The term of student mobility implies the realization of part of the study program (semester, academic year) at a foreign university or the completion of professional practice at a foreign institution/institution/company.

In addition to contributing to the academic and personal development of the individual student, student exchange is considered to be one of the contributing factors to the quality of the education system and the building of a knowledge-based Europe. Student exchange at the University of Zagreb takes place through a series of programs: Erasmus, Bilateral exchange on the basis of inter-university agreements, CEEPUS, Bilateral exchange on the basis of inter-faculty agreements, Scholarships on the basis of bilateral cooperation of the Republic of Croatia in the field of higher education.

Mobility Types:

• Study visit for students - SMS (3 - 12 months) - includes the completion of a final thesis (does not include independent research which is not an integral part of the study).
• Professional Practice for Students - SMP (3-12 months) - if it is a part of the curriculum. If it is not a part of the curriculum, the home faculty must specifically approve the internship.
• Combination of the study visit and professional practice (3-12 months per activity) - provided that the professional practice is performed under the supervision of the same higher education institution at which the student will accomplish study visit, and that the two activities are carried out one after the other without interruption.
• International Summer Schools - Students are offered an option of short-term international exchange through summer schools organized by foreign institutions.
• Academic mobility - postgraduate doctoral students are offered the opportunity to attend scientific and professional conferences.

Recognition of mobility periods

The Regulations on International Mobility (effective from 20th of April 2017) regulate the basic principles of mobility for incoming and outgoing students at the University of Zagreb, the students’ rights and obligations, the ECTS coordinator role at the University and its constituents, as well as other issues related to the implementation of mobility programs.

Recognition of study visit i.e. completed courses and passed exams is possible on the basis of the Learning Agreement. A learning contract at a host higher education institution is a document that defines the study program for an individual student and is signed by the student, the home faculty/academy and the host university. The agreement ensures that the home institution will recognize the program of the student in exchange who attended the host institution. The contract may be amended with the consent of all signatories, not later than 30 days after arrival at the foreign university.

The recognition of professional practice is defined in the Training Agreement (Training Agreement and Quality Commitment), which clearly states the program of professional practice at the host institution. Where the professional practice is not an integral part of the home institution study program, the home institution will enter the data on the completed professional practice in the Supplementary Study Document.

At the home faculty, the Learning Agreement/Training agreement is signed by the ECTS Coordinator and/or the Vice-Dean for Education. Therefore, before leaving for student exchange the student must, in agreement with the ECTS coordinator at the home faculty/academy, choose courses or define a professional internship program at the host institution.

ECTS Coordinator

The tasks of the ECTS coordinator are: coordinating the development of information packages, coordinating academic cooperation with foreign partners, ensuring the proper implementation of the ECTS system, mediating between students and teaching staff related to exchanges, and advising students in choosing study programs at foreign universities, advising and preparing documents for foreign students at the University of Zagreb, advising students in the selection of professional practice.

Therefore, students who wish to go on a student exchange can contact ECTS coordinators with questions related to the choice of the study program at a foreign university, i.e. the choice of an institution where they can do professional practice, and with their help fulfil the Learning agreement/Training agreement.

ECTS Coordinator
assoc. prof. Renata Hrženjak Ph.D.
e-mail: renata.hrzenjak@ttf.unizg.hr

Visa and accommodation

Students are required to obtain a visa at the country of departure embassy, or to regulate their stay in a foreign country in accordance with the national legislation of the host country. Students are personally responsible for the visa and the regulation of their stay in a foreign country!

All questions regarding residence and the visa application process are part of the national legislation of each country, and we encourage students to contact the embassies of the countries where they intend to regulate their stay for any questions.

The list of diplomatic missions and consular offices in the Republic of Croatia is available on the web pages of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

Health insurance

Students are required to enter into a health insurance policy for the entire mobility period. The student can conclude an appropriate health insurance policy of their choice.

Students who travel to the EU Member States, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, who are eligible for a European Health Insurance Card, may, with contracting medical doctors and at the expense of the Croatian Health Insurance Institute, use the urgent health services required by medical reasons, considering the nature of the health services and the expected length of stay. However, insurance covered by the European Health Insurance Card may not be sufficient, especially in the case of repatriation and some medical intervention. In this case, additional private insurance may be useful.

Students who travel to other countries not covered by the European Health Insurance Card are required to contract a health insurance policy.

On the foreign universities pages and in the international relation offices of foreign universities, students can be informed if there is insurance for exchange students at a foreign university. In case such a possibility does not exist or is unfavourable, students can contract insurance at one of the insurance companies in Croatia.

The student is obliged to be informed in a timely manner about the conditions of health insurance in a foreign country at the relevant institutions.

Financing

As a rule, exchange students receive financial support for living expenses. The amount of the grant depends on the mobility program and is defined in the call for proposals. As a rule, students are independently charged for travel expenses, unless otherwise stated in the competition (for example, exchanges outside the European continent). Students can go to the exchange without financial support (so-called zero-grant students).