Preparing our students for jobs of the future

Twenty-first-century skills prepare students to enter the workforce with the ability to think critically and creatively, collaborate with others, take the initiative when approached with a task, and use technology to its fullest potential. At the Faculty of Economics, through the work of our four centres, Soft Skills Academy, as well as through cooperation with the representatives of the public and private sectors, we organize numerous extracurricular activities that allow students to acquire the additional knowledge, skills, and competencies they need for the labour market.

The inclusion of representatives of the public and private sectors, as well as professional associations in extracurricular activities at the Faculty of Economics, is high on the list of our priorities. Based on that idea, four centres were created, each of which, as a support instrument for students and professors, has a specific role in achieving the mission of the Faculty of Economics. The centres are as follows: Centre for Business, Centre for Career Development, Centre for International Cooperation and Centre for Statistical Analysis, where more than 50 students volunteer.

Academy of soft skills Bearing in mind the trends in the labour market, which relate to the increasing demand for personnel who, in addition to formal education, have developed soft skills, the Faculty of Economics launched the Academy of Soft Skills in 2022 for all interested students. Through numerous thematic workshops, lectures and training of certifi ed lecturers, students were given the opportunity to acquire knowledge about a specifi c soft skill and work on improving their own skills. By participating in the work of the Academy of Soft Skills, students are introduced to various areas of soft skills development, such as the development of leadership and negotiation skills, development of emotional intelligence, development of teamwork skills, the importance of self-confidence for success, etc.

Cooperation with the economy and the public sector Improving cooperation with the business community and partner institutions through their inclusion in the processes at the Faculty and shaping the profi le of the future economist is an imperative of modern higher education and one of the strategic directions of the development of the Faculty of Economics. The result of this determination is a base of 80 partner institutions and the launch of the Alumni Club of the Faculty of Economics. Cooperation with our partners is reflected in numerous joint projects, and during this year it will be operationalised through the implementation of a new model of professional practice for all students in the final year of basic academic studies, which will improve the competencies of our graduates and provide knowledge of greater practical value. Practical classes are planned so that students master part of the learning outcomes through engagement in companies and institutions of the public sector. During the professional internship, students will complete a final project with the employer that relates to a specific discipline studied at the Faculty, assigned by a professor from the Faculty, and is closest to the company/institution from the aspect of its activity.