The Otonik Institute of Applied Sciences, commonly known as OIAS, is a major public technical university located in Novi Otonik, District II.
Distinct from the theoretical and theological focus of Karlovac University or the broad research mandate of Sinj University, OIAS is a specialized institution dedicated to engineering, metallurgy, logistics, and business administration. It is the primary feeder institution for the nation’s heavy industries, including Maj Holdings, GradnjaMC, and Republic Rail.
In recent years, the institute has gained political significance as the academic home of Vesna Horvatin, the leader of the Civic Renewal Front (CRF), whose economic theories taught at OIAS formed the basis of the party’s modern deregulation platform.
History
The Polytechnic Era (1968–1985)
The institution was founded in 1968 as the Otonik Polytechnic. It was created during the industrial boom following the Treaty of Brod Moravice, specifically to train skilled technicians for the expanding steel mills and the Krasja automobile factories.
Ideally situated in the heart of the industrial district, the Polytechnic focused on vocational training. Its curriculum was heavily influenced by the needs of local trade unions, particularly SZNO.
University Status and Expansion (1985–2000)
In 1985, under the patronage of the powerful local Senator and Blue Dawn leader Ljubo Sanjakorin, the institute was upgraded to full university status and renamed OIAS. Sanjakorin envisioned it as a “West Point for Industry,” a place to train the managers of the new state-owned enterprises he was creating.
Following the passage of the 1988 State Enterprise Act, OIAS received massive state grants to build the Faculty of Rail Logistics, designed to support the new Republic Rail network.
The Corporate Turn (2000–Present)
As the Kresimirian economy shifted in the 21st century, OIAS pivoted toward the private sector. The rise of Maj Holdings as a dominant economic force led to increased private funding for the university.
During the 2010s, the Faculty of Business became a hotbed of economic liberal thought, challenging the statist orthodoxy of Sanjakorin’s era. This intellectual shift was spearheaded by professors like Vesna Horvatin, who argued that the state monopolies were stifling the potential of Kakerovecska’s industry.
The institute’s finances were transformed by the 2011 University Autonomy Bill. Following its passage, OIAS received a massive influx of capital from Maj Holdings and Krasja, allowing it to build state-of-the-art facilities that the government could no longer afford, though critics argued this made the university beholden to its corporate donors.
Academics and Campus
The OIAS campus is strictly utilitarian, reflecting its industrial surroundings. It is located in Industrial Zone 3, flanked by the Krasja assembly plant and the Republic Rail marshaling yards. The buildings are constructed of reinforced concrete and steel.
Key Faculties
- School of Metallurgy and Engineering: The most prestigious department. It features fully functional blast furnaces and rolling mills for student training. It maintains a “revolving door” relationship with Maj Steel.
- Faculty of Logistics and Supply Chain: Renowned for its expertise in railway and trucking logistics. It was here that Vesna Horvatin developed her “Intermodal Efficiency” theories.
- Otonik Business School: Focused on practical management and entrepreneurship rather than theoretical economics.
Student Life and Culture
The culture at OIAS is pragmatic and career-focused. Unlike the political radicalism of the University of Pulma, OIAS students are generally seen as aspiring technocrats and managers.
- “The Shift”: Many students participate in “The Shift,” a co-op program where they work full-time in local factories for one semester each year, earning credits and wages simultaneously.
- The Iron Ring: Graduates of the engineering program receive an iron ring made from the first steel poured at the student foundry, symbolizing their obligation to the profession.
Political Influence
Historically a stronghold of Blue Dawn loyalty due to Sanjakorin’s patronage, the university has shifted politically in the last decade. The Business School, in particular, became the incubator for the Civic Renewal Front’s resurgence in District II.
The “Otonik School of Economics”—a term coined by the Kresimirian Herald—refers to the deregulation and free-market policies advocated by Horvatin and her colleagues at OIAS. These ideas were instrumental in flipping the district to the CRF in the 2022 election.
Notable Alumni and Staff
- Vesna Horvatin: Professor of Economics (2005–2014) and current CRF Leader.
- Toma Zidaric: The current CEO of GradnjaMC (Civil Engineering graduate).
- Karlo Brkic: CEO of SeverMin (Mining Engineering graduate).
- Viktor Durak: Former Vjetrusa Senator (completed a trade certificate in the 1970s before the university upgrade).
- Starskard (Dejan Perkovic): The famous rapper and producer studied Sound Engineering at OIAS in the 1990s. He formed his first band, Carpenter Workhorse, in the university’s workshops and continues to fund the institute’s audio laboratories.
- Senator Matej Kovac was a physics and optical science researcher at the Institute before entering politics.