The Evolution of ISVU: 20+ Years of the National Student Management System in Croatia

9 pages•Published: November 6, 2025

Ognjen Orel, Matija Kranjčina and Mirna Imrović

Abstract

The Higher Education Information System (ISVU) in Croatia is a complex national information system supporting higher education operation on multiple levels. It has been in operation for over 24 years, continuously evolving to meet the needs of its users. Currently developed and maintained by SRCE, the system initially started as only a fraction of the features it holds today. Over time, it expanded from basic student management system to support a wide range of administrative processes, including student enrolment, curriculum management, exam tracking, and financial operations.
ISVU's modular architecture, which includes over 15 end-user applications, allows institutions to access and manage data securely based on user permissions. The system is highly interoperable with other national systems and integrates with various external applications. Furthermore, over the years ISVU has supported the digital transformation of Croatian higher education by enabling various automated processes.
The system is constantly evolving, following new technologies and adapting to functional and legal requirements. Significant upgrades have included the introduction of the ISVU REST API, support for lifelong learning programs and micro credentials, and the integration of digital diplomas. The system's data warehouse, which facilitates decision-making through reporting and analytics, has been refactored to handle large volumes of data, supporting decision-making at institutional and national levels.
Thanks to continuous innovation, dedicated support from SRCE, and funding from the Government, ISVU has become one of the most modern and comprehensive business information systems in higher education, ensuring sustainability and success in the future.

Keyphrases: decision support system, e diplomas, national information system, student management system, system interoperability

In: Laurence Desnos, Raimund Vogl, Lazaros Merakos, Carmen Diaz, Janina Mincer-Daszkiewicz and Stuart Mclellan (editors). Proceedings of EUNIS 2025 annual congress in Belfast, vol 107, pages 117-125.

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/LbZp
	https://doi.org/10.29007/wfq5

BibTeX entry

@inproceedings{EUNIS2025:Evolution_ISVU_20+_Years,
  author    = {Ognjen Orel and Matija Kranjčina and Mirna Imrović},
  title     = {The Evolution of ISVU: 20+ Years of the National Student Management System in Croatia},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of EUNIS 2025 annual congress in Belfast},
  editor    = {Laurence Desnos and Raimund Vogl and Lazaros Merakos and Carmen Diaz and Janina Mincer-Daszkiewicz and Stuart Mclellan},
  series    = {EPiC Series in Computing},
  volume    = {107},
  publisher = {EasyChair},
  bibsource = {EasyChair, https://easychair.org},
  issn      = {2398-7340},
  url       = {/publications/paper/LbZp},
  doi       = {10.29007/wfq5},
  pages     = {117-125},
  year      = {2025}}

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