ERASMUS POLICY STATEMENT

Our institution works with partner institutions across the Europe (Slovenia - the most, Slovakia, Poland, Italy, UK, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro) and with few partners from countries around the world (Argentina, USA). The selection of partner institutions is made from the large number of institutions according to the study programs that are performed at our institution. We offer technical and professional knowledge and training from the field of business administration, gamekeeping and environmental protection, mechatronics, food technology, nursing, safety and protection, mechanical engineering, textile and hospitality. As science is not limited to places or areas, we find partnerships with various institutions around the world crucial resource for our development. However most of our partners are from EU countries and non-participating countries such are Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.

As we have similar languages those countries are also interesting for our staff and students and in our opinion those partnerships can help develop education and economy of this region. So, we choose most of our partners from neighbouring countries and we encourage cross-bordering cooperation so thatwe can help develop our region. The county of Karlovac where we are situated is an underdeveloped county in Croatia with high percentage of unemployment and low number of highly educated citizens so we find our role in reversing this trends very important. By choosing institutions from non-participating countries for our partners we help them to build capacities and strengthen their position as well as modernize and develop study programs. Our main strategic objectives in general are: improvement and development of study programs and lifelong learning program; development of scientific and technical research, strengthening of human resources,strengthening domestic and international collaboration with universities and scientific institutions, with the companies and the community, inclusion in the European educational, professional and scientific-research area. In order to support and develop international cooperation we formed the International Cooperation Board with 6 members for International Cooperation (in the future it will become International office). The main activities of the International Cooperation Board are: developing cooperation with institutions abroad which have similar study programs and similar objectives in order to exchange students and staff, establishing connections with companies for students' and staffs' practical work and research and developing projects on national, bilateral, European and international level. Our management supports activities connected with the Erasmus program as well as other international projects and activities, providing students and staff with support needed for high quality implementation of our international activities. The main strategic priority of our institution is the enhancement of Life-long education, and the intensification of all forms of international cooperation. As mentioned above we have achieved cooperation with several institutions from the EU - from Slovenia, UK, Poland, Slovakia, Italy. Furthermore, a cooperation agreement was concluded with the institute from Argentina, two cooperation agreements were concluded with two institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and four agreements with institutions in Serbia.

All contracts are based on shared academic interests in education, research and technological development. With the assistance of the Town of Karlovac, as a student, industrial and tourism center, our institution provides academic spirit that is based on gender, racial and social equality and respect. Any form of behaviour that violates any form of equality is strictly restricted by our code of ethics. We provide technical and other requirements for enabling the study of people with disabilities, as well as for teachers with disabilities. In order to improve our study programs and teaching processes we encourage staff mobility especially of young staff (for training purposes) who need to get experience and expandknowledge. We encourage the student mobility for study and training at all study levels.