Established in 1669, the University of Zagreb is the oldest and largest university in Croatia and Southeast Europe. With a tradition spanning more than 350 years, it has played a pivotal role in shaping the region’s academic, scientific, and cultural landscape.
Today, the University of Zagreb is a leading institution for higher education and research in Croatia. It encompasses 31 faculties, 3 academies, and 4 centres and offers a broad spectrum of disciplines in science, technology, humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
The University of Zagreb is committed to fostering academic excellence, promoting research across a variety of disciplines, and developing solutions to contemporary challenges. With a rich history and a diverse academic offering, it continues to evolve as a modern institution, while preserving its strong academic traditions.
The university's strategic orientation focuses on four key areas:
- Students, teaching, and learning processes – fostering student-centered education, encouraging individual development and critical thinking.
- Science, art, and innovation – promoting interdisciplinary research, the transfer of knowledge and technology, and a commitment to solving contemporary societal challenges.
- International cooperation – strengthening global partnerships, enhancing student and staff mobility, and increasing the international visibility of the University of Zagreb.
- Academic entrepreneurship and societal impact – supporting research commercialization, fostering collaboration with industry and the public sector, and promoting evidence-based policy-making.
The University of Zagreb also stands out in the field of digital innovation and e-learning, through initiatives such as the Merlin e-learning platform, which supports virtual learning environments across Croatia and beyond.
Together with nine other universities, the University of Zagreb is a member of the European University of Cities in Post-Industrial Transition (UNIC), which represents ten post-industrial cities that are hotspots of broader transformations in Europe's social landscape. These include transformations in the labour market and (youth) employment, migratory patterns and migration-related diversities, old and new inequalities, the impact of new technologies, new health changes, etc.
The University of Zagreb, as one of the leading academic institutions in Croatia, is actively engaged in a variety of migration research projects that address both regional and global migration trends. Researchers at its constituent units focus on diverse aspects of migration, including the socio-economic impacts of migration on local communities, the integration of migrants into Croatian society, and the challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged, combining insights from sociology, political science, economics, and anthropology to provide a holistic understanding of migration dynamics.
The University of Zagreb is an active participant in different international research networks, such as IMISCOE, and contributes significantly to the development of migration studies and other fields of social science. Through these efforts, the University of Zagreb with its constituent units plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse and informing policy decisions related to migration in the country and beyond.
The University of Zagreb sees its role within IMISCOE by contributing to cutting-edge research on migration, mobility, and integration from a Central and Southeast European perspective, providing valuable insights into the unique migration challenges and dynamics in post-socialist countries. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, policy-oriented research, and participation in IMISCOE conferences, the researchers from the University of Zagreb can foster academic exchange and strengthen the network’s mission of advancing migration studies globally. The engagement of researchers from its faculties also enhances regional visibility within international migration discourses, promoting evidence-based policymaking and inclusive societal development.