History

The GEA College story began in 1989, when a group of Slovenian business enthusiasts had an idea of establishing a training centre for entrepreneurs.

GEA College is created as Podjetniško izobraževalni center GEA College d.o.o. (Entrepreneurship Training Centre) on 16 February 1990 by 43 entrepreneurs as the initiative of a group of entrepreneurs and professors at the Faculty of Economy of the University of Ljubljana.

Companies, State and Private Institutions:

Individuals:

The initial phase of development and starting period the target groups of the centre represented entrepreneurs – those, who planned the development of (their) companies; at the time there was very little small companies in Slovenia. Most of these potential entrepreneurs were introduced to the elementary entrepreneurship and managerial knowledge and skills for leading a company. Raising awareness of different publics on entrepreneurship and its meaning for the development of the entire society, the entrepreneurship values gradually become a recognisable and important element in national institutions, which soon determined entrepreneurship as strategic advantage in Slovenia and its further economic development.
The GEA College has always followed the example of the best international entrepreneurship schools – it has collaborated with the renowned Babson College in USA and numerous European universities, which provided programmes of entrepreneurship on graduate and post-graduate levels.

In the few years the entrepreneurship and education training centre has developed into the largest one in Slovenia for the mentioned field. This is predominately contributed to the active collaboration with every dynamic and technologically important Slovenian companies and almost every company with the Gazela title. The College successfully collaborated with trade companies in Slovenia as well.

In 1993 the idea of establishing a higher education faculty inspired by the American business schools was introduced. This idea was realised in 1996 after the issue of the new Higher Education Act.

Establishing the GEA College of Entrepreneurship was a key milestone as the programme generated the need of establishing a higher education centre as well as post-graduate specialist study of entrepreneurship.

This year was marked by the development and establishment of the GEA College Research and Development Centre.

GEA College and its foreign partners develop new and innovative approaches to education and training of entrepreneurs with focus on incubating various new companies and business collaboration.

The GEA College of Entrepreneurship moved to a new location – to the Trevisini Palace in Piran.

The GEA College of Entrepreneurship in Piran has gained a very important addition – the opening of the Dr Bert Twaalfhovn Library. Dr Bert Twaalfhovn, who donated funds for the library is one of the first and most important promoters of entrepreneurship in the Europe. He has founded many companies, some of the being Indivers and the European Foundation for Development of Entrepreneurship.

The GEA College involvement in an increasing number of international projects sparked the establishment of the international graduate course in entrepreneurship in 2004.
Currently GEA College collaborates with over 40 universities form 17 countries. The collaboration takes place in many levels: student and professor exchange, research level and many other projects of business activity.

This year is an important milestone for the GEA College system – the celebration of the 15th anniversary of GEA College activity.

The first introduction of post-graduate programme of business is an important addition to the GEA College of Entrepreneurship.

The GEA College of Entrepreneurship was accredited graduate and post-graduate programme of Entrepreneurship in Tourism.

We have also developed the first European MBA programme of social entrepreneurship with the Leonardo da Vinci programme partners and within the EU Teses project “European Excellency of Education in Social Entrepreneurship Sector”.

Today GEA College is no longer merely an educational establishment, but a modern centre of international collaboration of various business events and projects. The GEA College system mission is encouraging entrepreneurship and development of innovative ideas, spreading business knowledge and awareness on entrepreneurship as driving force for the development of economy, creating new employments and a guide on the path to excellence, innovation and knowledge.

With the decision of the Accreditation Senate of the Council for Higher Education of the Republic of Slovenia GEA College of Entrepreneurship received a positive opinion on restructuring the higher education institution of the GEA College of Entrepreneurship into GEA College – Faculty for Entrepreneurship on 18 December 2009.

On Febuary 17th, 2011 GEA College – Faculty of Entrepreneurship has received a formal decision from Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education for Professional Undergraduate Bachelor Study Programme Financial Planning Consultancy.

GEA College of Entrepreneurship has received a decision to the higher education post-graduate study programme of Entrepreneurship from the National Higher Education Quality Agency on 16 February 2012.

And on 15 November 2012 the decision of the post-graduate programme of Management of Corporative Security.

The GEA College – Faculty for Entrepreneurship has received a decision to the higher education study programme of Entrepreneurship from the National Higher Education Quality Agency on 13 June 2013.

The GEA College Group has celebrated its 25th anniversary on 16 February.

The GEA College – Faculty for Entrepreneurship has received a decision to the higher education post-graduate study programme of The Entrepreneurial Management programme from the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in this year.
Over 1.520 students have graduated from the GEA College Faculty of Entrepreneurship and after 2010 the GEA College – Faculty of Entrepreneurship at the graduate programme of Entrepreneurship since its establishment and until the end of 2014. Two students have graduated from the Property Consultancy programme by the end of 2014. The post-graduate programme Entrepreneurship of the Bologna level (Masters of Business Sciences) has seen the graduation of 162 students by the end of 2014. 10 students concluded the specialist programme Entrepreneurship.