Pristupačnost
The study program of Demography and Croatian diaspora is a novel concept in science and higher education in Croatian universities in terms of subject matter, theoretical approach, methodology employed, multidisciplinary elaboration, and in terms of importance and general interest for researching applied demography and emigration.
This study program is founded on the idea that the population is key factor in all subsequent human activities, from children and young people as the carriers of the future development of Croatia, and it also acknowledges the Croatian diaspora as a cultural capital, to the adverse effects of cultural decadence upon the civilization in general, and Croatian in particular (especially since all of the major demographic indicators and trends have turned negative). Following this, the decision to establish this study program in Croatia originates from major academic, social, economic, cultural, and national necessity. This necessity is only compounded by the cumulative adverse effects of negative demographic trends on key government systems of the Republic of Croatia.
Emigration waves in the 20th and early 21st century have resulted in a larger number of ethnic Croats abroad than in the Republic of Croatia, which makes the study of Diaspora not just a key academic field, but also an important contributor to the demographic survival.
By acknowledging the complexity of demography, Diaspora and migration in general, with its natural socio-spatial constraints and the need for a new developmental conception based on Croatian diaspora, a new study program is proposed at the Faculty of Croatian Studies of the University of Zagreb with lecturers coming from the best Croatian scientific institutions.
Academic Achievements
General
Develop knowledge about the demographic conditionality of the overall development, together with the ability to analyse the issue concerned, understand the emigrant potential to demonstrate and prove its importance for Croatia and the fundamental approaches in the field of social, humanities and interdisciplinary scientific areas to enlighten the developmental concept based on the population.
Allow all participants to understand the demographic and diaspora concepts and their use in expert-scientific and public exploration of issues and especially for the application of analytical methods and projection models in problem solving and development planning.
To increase the knowledge, skills and understanding of the key and functional relationship between the structure and movement of the population and the economic, social and geographical legitimacy and processes of the emigrant economic, financial, academic, demographic and any other wealth and the overall development of Croatia.
This study programme would facilitate, by implementing academic approach. The development of thinking that would be grounded in analysis, projections, and that would entail a meticulous, critical, responsible, and scientifically independent approach and would enable students to apply thinking based on evaluation of issues pertaining to demography and diaspora within the context of demographic, economic, spatial, societal, political, and entire development of Croatia and its population.
To enable through the study programme the development of necessary expert and scientific skills and competences which will facilitate continuous contribution to efficient activities related to the value system of demography and diaspora, and to provide job opportunities after the completion of the study programme and thus increase social and scientific responsibility and permanently contribute to national and populational concepts of development in accordance with the entire spatial and population wealth of Croatia.
To develop and enable cognitive and operational skills, and competence for successful expert and scientific implementation of fundamental and empirical research pertaining to concepts of development, homeland security, strategic positioning, and by publishing research results in scientific journals and presentations pertaining to the subject field.
Cognitive
To plan, conceptualise, propose, implement and analytically explain in public the necessity and importance of scientific research, elaborates, and similar papers relating to the research field of demography and emigration, based on recent data continually submitted by public services and statistics of the United Nations and the European Union.
To formulate, make hypotheses, and validate relevant research tackling Croatian population in Croatia (and in Bosnia and Herzegovina) and in diaspora, with hypotheses based on previous research and laws relating to existing scientific knowledge.
To understand, interpret, project, and use data on Croatian and world population and emigration analytically, including qualitative and quantitative indicators, all relevant research results and to be able to discuss and defend their necessity, validity, and objectivity in public.
Competence
To develop skills for scientific conceptualisation of the subject, as well as written and presentational skills required for presentation at scientific and all other types of public meetings relating to the issue of demography and diaspora. To acquire strength and ability to negotiate on the significance of issues related to demography and diaspora in all concepts and activities pertaining to development with the system responsible for decision-making.
Have the necessary knowledge and skills to write, defend and present, at the level of scientific relevance, reports on demographic and emigrant content, patterns, links, and relationships in the forecasting and modelling of the Croatian future as well as propose appropriate political and legal solutions.
To equip students with competences and skills to handle statistical, quantitative, graphic, and geographical (GIS, cartography, etc.) programme requirements and to implement them in the analysis of demographic and emigrational issues, population dynamics issues, and in the analysis of entire potential of Croatia and diaspora.
Operational
To develop the ability to recognize, identify, clarify, implement and defend the need for the analysis of population and diaspora in service of societal and political decision-making.
To acquire analytical competences required for independent and unbiased research in order to evaluate total competences of the study programme in the favour of total population of Croatia.
To develop a sense of security and accuracy of scientific method in order to defend, present, and solve fundamental correlation between diaspora and economy.
Reasoning
Special attention is paid to the analytical-scientific methods of predicting and modelling the future. Reasoning based on elementary analytical results related to population and diaspora may only be facilitated through research and higher education.
Developing competences and skills to reason during and after the completion of the study programme is considered as one of the fundamental academic competences, and to reason and understand the gravity of the problem in relation to the level of demographic negativity and emigrant separation from the home country today is of crucial importance.
Value
To contribute to the development of personal traits of a student, particularly by developing a value system. This value system is defined by Croatian identity values within the framework of total population of Croatia without which it would be impossible to further analyse and focus the issues of demography and diaspora within academic and general frameworks.
To analyse, recognise, define, and handle ethical and bioethical questions pertaining to research in demography and diaspora stands out as a value characteristic of the study programme and it also represents one of the accomplishments of the study programme that is characterised as a permanent value on both individual and collective levels.
To cover in a comprehensive manner and to develop a critical review of statistical and other data in literature relevant to the research of population and Croatian diaspora and all structures formed by them in space, time, society, economy, and in other segments.
To compare values and to evaluate potential of various methods used in expert and scientific research pertaining to population and diaspora for planning and development.
Subject Motivation
The study program of Demography and Croatian diaspora is a novel concept in science and higher education in Croatian universities in terms of subject matter, theoretical approach, methodology employed, multidisciplinary elaboration, and in terms of importance and general interest for researching applied demography and emigration.
This study program is founded on the idea that the population is key factor in all subsequent human activities, from children and young people as the carriers of the future development of Croatia, and it also acknowledges the Croatian diaspora as a cultural capital, to the adverse effects of cultural decadence upon the civilization in general, and Croatian in particular (especially since all of the major demographic indicators and trends have turned negative). Following this, the decision to establish this study program in Croatia originates from major academic, social, economic, cultural, and national necessity. This necessity is only compounded by the cumulative adverse effects of negative demographic trends on key government systems of the Republic of Croatia.
Emigration waves in the 20th and early 21st century have resulted in a larger number of ethnic Croats abroad than in the Republic of Croatia, which makes the study of Diaspora not just a key academic field, but also an important contributor to the demographic survival.
By acknowledging the complexity of demography, Diaspora and migration in general, with its natural socio-spatial constraints and the need for a new developmental conception based on Croatian diaspora, a new study program is proposed at the University Department of Croatian Studies of the University of Zagreb with lecturers coming from the best Croatian scientific institutions.
New concept
The content is modelled after the best practices already established in nations with a majority of population living outside the national state, and aims to address the issues and potentials specific to Croatia. The exclusion of the Croatian diaspora from the economic, cultural, social and political aspects of Croatia is an unacceptable basis for future development, and this study program should establish the necessary framework for addressing these issues.
Negative demographic trends in Croatia delineate the need for a comprehensive demographic revitalization and its priority. It is an academic duty towards future generations, as well as towards those who fought in dire times for the survival of the Croatian cultural and moral identity as well as the territorial integrity.
The recent emigration of the young and educated Croatian population, and a long term demographic decline, is not just an academic question, but a vital question for homeland security and upon completion of the study program, the student will have extensive knowledge employable to safeguard Croatian national interests.
Integrated double major study
The start of the program is the academic year 2019/2020, and it is to be conducted as an integrated double-major study programme in Croatian, to be combined with the existing study programs at the University Department for Croatian Studies. Demography and Croatian diaspora can be combined with:
- Communicology
- Croatology (Croatian Culture)
- History
- Latin Language
- Philosophy and Culture
- Sociology
The knowledge of demography and diaspora issues on national topics, combined with related fields of study, will enable a wider perspective necessary for participating in social, political, scientific, diplomatic, consular and educational activities in Croatian and Croatian representative bodies throughout the world.
The integrated study of demographics and Croatian diaspora is particularly important in the social, promotional, diplomatic and similar activities in the Croatian diaspora.
Upon graduation, asides from the academic title, the student will be competent to find employment in professional and scientific developmental challenges.
Joint Challenge
The study of Demographics and Croatian Diaspora is a return to the fundamental idea upon which the University Department for Croatian Studies was formed in 1992, as an identity study of important national topics, and a return to a unique and distinguishable profile of the University Department for Croatian Studies. It is a joint challenge for the Department as well as the University, and the future generations.
Reasons for Starting the Study
Scientific need
The population is according to all scientific approaches the most fundamental part of any society and area, and the main actor in all social, economic and political affairs, and subsequently it should be considered one of the most important scientific research topics. The connectedness and causality of the population and all the systems and activities is always present and is orders of magnitude different and therefore there is a substantial need for developing scientific models as developmental enablers.
A scientific analysis of the patterns and projections of the social, spatial, political, regional development of Croatia or any other given nation is of fundamental importance.
Contemporary reality confirms this on a daily basis through the great demographic depression in Croatia which is reflected in all segments of society, through extensive migration and the need for the developmental link between the domicile country and its wealth in diaspora.
The scientific analysis of the fundamental relationship between Croatia and its diaspora is increasingly turning into a key prerequisite for the future of Croatia.
However, crucial reason for launching this study program is the fact that Croatia is the only country in a narrower and wider region without an academic institution, study program or a strategic scholarship program and project pertaining to demographic issues as a crucial developmental factor.
Cultural need
It is estimated that today more Croatians live outside of Croatia than in Croatia, and they are displaced all over the world; practically across all continents and countries.
It is a major demographic, economic, financial, academic, cultural, artistic and long-term asset of Croatia that should not be neglected, separated from the country of origin and dismissed without consideration.
Cultural changes influenced by the immigration countries and the new value of the immigrant population for the domicile population are a great distinction and cultural asset for both countries, on which identity and new social and every other value is built upon. The analysis and research of the above has been identified as a major cultural need.
Social need
The societal need for this study in the still on-going transformation of the Croatian society after the liberation of the country and its departure from the former political system is confirmed almost on a daily basis. The society's understanding of the importance of the human population and the ties that it forms in its environment in society and space in Croatia is still insufficient, so every aspect of the research of human population arises from a great societal need.
Setting up social relationships and all forms of social identity outside of the demographic and emigration processes and structures is ungrounded and does not provide an adequate foundation for complex social and related relations.
Croatia, as well as any country with a predominant share of the population in diaspora rather than in the motherland, needs a new societal approach to statehood to benefit overall development.
The study program in Demographics and Croatian Diaspora represents a novelty of strategic importance and a vital national need.
Economic need
Social spatial contents, processes, relationships, projections and models related to the population, together with all population bases, are the basis of the economic, spatial, regional and every other developmental planning.
Population registers and territorial units are of major economic importance, as they are foundation of planning, and in the spatial plans the most important potential should be assigned the right value, rather than just propaedeutic one.
This study program and accompanying scientific and expert research will help facilitate entire planned state approach to meet objective Croatian needs. Finally, the functional teaching and research will be focused on the issues of the workforce, as the basic factor and potential for the development of the economy.
The Croatian population and, according to their relevance in this program, should be the basis of all economic development concepts and models.