05/28/2025 16:29
Since its inception, the Zagreb Stock Exchange has been strongly committed to education in areas related to the capital market, investing, and taking an active approach to personal finances. Over the years, the Exchange has regularly organized lecture series for various groups of financial market participants - ranging from small investors to infrastructure institutions and professionals - with a special focus on students and high school pupils. Over time, the need arose for a more formalized approach to education and for expanding the knowledge base on financial topics, which led to the founding of the Zagreb Stock Exchange Academy.
The Zagreb Stock Exchange Academy was launched in May 2010 as the educational division of the Zagreb Stock Exchange, with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Today, it is the leading provider of financial market education in Croatia.
To date, the Academy has developed over 120 different programs, several of which are more complex in terms of duration and scope. Notable examples include the Investor Relations program, completed by 16 generations of professionals, and the Compliance program, completed by 7 generations of participants.
The Academy has organized over 800 educational events, attended by approximately 15,000 participants. It places particular emphasis on youth education, especially targeting high school and university students - more than 6,500 of whom have participated in its programs. In addition to participants from across Croatia, the Academy has also hosted numerous international student groups from Europe and around the world, including Brazil, South Africa, Canada, China, the USA, and other countries. Every year, the Academy also participates in Global Money Week, joining over 40,000 organizations worldwide in this initiative aimed at raising awareness of the importance of financial literacy among children and youth.
In addition, the Academy has organized 12 roundtables and discussions on various current topics in finance and investing. It cooperates with numerous organizations and institutions whose goal is to enhance financial literacy and has been part of the body responsible for developing the national strategic framework for financial literacy under the Ministry of Finance. Currently, it is a member of the Operational Working Group responsible for monitoring the implementation of measures and activities defined in the Action Plan for Improving Consumer Financial Literacy. The Academy has also contributed on several occasions to teacher training in financial literacy, organized by the Education and Teacher Training Agency.
The Academy also manages an online stock trading simulation called Virtual Stock Exchange, which has attracted over 26,000 registered users. This simulation has been used for over a decade as part of capital market-related coursework at several economics and business-related universities, colleges, and secondary schools.
The Academy collaborates with numerous student associations, faculties, and secondary and higher education institutions: offering them various benefits, hosting visits to the Academy, organizing lectures and financial knowledge quizzes, guest lecturing at schools and faculties, and supporting financial literacy projects in many other ways. These efforts have been recognized, and the Academy has twice received the "Friend of Students" award, granted to organizations for significant contributions to the quality of student life, education, and professional development.
Since 2012, the Academy has also awarded its own Award for Contribution to Capital Market Education, which has honored individuals, organizations, and associations such as the Economic Clinic, the Financial Club of the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, eStudent, mathematician Toni Milun, economic analyst Velimir Šonje, and others who have successfully popularized financial knowledge and made it more accessible to a broader audience.
