A Series of Excellent Projects and Initiatives Launched at the Faculty of Economics in Rijeka

The Faculty of Economics in Rijeka has distinguished itself over the past decade as a successful, open, and internationally oriented higher education institution where numerous successful entrepreneurs, managers, and researchers have developed and begun their careers.

The development of the Faculty is focused on innovating the teaching process and the development of society and science through active involvement in the European higher education area. The Faculty’s programs have been developed in collaboration with practitioners, foreign scientists, alumni, and students, as excellence requires collaboration among all stakeholders, and numerous professors from prestigious foreign institutions participate in their implementation.

Social Responsibility

Emphasis has been placed on social responsibility as the cornerstone of the Faculty’s activities in the community, through the initiation of projects that have prompted positive changes in society and altered the way of thinking in the world around us.

EFRI has become a proud partner in a new project from the European Horizon 2020 program titled ‘CROSS-disciplinary network for research excellence in Regenerative Economy Innovation eco-Systems’, through which it continues to develop its global competitiveness and visibility in the European higher education area by fostering critical thinking and scientific research focused on digital and green transition.

The productive collaboration achieved in numerous joint projects has strengthened the link between the Faculty and the economy, significantly improving the quality of studies as well as the employability rate of students, which is at an admirable level. The EFRI Career Center assists final-year students, who are nearing the end of their university education, in starting their career paths with concrete job placements that they deserve.

– We are the first faculty in the field of economics and business economics to introduce mandatory professional practice on this scale because we believe it is important for all students to connect the theoretical and practical segments after completing courses, so they have a springboard at the beginning of their careers. Therefore, undergraduate students are provided with a practice duration of 300 hours, while final-year master’s students have an entire semester dedicated to completing professional practice of up to 450 hours.

The practice is mandatory in the curriculum for all students, and it is not uncommon for them to receive job offers from the same employer afterward. The connection between the academic community and representatives of the real sector and local government has been further strengthened by the establishment of the EFRI Economic Council, which includes board members and representatives of local authorities who jointly approach solving socio-economic challenges and propose common solutions – emphasizes Prof. Dr. Saša Drezgić, Dean of the Faculty of Economics in Rijeka.

Blue Flag for Cities and Municipalities

Over the past decade, the Faculty has established CLER – Center for Local Economic Development, which provides services to cities and municipalities through knowledge transfer aimed at increasing competitiveness and achieving better development results, with an emphasis on organizational and administrative skills, managing local and regional budgets, and selecting appropriate financing models. The best and most successful administrations and self-governments, as well as public enterprises that have successfully passed the certification process, are awarded the BFC SEE certificate.

The BFC SEE program is primarily intended for those cities and municipalities that have an active approach to developing their investment potentials and wish to create better conditions for attracting investments and faster development of the local economy by improving the business environment, thereby enhancing the quality of life for citizens.