History

Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek is a part of Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek established for the purpose of scientific and teaching activities in the field of social sciences in order to educate competent staff to work in all areas of applied kinesiology.

The Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek is a new component of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, however, the tradition of educating staff in the field of kinesiology and physical education in Osijek dates back to the last century. With the abolition of teachers’ and higher schools, the training of teachers was taken over by the newly opened pedagogical academies, and the Pedagogical Academy in Osijek was founded in 1961. The structure of the Pedagogical Academy consisted of two departments: the Department of Classroom Teaching and the Department of Subject Teaching. Seven study programs were conducted at the Department of Subject Teaching, including a two-year study of Physical Education. In the same year, a part-time study for Physical Education began, and the following academic year, 1962/1963 a two-year full-time study of Physical Education was launched. Classes in the study of Physical Education at the Pedagogical Academy lasted continuously until 1977, when there was an expansion of activities and a change in the name of the institution to the Faculty of Pedagogy.

At the Faculty of Pedagogy, the study of Physical Education in the field of teaching was also conducted. Two departments in the field of physical education were established, namely the Department of Physical Education, which began as four-year study program in physical education and the University Department of Physical Education, which organized sports activities for all faculties of the University of Osijek. The first generation of students of Physical Education was enrolled in the academic year 1978/1979. Around 40 to 65 students, depending on the generation, regularly enrolled in the study of Physical Education until the academic year 1984/1985. A special feature was that the study of Physical Education was also enrolled by foreign citizens, for example, two generations of students from Greece.

In the academic year 1977/1978, a two-year study in the field of Sports Recreation was launched, which enrolled two generations of students. With the closure of the Physical Education teaching course, the Department was focused on the organization of extracurricular sports activities for all students of the University of Osijek, but it also stopped working in 1996.

Since then, scientific and teaching activities in the field of kinesiology have taken place at the Higher Teacher Training College in Osijek, which in the academic year 2005/2006 grew into the Faculty of Teacher Education in Osijek.

The Strategy of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek for the period 2011-2020 states the need to organize the study of Physical Education at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Osijek, so in 2014 the Faculty of Teacher Education changed its name to the Faculty of Education.

In the 2016/2017 academic year, the sub-department of Kinesiology began its work at the Faculty of Education, which in 2017 grew into the Department of Kinesiology. In 2015, the procedure for initiating the undergraduate university study of Kinesiology was carried out, and the decision to initiate the study was made on July 12, 2016. In the 2017/2018 academic year, more precisely on October 2, 2017, classes  began in the new undergraduate university study program of Kinesiology, and 57 students enrolled in the first generation in two modules, Sport and Kinesiological Recreation.

The graduate university study of Kinesiology Education was approved on February 28, 2018.

At the initiative of the Rector of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Vlado Guberac, full professor, Ph.D., on September 25, 2019, a procedure was initiated to determine the justification for the establishment of the Faculty of Kinesiology in Osijek.

At the session of the Senate of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, held on May 27, 2020, a decision was made to establish the Faculty of Kinesiology in Osijek.

At the session of the Senate of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek held on July 20, 2020, the interim dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology, Vesnica Mlinarević, full professor, Ph.D. was elected, and on July 7, 2021 at the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek she was elected dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek and confirmed on July 13, 2021 at the Senate of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek.

On August 3, 2020, the Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek was registered at the Commercial Court in Osijek. The Faculty of Kinesiology received a work permit approved by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia on September 11, 2020.

Teaching and scientific work of the Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek begins on October 1, 2020 in the academic year 2020/2021 acting as an independent component of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.

In the academic year 2020/2021, the Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek had a total of 233 students, and in the academic year 2021/2022, 318 students have studied at the Faculty. In the academic year 2022/2023, the Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek has a total of 362 students.

The Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek will start with the implementation of two lifelong learning programs for adults with 60 ECTS credits, namely the head of sports and recreational activities and the head of fitness training, and new lifelong learning programs are being prepared.

The University undergraduate study program of Kinesiology and the graduate study program of Kinesiology Education are innovative and in line with the Bologna Declaration and European standards in higher education, and are tailored to the individual needs of students in acquiring competencies required in the labor market.

In the field of sports at all levels of education in the Republic of Croatia, educated experts with adequate knowledge and skills in the field of kinesiology are needed to be recognizable in the market and socially involved in sports and healthy society development as well as development of scientific research in applied kinesiology.

According to the Statute of the Faculty and the Regulations on the internal organization and systematization of employment positions at the Faculty of Kinesiology Osijek, the bodies of the Faculty are the Dean, the Faculty Council and other bodies provided by the Statute of the Faculty and other acts of the Faculty.