Signing of Agreement on Etablishment of Study Programmes for the Croatian Armed Forces

The Agreement has been signed by the Croatian Defence Minister Ante Kotromanović on behalf of the Government and by the Rector, Ph. D. Aleksa Bjeliš on behalf of the University, at the ceremony held in Zagreb, which was attended by the Chief of the General Staff, General Drago Lovrić, the Minister of Science, Education and Sport, Dr. Sc. Željko Jovanović, Director of the Croatian Defence Academy Lt. Gen. Slavko Barić, Vice-Rector for Study Programmes of the University of Zagreb, Ph.D. Blaženka Divjak), representatives of the Croatian Defence Academy and of the units the University to participate in the programmes.

The Agreement regulates the relations implied in establishing and conduct of the undergraduate study programmes titled „Military Management“ and „Military Engineering“ respecively, designed to educate future officers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia.
The programmes will commence in September 2014, and will be run by the University of Zagreb as the leading subject and by the Croatian Defence Academy „Petar Zrinski“.
Addressing the attending officials prior to the signature Minister Kotromanović emphasised the importance of the inaugurated study programmes and his personal satisfaction over the successful co-operation while preparing them. „The quality of the two study programmes is in the education they offer for generations of better officers for the future that make better  Armed Forces too. The Ministry of Defence is proud to have concluded the preparatory cycle, crowned by the Agreement to be signed today and expected to receive the first students in September 2014, for the academic year 2014/2015. I am most glad that many young people have demonstrated interest in applying for the programmes, which is also shared by the residents of the neighbouring countries“, stated Minister Kotromanović.

The Rector of the University of Zagreb, Ph. D.  Aleksa Bjeliš reminded of the initial talks in 2010 on the need of special study programmes and of the importance of high education for officers of the Armed Forces. In the early 2013 the efforts were resumed and since June 2013 the programmes entered the phase of intensive talks, exchange of views and reviews, for which I wish to express my appreciation to all participating experts, particularly to our colleagues of the Croatian Defence Academy. It makes me very proud to have jointly designed two integrated academic study programmes, as a model of successful co-operation“, emphasised Rector Bjeliš.

„The revolution brought about in the military domain entails new challenges and new imperatives, and our future officers have to be capable to respond to a number of complex requests. They will have to be able at once to defend the national territory and to be excellent negotiators and leaders. The new study programmes are concieved to provide the education for the young officers in that direction and constitute a major advancement for the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. Our  gratitude goes to all participating and helping associates, primarily to the Government of the Republic of Croatia and to the University of Zagreb for inaugurating the two programmes for the Armed Forces“, stated the Chief of the General Staff, General  Drago Lovrić
Minister of science, education and sport Željko Jovanović highlighted the importance of the co-operation contained in the programmes and of the signature of the Agreement, ushering in the study programmes. „This is an important day, in view of Croatia’s position and role in the European Union and NATO, both for the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia and for the University of Zagreb, and for the wider community too. The co-operation of the academic community and the Armed Forces established in the programmes presents the Republic of Croatia as a competitive and respectable subject of the Euro-Atlantic integration. The talks preceeding the signature of the Agreement were most productive and yielded the remarkable study programmes, commendable also for their interdisciplinary character. I wish to extend my appreciation to all participating officials, and particularly to Minister Ante Kotromanović, whose enthusiasm facilitated the realisation of the project“, stated Minister Jovanović.