Formal signing of the Agreement on allocating funds obtained from enrollment fees of University of Split students in the academic year 2020/2021, amounting to HRK 1,895,670.00, was held on Monday, March 29, in the Senate Hall "Don Frane Bulić".
Due to epidemiological reasons, not all student representatives attended the event. Instead, the contracts were signed by prof. Dragan Ljutić Ph.D., University of Split Rector, Mateo Marušić, President of the Student Union and three students project activities’ representatives: Dora Rabadan on behalf of University of Split’s Underwater Research Club, Luka Dodig on behalf of the Applied Mechanical Engineering Association and Slaven Damjanović on behalf of Internet of things.
- In addition to financing student projects with this competition, the University of Split together with Spinit-Technology Park, strongly supports young people, both in the local environment and at the state level. We provide necessary support for them to take the path our society needs, one of innovation and technical progress. That also helps our University’s public image, noticeable in numerous rankings where we are among top 1000 universities in the world - said Rector Ljutić when signing the agreement, pointing out that funds have been allocated to 31 projects in these areas: science and innovation, culture and arts, university media and sports.
- Many projects are still being developed, so with these funds we help young people to develop further and, apart from financing, University can help branding products and entering the market - rector concluded.
Prof. Leandra Vranješ Markić Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation, who said they are producing a catalog of university projects, also attended the signing.
- These are excellent young teams that have been implementing these projects successfully for years now. They manage to raise additional funds to finance their work, and participate in competitions where they gain valuable experience and promote our city and its University. Many of them found their jobs while working on student projects. There are also humanitarian and projects with sports character, and I am very pleased that our students are willing to work for our community’s benefit - said Vice Rector Vranješ Markić.
President of the Student Union Mateo Marušić expressed great satisfaction that the University continues to support student projects even in these challenging times.
- Close to two million HRK were set aside for funding student projects with this competition, the one financed from registration fees is in progress, and the Student Union’s competition is being prepared. In total, we get a figure close to four million HRK for student projects. I must also mention that the University of Split is unique in Croatia in allocating money from enrollment fees to student projects - said Marušić.
One student signing the agreement, Slaven Damjanović, presented his project ‘e-agrar’, a system that allows monitoring agricultural crops with the help of sensor devices and technology. It consists of small meteorological stations measuring data, such as temperature, humidity, amount of rain, etc., and provides farmers with information on possible occurrence of disease, frost, etc.
- As we are developing a system based on hardware devices, most funds will be spent on purchasing materials, tools and equipment needed to develop and assemble these devices, while part will go into conferences or competitions where we want to present our project and the University as our partner in its development - said Damjanović.
Luka Dodig presented the Association of Applied Mechanical Engineering or its projects Formula Student and Moto Student. These are motorcycle and Formula One racing cars projects where our students compete with other universities around the world.
- This year we are making a debut with electric racing motorcycle, first in the region. We are also presenting two more projects this year. I thank the University, the Student Union and the Commission for recognizing quality in these projects. We will continue to develop existing prototypes and follow global trends regarding electrification, so we are announcing the first electric formula one racing car after the motorcycle - said Dodig, pointing out that students value working in similar projects because it offers them valuable experience and knowledge, enabling them to find employment in world's leading companies such as Rimac cars in Croatia.
Dora Rabadan, on behalf of University of Split’s Underwater Research Club, which has been organizing a number of activities to promote our University’s maritime orientation for many years, thanked for the support of this association’s projects.
This competition awarded funds, the amount of HRK 1,895,670.00, which according to Guidelines on distribution of funds from the University of Split enrollment fees, were allocated to finance student projects in three areas: science and technology, culture and arts, and sports.
Funds generated from enrollment in the academic year 2020/2021 are distributed to 31 projects in the following way:
1. In the area of culture, arts and university media, the amount of HRK 663,484.50 from funds unrelated to this competition is provided for implementing 17 approved projects.
2. In student sports, HRK 663,484.50 provided for implementing 5 approved projects.
3. In science and technology, HRK 568,701.00 for implementing 9 approved projects.