University Algebra Hosts the First European Innovation Leadership MIT Bootcamps Program

University Algebra will host the first European MIT Bootcamps program on the topic of Innovation Leadership from June 8 to June 14, 2024. Students from as many as 23 countries around the world are currently studying at University Algebra, which is the result of systematic efforts to make the program, as well as studies in Croatia in general, more attractive to international students. The collaboration initiated with MIT is an additional step in that direction towards further internationalization, as well as raising the quality of domestic educational programs, the University announced.

Applications are officially open via the official MIT pages for all young innovators, leaders, future entrepreneurs eager to enhance their skills and leave a mark in the global innovation environment, and early bird applications at special favorable prices will last until March 13.

– We are extremely proud that University Algebra has the opportunity to bring this prestigious program to Croatia, to Zagreb. Zagreb, besides being an attractive tourist destination, is one of the leading European regions in the field of innovation. In the recently published European Innovation Scoreboard, Zagreb was among the regions characterized as strong innovators. Parachute, torpedo, alternating current, wireless transmission, ballpoint pen, fingerprint collection – these are just some of the inventions born in Croatia, the homeland of Nikola Tesla, Faust Vrančić, Ivan Lupis, Ivan Vučić, Slavoljub Penkala, and many other historical and contemporary innovators, as well as advanced technology companies like Rimac Group, Infobip, Aircash, and Photomath.

Today, Croatia is on the rise of the technological startup and IT market equipped with quality talent and immense creative potential. After Brisbane, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, and other global destinations, Zagreb and Algebra will host young entrepreneurial people from around the world in this unique, intensive seven-day program, which will also include additional activities – TREK as a three-day combination of learning and sightseeing, and the Innovation Leadership conference – said Hrvoje Josip Balen, a member of the Management Board of University Algebra.

MIT Bootcamps has long been synonymous with fostering creativity, collaboration, and disruptive thinking. The program, designed to empower individuals to tackle the challenges of modern times and initiate innovative thinking processes, has gained international recognition for its impact on participants and the ventures they create. Program partners in Croatia are Croatian Post, Mastercard, Aircash, Infobip, Rimac Group, and the Croatian Tourist Board.

– The mission of the Opening Learning MIT program is to spread the ideas and culture of MIT to as wide and diverse an audience as possible, and the MITx and Bootcamps platforms are just one part of that process, through which over 17 million participants pass annually, of which 69 percent are outside the USA. So far, more than 41 million people have learned about the Innovation Leadership Bootcamps program that will be held in Zagreb, through our digital advertising channels, we have over three thousand interested applicants, and through the selection process, just over 40 have passed. This is a huge opportunity for branding and greater recognition of Croatia as a country where innovators and successful entrepreneurs are located. The ‘secret ingredient’ of the Bootcamps are our trainers, instructors, and lecturers who provide expertise, mentorship, and guidance during the Bootcamps. They are there to support teams, through feedback on results and knowledge on how to best apply learned concepts, and help navigate and manage team dynamics. Today, entrepreneurial thinking, in times of technological and ecological challenges, is more important than ever – said the director of MIT Bootcamps, Hanna Adeyema.

Croatian Post is the platinum sponsor of MIT Bootcamps and has decided to support this program precisely because of its own digital transformation process through which it has recently gone: – The arrival of MIT Bootcamp is a big deal for our business and technology community. It is also an opportunity to strengthen the position of Zagreb and Croatia as an important center in Europe. And it is no coincidence that MIT organized its first Bootcamp on the European continent right in Croatia. This is a kind of recognition and confirmation that we are recognized not only for tourism and beautiful seas but also for technology and innovations. We supported this project because we are aware, based on our own experience, of the benefits that new technologies have for business, but also for society in general. Croatian Post has undergone significant digital transformation in recent years and I understand well what it means to innovate and how demanding, but also difficult, it is to implement and manage the changes that innovations bring – said Ivan Čulo, CEO of Croatian Post.

TREK is a particularly interesting part that precedes the Bootcamp itself, it will be held three days earlier in Rovinj, Pula, and Sveta Nedelja, and the focus of its program will be on product management. This is one of the micro-qualifications at HKO level 6 that University Algebra has recently accredited, thus becoming the first institution in Croatia to offer knowledge and skills in this area to its participants. TREK partners are Croatian startups and unicorns – Rimac and Infobip who have decided to provide young enthusiasts from around the world with insight into their business processes, show them their facilities and campuses, and teach them through a short program how to successfully manage modern digital products.

The collaboration between University Algebra and MIT is an opportunity for Croatia to recognize how interesting we are to prestigious institutions, how globally connected we are today with the best from around the world, and how important it is to develop and nurture these relationships in order to achieve demographic goals of retaining youth in the country, but also an opportunity to brand Croatia as a ‘live and learn’ destination, which is why the program has received support from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia.

– We are particularly proud that Croatia has been chosen as a meeting place for innovation, knowledge, and talent, but also for future leaders and young entrepreneurs. Recognizing this event as an excellent opportunity for further positioning Croatia as a year-round tourist destination, but also as a destination for important business events or congress tourism, through the activities of the Croatian Tourist Board, we decided to support this project. One of the strategic goals of the development of Croatian tourism is the development of year-round and regionally balanced tourism, and such projects are an important part of fulfilling those goals. Croatia is not just a destination of sun and sea, but a destination that offers a wealth of interesting content throughout the year – emphasized Jelena Kolar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia.

At MIT Bootcamps, participants will have the opportunity to work with diverse teams of ambitious entrepreneurs from around the world and tackle real challenges with the support of trainers trained at MIT. Participants will experience the ups and downs of building an entrepreneurial venture in one week, something that usually takes two to three years. Participants will have the opportunity to absorb some of the best entrepreneurial experiences available in the world and get to know Croatia as a destination that, in addition to top landscapes, also offers top education.