Location:

Cost (HRK):

1.395.663,17  

Donor:

European Social Fund

Role in the action:

Coordinator

Dates:

18/6/2015 – 18/09/2016

The project entitled “Modernising high education quality through Implementation of CROQF“ is carried out at the Faculty of Political Science in co-operation with the following project partners: Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND) and civil society organization GONG, and it is co-financed by the European Social Fund.

The Croatian Qualifications Framework (CROQF) has been set up as a key reform instrument, which regulates the qualifications system by improving education programmes aligned with qualification standards and sets of learning outcomes, aimed at raising the quality of education and harmonizing the education offer with labour market demands. It establishes clear criteria of competence sets acquired upon completed education for qualifications of a certain level and scope. By establishing qualifications at a certain level, CROQF enables the linking of qualifications levels in the Republic of Croatia with the levels of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA), which further enables the qualifications obtained in the Republic of Croatia to be recognized on the European labour market as well.

The goal of this project consists in enhancing the quality of higher education by means of CQF development and implementation at the Faculty of Political Science. The project consists of the following specific aims: drafting qualifications standards for master courses in journalism and political science and improving teaching competencies in the teaching process. This project is aimed at students, teachers and potential employers.

Social science faculties are deficient in terms of providing practical knowledge and skills, which can be applied appropriately on the labour market after the completion of master studies. A few years ago, elements of quality control and assurance of study programmes at the Faculty of Political Science started to develop; by means of this project an analysis and review of the existing Faculty study programmes will be carried out, which will contribute to making these programmes compliant with CQF aims and European higher education standards in the area of political science and journalism and ensure that they cater to the needs of the labour market in the Republic of Croatia and EU member states.

Based on project results, a review and adjustment of enrolment quotas for the Zagreb Faculty of Political Science will be carried out in accordance with labour market demands. Standardized tests will be introduced according to drafted standardized qualification standards as a mechanism of student self-assessment and testing of knowledge, skills and practical experiences before the completion of master studies and emergence on the competitive labour market, because a lack of skills causes major problems in business operations in terms of costs, quality and time.

The project also introduces a new system, which will assist teachers in the acquisition of new and improving existing teaching and methodology competencies; it develops a training programme for teachers, which encompasses the implementation of various teaching and learning strategies, efficient communication with students, use of e-learning and integration of learning outcomes with new technologies, successful creation and implementation of strategies for the evaluation of the process and learning outcomes, incorporation of practical work and/or learning based on experience, participation of practising experts and professionals in the classes, acquisition of specific skills, etc.

The Research Office is in charge of project implementation.