Minister of Science and Education Radovan Fuchs said on Monday that having students return to lecture theatres face to face is a priority and the responsibility for all higher education institutions, adding that inoculation was a fundamental precondition for complete normalisation.

“We recommend having as many students as possible to return to lecture theatres,” said Fuchs, adding that he is confident that universities will find ways to make this possible. However, whether this will be entirely possible will depend on the epidemiological situation in the country as well as on the universities and students themselves, he warned,

The minister was participating in a round table debate – “Will students return to university”, organised by Vern University to discuss what lectures in the new academic year will look like and what students expect.

According to Fuchs, the experience of other countries in higher education shows that inoculation is the key.

The dean of Zagreb University’s Faculty of Science (PMF), Mirko Planinic, agreed that vaccination is the key, underscoring that 85% of PMF’s teaching staff and about 60% of students have been vaccinated. PMF will recommend that masks be worn and lectures be entirely face to face, he said.

The leader of Zagreb University’s Student Union, Mihovil Miokovic expressed his confidence in the student community and announced a vaccination drive for 4 October in two student dormitories in Zagreb.