Project “SIGMA Z” is implemented within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026 and is financed by European Union funds through the NextGenerationEU instrument.
Research team
Associate Professor at the Department of Finance at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
She has been employed at the Faculty of Economics, Department of Finance, since 2006. In November 2010, she obtained the title of university specialist, and in 2013, she obtained the academic degree of Doctor of Science at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb. Her areas of scientific and research interest are social insurance, fiscal policy, operations of insurance companies, and technological innovations in finance, with an emphasis on insurance and payment transactions. She is the co-author of university textbooks and manuals, the author of numerous scientific and expert articles in finance in the country and abroad, and has participated in domestic and international scientific conferences as a presenter or session leader. Professional engagement in practice is achieved through membership in key bodies such as the Fiscal Policy Committee, and through continuous participation in the work of committees at ministries, supervisory boards and the Evaluation Group for Human Resources Management.
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Associate Professor at the Department of Finance at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dajana Barbić focuses her scientific and professional work on personal finance and the tax system. Her research, active contribution to education in financial and tax literacy, and the projects she leads demonstrate her ability to connect academic knowledge with practical challenges. Her previous research and methodological expertise will ensure a high level of scientific reliability in the results obtained. In SIGMA Z, she will participate in the design of a literature review, analyse previous research, and lead a research segment examining the level of pension and financial literacy among Generation Z and the mechanisms for improving their preparedness for financial challenges in old age.
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Associate Professor at the Department of Organization and Management at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
Her research focuses on competitive dynamics and corporate strategy. Her work examines how strategic decisions are made under conditions of uncertainty and how data-driven insights can improve planning, resource allocation, and business performance. In the SIGMA Z project, she will participate in the design of a literature review, analyse previous research, and be responsible for the strategic analysis of the environment, the management of project resources and risks, and the analysis of behavioral economic factors that shape the financial decisions of young people.
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Associate Professor at the Department of Finance at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
Assoc. Prof. Jakša Krišto, PhD through his scientific research and teaching activities, as well as the expertise gained in the broader field of financial institutions and markets, brings valuable competencies for collaboration in all areas and activities of the project. He is the head of the Institutional Investors Lab, deputy head of the “Institute for Financial Market Research,” and currently a member of the management board of the Faculty of Economics and Business – Vice Dean for Students, Teaching, and Cooperation with the Business Sector. Additionally, he is connected to professional practice through membership in supervisory boards and working groups. In the SIGMA Z project, he will participate in designing a literature review, analyzing previous research, and interpreting the results to develop recommendations for decision-makers in the pension system and the financial industry.
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https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/1772
Associate Professor at the Department of Statistics at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
She conducts scientific and professional work in statistics and econometrics, with a particular focus on the quantitative analysis of macroeconomic shocks and financial behaviours. In the SIGMA Z project, she will participate in the design of a literature review, analyse previous research, and develop research methodologies and data collection instruments and conduct advanced statistical and econometric analyses of behavioural factors.
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https://www.croris.hr/osobe/profil/28119
Assistant Professor at the Department of Finance at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
She graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Split and received her PhD in 2020 from the Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb (summa cum laude), for which she received the "Dr Pero Jurković" award. She has been working at the Faculty of Economics, Department of Finance, since 2016, teaching courses in public finance and fiscal policy in both Croatian and English. Her scientific interests include fiscal and tax policies, healthcare financing, and local finances. She is the author of numerous scientific papers, a reviewer in reputable journals, and a collaborator on HRZZ and Erasmus+ projects. She has completed professional development at universities in Florence, Paris, and Essex. She is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian. In the SIGMAZ project, she will participate in the design of a literature review, analyse previous research, will participate in collecting and processing data and developing recommendations for public policies that could encourage more responsible financial behaviour among young people.
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Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Finance at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
Marija Novinc completed her graduate studies at the Faculty of Economics, University of Osijek. Since May 2019, she has been employed at the Department of Finance at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, as a research assistant on the Croatian Science Foundation project "Sustainability of Public Finances on the Path to Monetary Union". In April 2023, she defended her doctoral dissertation titled "The Impact of Changes of the Corporate Income Tax Burden on Foreign Direct Investments Flows in Post-Transition Countries of Central and Eastern Europe". Since October 2023, she has held the position of Higher Teaching and Research Assistant at the Department of Finance, Faculty of Economics and Business. She participates in teaching courses: Public Finance, Fiscal Policy, Insurance and Risks and the Tax System of Croatia. She has published several scientific and professional papers and actively participates in national and international conferences. She also regularly attends workshops and seminars on research methods. Her research interests are primarily focused on taxation, with a particular emphasis on tax policy, international aspects of taxation, and their impact on public finances and economic developments. In the SIGMA Z project, she will participate in the design of a literature review, analyse previous research, and focus on researching the perception of pension products and young people's attitudes about economic sustainability in later life.
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Teaching and Research Assistant at the Department of Finance at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business
He was born in Zagreb, where he completed his primary education and attended Gymnasium Tituš Brezovački. He enrolled in the integrated undergraduate and graduate university programme in Business Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb in 2017 and graduated in 2022, majoring in Finance. During his studies, he was awarded the Rector’s Award for the academic year 2019/2020, as well as the Rector’s Special Recognition on the occasion of the University Day (Dies Academicus) for the academic year 2020/2021. Since April 2023, he has been employed as a Teaching and Research Assistant at the Department of Finance, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, where he also commenced PhD studies in Economics and Business Economics. Additionally, he has undergone professional training at the Paris School of Economics and the Academia de Studii Economice din București, as well as through workshops organised by the World Bank and the Bank of Italy. In the SIGMA Z project, he will participate in designing a literature review and analysing prior research, as well as developing a model to analyse the long-term economic decisions of Generation Z, with special emphasis on the sustainability of public debt and future debt costs for that population.
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