ZAGREB, June 10, 2018 - Croatia's Science and Education Ministry will have absorbed an additional 600 million kuna from the European Union funds until the end of this year to upgrade science and research, whereas in the past 12 months, a total of 2.5 billion kuna were withdrawn from the European Social Funds and the European Regional Development Fund, according to a press release issued by the ministry on Sunday marking the first year since Minister Blaženka Divjak took over this government department.
Until the end of this year, 600 million kuna from the EU funds are to be used for science in Croatia, the curriculum reform is to be launched in 72 schools, a score of centres of competence, worth a billion kuna, are to be set up in the vocational education system, and an experimental programme of dual education is expected to start, the statement quoted Minister Divjak as saying.
During the past 12 months, the ministry under her helm absorbed 1.38 billion kuna from the European Regional Development Fund and 1.07 billion kuna from the European Social Fund.
Of that amount, a billion was set aside for equipment and infrastructure in the sector of science, and over 373 million kuna was allocated for scientific centres of excellence.
The minister expects the universities to conclude, until the end of 2018, programme contracts whereby their cooperation with the labour market will be strengthened in line with demand on that market.
During the first year of Divjak's term as minister, 3,400 STEM scholarships were provided. In addition, in the next five year, the Croatian Science Foundation will finance the employment of 154 young researches, and over 80 million kuna has been set aside for that purpose.
