Partners and experts with complementary expertise in the field of policy, social dimension and mental health implement the project activities.

Ministry of Science and Education Republic of Croatia

The Ministry of Science and Education Republic of Croatia performs various tasks related to preschool education, elementary, secondary education and higher education, such as the implementation of national strategies and higher education programs, the provision of funding and facilities for higher education institutions, monitoring their activities, the preparation of reports on the activities and evaluation of higher education institutions and study programs, and their recommendation for approval.

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Why participate in the project?

The role of the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education, Directorate for Higher Education as a project beneficiary in the PLAR-U-PAGs is based on its extensive expertise in developing social inclusion policies in Croatia and at the European level. Through the Erasmus+ project SIDERAL – Social and International Dimension of Education and Recognition of Acquired Learning, the Ministry contributed to the development of the Principles and Guidelines for the Enhancement of the Social Dimension in EHEA.

Our role in the project

The main responsibilities of the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education, Directorate for Higher Education, include:

  • Participate as an active member of the Transnational Steering Group
  • Organise peer-learning activities and write the PLA reports
  • Provide guidance and input during the different phases (desk research, focus groups, design/revision toolkit, implementation) of the development and testing of the PAGs toolkit and the mental health framework
  • Provide guidance and input during the different phases (desk research, focus groups, design/revision web portal, implementation) of the development and testing of the ‘Central web portal’
  • Contribute actively to the dissemination and communication activities regarding the PLAR-U-PAGs project, including participation in the final dissemination conference

Our project team

For PLAR-U-PAGS, the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education has nominated staff with vast experience in project management and social inclusion in higher education:

Ana Jerković

Policy Advisor - Project Associate PLAR-U-PAGs

Ana Jerković works in the Directorate for Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Education. She worked as the head of the HR PRES 2020 team for organisation of events in the field of Education, as well as for the Expert Committee for the Implementation of the Strategy for Education, Science and Technology. She is a member of the EC Working Group on Equality and Values in Education and Training and the project manager of several Erasmus+ projects. She also worked as the Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, on the implementation of the triple helix model of connecting the government authorities with the academic sector and real economy, as well as raising competitiveness through various inter-sectoral cooperation. She is currently the coordinator of the Croatian Forum of the European Academy of Science and Art (EASA) and associate fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Science (WAAS).

Marina Cvitanušić Brečić

Head of Department for Quality of Higher Education - Project Associate PLAR-U-PAGs

Marina Cvitanušić Brečić works as a Head of Department for Quality of Higher Education at the Ministry of Science and Education. She has more than 17 years experience in higher education sector, dealing with qualification frameworks, recognition of foreign higher education qualifications, external quality assurance evaluation procedures and collection and analysis of data on Croatian higher education. She is an active member of several national and international regulatory bodies and working groups dealing with policies and topics related to higher education and quality assurance, such are European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), BFUG Thematic Peer Group C on Quality Assurance (TPG C on QA), Europass and National group for improving the social dimension of higher education. In December 2021 Government of the Republic of Croatia has appointed her as a president of National Council for Development of Human Potential, which is a national strategic body for the development of the Croatian Qualifications Framework (CROQF) in the Republic of Croatia that develops and coordinates public policies with emphasis on educational policies and employment policies, having in mind their influence on the human potential development and achievement of Croatia's strategic goals and competitiveness. She has long experience in the preparation and management of European projects, including Erasmus and ESF projects.