Life Long Learning Akademija

In the midst of the war, many foreigners with good intentions and with apparently “good intentions” were passing through Croatia offering various forms of assistance.

In the fall of 1993, while I was holding the office of the Assistant Minister of Science and Technology, a mister from the USA appeared at my office's door. He explained to me that he used to be a high school principal in Berkeley and that he had realized one day, while preparing to go to work, that he had been going to school carrying a weapon for months. This realization had shocked him so much that he decided that this made no sense and that he would rather give his work to those who really need it and can do something constructively. Since he was linked to Croatia by his origin and family, he decided to come to visit and see whether he could be of any help. This is what brought him to our Ministry and why he offered us his services.

He asked me – “What do you need?".
"Knowledge" – I replied.
"But Croatian education is famous for its quality" – he replied in surprise.
"Yes, I know. We really have experts in all areas, from nuclear physics to neurosurgeons. However, we lack one more segment of knowledge consisting of: management, marketing and public relations".


{mosimage}In this region, this segment of knowledge (which exists in the "West") was completely missing in all forms of education in the 20th century. It is missing from the nation’s awareness to that extent that we are not even aware that this knowledge and skills exist. When we are faced with a problem or "challenge", we do not recognize that this is a situation the solution of which requires the knowledge of management or public relations. This equally refers to “minor” entrepreneurs and non-profitable organizations, as well as to leading governmental officials and politicians.

The majority of social problems we are faced with on a daily basis are actually caused by a bad or inappropriate management or communication. Even if they are not caused by them, many problems could be reduced, eliminated or prevented by the good management and communication.

At the same time, information and communication technologies have conquered our lives quietly and by surprise. We are not even aware when we have become addicted to computers, Internet and mobile phones.

For already a decade, all documents in the state administration and economy have been “created” in a digital form: on a computer. Moreover, 96% of high school pupils and those in higher grades of elementary school own their mobile phones! And when you today make an average working person to find a new piece of information, it is highly probable that he or she would search it on the Internet.

Despite this, the level of technology usage is very low. Even the most advanced users among us use only a small part of possibilities. And the major problem actually is not in deficient skills, but in the lack of awareness in which way can the technology assist us, what will be the benefit from it and what we have to do to make it possible.

Thinking about it all, knowing both the state administration and the economy, as well as the educational system, I have come to the following conclusions:

• that Croatia really needs a quality life-long teaching within the area of business management and communications, as well as in the area of information and communication technology application;
  
• that such education may be provided only by top quality lecturers who are experienced and recognized within their lecturing expertise; 
  
• that this is not possible only by national lecturers, but it is necessary to also invite top quality world names; 
  
• that it is necessary to join forces of the economy and academy; 
  
• that the program needs to be permanently adjusted to the needs of its users. 
  

Predrag Pale