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+385 21 32 92 84 -
Poljička cesta 35, Split, Croatia -
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Pristupačnost
+385 21 32 92 84 Poljička cesta 35, Split, Croatia INTRANET
WEBMAIL
Pristupačnost
Renata Relja
Title: Full Professor with Tenure
undergraduate
graduate
Renata Relja, PhD, is a Full Professor with tenure at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split. Her research focuses on the relationship between education and the labour market, professional identities, the hidden curriculum, contemporary ethnographic approaches, and the social and developmental dimensions of tourism.
She is the author of numerous scientific articles, books, and book chapters published in national and international scholarly publications, and regularly presents the results of her research at leading national and international scientific conferences. She is actively engaged in fostering international academic and research collaboration and has established a strong international profile through her research, teaching, and professional activities.
Professor Relja serves as an independent expert evaluator for the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Programme and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), contributing to the assessment of scientific excellence and the research potential of project proposals from across Europe.
She was one of the founding members of the Research Centre of Excellence for School Effectiveness and Management, the first Research Centre of Excellence in the Social Sciences in Croatia. Within the Centre, she served as Head of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences research unit at the University of Split and actively contributed to the development of research infrastructure, international collaboration, and scientific excellence.
In her teaching, Professor Relja is committed to integrating scientific knowledge with empirical research and to fostering students’ critical thinking and research competences. Through her long-standing academic, research, and professional engagement, she has made a significant contribution to the advancement of sociology, the enhancement of higher education, and the international visibility of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Split.
Research Areas
Sociology of Work and Labour Markets
Sociology of Education and Educational Policy
Sociology of Professions and Professionalization
Ethnography and Ethnographic Methods in Social Research
Sociology of Leisure and Recreation
Economic Sociology and Organizational Sociology
Hidden Curriculum and Career Development
Current Research Interests
Career Aspirations and Professional Orientations of Young People in Contemporary Labour Markets
School Organizational Culture in the Post-Pandemic Context
Qualitative Methodology and Ethnography in Social Science Research
Professionalization of School Leadership and Educational Management
Migration, Identity, and Multiculturalism, with Particular Reference to the Croatian Diaspora
Tourism and Quality of Life in Local Communities
Participatory and Qualitative Approaches in Educational Research
Professional Memberships
Croatian Sociological Association -Member of the Executive Board (2007–2011)
Croatian Educational Research Association - Member of the Executive Board (present)
Academic Service, Committees, Editorial Boards and Professional Activities
Member of the National Committee for the Social Sciences (present), responsible for the fields of Political Science, Sociology, Social Work, and Demography
Member of the Science Committee, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split (2023-present)
Member of the Expert Team within the SEA-EU Project, contributing to the establishment of the Observatory for Migration and Human Rights
Editor of the volume School Effectiveness and Educational Management: Towards a South-Eastern Europe Research and Public Policy Agenda (Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2016)
Chair of the Publishing Committee, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split (2012-2016)
Member of the University of Split Committee for Academic and Teaching Publications (2012-2016)
ECTS Coordinator, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split (2017-2022)
Editor-in-Chief of the Proceedings of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split (2006-2015)
Member of the Editorial Board of Croatian Studies Review (present)
Member of the Editorial Board of Građa i prilozi za povijest Dalmacije (Sources and Contributions to the History of Dalmatia)
Competitive Scientific Research Projects
HORIZON - Supporting European R&I Through Stakeholder Collaboration and Institutional Reform, Project No. 1011367755, Research Associate.
Centre of Excellence for School Effectiveness and Management, Head of the Organizational Unit for Special Research Areas, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split / Ministry of Science and Education, Republic of Croatia/, Research Associate.
European University of the Seas (1 October 2019 -30 September 2022), Research Associate.
Social Sciences and Humanities in Intersectoral Outreach for Better Education and Sustainable Innovations (SHOUT), University of Split (1 November 2019 - 31 October 2022), Erasmus+ Programme - Knowledge Alliances, Research Associate.
Socio-Religious Map of Croatia (Project No. 5-06-192), Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Research Associate.
Religious Communities in Croatia and Their Role in Integration Processes (Project No. 01940108), Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Research Associate.
Sociocultural Capital and the Development of Croatia: Between Globalization and Localization (Project No. 0194204), Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Research Associate.
Competitive Professional Projects
Development of Occupational Standards and Qualification Standards for Adult Education Specialists: Enhancing Quality in Higher Education through the Implementation of the Croatian Qualifications Framework, European Commission (30 June 2015 – 31 August 2016), Research Associate.
Building a Welcoming Society, Association MI and UNHCR (2018–2019), Research Associate.
The South East European Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (SEECEL) (2014–2015), Project Associate.
Let's Study Together!, IPA4.1.2.2.02.01.cll, implemented within the call Integration of Disadvantaged Groups into the Mainstream Education System (2011–2015), Project Associate.
Institutional Scientific Research Projects
Tourism and the Labour Market: Trends and Perspectives, Principal Investigator (1 October 2022 - 1 October 2024).
Analysis of Changes in the Protection of Migrants’ Rights in the EU within the Context of Contemporary Philosophical and Sociological Perspectives, Principal Investigator (1 October 2020 - 1 October 2022).
1. International Award for Excellence in Research (2025)
Awarded by the Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations Research Network, Common Ground Research Networks, in association with the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (USA).
Recipient of the Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations International Award for Excellence (Volume 24) for the article “Relations of Intimacy and Family in the Thought of Anthony Giddens”, recognized for its outstanding scholarly contribution and excellence in research.
2. Awared for Excellence in Research (2025)
Awarded by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split, in recognition of outstanding scientific research achievements in the field of Social Sciences.
3. Award for Excellence in Teaching (Academic Year 2021/2022)
Awarded by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split, in recognition of outstanding teaching performance and exceptional commitment to student learning and academic support.
