Business Economics in Digital Environment

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Postgraduate university doctoral programme –  Business Economics in Digital Environment
Programme organized by:  Department of Economics and Business of the University of Dubrovnik, and Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Zagreb
Duration of the programme:  3 years (6 semesters)
Degree awarded upon completion:  Doctor of Social Sciences, field of Economics (PhD)
Place where the programme is carried out:  University of Dubrovnik
Language of the programme:  Croatian and English

WHY CHOOSE THIS PROGRAMME?

One of the fundamental characteristics of the world today is a comprehensive digital transformation process, which encompasses all aspects of our social life. The digital transformation will impact all economic sectors and will determine the growth and development potential of the world economies. According to the World Economic Forum, 30% of the jobs existing in 2020 have come about in the last five years. Until 2023, 60% of new jobs will require a skillset that today only approximately 20% of the population have. Building competitiveness in the digital economy requires developing new theories and models that will take into account these structural changes. Also, it requires an accumulation of knowledge and skills that are needed to shape the economic policies and business in the digital environment.
As the first of its kind in the Republic of Croatia, the postgraduate university (doctoral) programme of Business Economics in Digital Environment takes this fact as its guiding principle. It aims at providing its students with the knowledge and skillset that will make them competitive in the digital economy. The programme is comprised of several thematically related modules dealing with topics of key importance for business economics. However, as opposed to the existing programmes bearing the same name, the focus of this programme is on the digital transformation as the central topic for the business economics of the future.

FOR WHOM IS THIS PROGRAMME INTENDED?

• For entrepreneurs and managers from the current business enterprises who see in the digital transformation their chance for business success and for increasing their competitiveness, both on the domestic and on the international market
• For young scientists from other scientific research institutions whose research interests lie in the field of Business Economics in Digital Environment
• For students who are interested in the sector, regional, national and international determinants of the growth and development of enterprises, i.e., for those who are interested in the opportunities of managing economic flows in the digital economy

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GRADUATING FROM THIS PROGRAMME?

The skills acquired by attending this programme will enable students from the business sector to gain an understanding of the digital business environment, to recognize business niches and launch new business endeavours as well as to adjust and optimize business operations to the new conditions. This programme enables students to gain knowledge that fosters innovative methods of valorising cultural and historical heritage, of destination management and of building new sustainable tourism concepts in the digital environment. In participating in the programme’s activities, students will gain knowledge about the opportunities and risks of doing business in the digital economy on the international market. This will bring about the boosting of their international competitiveness and integration into international value add chains. A high-quality human capital with competitive knowledge is an important factor when it comes to attracting foreign investors. The benefits achieved through the influx of investments are visible in the increase in productivity, export competitiveness and innovations of the economy as a whole, and can therefore be viewed as indirect benefits of this programme. The programme thus offers knowledge that can be implemented in building national and international competitiveness of business enterprises in all sectors of the economy as well as knowledge necessary for building competitiveness and destination management.
Specific knowledge that students will acquire by attending and completing the proposed programme includes:
• An advanced level of the knowledge of economic laws and analytic framework necessary for conducting research in the area of business economics;
• Understanding of internal business processes and decision-making at the business enterprises’ level;
• Understanding and analysis of the impact of local, regional, national and international business environment to an organization;
• Knowledge applicable in the shaping of economic policies at the local, regional and national level;
• Recognizing business opportunities and making optimal business decisions in the conditions of the digital economy.