Original scientific paper

Scientific Policy and Modernisation in Croatia

Ivan ROGIĆ

Abstract

The author is exploring the role of science in three periods of
Croatian modernisation. In the first period (until 1940) it is
the author's opinion that scientific policy is not an autonomous
activity, but is practised in a broader framework of
cultural modernisation. Based on this, (one) national university
was established and (one) national academy of
sciences and arts. Scientific policy as a form of cultural
modernisation is powered by two fundamental goals: (i) the
elimination of basic illiteracy; (ii) the formation of national
intelligentsia and identity. The third goal appears only as a
marginal one: the shaping of groups with specialist technical
education. In the second period (1945-1991) the main directions
of scientific policy are continued. However, due to
the establishment of industrial and urban reality, a new, autonomous,
challenger of scientific policy is formed. This is,
according to the author, a new specific reality, described by
the syntagm: technical society. Although the political order of
the time keeps it within a reduced framework, this reality
autonomously spawns incentives and impulses to the development of science. This has in turn facilitated the multiplication
of national universities (three new ones) as well as the
growth of a network of various technical colleges. On the
other hand, the totalitarian foundation of the order itself
produces strong restraining pressures which fossilise scientific
initiative. In the third period, after 1991, the author deems
that the main factor is the lack of a subject of modernisation.
The author concludes that it is not possible to constitute
scientific policy without a subject of modernisation. He therefore
suggests, first and foremost, the preparation of a foundation
enabling the self-formation of such a subject. This
foundation is referred to as a developmental alliance among
the key social participants.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

19534

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/19534

Publication date:

30.4.2003.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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