Student activism and engagement at the University of Zadar

Poznate su različite forme studentskog društvenog angažmana i aktivizma koje se protežu od peticija, pritužbi sve do različitih studentskih buntova. Uz njih su zastupljene i studentske udruge i klubovi kao mehanizmi udruživanja studenata putem kojih studenti nastoje djelovati i mijenjati društvene prilike na mikro razini, odnosno, na sveučilištu ili fakultetu. Cilj ovog rada je utvrditi na koji način studiranje na Sveučilištu u Zadru posreduje i potiče društveni angažman i aktivizam kod studenata te ispitati na koji način aktivni studenti vide Sveučilište kao mogućeg pokretača društvenog djelovanja i aktivizma. U tu je svrhu provedeno kvalitativno istraživanje, kojem se pristupilo metodom triangulacije. Metode korištene unutar triangulacije su analiza dokumenta i polu-strukturirani intervju. Na temelju nalaza pokazalo se kako na Sveučilištu u Zadru postoji mali broj aktivnih udruga, klubova i odjela, a aktivni studenti su pretežito vođeni željom za promjenama. Aktivnosti koje proizlaze iz angažmana su organizacija i realizacija projekata, a najčešća iskustva su organizacija obveza i vremena te razvoj posebnih vještina. Angažman se posebno odrazio na studij u aspektu buduće struke aktivnih studenata te na proširenje znanja. Sveučilište, iako predstavlja financijsku podršku aktivnim studentima, u nedovoljnoj mjeri potiče studente na aktivnost, dok s druge strane, sveučilišni odjeli i profesori uvelike podržavaju i potiču studentski aktivizam i društveni angažman.Various forms of student social engagement and activism are known, ranging from petitions, complaints to various student riots. Along with them, student associations and clubs are represented as mechanisms of student involvement through which students seek to act and change social opportunities at a micro level, ie at the university or faculty. This thesis aims to determine how studying at the University of Zadar mediates and encourages social engagement and activism in students and to examine how active students see the University as a possible driver of social action and activism. For this purpose, a qualitative study was conducted through the method of triangulation. The methods used within triangulation are document analysis and semi-structured interview. Based on the findings, it was shown that there is a small number of active associations, clubs and departments at the University of Zadar, and active students are mostly driven by the desire for change. The activities arising from the engagement are the organization and implementation of projects, and the most common experiences come from the organization of obligations and time along with the development of special skills. The engagement had a special impact on the study in the aspect of active student’s future profession and on the expansion of knowledge. The university, although it provides financial support to active students, insufficiently encourages students to be active, while on the other hand, university departments and professors greatly support and encourage student activism and social engagement