Edu:Manufaktura has a strong mission to increase the academic mobility of the Western Balkan students on the European level.
We aim to:
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Increase the public awareness and available information across the Balkans on the opportunities and advantages of international higher education;
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Help students to find and get admitted to the study program that is best suited for them, and universities to attract top talent for their undergraduate and graduate programs;
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Enable better access for students, particularly disadvantaged ones, to European universities;
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Inform policy decision-making across the Western Balkans.
Our activities are:
Education portal
We offer to the students free, up-to-date, original and syndicated content on opportunities and advantages of international education. In particular, www.edumanufaktura.org provides information on:
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higher education systems in Europe (including information on general admission requirements, access to scholarships and grants, visa application process, tuition fees, and university life across countries);
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higher education trends in Europe with perspective to global tendencies,
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the main benefits of international education, supported by research and evidence, as well as first-hand experiences and advices of students educated internationally.
Matchmaking consulting services
Designed to assist undergraduate and graduate students in their quest to find a study placement by matchmaking with the appropriate European universities. We provide services to all students, with disadvantaged students having an opportunity to receive them for free.
Although we focus mainly on the Western Balkan students, Edu:Manufaktura offers its matchmaking consulting services to students all around the world.
Policy focused activities
Data collected through our student assistance activities shall provide new insights into mobility patterns and behavior of students and student-receiving universities, and consequent labor market impact. Hence, our policy-focused activities comprise of:
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Producing evidence-based research for governments and NGOs;
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Organizing conferences/workshops, thus promoting the internationalization of HE.
Our people
Edu:Manufaktura's experts have an extensive practical knowledge of the higher education systems in the European countries (e.g., Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, among others), specifically focused on student assistance and student recruiting strategies and trends within the European context.
About us
Sanja Sontor
Founder and CEO
Before founding Edu:Manufaktura, Sanja worked as an Information Officer for the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program (CMU-PT). The CMU-PT focused on bringing Portugal to the forefront of scientific innovation and research in Europe by enabling academic collaboration with one of the best universities in the US. Sanja was responsible for conducting comprehensive statistical analyses pertaining to the business involvement in CMU-PT, the student and faculty recruiting and mobility, and examining the extent of the emerging university collaborations, among others. As an Analyst working for ICG, a Silicon Valley consultancy, Sanja deepened her knowledge of higher education industry, while working for international clients ranging from governmental agencies and ministries to privately and publicly held higher education institutions. Sanja is a holder of Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, as well as Master’s degree in Economics and Business from the University of Zagreb. She was also awarded a degree in Portuguese language and literature from the University of Zagreb.
Livier Michel Calderón
Marketing & PR Manager
Livier Michel believes in grasping the benefits of today’s internationalization of education. Previous to collaborating at Edu:Manufaktura, Livier Michel worked for two years at the International Programs Office of Tecnológico de Monterrey, in Mexico. During her first position as Incoming Student Advisor, she enjoyed assisting exchange students on the application process, including the provision of basic information before their arrival, as well as on acquiring a health insurance. Later on as Operations and Customized Groups Coordinator, she advised students on realizing an internship abroad, next to planning and executing the visit of foreign student groups, who were particularly interested in accomplishing Spanish and Cultural courses, as well as visiting the country. At this position she was also responsible of executing the visits of the representatives of the partner universities, the management of Inter-institutional Agreements of Cooperation, and the organization of the yearly International Programs Fair. Livier Michel holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara and a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance.
Julia Reis
Knowledge Manager
Julia loves to advise prospective students in their study decisions and makes sure that Edu:Manufaktura is always up-to-date about international application requirements. She has recently worked at CHE Consult, a consulting firm specialized on the higher education sector. During her time as an analyst there, she managed a study on the effects of international student credit mobility on Germany as well as assisting in a range of research and consulting projects dealing with aspects of the higher education system and higher education management. Because of her deep interest in higher education, Julia also worked at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and is currently volunteering as a Marketing Officer at Youni, an international university review platform. Julia holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Politics from the University of York (UK) as well as a Master in Public Policy from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. Furthermore, she spent a semester studying Public Policy at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. (USA).