The Croatian Employers’ Association has urged the authorities to make the country a more attractive destination for international students by introducing student visas.
In a letter to the Minister of Interior, Davor Božinović, the Association said that the country needs to amend the Aliens Act and start issuing student visas for those who want to pursue their studies in Croatia, Schengen.News reports.
According to the Association, the introduction of study visas would help Croatian higher education institutions to attract more international students and, at the same time, would also help the country become a more competitive destination.
The idea of introducing student visas has been supported by many, including rectors, who have said that this is an important step for Croatian higher education institutions.
As Srednja explains, currently, students from non-EU countries are issued short-term visas when wanting to pursue their studies in Croatia. They are then issued residence permits for the purpose of studying with a validity period of one year, but face significant restrictions.
Lack of Student Visas Is Pushing International Students Away
Speaking on behalf of the Rector of Algebra Bernays University, Ana Tecilazić, said that the lack of student visas as well as the issue of health insurance are the two main problems to the international appeal of Croatian higher education institutions.
She stressed that without long-term visas, Croatia is pushing international students away. The same also revealed that the number of foreign students choosing the country is on the decline.
Data provided by Tecilazić show that the number of students in Croatia is seven per cent lower than seven years ago. In addition, of the total number of 1,848 study programmes, only 147 of them are accredited for delivery in foreign languages, adding to the obstacles.
Zagreb Rector Stjepan Lakušić also commented on the matter. He said that it is very important for the country to resolve the issue and introduce student visas for foreign students, Srednja notes.
Arguing that highly-educated foreign nationals do not pose a security risk, Lakušić said that the lack of student visas is not a setback only for foreign students but also for the Croatian society, which is in need of workers in many sectors across the country.
On the other hand, the University of Defence and Security rector, Ivica Lučić, did not quite agree with the idea. Instead, he said that Croatia should focus on attracting students from the EU member states.
