Poverty as a lack of means to meet basic life needs and ensure existence, unavailability, or limited opportunity for education, homelessness, poor and inadequate housing conditions, represents a state of deprivation of income and other material, social and cultural resources, and affects overall health, employment, learning, and respect.

Students of the University of Rijeka have the opportunity to apply for a national scholarship for students of a weaker socioeconomic status, for a scholarship and financial aid of the University of Rijeka from the “Solidarity” program of the “Aleksandar Abramov” Fund, a scholarship for the excellence of the University of Rijeka, a scholarship for students residing in the Rijeka region who are being educated for deficit occupations, a scholarship of the City of Rijeka, which is awarded according to social criteria, and a scholarship for students from earthquake-affected areas. The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management got involved in helping its students after the earthquake in Petrinja and the surrounding areas, and in the campaign organized during 2021, 6 new and 2 used laptops were collected and given to the students. At the Department of Cultural Studies of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Rijeka, the course Criticism, Emancipation, Utopia introduces students to the problems of uneven distribution of wealth in societies and historically offered solutions, and offers scientifically-researched and critically based valorization of economic-political and socio-cultural effects of uneven distribution of produced wealth. This lays the foundations for understanding the problem of poverty, opens a discussion on its eradication, and enables further study of the topic.

At the Faculty of Economics and Business, the Torpedo Student Entrepreneurship Incubator continued its activities throughout 2022 as an interesting and innovative way of contributing to the achievement of the global goal of sustainable development related to poverty reduction.

The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management carried out the action “Solidarity in action 2022: Don’t separate two for the other!” on October 19, 2022, organized by the Croatian Red Cross. The campaign collected funds intended for the Social Self-Service of the Red Cross Directorate of Opatija. Twice a year, at the end of the winter and at the end of the summer semester, the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management surveys students, i.e. questions their satisfaction with the quality of teaching. For each completed survey, the Faculty donates 50 lipa to the Children’s home of Ivan Brlić Mažuranić in Lovran.

The Faculty of Maritime Studies grants scholarships to students of lower financial status through the “Predrag Stanković” Foundation and also sponsors top athletes who would not be able to participate in top sports competitions due to their financial status.

Students of the Faculty of Law in Rijeka can, in addition to national and university tenders for scholarships and financial assistance, apply to the Faculty’s administration for financial assistance from the Fund for students with weaker financial conditions. In 2022, the Faculty of Law helped three students from the Fund. As part of the Praxis Iuris project, at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka, in 2022, free primary legal assistance was provided to persons in need who applied individually and through visits to S.O.S. Rijeka, Ruža St. Franje, the Depaul Association and the Association of Pensioners of Pazin.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Rijeka issued a public call for students of the University of Rijeka of lower socioeconomic status to express their interest in using a tablet and the corresponding Internet cable free of charge, to enable unhindered access to online classes. Based on the expression of interest, students were allowed to continue using the tablets during the academic years 2020/2021, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023. All students and employees were given free internet access via their Eduroam account.

In cooperation with the Primorje-Gorski kotar County and the local association “Center for Dialogue Culture – CeKaDe, the University of Rijeka participates in the creation of policies and actions to end poverty, especially for children aged 6 to 16 (https://www.pgz.hr/objave/moje-mjesto-podsuncem/). For the “My Place under the Sun project”, the University of Rijeka provided a space where the activities of the program take place, and where children who live below the poverty line primarily spend their time. The Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka participates in the project by encouraging the affinity of students and teachers towards various forms and contents of the fight against poverty and social exclusion, involving students in the MMPS Program through volunteering, and in the exchange of experiences and the transfer of knowledge and information by organizing round tables, conferences, lectures, workshops, an exhibition of works by children, students, and teachers, as well as similar activities.

The University of Rijeka is aware that hunger, closely related to poverty and destitution, has accompanied human growth and development of technology throughout history, is dependent on weather conditions, natural disasters, and climate change, and is a companion of wars and unstable political and economic situations. Therefore, through socially responsible business and dialogue with the wider community, the University of Rijeka, with its study programs, which in a significant part include education for sustainable development, indirectly contributes to the achievement of the second goal of sustainable development, which strives to eradicate hunger, by raising the level of awareness of the need to increase food security and improve nutrition and promotes a sustainable economy.

The University of Rijeka encourages its students and employees to get involved in volunteer work and other activities of various humanitarian organizations that implement various health and social programs and provide assistance to the neediest in the event of disasters (e.g. the Croatian Red Cross, social supermarkets, soup kitchens, and other charities) and supports the work of the UNIRI Volunteer Network.

The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, through the study program Management of Sustainable Development, as well as through the course Food and Nutrition, strives to raise awareness of the importance of proper nutrition and a sustainable economy. On June 27, 2022, the Forum of Sustainable Gastronomy round table and the Eco Fair were held at the Faculty. Representatives of Liburnia Riviera Hotel d.d., TZ Kvarner, Žmergo Association, and the Faculty participated in the panel. The importance of promoting and educating about sustainable gastronomy and the use of ecologically grown, seasonal foods was discussed. After the round table, an Eco Fair was held in the courtyard of the Faculty, where products were presented by ecologically certified producers.

At the Department of Cultural Studies of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Rijeka, the course Criticism, Emancipation, Utopia is taught, which introduces students to the problems of uneven distribution of wealth in societies and historically offered solutions and offers scientific research and critically based valorization of economic-political and socio-cultural effects of uneven distribution of produced wealth. This lays the foundations for understanding the problem of poverty, opens a discussion on its eradication, and enables further study of the topic.

The Faculty of Engineering in Rijeka takes part in the work of the Steering Committee of the COST action “European Network for ensuring food integrity using non-destructive spectral sensors” (SENSORFINT).

In all segments and business processes, the University of Rijeka applies the provisions of the current legislative framework, including the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act (Official Gazette 110/07) and the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 30/2009), thus contributing to one of the 8 defined key areas of sustainable development that represent strategic development directions of the Republic of Croatia, i.e. strengthening of public health.

In addition to the education of students as future healthcare workers, the University of Rijeka has contributed to ensuring a healthy life and promoting a healthy lifestyle, medical achievements, and well-being for people of all generations, in cooperation with the Education Institute for Public Health of the Primorje-Gorski kotar County, Student Council of the University of Rijeka and the Student Center Rijeka. Their cooperation resulted in the establishment of the COVID-19 Info-center, with a total of 6 telephones, i.e. 6 working units on the premises of the Student Center, offering a rapid antigen test point (BAT) at UNIRI Campus (Café Bar “Akvarij”, ground floor, Radmile Matejčić 3, Rijeka). Through its activities, the UNIRI Student Council encouraged the involvement of students in carrying out the work of COVID-19 testing and set up a portal for applying for COVID-19 inoculation. The Student Council also continuously, in cooperation with the Croatian Red Cross, organizes voluntary blood donations at UNIRI Campus.

All University of Rijeka students have access to the health services of competent doctors of school medicine. In cooperation with the Education Institute for Public Health of the Primorje-Gorski kotar County, the doctors offer their services at the Student Infirmary on Campus (kampus.zdravlje@zzjzpgz.hr), which include regular health check-ups for first-year students, check-ups before the admission to the student dormitory, teamwork with students with disabilities related to the PE course, counseling work and vaccinations. Furthermore, all employees of the University of Rijeka are provided with regular health check-ups, and at all UNIRI constituents, smoking is prohibited.

The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management (FMTU) contributes to ensuring and promoting a healthy lifestyle through numerous humanitarian actions. The humanitarian action of voluntary blood donation organized by the Department of Transfusion Medicine #KBC Rijeka, the Red Cross Opatija, and the FMTU is traditionally held every year. In 2022, it was held twice, in April and October. Most of the students and teachers were multiple blood donors, and there were also new donors. The faculty also cares for its employees and has been providing systematic examinations for several years in a row. Students and teachers of the Faculty participated in the summer school “Health Tourism 2022”, which took place from October 9 to 15, 2022 in Pfarkirrchen, Germany. Numerous lectures and workshops were held on the topic of health tourism. Furthermore, on November 15, 2022, the Faculty organized a panel workshop “Can Entrepreneurs Live Healthy”. The goal of the panel was to bring the possibilities closer and establish the foundations for creating a tourist offer based on a healthy lifestyle – health services, sports, and recreation.

Employees of the Department of Social Medicine and Epidemiology of the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka, as a continuation of the Urban Health Centers Europe – UHCE project, have been organizing exercises for the elderly (+65) in the area of the city of Rijeka for the eighth year in a row. The groups of exercisers are led by students of the Physiotherapy Undergraduate Study who are competent to lead exercises for the elderly. Exercises are held twice a week in the afternoon at two locations, and a total of 90 elderly people participate in the exercises. During October 2022., exercises for the elderly were organized by the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka. Employees of the Department of Social Medicine and Epidemiology of the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka are involved in a whole series of public health projects and actions, including the project “Hunting the Silent Killer” under the leadership of academician Bojan Jelaković, MD. World Hypertension Day was marked by a public health campaign measuring blood pressure and sugar among the employees of the Faculty of Medicine. During the year 2022., the Public Health Laboratory at the Department was the place of conducting scientific research work within the framework of the Value-based methodology for integrated care supported by the ICT (ValueCare) project. Subjects involved in the ValueCare project periodically came for measurements that included the following: anthropometric measurements, blood pressure measurement, hand grip strength measurement, spirometry, ECG, and blood glucose and cholesterol measurements.

The Department of Health Ecology of the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka is the traditional co-organizer of the national gathering of the producer, professional, and scientific community on the topic of the safety and quality of bee products. The motto of the Conference held in 2022. was “Challenges of EUR and Schengen”.

The Center for Research and Education in Underwater, Hyperbaric and Maritime Medicine in 2022. organized the “Diving medicine summer school” for foreign medical students, which is traditionally held during July in cooperation with the medical student exchange association CroMSIC (4 summer schools held so far). The summer school includes lectures, seminars, and exercises in the field of underwater and hyperbaric medicine and a diving course. So far, over 70 students from Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Egypt, and European countries have attended the school.

Employees and students of the Faculty of Civil Engineering are continuously encouraged and informed about healthy living (GRADRI lives healthy). Employees of the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka continuously participate in B2B Run races and other races organized by the faculties of the University of Rijeka, as well as in the Student Fiumanka, a sailing competition organized by the University of Rijeka. For employees of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, a yoga course is held on the faculty premises.

Considering the growing number of students who need various forms of counseling and support, in 2022, in cooperation with the Academic Support Office, a cycle of 6 peer support workshops for undergraduate students at the University of Rijeka began. Workshops were designed and implemented by students in their final year of graduate studies in Psychology, under the mentorship of teachers from the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy (associate professor Rosanda Pahljina-Reinić, PhD, associate professor Barbara Rončević Zubković, PhD, and assistants Martina Bažon). In 2022, two workshops related to the topics of time management and goal setting were conducted, and in 2023, 4 more workshops were conducted on the topics: How to stop procrastinating?, Coping with failure, Fear of public speaking, and Assertiveness. The workshops aimed to teach the students of the lower years of studies the mentioned skills to empower them to more successfully cope with the current and future demands of studying and student life in general.

The Faculty of Health Studies has the first midwife with a PhD in Croatia, which significantly affects the development of midwifery as a profession (https://www.novilist.hr/rijeka-regija/rijeka/deana-svaljug-je-prva-hrvatska-primalja-s-titulom – Doctor of Science/ ). To promote health literacy of the general population and thereby improve health and disease prevention, the Faculty of Health Studies launched a cycle of popular scientific forums open to the public in April 2022. Several forums were held until the end of 2022, some of them: being “Knowledge for a healthy society”, “Science-Based Nursing”, and “Global Crisis and Mental Health”.

The European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) in Rijeka organized on May 10th, 2022,  the first public discussion entitled  “Stress, fax & rock’n’roll” as part of the European Mental Health Week. From September 26th to 28th, 2022, the School of Advocates in Health Care was held, organized as part of the Health Observatory project, whose partner is the Faculty of Law in Rijeka, and as part of the Night of Researchers 2022, the PRAVRI Courtroom was held on the topic “Food and health: what are the manufacturers (not) telling us?” on which occasion leaflets were also distributed – on the one hand, they had elements of legal regulations related to food advertising, and on the other hand, a proposal for a healthy snack.

Quality education is the basis for improving people’s lives and sustainable development. The University of Rijeka puts great emphasis on lifelong education, and through various programs in which the constituencies of the University and its employees participate, they provide access to informal forms of education. The University for the Third Age offers an informal form of education for people of the third age and enables them to acquire new knowledge and combine the acquired knowledge with personal life experience. The University for the Third Age held during 2022./2023. academic year, cycles of painting, informatics and beekeeping workshops, and various lectures.

Scientists from the Faculty of Physics expressed themselves through their public appearances and participation in popularization projects through various media at the national and local level (Festival of Science 2022, Night of Researchers 2022, popular science show Baltazar at HR Radio Rijeka, programs in Moise Palace). A visiting professor from the University of Trieste was hired at the Faculty of Physics and lectures are held in English. Participation in the project  Recognition of changes in the environment and risk management” (UNIRI CLASS A1)” – the development of a micro-qualification that should result in a program of lifelong learning focused on the topics of climate change, extreme events, and related risks. Faculty of Physics leads the project “Development of a digital form of the teaching process and the introduction of innovative forms of environmental physics teaching” (UNIRI CLASS A2 Digital citizenship – innovations in learning and teaching).

Teaching at the Faculty of Mathematics continued at a high level in 2022, as evidenced by student surveys in which the teaching is highly rated. Based on discussions with former students of the Faculty, as well as the experience of students and employers gained within the course Seminar of Applied Discrete Mathematics, new courses are introduced and in existing courses are made changes. Furthermore, in 2022, the staff of the Faculty of Mathematics worked on the following projects, intending to increase the quality of teaching: Erasmus+ project InAMath (1.9.2020. – 28.2.2023.); Erasmus+ project EnLeMaH (1.4.2021. – 31.3.2023.); Erasmus+ project RAPIDE (1.3.2021. – 28.2.2023.); ESF project STEM(AJMO!)  (1.7.2021. – 30.6.2023.).

The Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka has accredited the following programs of lifelong education: Applied Mechanics in Modern Engineering Practice. The Faculty of Health Studies in 2022. started the accreditation process of two new graduate studies, Nursing – Public Health and Nursing – Gerontology. The Maritime Faculty is a leader in lifelong learning (courses for assistance according to the STCW Convention and several lifelong learning projects).

The Committee for Quality Assurance and Improvement operates at The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management (FMTU), which periodically (twice a year) evaluates students’ satisfaction with the quality of teaching and improves it based on the answers. Lifelong education has become indispensable in every profession, and FMTU implements numerous programs of lifelong education and training intended for all citizens, and above all for graduates and students of all levels of university education, students of the University of Rijeka, members of professional associations, public and private sector employees where there is a need for the education of the entire social community. The faculty participates as a partner in the ON-IT project, Online Internship in Tourism, which is financed from the Erasmus+ program, Key measure 2. – Cooperation for innovation and exchange of good practice. The project aims to design guidelines and resources for the implementation of remote internships, that is, professional internships and professional internships, through which students would be able to acquire and develop skills and increase their professional success in the labor market shaped by digital transformation. The main result of the project is guidelines and guides, that is, different tools that will facilitate the adoption of new ways of distance learning as better preparation for the labor market, that is, professional practice and practice. Also to acquire additional knowledge, the Center for Career and Professional Practice of the FMTU conducts numerous trainings for its employees.

Students and teachers from the Faculty of Medicine from the academic year 2022./2023. are using the application “INP”, intending to facilitate the monitoring of teaching obligations, control of arrivals, and maintenance of classes. INP is a unique application that allows you to control the teaching process, schedule assignments, and save lesson plans. A special addition is the eBook of clinical skills, which enables dynamic input and monitoring of practical knowledge that students acquire during their entire studies.

The E-book Improving the Quality of Studies at Law Faculties in Croatia was published in e-pub format by the Faculty of Law in Rijeka as part of the project Providentia Studiorum Iuris – Improving the Quality of Studies at Law Faculties in Croatia. During September and October 2022, the Jean Monnet EU Sports Law, Policy & Diplomacy Rijeka Summer School was held at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka, an accredited lifelong learning program with 4 ECTS credits. In partnership with the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management and in cooperation with the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung Foundation, the ELESS European Law and Business Summer School 2022 was held at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka from July 11th to 15th. Summer School was attended by students from Croatia, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Netherlands, Brazil, Venezuela, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria and Austria.

Faculty of Teacher Education continuously implement Lifelong education programs: in 2022. were held three cycles of the program Leader of kinesiology activities for early and preschool children with a total of 68 participants.

The University of Rijeka is part of the YUFE alliance (Young Universities for the Future of Europe), an alliance that represents a new moment in the development of the European Higher Education Area, offering all students the opportunity to develop individual study paths according to their interests.

The University of Rijeka understands its responsibility towards the local and regional community in which it operates and promotes and directs its activities towards the general public and assumes a responsible role in the promotion and development of quality education at all levels.

The University of Rijeka and its partners have developed a proposal for the curriculum of the subject “Civic Education” for secondary education, called “School and Community – ŠIZ”. The course aims to educate the young about democratic civic participation in society, as major deficits have been identified in this area, especially among young people.

Within the framework of the university calls for proposals, through which the project CLASS1: Language Technologies and Digital Text Processing, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities is developing a lifelong learning program that expands access to higher education for non-traditional students and facilitates vertical mobility by revising graduate and post-graduate enrollment policies and developing personalized learning pathways by applying the system of recognition of prior learning experiences (formal, informal, and non-formal) and the methodology of harmonization of acquired learning outcomes with the learning outcomes of the study program.

The University of Rijeka is the first university in the Republic of Croatia to adopt a Gender Equality Plan in 2021, implementing the guidelines of the Strategic Action Document adopted in 2020, which ensures mechanisms for achieving a culture of equality and diversity in the institution, integrating the gender perspective in the study programs and sharing knowledge about gender equality with the community to improve the quality of life and work at the university, but also to strengthen gender equality in career development – in scientific and artistic research. With the Equality Plan, the University of Rijeka aims to distinguish itself as a place of equal opportunities, a place that respects diversity and inclusion and that is safe and shows zero tolerance towards discrimination, harassment, and all forms of inequality. The document was prepared within the framework of the project “Supporting and Implementing Plans for Gender Equality in Academia and Research”, whose acronym is SPEAR (eng. Supporting and Implementing Plans for Gender Equality in Academia and Research), funded by the Horizon 2020 program. By participating in this project, the University of Rijeka confirms its strategic commitment and duty as a responsible and socially sensitive public actor, creating a stimulating environment against any form of inequality in the academic community.

In July 2021, the Gender Equality Council of the University of Rijeka was established and held its first meeting. As part of the project, the Gender Equality Plan was presented at a European Commission training event attended by representatives of the University of Rijeka. At the request of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, in December 2021 the Rectors’ Council of the Republic of Croatia appointed Associate Professor Ph.D. Dalida Rittossa from the Faculty of Law in Rijeka as the representative of the academic community in the working group for the preparation of the National Plan to Combat Violence and Sexual Harassment for the period 2022 to 2027; at the “FoodWave/Eating City International Platform 2020-2030: Cres Workshop” held on 23. October 2021 in Palača Moise, the representative of the University of Rijeka, Daria Glavan Šćulac, gave a presentation entitled “Inspiration in creating a policy framework for gender equity for food sector professionals in the EU”; members of the UNIRI team participated in conferences organized within the framework of three EU projects: CHAlleNging Gender (In)Equality in Science and Research – CHANGE, Leading Towards Sustainable Gender Equality Plans in Research Institutions – LeTSGEPs and Supporting and Implementing Plans for Gender Equality in Academia and Research – SPEAR.

The Council for Gender Equality adopted the Guidelines on Gender Inclusive Communication in July 2022.: Use of Gender-Sensitive Language at the University of Rijeka to present the fundamental determinants of gender-sensitive and/or gender-neutral communication and initiate the University of Rijeka community to find new appropriate communication methods and solutions.

Intending to promote gender equality, students and employees of the FMTU celebrated Pink T-shirt Day on February 23rd, 2022. This commemoration emphasized the fight against peer violence and that the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management is a place of zero tolerance for violence. FMTU is implementing a project called “Children and Tourism: research on the Attitudes and Contribution of Children in the sustainable development of Tourism”. The project aims to analyze the perception of children about the sustainable development of tourism and to determine the degree of participation of children in decisions related to the development of tourism in the destination.

The Faculty of Philosophy launched the micro-qualification “Gender in contemporary contexts and controversies” lasting three semesters. Microqualification program “Gender in contemporary contexts and controversies” – Center for Women’s Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy in Rijeka (uniri.hr). The Department of Pedagogy implements the Feminist Pedagogy course in the third year of the undergraduate single-subject study of Pedagogy.

Proud of Croatia’s results of using less than 1% of available drinking water, UNIRI is developing awareness and promoting a culture of water conservation with educational programs on water protection and conservation. It should be noted that running drinking water is available in all UNIRI facilities.

Faculty of Physics leads the UNIRI+ project “Karst Modeling with Public Health and Socio-Economic Implications”, which studies the fluctuation of groundwater used for water supply and analyzes climatic and anthropogenic influences on the microbiological quality of the bathing sea.

The “Wonderful World of Water” station on the Night of the Researchers 2022. emphasizes the preservation of water resources.

The Faculty of Medicine is involved in projects that develop awareness of water conservation and promises a culture of environmental preservation:

EUROBATH – Towards the New European Union Bathing Water Directive; Karst modeling with public health and socio-economic implications;  Adaptation to the New EU Bathing Water Quality Directive (Adaptation to the New EU Bathing Water Quality Directive); KLIMOD – A computer model of flow, flooding and spread of pollution in rivers and coastal sea areas – KK.05.1.1.02.0017 and “Characterization of health risks due to exposure of the population to traditional and modern pollutants due to the consumption of marine products”.

The project REGULATE – regulation of groundwater in teleconnected social-ecological systems (2020-2025) organizes a meeting to investigate the possibility of sustainable use of (groundwater) water. The project is financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The meeting is hosted by the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Rijeka. Cooperation with ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research, Goethe University in Frankfurt, University of Koblenz-Landau.

In all segments and business processes, UNIRI applies the provisions of the applicable legal framework, including the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act (Official Gazette 80/13, 153/13, 78/15, 12/18, 118/18), the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 30 /09) and the Energy Efficiency Act (OG 127/14), contributing to one of the eight defined key areas of sustainable development, which are the strategic development directions of the Republic of Croatia – achieving energy independence and increasing the efficiency of energy use.

Through study programs related to environmental protection and energy efficiency, UNIRI develops awareness and promotes technological progress, and energy saving, encourages the use of renewable natural resources and greater energy efficiency. The Faculty of Engineering offers the CO program “Education for energy certification of buildings” and leads a project for the renovation and upgrading of the northern building, which would increase the energy efficiency of the building. In 2022, the Faculty of Engineering also implemented numerous (commercial) professional projects for the economy, intending to increase energy efficiency and clean energy.

Through the course Energy Management in Tourism, the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management promotes energy saving and encourages the use of renewable natural resources and greater energy efficiency.  Lovran Tourist Bord and FMTU organized an education on renewable energy sources on November 25th, 2022. FMTU, in cooperation with Ericsson Nikola Tesla, installed sensors in the halls that measure energy consumption and monitor CO2 emissions, and the report is published on the Faculty’s website. The long-term goals are to create a “smart” building through significant energy and financial savings and to reduce the carbon footprint created by FMTU activities.

The Faculty of Economics at the University of Rijeka is a member of PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education), a United Nations-supported initiative (UN) that acts as a platform for raising awareness of sustainability in business schools around the world and for promoting understanding and developing the skills of today’s business students to contribute to positive change in the future, as well as a partner in the project “Climate Governance: Implementing public policies to calculate and reduce the carbon footprint of business entities” (Climate Governance: Implementing public policies to calculate and reduce organizations carbon footprint) measures and calculates their carbon footprint and makes the data available to the public accordingly in their Carbon Footprint Report. Although it is called a carbon footprint, the footprint reported refers not only to CO2 emissions but also to emissions of other greenhouse gases (GHG – Greenhouse Gas Emissions). The calculation of the carbon footprint allowed EFRI to learn about the structure of greenhouse gas emissions and has a direct impact on the selection of measures to reduce them, to mitigate climate change.

In allsegments and business processes, UNIRI applies the provisions of the legal framework described previously, additionally shaped by the Labor Code (Official Gazette 93/14, 127/17, 98/19), contributing to inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment, and dignified work for all, as prescribed by the Labor Code.
The international organization defines decent work as productive work for women and men under conditions of freedom, equality, security, and human dignity, meaning that it must be fairly paid, guarantee a secure form of employment and safe working conditions, provide equal opportunities and conditions for all, including social protection for workers and their families, provide opportunities for workers’ personal development and social integration, and allow workers to voice their concerns.
As early as 2003, with the adoption of the Code of Ethics (revised in 2018) and the Code of Ethics for Students in 2019, UNIRI established mechanisms and institutional procedures to ensure the enjoyment of guaranteed human rights and the conditions for the realization of the principles of equality and justice. UNIRI is a signatory to the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Employment of Researchers, which establishes non-discrimination as one of the general principles and requirements for employers; employers and/or funders of researchers must not discriminate in any way against researchers based on gender, age, ethnic, national or social origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, language, disability, political opinion, social or economic situation.

FMTU has good cooperation with the economic sector, and through guest lectures held by businessmen, it wants to provide students with information about the current state and development of the economy. In November 2022., FMTU students participated in the traditional gathering of economists “Economic Policy of Croatia” where the new age of the economy and the challenges of the economy in post-pandemic conditions were discussed.
The Faculty of Physics enables working at home for mothers with children when adapting to kindergarten, school, and similar situations.
The University of Rijeka has implemented Guidelines for harmonizing the private and business life of working parents/guardians for all constituents of the University.

Technology transfer is the process by which research results are transformed into new or improved products or services that are then commercialized. The fundamental goal of the Office for Technology Transfer at the University of Rijeka is to strengthen the link between the University and the business community, to promote research and professional work, and to support the protection and commercialization of the results of this work at all stages: from idea development to intellectual property protection and commercialization. The Office for Technology Transfer at the University of Rijeka was established in 2009 within the framework of the Technological Development Project (STP), financed with a loan from the World Bank and with the contractual participation of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.

The Office for Technology Transfer assists scientists in the transfer of research and work results from the College to industry: educating scientists and students of the University about the importance of technology transfer and intellectual property, professional assessment (evaluation) of the commercial potential of research results, advice on the possibilities of intellectual property protection and methods of commercialization, search for partners for commercialization and sources of funding, and presentation and promotion of the results of scientific research and professional work to the scientific, professional and general public.

In co-organization with the University of Rijeka, the Career Office of the University of Rijeka, and the UNIRI ALUMNI association, the Faculty of Civil Engineering held Career Days and the UNIRI Job Fair in October 2022.

The Faculty of Civil Engineering is a co-organizer of the ADRIATECH innovation exhibition and the first innovation forum held as part of the innovation exhibition. He also participates as a full member in the work of the Center for Digital Development of the Republic of Croatia. Employees of the Faculty of Civil Engineering participated in the international conference DiGiDeck2022.

Under the UNIRI CLASS program, the Faculty of Health Studies was granted support for a research and development project to develop the practical competencies of physiotherapy students for the future. The workshop “Open access to scientific information” was held on June 14th, 2022, at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka as part of the series of workshops “Who is Q?” Series of doctoral workshops on legal scientific communication”. Employees of the Faculty of Engineering participated in UNIRI-INOVA financing projects for interdisciplinary scientific and development projects involving stakeholders from the economy and/or the community.

The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management is investing in digitization and new technologies. FMTU signed a memorandum with Microsoft Croatia in March 2022., which will enable students to acquire digital skills that are crucial for their future employment. To encourage innovation, FMTU cooperates with the business incubator HUBBAZIA Opatija – Center for Innovations in Tourism. As part of the Hubbazia Demo Day, a student of the FMTU won 1st place for the best entrepreneurial idea. FMTU participates in numerous projects related to innovation. FMTU is a partner in the InCompEdu project, which deals with innovative competencies in higher education. The goal of the project is to develop and promote innovative digital skills of teachers that can be implemented in fully online and hybrid higher education, including the ability to use platforms dedicated to conducting online courses in higher education, all to create innovative curricula in higher education. Likewise, the Faculty is a partner in the  CEKOM project  – a competence center for smart cities. The goal was to develop innovative technological solutions that should facilitate everyday life in an urban environment. Then, the Faculty is the holder of the project “Application of chatbots based on artificial intelligence in services in the hotel industry”. The aim is to investigate the actual use of chatbots with artificial intelligence in the hotel industry. Furthermore, on the occasion of the World Day of Digital Waste Cleaning, which takes place on March 19th every year, in cooperation with the association Žmergo Opatija, a workshop on digital waste and digital footprint was held. At the end of the workshops, the students performed a digital cleaning of their devices.

SDG10 is mainly focused on reducing income inequality (and the best results have been achieved in countries that achieve continuous economic growth), as well as on those inequalities based on gender, age, disability, race, class, ethnicity, religion, etc., both within and between countries.

Sustainable income growth, needed to reduce inequality and ensure shared prosperity, is inevitably accompanied by sustainable economic growth. Through teaching programs related to the aforementioned topics, the University of Rijeka provides students, future active social actors, with knowledge about the state and development of the economy, defined by the availability of natural and manufactured resources, human knowledge, and the ability to use them, as well as organizational forms and social institutions that regulate and direct economic activities.

Therefore, UNIRI acts following the provisions of the Code of Ethics, the Rulebook on the Disciplinary Responsibility of Teachers and Associates, which articulates the inadmissibility of any discriminatory treatment and harassment, the Rulebook on the Disciplinary Responsibility of Students, which articulates the inadmissibility of any discriminatory treatment, and the document of the National Group for the Improvement of the Social Dimension of Higher Education “Underrepresented and vulnerable groups in higher education in the Republic of Croatia” and through the University Counseling Center, which includes the Psychological Counseling Office, the Office for Students with Disabilities and the Career Office, provides various forms of free support and assistance to students and employees of the University of Rijeka. The University Library Rijeka strives to meet the needs of particularly sensitive groups of students. To reduce inequality, in cooperation with the Office for Students with Disabilities of the University of Rijeka, it participates in the project “Adaptation of literature for blind and partially sighted persons”, carried out by the “Zamisli” association in partnership with the University of Rijeka, with the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Education.

Every year, the University of Rijeka issues a tender for the award of scholarships/financial assistance from the “Solidarity” program of the “Aleksandar Abramov” Fund. Scholarships/financial assistance are intended for full-time and part-time students of lower socioeconomic status. Students of the University of Rijeka and its constituents are entitled to apply for the tender. Also, every year, students of lower socioeconomic status are granted additional subsidies for accommodation in the Trsat Student Dormitory, to facilitate access to higher education for these vulnerable groups.

To reduce inequality, the Student Mentor project is implemented at FMTU. The Student Union launched this peer support initiative to help 1st-year undergraduate students to adapt to new life circumstances. The “student-mentor” is expected to advise students, help them in their studies, familiarize them with the work and organization of the Faculty, and guide them in the activities and opportunities that the Faculty provides. FMTU also helps the children’s home in Lovran. For every completed student survey on satisfaction with the quality of teaching (survey conducted at all UNIRI units), FMTU donates 0.50 HRK to the children’s home. Furthermore, students of the Faculty volunteered at the SKAL international congress and showed activism and solidarity with their involvement.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is a member of the project “Thematic Network Lifelong Education Available to All TEMCO” whose sponsor is the Institute for Development of Education. The source of financing is the European Social Fund (HRK 3,542,852.64). The purpose of the project is to strengthen the capacity of the association (which specifically deals with education, child development, or public policies) to achieve effective dialogue with public administration and the scientific community in the design and implementation of public policy to ensure lifelong education available to all.

At the Faculty of Law, a new ramp was installed for students in wheelchairs to facilitate their access to the Library and the Blue Hall. This achieved the goal of allowing all students to use all important spaces at the faculty – from the department to the library and all the lecture halls.

The international conference “Terminology and Knowledge Representation: New Perspectives on User Needs” was held at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka in June 2022.

With its interdisciplinary activity, the Center for Support Smart and Sustainable Cities contributes to greater value for money for citizens and public and private management in the field of creating, collecting, processing, and using data in real-time, of various types, for optimal management of all dimensions of the functioning of life in a city or region.

To efficiently use resources, reduce pollution and generally encourage sustainable development of cities, in November 2022 the FMTU organized lectures on the topic of Local Self-Government – City Management. The mayor of the city of Opatija analyzed the current and future position of the city of Opatija and answered the students’ questions. The Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management also participates in various professional and scientific projects and research whose goal is to ensure the sustainability of destinations and local communities. Through the project, SUSTAINABLE CITIES AS CARRIERS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, the urban challenges faced by cities are analyzed to provide solutions for improved use of resources, reduction of pollution, and further progress and sustainable growth. The faculty, in cooperation with the municipality of Lovran, organized a lecture on the topic “Where are cities and municipalities in the process of implementing local economic development? Analysis of mayors’ attitudes”. The lecture aimed to acquaint the local population with the concept of local economic development, with its application, all to improve the quality of life.

In 2022, the Faculty of Civil Engineering made a significant contribution to the creation of sustainable cities and communities by participating in the project Development of a model for predicting the behavior of children pedestrians in the urban transport network, Transport infrastructure as a function of sustainable urban mobility and Concept of decision support in the sustainable management of urban environments.

Faculty of Law teachers (namely Prof. Ivana Kunda, Ph.D., and Sandra Winkler, Ph.D.) are members of the University of Camerino (UNICAM) project entitled “Enabling Consumers to Become Prosumer in Energy Transition Era – ECPE consumers in the era of energy transition – ECPE”.

In all segments and business processes, UNIRI applies the provisions of the current legislative framework, which includes the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act (Official Gazette 80/13, 153/13, 78/15, 12/18, 118/18), the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 30 /09) and the Energy Efficiency Act (Official Gazette 127/14) and thereby contributes to one of the 8 defined key areas of sustainable development, focusing on sustainable production and consumption, which aims to do more and better with less, i.e. it implies reducing the use of resources, degradation, and pollution of the environment and improvement of the quality of life.

Sustainable consumption and production refers to the promotion of efficiency in the use of resources and energy efficiency, helping to achieve overall development plans, reducing future economic, environmental and social costs, strengthening the competitiveness of the economy and reducing poverty. Through the Sustainable Development course, the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management (FMTU) promotes the rational use of resources, encourages the circular economy and the zero-waste concept. Encouraging the circular economy is the basis of sustainable consumption and production. On June 27, 2022, the FMTU organized an ECO FAIR, as an example of sustainable production, where ecologically certified producers (OPG) presented their products. The Faculty of Civil Engineering signed a contract on the purchase and installation of a heat pump and related equipment and participates in the Solar Power Plant project. In academic year 2022/2023 within the elective course of the 5th year of the integrated university study of Law, the elective course Consumer Protection Law also contains a special teaching unit on sustainable development.

Responsible production and consumption contribute to achieving development plans, reducing future economic, environmental, and social costs, strengthening economic competitiveness and reducing poverty (SDG1, SDG2, SDG8, and SDG9), contributing to environmental protection and minimizing the negative effects of production and consumption (SDG13, SDG14, and SDG15).

Climate change, closely related to people’s extreme needs for energy and food, is a pervasive threat that affects all segments of society in all countries. The fight against them is considered one of the most significant challenges today, as they directly affect the achievement of sustainable development, and higher education institutions are expected to be pioneers in raising awareness of the seriousness of the problem and its consequences, which will affect the poorest the most, through research and education, as well as by providing innovative green solutions that use renewable energy sources.

SDG 13 applies to all the other SDGs because, if nothing is done, climate change can exacerbate storms and natural disasters and cause threats such as food and water scarcity (SDG2 and SDG6). In this case, too, the effects of negative climate change will most intensively affect the poorest (SDG1), it will affect lives both on land (SDG15) and in the sea (SDG14). However, innovation (SDG9) and work on clean energy (SDG7) can help to mitigate the impact of climate change on the economy and society as a whole and reduce the vulnerability of ecosystems and society to the negative impacts of climate change and increase the ability to recover from the effects of climate change.

The Environmental Economics course at Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management analyzes the necessity of climate preservation for future economic and social trends. Students are educated about the effects of greenhouse gases, carbon footprint and renewable energy sources. Also, with aim to reduce the impact on the environment, FMTU encourages its employees to use public transport. Assoc. prof. Ph.D. Zvonimira Šverko Grdić On May 3, 2022, held a lecture on the topic of the impact of climate change on tourism. The FMTU participates as a partner in the project BOLSTER – Bridging Organizations and marginalized communities for Local Sustainability Transitions in Europe. The European Green Plan (EGD) aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with climate neutrality by 2050. However, there is a mismatch between the understanding of marginalized communities, participatory governance and policy agendas to achieve a just transition which can lead to social and political disharmony. The goal of the BOLSTER project is to understand how marginalized communities can be influenced by EGD-related policies and increase or involve them in the decision-making process to support transition plans. The project is financed from the European research fund Horizon Europe in the amount of 3.8 million euros. The Faculty, among other activities, leads the development framework for the process of monitoring the just transition in the regions. The faculty is responsible for the project “Financial challenges of the energy transition towards a low-carbon and sustainable economy”. The project analyzes the ways to achieve the transition towards a low-carbon and sustainable economy and how financial instruments contribute to the achievement of the stated goal.

In addition to the UNIRI+ project “Modelling karst with public health and socio-economic implications” (Diana Mance) the project “Development of a digital form of the teaching process and the introduction of innovative forms of teaching environmental physics” (UNIRI CLASS A2 Digital citizenship – innovations in learning and teaching) and micro-qualification “Recognition of changes in the environment and risk management” (UNIRI CLASS A1) led by Diane Mance at the Faculty of Physics, classes are held from a series of courses that touch on the topic of climate change: Environmental Physics, Soil Physics, Marine Physics and Atmospheric Physics that relate to the undergraduate course in Environmental Science and the graduate course in Physics and Environmental Science.

The Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka is conducting, or has conducted during 2022., several scientific projects that significantly contribute to climate protection:

Applied landslide research for the development of risk mitigation and prevention measures (PRI-MJER); Management of karst coastal aquifers threatened by climate change (UKV); Sustainable construction of sunken beaches – Construction of new ones and increase of existing ones; Development of landslide susceptibility assessment methodology for land use planning using LiDAR technology); Impact of open fires on soil and water quality; Hydrology of water resources and identification of the risk of floods and mudflows in karst areas; Assessments of the impact of climate change on the hydrological stability of protected lake systems in the karst area of ​​Croatia; Vulnerability of the Kvarner coast in relation to climate change and sea level rise.

At the Maritime Faculty, the courses “Sustainable Logistics” and “Ecologically Sustainable Marinas” are taught.

In all segments and business processes, UNIRI applies the provisions of the current legislative framework, including the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act (Official Gazette 80/13, 153/13, 78/15, 12/18, 118/18) and the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette 30 /2009), thus contributing to one of the 8 defined key areas of sustainable development that represent the strategic development directions of the Republic of Croatia: the protection of the Adriatic Sea, coasts, and islands.

Aware of the threat of climate change, land-based pollution, destruction of coastal ecosystems, invasive species of coastal development, overfishing and bycatch and other negative effects, the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Rijeka and the Department of Physics of the University of Rijeka are implementing an agreement for water potential analysis and change dynamics services water from the source of the water supply on Učka with the Croatian Waters.

Through its activities, the University of Rijeka makes a significant contribution to the protection and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources. As a result of the KLIMOD project, as part of the scheme for strengthening applied research for adaptation measures to climate change, which conducts applied scientific research and develops a computer model for effective modeling of the flow and spread of pollution in open watercourses and the coastal sea area, with the reception of river estuaries, torrential estuaries and industrial and sewage discharges into the coastal sea area, with the simultaneous development of a prediction model of microbiological pollution based on artificial intelligence models and the integration of the model of the spread of microplastic pollution into the overall model. The computer model is adapted to the supercomputer environment, which enables high-resolution simulations to be carried out to implement measures to mitigate the consequences of climate change in priority vulnerable and transversal areas, as one of the results, the publications of the project team should be highlighted.

The Faculty of Medicine lead or collaborate on international projects that deal with the promotion of the preservation and sustainable use of seas, rivers and marine resources.

The project entitled “Characterization of health risks due to exposure of the population to traditional pollutants and pollutants of the new era due to the consumption of marine products” which aims to determine the level of potentially toxic compounds in marine organisms of interest, and to characterize the health risks for certain categories of compounds.

The project called “Port IoT for Environmental Leverage (PIXEL)” deals with the development of an environmental index that evaluates the environmental performance of port areas, which is based on the measurement and display of results through sensors in real time.

The project entitled “EUROBATH- Towards the New European Union Bathing Water Directive” has for the purpose of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment and protecting human health. The main goal of this project is to provide basic guidelines for the revision of the existing Croatian national regulation on the management of the quality of coastal waters for bathing. This will be achieved by using the results of research conducted within the framework of this project and current scientific knowledge. The new regulation will provide a better framework for the management of coastal bathing waters and ensure better protection of human health and the environment. The results of the project could be applied to other countries and regions with similar ecological conditions, such as Mediterranean countries.

Project called “Establishment of a method for isolating RNA viruses in municipal wastewater for the purpose of future modeling of the SARS-CoV-2 virus surveillance method in the population” deals with the isolation of RNA viruses in municipal wastewater for the purpose of future modeling of the SARS-CoV-2 virus surveillance method in the population.

In 2022, the Faculty of Physics implemented the UNIRI+ project “Karst Modeling with Public Health and Socio-Economic Implications”, which studies the fluctuation of groundwater used for drinking and climatic and anthropogenic influences on the microbiological quality of the sea for bathing. The Faculty of Physics’ “Wonderful World of Water” station on Researchers’ Night emphasizes the preservation of water resources and contributes to public awareness of climate change and the risks associated with it.

At the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka during 2022, was carried out several scientific projects that are closely related to the goal of preserving the aquatic world: Management of karst coastal aquifers threatened by climate change (UKV); Computer model of flow, flooding and spread of pollution in rivers and coastal sea areas (KLIMOD); Assessments of the impact of climate change on the hydrological stability of protected lake systems in the karst area of ​​Croatia and Vulnerability of the Kvarner coast in relation to climate change and sea level rise.

The Faculty of Maritime Affairs actively participates in EU projects on the subject of underwater robotics and sensors for the purpose of preserving and sustainably exploiting the sea.

Along with SDG14, the preservation of aquatic life, this is the second of all SDGs that look at the ecosystem from a broader perspective, following the Environmental Protection Act (Official Gazette 80/13, 153/13, 78/15, 12/18, 118/18)) and the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette NN 30/2009), whereby UNIRI contributes to one of the 8 defined key areas of sustainable development: protection of the environment and natural resources.

At a time when biodiversity is a major challenge and life on land a precious resource, appropriate efforts must be made to ensure that we preserve them for future generations. Higher education institutions in this segment are expected to have a responsibility that includes a broader context than the local environment in which it operates, in terms of creating a contribution to sustainable forest management, combating desertification, stopping land degradation, and protecting biodiversity. Contributing to the achievement of this goal simultaneously contributes to other, complementary goals because the ecosystem and biodiversity represent the origin of adaptation to climate change (SDG13). Clean water (SDG6) and clean energy (SDG7) are necessary prerequisites for life on land, and life on land and the aquatic world (SDG14) are interconnected and synergistically contribute to the reduction of hunger (SDG2) and poverty (SDG1).

In order to integrate with nature, students and employees of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, as well as representatives of the Žmergo association, conducted the Green Cleanup campaign. They cleared a large area next to the faculty, and that location will serve as an outdoor classroom. After the cleanup, representatives of the Žmergo association held an education on the proper classification of waste and the importance of waste management. Students also carried out numerous other activities aimed at protecting nature: Eco quiz, Green library, celebrating Earth Day through the promotion of 17 Sustainable Development Goals posters, and celebrating the International Day of Biological Diversity. In June 2022, the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management received international recognition – the Green Flag and acquired the status of an international FEE EcoCampus. This is an award given for achievements in the field of environmental protection, and the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management is the first constituent of the University of Rijeka to receive this award. The main task is to raise the young generation to be sensitive to environmental issues and train them to make decisions about the development of society in the future.

FMTU participates in the project Determining the impact of tourism on the environment by extracting the carbon footprint of large road infrastructure facilities in naturally protected areas. The goal of the project is to measure the local impact on the environment, that is, to investigate the connection between the impact of tourism and the carbon footprint of traffic. At the  Faculty of Engineering postgraduate doctoral studies in the field of “Ecological Engineering and Environmental Protection” is conducting.

During 2022, the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Rijeka carried out the scientific project ˝Impact of open fires on soil and water quality˝.

SDG16 and SDG17 are key prerequisites for achieving the other SDGs. Therefore, strong, inclusive, and effective institutions, including universities that provide quality higher education (SDG4), along with health (SDG3), fair economic policies (SDG8), and environmental protection (SDG13, SDG14, and SDG15), are key to achieving other sustainable development goals.

The activities by which UNIRI, as a strong institution that supports peace and justice, contributes to the promotion of a peaceful, inclusive, and just society are manifested at all levels of all business aspects, among which the University of Rijeka Statute (Article 60) should be mentioned. The Statue ensures the representation of all scientific-teaching and art-teaching constituents of the University and various fields of science and art and supports the work of the Student Council of the University of Rijeka and other student associations at all constituents. The Statute also mentions the University of Rijeka Council, a body that takes care of the development of the University and its interaction with the society in which it operates and discusses and confirms the strategic and development decisions of the Senate, supervises the execution of the University’s tasks, the legality of its work, the rational use of personnel and material resources and the implementation of the Senate’s decisions. It consists of representatives of University scientists or teachers, students, the Ministry of Science and Education, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, and bodies of local self-government units.

The University of Rijeka was the first university in the Republic of Croatia to sign The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers, and thus accepted the initiative of the European Commission, which adopted these documents in 2005 to improve employment opportunities and increase the value of a research career as vital elements of the strategy to stimulate economic growth and employment and the establishment of a European research area. UNIRI is also among the first signatories of the EC Declaration on participation in the “Group for the implementation of the human resources strategy”.

The YUFE LAW RIJEKA conference “Sustainability as a Legal Principle” was held at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka on June 23 and 24, 2022. The Faculty of Law in Rijeka and the City of Novi Vinodolski organized on November 4, 2022, a panel discussion to mark the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the Republic of Croatia. The Faculty of Law in Rijeka, the Student Union of the Faculty of Law in Rijeka, the Youth Council of Opatija and the Youth Council of Rijeka organized on December 7, 2022, a panel discussion “The Alchemy of Youth and Human Rights: Towards Legal Literacy” as part of the Program lifelong education Law in the community On June 6, 2022, a research workshop was held: “How to understand one of us? Known and unknown about the phenomenon of external abuse of children and the reactions of the environment”, intended for high school students, students, associations that provide support to children and families who have experienced external abuse and exploitation of children, citizens, scientists and researchers.

Faculty of Law in Rijeka in co-organization with the Rijeka Development Agency PORIN d.o.o. and the European Documentation Center Rijeka, and as part of the Lifelong Education Program Law in the Community, HRRZ project Life in the Time of the Disease COVID-19 on May 19, 2022, held the presentation of the Safecity application, with purpose  to collect data on street harassment. The “North Adriatic Scientific Colloquium – current legal topics/Giornata di studio del Nord Adriatico – temi giuridici di attualità” was held at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka, Rijeka, September 29, 2022 (in Italian). The international scientific conference “Sense and Sensibility in Cross-Border Cases: Couples’ Property” was organized by the Faculty of Law in Rijeka, in the inter-university center of excellence in Opatija, on June 30, 2022.

Prof. dr. sc. Sanja Barić is a substitute member of the Republic of Croatia in the Venice Commission, rapporteur for Andorra and co-rapporteur for Kyrgyzstan. Prof. dr. sc. Sanja Barić is an external member of the Committee for the Constitution, Business and Political System of the Croatian Parliament.

Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management (FMTU), as a strong institution that supports peace and justice, provides support for the work of the Faculty’s Student Union and unites volunteers that work within the Student Union. Students are involved in the work of various committees and commissions operating at the Faculty (e.g. Ethics Commission), as well as in decision-making. The Student Ombudsman operates within the Student Union. Also, the FMTU, in cooperation with the Ombudsman’s Office, organized a lecture on  “Accessibility of tourist products and services to people with disabilities”.

There are two student organizations at the Faculty of Medicine, FOSS MEDRI and CroMSIC. The Faculty of Medicine and the city of Rijeka are cooperating in the field of translational research in order to find new biomarkers for target therapy, in order to study the following diseases: breast tumors, colon cancer, melanoma, head and neck tumors, lung tumors, gynecological tumors, urotract tumors and of the male external system and biosamples as part of the research of spontaneous and medically indicated attempts.

The Faculty of Engineering has an Economic Council made up of representatives of influential economic entities. Employees of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences are co-authors of the publication Can the Forests be Xenophobic? Migrant routes through Croatia and the forest as a screen.

In response to increasing demands for universities to open up to society and demonstrate their impact on society, thus strengthening the global partnership for sustainable development, UNIRI as a partner participates in the SHEFCE project (Steering Higher Education for Community Engagement), which represents a continuation of the TEFCE project (Towards a European Framework for Community Engagement in Higher Education). The long-term goal of the SHEFCE project is to contribute to increasing engagement in the European university community, in the form of partnerships with local and regional stakeholders in solving social challenges. The specific aim of the project is to build the capacity of universities, policymakers, and stakeholders to include joint engagement in higher education in Europe. As a partner in the project, the University of Rijeka participated in the creation of a framework for reflection on current and future work on initiating, promoting, and strengthening the engagement of the higher education institution in the community. The TEFCE institutional report is available on the UNIRI official website.

Associate Professor, Ph.D. Dunja Anđić from the Faculty of Teacher Education is the head of the UNIRI project related to sustainability – “Research activities in the teaching of nature and society” (PROVIDIT). The goal of the project is to establish guidelines intended for the development of a more significant connection with nature, better implementation of organized free time for students, responsible use of digital technology, and improvement of the quality of life of students, teachers, schools and sustainable community  development. The Alumni Club of the Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Rijeka is a club of former students of the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka, founded on February 25, 2022 with the aim of: encouraging and strengthening ties and cooperation of former students with the Faculty; connection and cooperation with the ALUMNI network of the University of Rijeka; promotion of education, science and lifelong learning in primary education and early and preschool education.

As part of strengthening cooperation within the YUFE Association, the YUFE LAW RIJEKA Meeting was held at the Faculty of Law in Rijeka on June 23 and 24, 2022. In the academic year 2021/2022. The Faculty of Law in Rijeka had 77 concluded Erasmus+ contracts in 23 European countries.

The Faculty of Law in Rijeka signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Anglia Law School Legal Clinic, Anglia Ruskin University, and cooperation agreements with the Lavoslav Ružička Polytechnic in Vukovar, the Pazinština Pensioners’ Association and the Depaul Croatia Association. On February 21, 2022, the second of four sessions of the prestigious training program for lawyers in football began, which the Faculty of Law in Rijeka, i.e. its Center for Sports Law, Sports Politics and Sports Diplomacy, is conducting together with UEFA.

In addition to already existing project collaborations in various EC programs (Hirozon2020, Justice, Erasmus+, COST), during 2022 the Faculty of Law in Rijeka participates on 3 projects as a partner:

1. As part of the EU Justice program, Faculty of Law participates in the project DIGI-GUARD – Digital Communication and safeguarding the countries’ rights: challenges for European civil procedure, where the coordinator is the Faculty of Law of the University of Maribor;
2. As part of the Erasmus+ program, there is a Jean Monnet Chair: Jean Monnet Chair “EU Sports Law, Policy & Diplomacy Jean Monnet Chair” and
3. “Assessment, evaluation and implementation of social protection of athletes in Olympic sports” (SOPROS) whose coordinator is the Deutsche Sporthohlschule Köln.

At the Faculty of Health Studies, with two ERASMUS projects AHEAD in VET and REMCO faculty employees actively participate in community social activities in the city council, county assembly, President Office of the Republic of Croatia and thereby contribute to participation in social partnership solving of community life problems. In addition, FZSRI volunteer employees help the work of clubs for the elderly, athletes with disabilities and children in sports clubs.