History and development
History
Sveučilište VERN’ osnovano je 1990. godine u Zagrebu kao prva privatna visokoobrazovna institucija u Hrvatskoj. Nastavu je započelo 2000. godine pod nazivom Visoka škola za ekonomiju poduzetništva, a 2007. godine preraslo je u Veleučilište VERN’. Sveučilište VERN’ je osnovano 2017. godine, a 2020. započinje s izvođenjem sveučilišnih studija.
Danas je Sveučilište VERN’ suvremena visokoobrazovna institucija s oko 1.800 studenata, više od 6.500 alumnija i 17 akreditiranih studijskih programa.
Kao prvo hrvatsko privatno poslovno visoko učilište Sveučilište VERN’ je svoju akademsku egzistenciju započeo stručnim studijem Ekonomije poduzetništva koji i danas predstavlja okosnicu VERN’ovih preddiplomskih studijskih programa i poslovne kulture koju promiču VERN’ovi obrazovni programi.
In 1994, VERN' began offering one-year professional education programs with the appropriate license for the then 5th level of education.
In 2000 , VERN doo founded the College of Entrepreneurship Economics with public law (the legal predecessor of the Polytechnic VERN'), which began operating on the basis of a license from the then Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia to conduct a two-year professional study program in Entrepreneurship Economics, at the then 6th level of education. In the same year, the curriculum of this study program passed an international evaluation conducted by an expert team from the Finnish University of Vaasa.
In 2001, VERN' began implementing the Bologna standards as one of the first institutions in the Croatian higher education sector. In the same year, VERN' expanded its teaching capacity with a newly renovated building in Tomićeva Street in Zagreb, adding another 850 square meters.
In 2002 , in collaboration with the University of Vaasa from Finland, the Italian Institute ISTUD, the University of Zadar and the Zadar County Entrepreneurship Center, VERN' joined the European Union's Tempus program with the Champions of Entrepreneurship project, with the main goal of developing curricula and entrepreneurial education in the region.
The year 2005 marks a significant "quantum leap" for VERN towards a new level of organization and development of educational programs. A new undergraduate study program in Business Informatics was introduced, along with an ambitious step towards graduate levels of higher education, which was achieved by launching three specialized graduate professional studies: Entrepreneurial Management, Business Communications Management, and Accounting and Finance. The number of students enrolled in all study programs is approaching 1,000.
In 2007 , the College of Entrepreneurship Economics with public rights grew into the Polytechnic VERN', the first Croatian private polytechnic focused on business education, with a strong emphasis on the development of an entrepreneurial worldview. In line with the new organizational standards, teaching and performance standards were also improved. VERN' opened new, modern premises in the Importanne Galleria with additional multimedia classrooms, a study library, a common room and a student canteen.
In 2009 , VERN' was the protagonist of the first successful consolidation project in the higher education sector. The Zagreb School of Management, specialized in the education of management personnel in tourism, joined the VERN' Group. With this acquisition, VERN' rounded out its portfolio of strategically selected educational programs (entrepreneurship, informatics, communications, finance and tourism).
In 2010 , VERN' completed its spatial capacities by renovating and moving into new premises on Iblerov trg. The development of a strategic development framework document for the next ten years – "VERN' 2020 – Strategic Development Framework 2010 – 2020" – was completed. This strategic document, in the development of which all employees, external collaborators and students participated, was presented to the academic and social community at the ceremonial opening of the new premises, which was opened by the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Dr. Sc. Radovan Fuchs.
In 2011 , the VERN' Group was joined by the College of Journalism (VNŠ), a higher education institution specializing in the education of media professionals. In the process, the range of VERN' undergraduate studies expanded to include the study of Journalism, along with its students and professors, thus completing VERN''s vertical of media and communication studies.
In 2012 , the VERN-Vis International University Center began operations, the fruit of a successful collaboration between the City of Vis and VERN' within the framework of VERN's "Island Initiative". The University Center is designed as a place where students, academic and business experts from all over the world will meet, who will experience a unique model of studying in a special island setting, which offers numerous opportunities for teaching and extracurricular activities.
In 2013 , the Polytechnic School of Zagreb and its undergraduate professional study program in Technical Management joined the VERN' Group. The range of VERN' undergraduate studies is expanded by another study program.
In 2014 , Kairos College joined the VERN' Group, and the offer of VERN' undergraduate studies grew by another new study program: Public Relations and Media Studies. This complemented the vertical of media and communication studies at VERN' Polytechnic.
In 2016 , the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia issued VERN' Polytechnic a license to offer the undergraduate study program Film, Television and Multimedia Design. The range of VERN's undergraduate studies is expanded by one more study program, to a total of seven undergraduate study programs.
In 2016 , the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia issued a permit to the Polytechnic VERN' to offer a specialist graduate professional study program in Human Resources Management, thus increasing the number of specialist graduate professional studies at VERN' to six programs.
In 2017 , the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia issued the Polytechnic VERN' a permit to establish VERN' University.
In 2020 , the first three-year initial university accreditation in the Republic of Croatia according to the highest international standards was successfully completed, and the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia issued VERN' University permits to conduct three university undergraduate studies, starting in the academic year 2020/2021: Cyber Communications and Network Science, Internet of Things, and Transmedia Dramaturgy.
2021. godine dovršen je proces integracije Veleučilišta Sveučilištu VERN’, koje se u siječnju uselilo u prostore novog akademskog kampusa VERN’ Cube, na adresi Palmotićeva ulica 82/1. Prof. dr. sc. Vlatko Cvrtila postaje prvi rektor Sveučilišta VERN’.
2023. godine obilježen prvi Dan Sveučilišta VERN’ dodjelom počasnog doktorata Doris Pack, bivšoj europarlamentarki i istaknutoj političarki, te prvim rektorovim nagradama najboljim studentima.
2025. godine izabran je i imenovan drugi rektor Sveučilišta VERN’ prof. dr. sc. Vedran Mornar.
Applicable knowledge
VERN's target product is transferred knowledge, more precisely knowledge of high utility value in business practice, i.e. business. These are applicable multidisciplinary business skills based on economic, legal, communication and other theories of essential importance for business practice, which are acquired through interactive study at one of 10 undergraduate and 7 graduate studies, through problem-based teaching in small study groups.
Brand strength
U percepciji čak i površnog konzumenta hrvatskih masovnih medija (televizijskih kanala, nacionalnih dnevnika i tjednika, kao i najslušanijih radijskih postaja), Sveučilište VERN’ neosporno figurira kao najuspješniji obrazovni brand u posljednjih nekoliko godina. Takav status ostvaren je između ostalog i promišljenom promotivnom strategijom koja je u svoj set promocijskih aktivnosti često uključivala i forme pomalo netipične za klasične visokoobrazovne ustanove. Od intenzivnog oglašavačkog eksponiranja putem TV-spotova, novinskih oglasa i radijskih spotova, preko sponzorstva i organiziranja medijski dobro pokrivenih društvenih događanja (stručnih skupova, konferencija, gostovanja, koncerata), organiziranja stručnih kvizova u poslovnom tisku, plasiranja promotivnih industrijskih filmova, promocija po srednjim školama diljem Hrvatske, pa do aktivne, gotovo svakodnevne komunikacije s medijima, Sveučilište VERN’ je pronalazio načine da dospije do svojih ciljanih javnosti uvodeći sasvim nove obrasce javne pojavnosti obrazovnih institucija.
Pojavom Sveučilišta VERN’a i njegovim tržišnim pozicioniranjem obrazovanje je u Hrvatskoj prvi put etablirano u pravom smislu riječi kao tržišno utemeljen brand. Brand VERN’ danas u hrvatskoj javnosti predstavlja jasan znak raspoznavanja za stručno privatno obrazovanje, utemeljeno na poduzetničkoj filozofiji i potvrđenim svjetskim obrazovnim standardima.
Strengthening the value of VERN's brand directly increases the value of VERN's students and alumni.