Review article
Status and Perspective of Science and Higher Education in Croatia
Ante SIMONIĆ
Abstract
In the article the author analyses the most important issues
exerting pressure on Croatian higher education and science.
He especially focuses on the inadequate understanding of
the importance of science for a (desirable) development of
Croatia, resulting in its totally insufficient financing. The need
to change the existing system of higher education and science in terms of greater quality and excellence, which the
author insists on, collides with a very resilient old attitude that
both higher education and science belong to the sphere of
consumption and that the growth of expenses for these fields
of work should be postponed for some other "better" times.
Due to a lack of understanding of science as a factor of
development, it has been deprived of one of its most
significant roles in Croatian society – that of development
factor. The author does not remain only on the level of the
existing situation but presents a set of proposals for solving
the above-mentioned problems. He thus exemplifies some
good and in practice proven European experiences, stressing
the need for a meaningfully adequate and spatially balanced
distribution of the higher education and science system. With
regard to the existing level of education in Croatia he
supports a considerable increase in the number of
institutions, students and scientists. The article ends with the
author stressing the need to give science an adequate role in
the entire development of Croatia. He also supports
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary cooperation and
suggests that the Agency for the Commercialisation of
Scientific Research be established, in order to encourage
economic development based on knowledge.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
19538
URI
Publication date:
30.4.2003.
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