Enrolling Now Quotas of Diaspora Students Of Croatian Descent At University Of Zagreb

Photo source: Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Croatia

There is little so special in life as the experience of university studies in the country of one’s parents’ or grandparents’ birth! And if you or someone you may know are of Croatian descent living outside of Croatia and are considering university studies in Croatia, starting this year, then this may be an opportunity for you!

University of Zagreb Faculty of Croatian Studies enrolments are:

                                   First intake: 11 July 2021

Second intake: 12 September 2021

The Faculty of Croatian Studies is a component of the University of Zagreb for interdisciplinary research and teaching of traditional and contemporary cultural, humanistic and social topics related to the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian people and the emigrants, such as cultural, political, intellectual history and reality; media public and personal communications; activities of social groups; human experience and behaviour; upbringing and education; language development; open political, cultural, social and demographic issues of national, regional or pan-European interest.

The following text is taken from the Faculty’s website: https://www.hrstud.unizg.hr/en/enrolment/enrolment_of_croats_outside_the_republic_of_croatia

Enrolment of Croats outside the Republic of Croatia for undergraduate university studies at Faculty of Croatian Studies in the academic year 2021/2022

Application for enrolment of Croats outside the Republic of Croatia for undergraduate university studies at Faculty of Croatian Studies

​​The University of Zagreb has signed an agreement with the Central State Office for Croats Abroad which stipulates the issuance of enrolment quotas for Croats located outside of Croatia with the aim of returning Croats and Croatian descendants to Croatia as well as taking positive action to assist Croatian youth to stay in Croatia. The aim focuses on positive long-term demographic and economic progress as well as the positive general progress of Croatian society. The signing of this agreement occurred following the III. Plenary Session of the Croatian Government Council for Croats outside Croatia held on 10 December 2016 in Vukovar, which concluded that it was necessary to provide special enrolment quotas for younger generations of Croats outside the Republic of Croatia for their enrolment at universities in the Republic of Croatia and to provide study scholarships for members of Croatian minorities and/or Croatian emigrants.

Therefore, the Senate of the University of Zagreb has confirmed a special quota for these candidates, subsequently all faculties will conduct qualification assessments for them in accordance with the special terms of enrolment. The envisaged special enrolment quotas refer to the two categories as defined in Article 2 of the Croatian Interethnic Relations Act (NN 124/11, 16/12): to members of the Croatian minority in European countries (Republic of Austria, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Slovenia, The Slovak Republic, Romania, the Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, the Italian Republic, Montenegro, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Bulgaria) and to Croatian immigrants in overseas and European countries and their descendants. 

Information about enrolment of younger generations Croats outside the Republic of Croatia for undergraduate university studies at Faculty of Croatian Studies at the University of Zagreb

Number of envisaged places for enrolment of Croats outside Croatia at the Faculty of Croatian Studies is as follows:

StudyDouble majorSingle major
Demography and the Croatian Diaspora5
Philosophy and Culture5
Communicology52
Croatology54
History53
Psychology6
Sciences in Education (Pedagogy)5
Sociology53
Total3518

At the Faculty of Croatian Studies at the undergraduate level it is possible to study:

  • One major (single major) in: Communicology, Croatology, History, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology or
  • a combination of two studies (double major) selected from the following: Demography and the Croatian Diaspora, Philosophy and Culture, Communicology, Croatology, History, Psychology, Philosophy, Sciences in Education (Pedagogy) and Sociology.

Applications for enrolment and entrance interview

Applicants may submit their applications for enrolment into the first year of undergraduate study:

  • in the first intake period until Sunday July 11, 2021, at 23.59, in accordance with Central European summer time.
  • in the second intake period until Sunday September 12, 2021, at 23.59, in accordance with Central European summer time.

Applications are submitted via an electronic application that can be accessed here.

In the application, it is necessary to enclose the following:

1. domicile or an extract from the Book of Croatian Nationals (if the applicant is a Croatian citizen) or a certificate / proof of foreign nationality (if the applicant is a foreign national),

2. declaration of Croatian heritage (if the candidate does not have a Croatian citizenship, a declaration statement form can be accessed here),

3. motivation letter (in Croatian, English, Castilian / Spanish or German),

4. certificates for the last four grades of high school,

5. certificate of knowledge of Croatian at level B2 or C1 or C2 (if the candidate has such).

Incomplete and improper applications will not be considered.
Terms of entry:

1. Croatian heritage and residential address outside Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia;

2. completed four-years of secondary school, ie the last four years, within at least twelve years of schooling;

3. readiness to move to Zagreb and attend classes in Croatian.


Applicants who meet the above-mentioned enrolment requirements will gain an interview in which their motivation for studying in Croatia will be discussed and their knowledge of the Croatian language evaluated through conversation. The interview will take place via a video call or live at Faculty of Croatian Studies, Borongajska cesta 83d, Zagreb, between July 14 and 16, 2021 in the first intake period, or between September 15 and 17, 2021, in the second intake period.
 
Evaluation Criteria for Enrolment rankings for Study Programs for applicants classified as Croats outside the Republic of Croatia: 
    1. 50% relates to the applicant’s overall success in high school outside of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. in the last four years in the framework of at least twelve years of schooling (proof of the candidate’s certificate for each grade of secondary school);
    2. 25% relates to motivation (demonstrated through a motivational letter and interview discussion via video call or live with a member of the Board of Trustees);
    3. 25% – knowledge of the Croatian language (evidence of knowledge of Croatian level B2, C1 or C2 or conversation via video call or live with a member of the Board of Trustees.) A candidate who cannot demonstrate Croatian at the level B2, as a condition for enrolment in second year of study, they will have to pass a Croatian language class.

Entrants will sign a declaration upon enrolment that they can attend classes in Croatian language.

The provisional list of candidates will be published on July 16, 2021 on the Faculty of Croatian Studies website. Within 48 hours of the publication of the temporary rank list, the applicants have the right to object to their position on it. The objection is to be submitted to the Faculty of Croatian Studies exclusively by e-mail at hrvatiizvanrh@hrstud.hr from the e-mail address provided by the applicant in its application.


Incomplete complaints and complaints from other addresses will not be considered.
The closing list of candidates will be published on July 19, 2021 on the University Department of Croatian Studies website.

Deadlines for all applicants who have acquired the right to enrol:

Entries into 1st year undergraduate university studies at the Faculty of Croatian Studies will be from July 20 to 30, 2021.

For further information about the study programs available at Croatian Studies: https://www.hrstud.unizg.hr/en/study

For help completing the application and collecting documentation, feel free to contact us at: hrvatiizvanrh@hrstud.hr

Croatia Introduces Special Quotas For Students From Diaspora

Photo credit: gooverseas.com

If you are of Croatian descent, live outside Croatia, and want to study in Croatia – act now and commence benefitting from special quotas.

Croatian government has, via its Central State Office for Croats Outside the Republic of Croatia, announced the ability of enrolment of students into higher and university studies through a special quota intended for members of the Croatian national minority in European countries and Croatian emigrants into undergraduate and integrated undergraduate and graduate studies of the University of Zagreb for Academic year 2018/2019. Link to website:  http://www.hrvatiizvanrh.hr/hr/novost/584/posebna-upisna-kvota-za-studij-na-sveucilistu-u-zagrebu

Special enrolment quotas relate to the two categories defined in Article 2 of the Croatian Relations Act with Croats outside the Republic of Croatia (OG 124/11, 16/12):

  •  to members of the Croatian minority in European countries (Republic of Austria, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Slovenia, Slovak Republic, Romania, Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Italian Republic, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Republic of Kosovo and Republic of Bulgaria)
  • to emigrant Croatians in overseas and European countries and their descendants.

Candidates who have completed four years of secondary education outside the Republic of Croatia are not obliged to take State Matura (matriculation) exams in the Republic of Croatia. The College or Higher Education (faculty / academy) can or may also assign these candidates to the obligation to take additional exams if required.

In allocating points, candidates who completed secondary education outside the Republic of Croatia instead of exams in the Croatian language at the State Matura of the Republic of Croatia achievement in the candidate’s first language during his/her prior education will be recognised unless stated otherwise by the higher education institution (faculty / academy).

To benefit from participating in this special quota for studies in Croatia the following are the steps or required process.

Necessary documentation:

1. Certificate of affiliation/belonging to the Croatian people issued by the Central State Office for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia (Trg hrvatskih velikana 6, 10000 Zagreb, WEB: http://www.hrvatiizizvanrh.hr/hr; EMAIL: upisne-kvote@hrvatiizvanrh.hr)

To receive a Certificate of Belonging to a Croatian People, a candidate can submit scanned documents in person, by mail or via e-mail and the originals are to be submitted upon receipt of the Certificate.

For the purpose of issuing the Certificate, the following documentation is to be enclosed/submitted:

a) Application form

b) A short biography and explanation of the reason/motivation for the application

c) A copy of valid travel document of the State of which he/she is a national

d) Proof of Residence outside the Republic of Croatia

e) Birth Certificate

f) Evidence of belonging to the Croatian people (one of the following public documents of a candidate or a parent or some other ancestor if it contains information about Croatian nationality: birth certificate or copy of the school student register or Index or work/employment booklet or military service booklet or a marriage certificate or a death certificate or a baptism certificate or a decision on the receipt of a Croatian citizenship in accordance with Article 16 or 11 of the Act or a written statement of the head of the DM / KU of the Republic of Croatia or of an association/club of Croatian community abroad. If the belonging to the Croatian people is proven via a document/s of an ancestor then one must also prove the relationship/kinship and submit that birth certificates of all ancestors to the one upon whom the proof of belonging rests).

Certified copies of the following documents:

2. Proof of citizenship under which a candidate applies (a certified copy of the passport for foreign nationals who do not own the Croatian OIB (PIN), all candidates who own OIB do not have to provide proof of citizenship)

3. Proof of completion of all secondary school grades (certificate of last four grades)

4. Final certificate of secondary education

5. Certificate of completed externally assessed exam (if the candidate has passed it)

6. Evidence of a change of surname (submitted by non-OIB candidates), if the candidate has changed his / her surname since the moment of issuance of the certificate (eg a certified copy of the marriage certificate or a birth certificate issued in which a note on the new surname notation assigned for subsequent entries)

7. Certification of passed state level matriculation exam in domicile state.

Every document issued in a foreign language must be submitted by a candidate with a translation certified by an authorized court interpreter. The exception, in the case of certificates in Serbian or Bosnian, which will be taken into account in the original, must only be certified by a notary public.

Final certificates of candidates who completed their secondary education outside the Republic of Croatia must undergo the procedure for recognition of foreign secondary education qualifications. The procedure for recognition of foreign secondary education qualifications for completed secondary education in general, high school and art programs for the continuation of education is handled by the Education Agency (http://www.azoo.hr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2702&Itemid=92) . The Vocational Education and Training Agency (http://www.pikaso.asoo.hr/children/recognition_procedure.html) is responsible for the recognition of foreign secondary education qualifications for secondary vocational education in vocational programs.

The procedure for recognising foreign secondary school qualifications is completely separate from the application process of study programs at higher education institutions and it is important to contact the above-mentioned institutions in a timely manner so that the entire procedure is completed in time. In the case of general, high school and artistic programs, a candidate approaches the Education Agency, or when it comes to secondary education in vocational programs, a candidate approaches the Agency for Vocational Education and Adult Education.

The candidate is expected to parallelly carry out all the procedures (the procedure of recognition of the foreign secondary school qualification and the application process of the study programs).

For all additional questions regarding faculty enrolment, it is best to contact directly the students’ faculty office. You can also contact the Central State Office for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia by e-mail (upisne-kvote@hrvatiizvanrh.hr) or by calling the number (+385 1 6444 676; +385 1 6444 669) for easier access to the enrolment procedure.

Good luck to all who pursue this path of studying in Croatia and I am certain you will benefit in many ways. Ina Vukic

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