and 614 non-teaching staff, making an approximate ratio
of 7: 4.
The Faculty of Economics & Business - Zagreb from September 16 to
19, 2020, hosted the 11th EMAC Regional Conference organized by
the Faculty of Economics & Business and the European Marketing
Academy (EMAC) and held online via the Zoom application. The
organizing committee of the Conference consisted of members of
the Department of Marketing: Assist. Prof. Morana Fudurić, Ph.D.,
Assist. Prof. Sandra Horvat, Ph.D., Associate Professor Vatroslav
Škare, Ph.D., Ms. Tanja Komarac, Ph.D., and Ms. Anne-Laure Marteaux,
Secretary-General of EMAC.
This year's theme of the conference was Challenging the status quo in
marketing research and a special focus was placed on topics related
to digital marketing and MarTech and the possibility of applying
new methods of neuromarketing and biometric research. In addition
to presentations of scientific research from all areas of marketing,
participants could take a part in a series of attractive lectures and
workshops such as the Pre-conference Early Researcher Symposium
(ERS) for young researchers early in their academic careers; four
keynote lectures were given by Edward C. Malthouse (Northwestern
University, USA) on The Customer Engagement Ecosystem: the Role of
Big Data, Digital Environments, and AI, Jonathan Copulsky
(Northwestern University, USA) with Marketing Technology: Rich
Options, Tough Choices in a World of Digital Disruption, Joško Brakus
(Business School of the University of Leeds, UK) presented Consumer
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Responses to Dehumanization of Employees: The Role of Political Ideology
and Josipa Majić (ID Guardian) Affective Computing: How Companies
and Brands are Leveraging Insights. Besides mentioned, on the last day
of the Conference, a Meet the Editors session was held, which was
attended by the editors of reputable regional and world scientific
journals.
The conference also offered participants the opportunity to publish
papers in a special issue of the Journal of Business Research (JBR), a
special issue of Market-Tržište and the Conference Proceedings (with
the possibility of indexing in WOS).
Over the years, the EMAC Regional Conference has had an increasingly
pronounced impact on the scientific marketing community, and
this year the goal was to expand its impact on the professional community
in Croatia and the region. This year's conference was also the
largest EMAC Regional Conference in history, attended by a total of
169 participants from 36 countries on 28 parallel sessions.
Kozminski University of Warsaw, Poland, will host the 12th EMAC
Regional Conference in 2021.
Organized by Prof. Josip Tica, Ph.D., and Assist. Prof. Vladimir
Arčabić, Ph.D., from the Department of Macroeconomics and Economic
Development of the Faculty of Economics & Business -
Zagreb, from September 23 to 25, 2020, the 28th annual symposium
of the Society for Nonlinear Dynamics and Econometrics (SNDE) was
held. This year's symposium was held online due to extraordinary
circumstances and gathered lecturers from all over the world.
Plenary presentations were given by Ms. Hélène Rey (London Business
School, UK) and Mr. Bruce E. Hansen (University of Wisconsin -
Madison, USA), and more than 120 participants took part in 35 sessions
and presenting 116 papers.
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Two awards were also presented during the symposium: Richard T.
Baillie Award in Time Series Modeling for the best work in the field
of time series presented at the symposium by young researchers,
doctoral students, or persons who received their doctorate less than
eight years ago (generously donated by Professor Richard T. Baillie,
a member of the Board of Directors of the Society), and the Dwyer
Ramsey Award awarded to doctoral students for the best work presented
at the symposium.
On September 24 and 25, 2020, the OECD organized a webinar entitled
Joint Action - Association in the Fight against Corruption in
Southeast Europe.
In the face of rampant and deep-rooted corruption, individual actions
are insufficient to achieve substantial ethical change and
transparent processes. Therefore, this webinar aimed to bring together
public officials, representatives of the real sector, civil society,
and academia, in order to explain how joint action and OECD
instruments and international practices can help fight corruption
and support the creation of equal conditions in South-East Europe.
At the plenary session, various experiences were shared and the
advantages of the implementation of joint action initiatives were
presented, as well as the instruments of the OECD and international
practice in the fight against corruption in society and the economy.
Roundtables on Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina provided
a forum for discussion on how joint action can help participants
to fight corruption.
Assist. Prof. Velibor Mačkić, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Economics &
Business - Zagreb and Advisor to the President of the Republic of
Croatia, took part as a panelist, and some of the panelists were Ms.
Sabine Zinder, Vice President of the Legal Affairs Department, Head
of Joint Action, Siemens AG; Mr. Andreas Schaal, Director, Global
Relations Secretariat, OECD; Ms. Isabel Cane, Head of Department,
OECD Trust and Business Initiative; Mr. Carlos Conde, Head of Department,
OECD Middle East and North Africa Division; Ms. Gemma
Aiolfi, Head of Compliance, Basel Institute on Governance; Ms. Ieva
Lapeikiene, Clear Wave Initiative Leader, Lithuania; Ms. Neslihan
Yakal, Secretary-General, TEID Ethics and Reputation Society; Mr.
Vladan Joksimović, Head of the Secretariat of the Regional Anti-
Corruption Initiative (RAI); Ms. Ivana Korajlić, Executive Director,
Transparency International BIH; Mr. Miroslav Miletić, Advisor to the
President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and others.
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The coronavirus pandemic posed new challenges to the transport
and logistics sector, and this year's ZIRP - Transformation of Transportation
Conference was opened with a panel discussion on
Transport and Logistics in Time of COVID-19.
The conference, where international and domestic experts in the
field of transport and logistics discussed the challenges they face
due to the new situation, was held online on September 29 and 30,
2020, organized by the Faculty of Transport Sciences, while the Faculty
of Economics & Business - Zagreb was one of the co-organizers.
ZIRP is one of the leading internationally recognized regional conferences
in the field of transport and logistics with participants from
more than 20 countries.
A new presentation as part of the Brown bag seminar was held on
September 17, 2020, by Mr. Đuro Kolar, Ph.D. (Monash University,
Melbourne, Australia). He presented a paper entitled Governing the
Dark Dyad of Megaproject Reality: A Case Study of a Mega Public Sector
Program of Projects.
Some politicians are narcissistically ambitious and find the decision
to implement mega public sector projects irresistible. They generate
symbolic emotions to be seen as ‘emperors,’ gods, or goddesses.
However, the means to achieve such a megaproject reputational
legacy is difficult. It is plagued with a Machiavellianism and tribalism
world constituting a dark relationship dyad of megaproject benefit
reality and ruthless political power. This tends to cause an eerie
death to megaprojects—that is, failure to achieve most of their strategies
and public good benefits. The purpose of this paper is to investigate
the dark side of megaproject reality and suggest an effective
governance mechanism to successfully achieve the megaproject’s
public good strategies and benefits. A case study was conducted on
Australia's largest infrastructure program in history, the AU $14.7
billion Building the Education Revolution program. The results indicate
that situational-based project governance mechanisms are essential
in minimizing the effects of the dark relationship dyad in
megaproject policies. Politicians can then make rational decisions
and rightfully claim the image as an ‘emperor'.
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As part of the OpenInnoTrain project, Horizon 2020 MSCA-RISE, the
Faculty of Economics & Business - Zagreb on September 24, 2020,
organized an online workshop on How to publish a research paper
successfully? Lectures on How to choose a proper journal for publication?
and Research with Impact: Designing, Implementing & Publishing
considerations were held by prof. dr. sc. Marina Dabić from the Faculty
of Economics & Business and prof. Anne-Laure Mention, RMIT
University (Melbourne, Australia).
The workshop was intended for young researchers and doctoral students
who had the opportunity to send a summary of their scientific
article and get feedback and expert advice from professors and industry
experts. In addition to professors Dabić and Mention, the
team of international experts was composed of Ms. Elena Casprini,
Ph.D. (University of Siena, Italy), Prof. Carsten Nico Hjortsø
(University of Copenhagen, Denmark), Associate Professor Nebojša
Stojčić, Ph.D., (University of Dubrovnik; University of Staffordshire,
UK) and Mr. Krish Sankaran, Ph.D. (Radical Innovations Group AB,
Finland).
As part of the mentioned project, on September 25, 2020, discussions
were organized two panels on the topic of Grand opportunities
and challenges for Industry 4.0 and FoodTech - building the bridges
through Open Innovation.
The discussion was moderated by Ms. Elena Casprini, Ph.D., and
Prof. Carsten Nico Hjortsø, with the participation of professors from
European and Australian universities and industry experts: Ms. Zlatka
Tečec Ribarić, Ph.D. (Končar-Institute of Electrical Engineering),
Mr. Marko Bago, Ph.D. (Končar-Institute of Electrical Engineering),
Associate Professor Hrvoje Džapo, Ph.D. (Faculty of Electrical Engineering
and Computing), Mr. Božidar Pavlović (Oradian), Prof. Mario
Spremić, Ph.D. (Faculty of Economics & Business - Zagreb), Mr.
Ivo Špigel (Perpetuum Mobile), Prof. Marina Dabić, Ph.D. (Faculty of
Economics & Business - Zagreb), Prof. Anne-Laure Mention (RMIT),
Mr. Krish Sankaran, Ph.D. (Radical Innovations Group AB, Finland),
and Ms. Jasmina Ranilović, Ph.D. (Podravka).
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As part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic, the European
Commission decided to provide support for the research project Non
-intended health, economic and social effects of the COVID-19 epidemic
control decisions: Lessons from SHARE (acronym: SHARE-COVID-19)
in the amount of about 6.9 million euros. The project is funded under
Horizon 2020 in the area of Healzh, Demographic Change and
Quality of Life in Response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the
new coronavirus. The project coordinator is the German Max Planck
Institute in Munich, while the Faculty of Economics & Business -
Zagreb participates as a partner with a working package dedicated to
the analysis of the quality of health care during the coronavirus epidemic
led by Assist. Prof. Šime Smolić.
The main goal of the project is to understand the unplanned consequences
of a pandemic and devise improved health, economic, and
social policies. In its recommendations to policymakers, it will seek
to make EU health systems and societies more resilient to pandemics
in terms of prevention, protection, and treatment of the most vulnerable
portions of the population aged 50 and over.
This project is the result of many years of work of the scientific team
gathered around the scientific infrastructure SHARE – Survey of
Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. SHARE is a multidisciplinary
and multinational panel survey on health, retirement, socioeconomic
status, social and family networks of people aged 50 and
over that has been collecting microdata every two years since 2004.
Data from the SHARE study are now used free of charge by more
than 11,500 registered researchers worldwide and have been used in
about 3,000 different publications since 2005. In Croatia, the SHARE
Project – Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe has
been financially supported by the European Union (European Social
Fund and EaSI program), the Ministry of Labor and Pensions, and
the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia
since 2014.
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Based on the Decision on the award of financial support for project
proposals under the Call for Proposals for 2020 for the Erasmus +
program (Key Activity 2 for Vocational Education and Training), the
EU Agency for Mobility and Programs have accepted funding program
for the Strategic Partnership for Good Practice Exchange under
named Challenges and practices of teaching economic disciplines in era
of digitalization (acronym: DIGI4Teach). The project coordinator is
the Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb, and the
project leader is Assist. Prof. Nikolina Dečman, Ph.D. A total of 8
partners from Croatia, Poland, Germany, and Serbia will participate
in the project activities. Four of the partners are higher education
institutions: Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb
(HR), the Cracow University of Economics in Kraków (PL), University
of Applied Sciences Osnabrück - Faculty of Management, Culture
and Technology (DE), and Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade
(RS), while the remaining four partners are the secondary vocational
school of economics : the First School of Economics, the
Second School of Economics and the Third School of Economics in
Zagreb, and the School of Economics, Trade and Catering in Samobor.
In order to modernize the education and training of future economists,
it is particularly important to promote the use of digital learning
technology in the field of vocational education. The main needs
and objectives of the project include improving teaching skills and
teaching methods in various economic disciplines with special emphasis
on the digital age by sharing existing good practices and analyzing
the use of new digital teaching and learning technologies in
the vocational education of economists. The exchange of good practice
between project partners is expected to respond to the challenges
of using digital technology in teaching economic disciplines and
thus enable students to be more prepared for the challenges that
await them at higher levels of the education system as well as in the
labor market. The project idea arose as a result of reflection and
previous activities of the Committee for Cooperation with Secondary
Schools at the Faculty of Economics & Business in Zagreb. The
adoption of innovative practices in the teaching of economic disciplines
will empower and connect teachers in higher and secondary
education and will have a major impact on the vocational education
and training sector of future economists. Given the set goals, partnerships
between higher and secondary education institutions are
expected to contribute to the development of teaching skills that
will encourage creative thinking and further support the entrepreneurial
spirit of vocational education students.
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Based on the Decision on the award of financial support for project
proposals under the Call for Proposals for 2020 for the Erasmus +
program (Key Activity 2 for Higher Education), the EU Agency for
Mobility and Programs accepted funding for the Strategic Partnership
in Higher Education project entitled Promoting social entrepreneurship
in higher education for a prosperous society (acronym:
PROSPER). The Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb
is a partner in the project, and the project leader is Assist. Prof.
Zoran Wittine, Ph.D.
A total of 6 partners from Croatia, Poland, Austria, Greece, and Bulgaria
will participate in the project activities. The three partners are
higher education institutions: the Faculty of Economics, University
of Zagreb (HR), the University of Silesia (PL), and the Macedonian
University (GR), while the remaining partners are the nonprofit organizations
focused on social, academic, and entrepreneurial development.
PROSPER comes as a response to the perceived need to include socially
responsible economy and socially responsible entrepreneurship
in higher education and will focus in particular on countries
where the concept of social economy enjoys a moderate level of
recognition and is underrepresented. According to available data,
the countries from which the partners who will participate in this
project come have very low employment rates within social entrepreneurship,
in which, in a negative sense, unfortunately, Croatia
leads. At the same time, the links between entities in this sector and
the research community are extremely weak, while at the same time
socially responsible entrepreneurship is very closely represented in
higher education. In this context, it is difficult to exploit the full
potential of socially responsible entrepreneurship and offer complete
solutions to important social issues.
Recognizing these needs and studying the latest trends in education,
PROSPER strives to develop a transdisciplinary online platform that
will facilitate students' learning through collaboration, exchange of
knowledge and experience, and open access to more than 100 educational
resources to be created during the project. At the same time,
an innovative, transdisciplinary and effective educational program
within higher education will be developed for this purpose, and
through network channels of communication, the interaction between
professors, students, and socially responsible entrepreneurs
will be encouraged.
On September 24, 2020, the Office for International Cooperation organized the first in a series of
online meetings with incoming students in exchange who will spend the winter semester at the
FEB ZG. The staff of the Office explained in more detail the first administrative steps and informed
the students about the beginning of classes.
After an initial 117, most likely due to Covid-19 and the transition to online classes, the number
of students in exchange this winter semester has dropped to 75. Students come from 12 different
countries, mostly from Portugal, France, Spain, and Germany. Most of them are carrying out
their mobility this year as part of the Erasmus+ program.
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In order to better prepare for online classes, a series of workshops
for teachers of the Faculty of Economics & Business were held in
September, organized by the Counselling and Career Development
Office (CCDO).
Workshops related to the Merlin system and recording of the lectures
were held by Assist. Prof. Margaret Gardijan Keđo, Ph.D. As
part of the Introduction to the Merlin e-learning system workshop,
teachers were able to learn or repeat the basics of working in the
Merlin system. They were made familiar with the user interface,
posting materials and activities, reviewing and entering student
grades, and opportunities to communicate with students.
In a workshop called H5P interactive content and tests in SafeExam-
Browser in version 3.9, participants were able to learn why H5P is
popular and how they can set up H5P activities (e.g. interactive video)
with which they can increase e-learning interactivity. They were
also shown the possibilities of creating tests and using SafeExam-
Browser, a web browser that prevents students from using all other
applications on the computer while writing the test in Merlin.
There was also a workshop Recording Lectures where participants
could learn how they can record their lectures/seminars as needed,
edit them, and distribute them to students.
Mr. Šime Meić-Sidić and Mr. Krešimir Kežman from the Information
Center held workshops where they presented work with an interactive
whiteboard and Google Jamboard (Google smart board), while
Mr. Robert Pavičić held workshops called Stew - Anti-COVID-19 in
which they were presented necessary and advanced online survival
packages such as Google Classroom basics of using teachinglearning
support tools - the creation of the courses, publishing information,
students and advanced assigning of the problems and
exams, grading and recording of the points, as well as Google Meet –
the creation of an ad-hoc meeting, or from Google Classroom and
Google calendar, basics of holding live classes, sharing presentations,
lectures with the help of a virtual interactive whiteboard, etc.
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