Damir Boras vs. Damir Bakić: The University of Zagreb Elects a New Rector

At the University of Zagreb, it is election day when 70 members of the Senate will decide in a secret ballot who will be the new rector from the two candidates – the current rector Damir Boras or the professor at the Department of Mathematics of the Faculty of Science of the university, Damir Bakić.

Thus, on Friday, the Senate members will choose the rector of the University of Zagreb in the Rectorate building, doing so by secret ballot, and in accordance with the decision of the university administration, again without the presence of the media, just as they did a week earlier – on February 16, behind closed doors, when candidates Boras and Bakić presented their rectorial programs.

Damir Bakić’s program is an open University “functionally and horizontally” integrated

“This is the program of an open University,” are the words with which Professor Damir Bakić summarized his program. He explained the content of the program in 22 points, the first of which is the openness of the University of Zagreb to the public and the Rectorate to its constituents, and the second is participatory, transparent, and responsible governance of the University while respecting all regulations and procedures, as well as reaffirming the role of all university bodies, especially the Senate and all committees, and intensifying the work of all professional services for the benefit and needs of all constituents, students, and employees.

>>>Today in Croatia – Protest ‘The University Must Do Better’

He believes that university constituents should retain their true identity, but also that the University should be “functionally and horizontally” integrated, and that it should encourage inter-faculty study programs at all levels of study.

He also emphasized the need to improve the quality of research work and to recognize, encourage, evaluate, and reward scientific and artistic excellence, while respecting different concepts and indicators of excellence in specific areas and disciplines.

One of the highlights of Bakić’s program is also the “energetic continuation of the spatial development of the University, especially the continuation of the arrangement, construction, and increase of the functionality of the Borongaj Campus and the revival of the Northern Campus project.”

>>>Divjak: Processes at the University must be transparent, young people are formed there

In his rectorial program, Bakić also advocated for the popularization of teacher education programs and financial assistance for students of teacher education, in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Education (MZO), in order to change the unsatisfactory status of teachers in society.

Damir Boras: Influencing political bodies to increase investments in science and development to 1.4% of GDP

The current rector and candidate for a new four-year rectorial term, Damir Boras, believes that the most important task of the rector and the Rector’s Council regarding research work and education at higher education institutions is to “influence political bodies to reverse the trend of continuously low investment in science and development to increase investments from approximately 0.7 to 0.8% of GDP (in the last ten years) to 1.4% of GDP.”

Boras emphasized in his program that as rector he will continue to support “the independence and responsibility of deans because, only with strong deans who take on their responsibilities, will there be a strong and influential University.” Together with the vice-rectors, he will strive for students, teachers, researchers, and other employees of the University to feel valued and to be at the center of their interests and efforts.

>>>Teacher Education: Rector Boras disciplines a student with a lawsuit

He believes that everyone at the University should support research work and innovation activities and that study programs should be continuously adapted to the needs of society and the labor market in Croatia.

He announced that if re-elected, he will continue to implement the guidelines for the spatial development of the University of Zagreb. He added that a Catalog of Capital Projects of the University has been prepared for better financing of capital projects.

Boras believes that investment should continue in improving student standards through student center projects and particularly focus on building new accommodation capacities at the Scientific-Educational Campus Borongaj.

>>>Balković: Germany earns billions from them, while Croatia is just beginning to attract foreign students

A majority of the total number of Senate members is required for the election of the rector, which means 36 votes out of a total of 70 Senate members. If in the first round neither of the two candidates achieves a majority of votes, a second round will be held in which the one who received the higher number of votes in the first round will enter.

If in the second round the candidate for rector does not receive a majority of votes from the Senate members, a third round of voting will be held in which the candidate will also need to receive a majority support from the Senate members, and if the rector is not elected in the third round either, the election process will be repeated.