Legal Education at the University of Split, Croatia, 2007 - 2010

Basic Intention of the Project

The Tempus project was initiated to support “Legal Education at the University of Split” in Croatia. Awareness of the fact that while the Republic of Croa-tia and its university system is among the most ad-vanced of the former Yugoslavian countries preparing for EU membership, it still suffers from certain deficits especially in the field of legal education and practice, led to a project focus on five topics of obvious relevance:

Topics of the Project

1.   European Law

2.   Environmental Law, Protection of the Sea

3. Case-oriented Methods of Teaching and Learn-ing

4. Quality Assurance and Quality Control at Uni-versity/Faculty of Law

5. Implementation of Bologna Principles

Aims of the Project

1. Further development of the human and material quality and capacity of the University of Split/Faculty of Law with regard to the above men-tioned topics.

2. To reform and restructure existing undergraduate and postgraduate study programmes and methods dealing with the topics mentioned above and intro-duce new ones.

3. Develop the outline structure of two 2-year Master study programmes for

- European Law

- Environmental Law and Protection of the Sea

4. Develop and introduce basic principles, methods and procedures for quality control at the Univer-sity/Faculty of Law Split

5. Improve the implementation of Bologna Principles

In the words of the Agreement by the European Commission the aims are:

- To revise and update the undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in law at the University of Split. - To provide opportunity for staff to upgrade their knowledge, prepare syllabuses for the new study pro-grammes and teach the new subject.

- To improve the quality assurance system and proce-dures at the Rectorate of the University of Split.

The project thus aims to support an upgrading of al-ready existing courses and curricula dealing with the above topics at the Faculty of Law at the University of Split and the creation and development of new courses and curricula. These aims will be achieved by financ-ing academic mobility programmes, dissemination ac-tivities and the purchase of additional electronic equipment and books. 

Consortium Partners, Organisation and Duration of the Project

On the basis of the substantial relations and fruitful cooperation that already exist between the Free Uni-versity of Berlin and the University of Split, as well as with the University of Staffordshire and the Univer-sity of Pavia, the legal representatives of these four universities agreed to cooperate on this Tempus Project and signed the agreement with the Tempus Ad-ministration of the European Commission. 

The kick-off meeting of Consortium partners and staff took place in Croatia at the University of Split/Faculty of Law in October 2007. 

Participants from Croatia included:

 - Prof. Pavic, University Rector 

 - Prof. Bolanca, Vice Rector and Coordinator for Split University 

 - Dipl. Ek. Ivana Bakotin-Kosta, expert of the Rec-tor’s Office at University of Split for quality assurance and quality control 

 - Prof. Bacic, Coordinator for Faculty of Law, Split 

 - Prof. Baric-Punda 

 - Prof. Kurtovic, Faculty Dean 

 - Kornelija Valjan, administrator of the Inter-University Centre in Split and administrator of the Tempus project. 

At this meeting, the Consortium members agreed to set up a Steering Committee consisting of representa-tives of the four Partner Universities. 

The Steering Committee consists of Prof. Dr. Dragan Bolanča (Vice Rector of University of Split), Prof. Dr. Arsen Bačić (Coordinator of the Faculty of Law Split), Prof. Dr. Boris BukljaÅ¡ (Dean of Faculty of Law Split), Dipl. Jur. Kornelija Valjan (Administrator Faculty of Law Split), Prof. Dr. Herwig Roggemann (Grant Holder), Dr. Jens Lowitzsch (Project Coordina-tor), Dipl. Päd. Anne Roggemann (Project Administra-tor Berlin), Prof. Dr. Iraj Hashi (Contact Person Uni-versity of Staffordshire), Prof. Dr. Gabriele Crespi-Reghizzi (Contact Person of University of Pavia) and is headed by Herwig Roggemann.

The Steering Committee has organised a permanent Working Group consisting of Arsen Bacic, Dragan Bolanca, Vesna Baric-Punda, Marko Ivkosic, Kornelija Valjan, Herwig Roggemann and is headed by Arsen Bacic. The Working Group prepares the decisions of the Steering Committee, provides it with information and organises and executes all activities necessary to achieve the aims of the Project. 

The overall financial administration, organisation and supervision of the Project is guided by the Administra-tion of the Free University of Berlin. Each transfer of money has to be approved by the administration of the Inter-University Centre at the Institute for Eastern European Studies and by the central financial admini-stration of the Free University of Berlin. 

According to the Tempus rules of the European Com-mission, the responsibility for proper performance of the Project activities is equally shared by all Consor-tium members, i. e. by the four Partner Universities.

The application for the Project was submitted by the grant holder and the Berlin project coordinator based at the Inter-University Centre of the Free University of Berlin in December 2006 and was granted in August 2007. The Project began on 1 September 2007 and is scheduled to end on 31 January 2010. 

The First JEP-Report on the Project’s initial imple-mentation and starting period was issued by the grant holder in March 2009 and approved by the Tempus administration in Brussels. (For further information see First JEP-Report CD_JEP-41011-2006 (HR).

Financial Framework

The Project is provided with a total amount of EUR 290,000 of EU funds. According to the rules of the agreement, about EUR 150,000 of the total amount are determined for the use of the University of Split/Faculty of Law for financing mobility and dis-semination activities and the purchase of books and equipment.

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