July 12, 2022 - Of all private higher education institutions in Croatia, the largest number of high school graduates this year chose Algebra University College as their first choice when applying for study programs. Here's why. 

Algebra continues to raise higher education standards, which, according to data published on the Postani student portal, resulted in an increase in applications for study programs by 40 percent compared to last year, or by 27 percent when it comes to the first three choices. According to the current number of applications, Algebra records the most significant growth in interest in design study, for which even twice as many high school graduates applied as last year. In addition, interest in the study of digital marketing increased by 40 percent, while the study of computing recorded 35 percent more applications.

This is the result of continuous investments in the topicality and quality of teaching programs and academic collaborations, such as with one of the oldest components of the University of London - Goldsmiths, which allows students to receive Croatian and British diplomas without leaving Zagreb. As many as 160 prospective students have applied for these studies, evaluated by one of the world's 500 best universities, beginning next academic year at Algebra. For 70 of them, this is their first choice of study. In addition, through cooperation with the University of London, Algebra graduates can choose between undergraduate studies in design, computing, and digital marketing this school year.

"The great interest in Algebra in collaboration with Goldsmiths University is fantastic news. In the year when we celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Britain and Croatia and our 30-year partnership in all fields - from defense and security to business and culture - the cooperation between Algebra and Goldsmiths in education is further proof that we are strengthening our ties. I wish all participants the best of luck in obtaining a degree from one of the most prestigious British universities," said Simon Thomas, the British ambassador to Croatia.

"British universities are rightly recognized as the most prestigious in the world, and the fact that they make international connections is key to that success," said Nigel Bellingham, director of the British Council, not hiding his enthusiasm for such a great interest in the new partnership between Algebra and Goldsmiths.

"This cooperation represents a model for other partnerships between Croatian and British universities. The British Council is proud of its partnership with Algebra, and we will continue to work with our friends in Croatia to contribute to the success of this program," concluded Bellingham.

A particular interest is visible among young people who have already completed three-year professional studies since they have the opportunity to enroll in one of the graduate studies in Algebra, and in addition to Croatian, obtain a British or French master's degree after two years of study this year. Graduate studies in data science, computer game development, computer science, and digital marketing can be completed this year with diplomas from the University of London and Algebra, and they also have the joint study "Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence," which Algebra and French EPITECH accredited last year. This study is also conducted in English, with one year being attended in Zagreb and the second in Paris. EPITECH or L'école de l'expertise informatique et de l'innovation is one of France's largest technological educational institutions, with more than 6,000 students and multiple campuses in several European locations.

Despite the decline in the number of Croatian high school graduates, Algebra records an ever greater interest in its study programs, which is the best indicator that the innovative approach and insistence on the quality of the content and the quality of the teaching implementation make sense.

"We are very focused on the global occupations of the future, and in regular communication with leading Croatian and international employers, we adapt our programs while encouraging the arrival of foreign students. Furthermore, we place great emphasis on practical learning, which we enable students to do through cooperation with renowned domestic and foreign companies, so the knowledge acquired by our students is immediately applicable in everyday work. This is one of the key reasons global and domestic employers highly value our graduates, as evidenced by the fact that within three months of completing their studies, almost all of them are employed in the profession. This is an important motivator for the growth of applications that we are witnessing, even though the number of graduates who want to continue their education this year is ten percent lower than last year," pointed out Mislav Balković, dean of Algebra.

For the last five years, all Algebra graduate studies have been conducted exclusively in English, and from this academic year, this is also possible in almost all undergraduate studies. In addition to opening a new perspective for employment and career advancement, this approach enables an educational experience in a multicultural and multinational environment.

The experience of studying at Algebra took on a new dimension this spring with the opening of the new Zagreb campus, making Zagreb a multidisciplinary center of excellence and an incubator of globally competitive human potential, which will increasingly attract domestic and international students and participants of various educational programs in the coming years. Students have at their disposal 35 modernly equipped lecture halls and laboratories, 14 online cabinets, a video, audio, and podcast studio, a drawing room, a 3D print room, an innovation lab, a large server room, a library, and a room for project collaboration and numerous other specialized rooms.

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