DOBA Fakulteta

First to introduce distance learning — even beforethe turn of the millennium

DOBA Business Group derives its name from the founder, Jasna Dominko Baloh, combining her two surnames. Over time, it has become synonymous with what the company is striving for and bringing to life every day: the concept of lifelong learning. The group consists of four units: a technical college, a language learningcentre, an international business academy, and — most prominently — the DOBA Business School. Many students, balancing full-time jobs, enrol in the DOBA Business School to gain new practical, up-to-date know-how, advance their careers through promotions, and ensure personal growth. The teaching staff responds to this decision with a profound sense of responsibility. This is felt by all employees, including Jasna’s husband Peter Baloh, who is the Chief Financial Officer, and their daughter Polona Baloh Kremavc, the Director of Academic Programmes at DOBA Business School. For several years, they have been actively facilitating a smooth transition of leadership to the second generation. This entails a strong focus on supporting employees and their families.

It all began with languages 

Founder Jasna explains that the origins of the DOBA Business Group came about through a stroke of serendipity. In the early ‘90s, the teacher and psychologist got the idea to begin organising language lessons for young children. Within two months of its founding, the company had received more than a thousand applications. They also organised language lessons for adults, with German lessons being the most popular. “The first two years were exhausting because our network of teachers wasn’t large enough,” Jasna admits. “I don’t know if I’d do it again.” They tackled these early challenges successfully and expanded their activities by working with the Employment Service of Slovenia. They used special programmes to introduce adult learning techniques to adults and help them discover their career goals.

Building on their gained experience, the team then set up a high school, under whose auspices they organised lessons for final exams. It distinguished itself from other local high schools due to its teaching approach, specifically designed for adults returning to education: “The adults who opt for this path often have had bad experiences in their earlier schooling, which led them to drop out. Our key advantage was our ability to adapt to their needs,” Jasna explains. In the late ‘90s, she was joined at work by her husband, Peter Baloh, the company’s current Chief Financial Officer.

As a businessman with experience is economics, bookkeeping, and finances, Peter was well-prepared for entrepreneurial challenges. The transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship also brought many novel experiences. In his new role, he had to assume more responsibility and navigate a greater degree of uncertainty. In the corporate world, tasks were highly specialised and structured, but as an entrepreneur, he had to master a wide spectrum of tasks, from strategic planning to operations.

In the early years, the team had to pay considerable attention to establishing a solid foundation for the company. These included drafting a business plan, establishing financial structures, and exploring growth opportunities. Building trust among employees and customers is essential, while also setting up efficient processes to ensure high-quality services.

Exceptional breakthroughs in higher education

With the dawn of the new millennium, DOBA began making important breakthroughs both in Slovenia and abroad. As the first private educational institution in Slovenia, DOBA established a private technical college with the Business Secretary programme, which is still in operation today. “Even back then, we worked hard to bring higher education to full-time employees, mostly to avoid having them attend classes several times a week,” Jasna explains. By looking at examples from abroad, they discovered distance learning. They approached its introduction systematically and analytically. They assembled a team that studied best practices by visiting foreign institutions already active in online learning.

In 1999, DOBA became the first institution in Slovenia to offer distance learning and the first in Southeast Europe to earn international accreditation for it. They remain the only higher education institution in Southeast Europe with international accreditation for the quality of their distance learning.

Since setting up DOBA Business School, the company has undergone numerous changes, mostly in how they carry on their activities: “Due to declining interest, we closed our high school and discontinued language lessons for children in response to cheaper competition,” Jasna explains. They retained online language lessons to a limited extent, offering them to individuals and groups, and companies.