QUALITY ASSURANCE AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

Since Croatia signed the Bologna Declaration in 2001, Croatian Higher Education has had an obligation to comply with its principles and requirements, which includes the implementation of the quality assurance system. The system assures both the autonomy of different universities and the interest of stakeholders, including the government. Universities are autonomous when the state maintains an obligation to fund educational and research programs. This autonomy implies not only the rights of universities but also an obligation and responsibility towards the stakeholders (government, employers, professional associations, general public, students and their parents).Readiness for the implementation of the quality assurance system in Croatian higher education institutions can be measured by the proposed 16-item questionnaire. The achieved results indicate the diversity in understanding the term of quality in higher education, the diversity of opinion about quality of the institutions, and diversity of opinion about possibilities of implementing the quality assurance system. To introduce and implement the quality assurance system in Croatian higher education, it is necessary to make organizational changes within the HE institutions and carry out intensive training of staff, teachers and students.