The mission of the University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica is the development, continued modernization and implementation of courses, specialized graduate courses, life-long learning programmes and the realization of professional and scientific activities in the areas of crisis management, eye optometry, information technologies, motor vehicle maintenance, aircraft engineering and logistic systems and processes.

Our vision is to become a renowned and technologically modern educational institution with unique courses in the Republic of Croatia and its surroundings. In order to achieve this vision, the Institution aims to continuously work on: developing its own teaching staff, application of contemporary teaching technology, establishment of successful cooperation with the economy sector and other potential employers of our students in Croatia and abroad, monitoring and securing the quality of educational process. Due to the specialized and technical courses, the University needs to deal with European colleagues and thus the exchange of students and staff will be an opportunity to achieve its goals. The University objectives, such as the exchange of knowledge, improving existing courses, and the contribution to the quality of the education system will be realized by participating in the Erasmus programme and other EU and non-EU cooperation projects.

The University international cooperation is based on the international cooperation of professors and students, mutual exchange of experiences and contributions to the relations between the professors and institutions in the fields of scientific, professional and lecturing work, international conferences and exhibitions, as well as workshops, seminars and future joint cooperation projects. It is the significant number of lecturers that made visits abroad and the guest visits made by foreign lecturers at the University, in the fields of scientific, professional and lecturing work.

The University has been a part of numerous international and global conferences, such as NATO Civil Exercise in the Areas of Protection and Rescue: IDASSA 2007; NATO Workshop 2007: The fight against terrorism in Western and Southeastern European countries; FORMEZ Seminars 2007; TIEMS workshop Croatia 2006; Interprotex, Medicine and Techniques 2006; International Conference CRISIS MANAGEMENT DAYS from 2007 to 2021; Microsoft Days organized on VVG in 2012 and 2013; OCCSEE 2012 to 2018, CYSEC in 2020. Every year in June, from 2011 onwards, the University has been organizing tent settlements for students of Crisis Management as part of practical exercises. The University is an active founding member of EAOO (European Academy of Opticians and Optometrists) and ECOO (European Council of Opticians and Optometrists), and a part of CONRIS (Cooperation Network for Risk, Safety & Security Studies).

The international cooperation and placement have been established with several EU and non-EU universities (17 inter-institutional agreements have been signed in the last years).

The specific activities such as the exchange of students (first and second cycle), academic and non-academic staff, student placements, development of cooperation with the institutions of higher education or other types of institutions, participation in the Erasmus multilateral projects/networks will be implemented by participating in the Programme. The University also provides the exchange of students, staff and student placement to and from non-participating countries through specific international agreements as one of the leading institutions in the field in the region.

University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica provides an undergraduate course in Optometry. One of the University’s goals is a creation of a Master Degree Programme i.e. Postgraduate Specialist Programme in the field of optometry as a joint master degree. The development of the joint master degree would provide national and foreign students with the opportunity of acquiring better education, as well as the cooperation between partners’ consortium in the field of optometry.

The University is intent to participate in the organization of Erasmus Intensive programmes in the field of optometry and crisis management.

The University of Applied Sciences establishes and conducts professional undergraduate study programmes with 3 years’ duration and specialized professional study programmes with one and/or two years’ duration in the field of technical and social sciences. The University pays full attention to the realization of the Bologna process in the performance of professional studies, both in terms of quality of teaching and putting the student at the center of the educational process. The need to educate certain professions has been indicated by the constant analysis of the human resources potential market where a lack of experts of certain professions has been determined and this has led to the provision of study programmes at the University which appear for the first time in the educational process not only in Croatia but in the entire region as well.

Awareness of the importance of cooperation with the business community, not only at the national level but also at the regional and EU level, and transfer of expertise are personified in our study programmes. Therefore, in addition to theoretical classes, a large part of the education programme at the University consists of practical classes. During each semester, accompanying exercises are introduced, and almost the entire fifth semester students spend in institutions, companies or organizations performing their traineeship. This approach gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their quality to the employer, and to the employer it provides an insight into their work. This also increases the possibility of their employment after graduation.

An example of international cooperation and capacity building projects between HEIs is the special agreement signed with the Masaryk University School of Medicine in Brno with the mutual goal of improving the quality of the teaching process and under which these two institutions share their students, teachers, teaching and professional literature. Among other special agreements signed, the one with the Faculty of Criminology and Security Studies at the University of Sarajevo has to be mentioned.

In addition to higher education study programmes, the University organizes professional and scientific conferences in its fields of activity, and implements programmes of permanent and lifelong education and training (“Lifelong Learning”) of experts in the field of crisis protection and rescue, crisis management, computer science, ecology, business, pyrotechnology, humanitarian demining and handling of explosive substances. All this would not have been possible without the cooperation and firm relationships and the exchange of knowledge with our partner institutions: businesses, institutions, government agencies, organizations and other entities. On the following link, there are some of our partner institutions with which the University develops and realizes a variety of technical and scientific projects.

Regarding the mission of development, continued modernization and implementation of courses and the realization of professional and scientific activities, in the near future the University intends to participate and cooperate with other EU and non-EU HEIs, institutions and enterprises in order to develop competences in specific fields of work in which they are involved. Through the Programme, students will have the opportunity to gain competences which are important for their further employment and specialization.

Given the technical orientation of the University, one of the essential characteristics is a continuous specialization in training programmes in a specific field dealt with in order to follow the news present on the market. Therefore, the Programme will contribute to familiarize students and teachers with new technologies in the field and to familiarize students with new technologies in learning.

In addition to national and international activities in which the University has participated so far, the intention is to expand activities in the manner of a more active approach to tenders which would assist in the promotion and development of study programmes. Thus, it would contribute to the development of student competences, preparing them to enter the labour market. Within the framework of international cooperation, the University intends to improve some of the study programmes to cope with possible defects.

Some of the projects in which the University intends to participate are a joint master degree in consortium with other countries. Other planned projects are the organization of summer schools that would contribute to the exchange of experiences and good practices, not only among students but also academic staff as a part of professional development. The University intends to participate in the organization of Erasmus Intensive programmes in the fields of optometry and crisis management.

Cross-border cooperation has significant importance for the University and expectations to foster it through the Erasmus programme are high.