International School for Social and Business Studies

What International School for Social and Business Studies does

International School for Social and Business Studies (MFDPŠ / ISSBS) is a privately held, NAKVIS-accredited higher education institution headquartered in Celje, Slovenia, founded in 2005. It offers Bologna-compliant undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs in economics, business, knowledge management, and leadership in education, primarily serving domestic Slovenian students and a growing cohort from the Western Balkans (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Montenegro) who study tuition-free under intergovernmental agreements.

Its core digital infrastructure consists of E-učilnica, a Moodle-based virtual learning environment used for blended course delivery, and Novis, a higher education information system for student records and administration. Supporting services include a Career Center, an alumni network, a library integrated with the COBISS national system with access to SpringerLink, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and JSTOR, and a publishing house (ToKnowPress) producing scientific monographs and journals. The institution also runs the MakeLearn, TIIM, and PIConf international conferences.

The business model is primarily tuition- and enrollment-driven, with revenue supplemented by conference publishing, library memberships (€8/year), and Slovenian public funding associated with its accredited status. Free-tuition policies for domestic undergraduates and Western Balkan students materially limit per-student monetization, making enrollment volume and institutional subsidies the main revenue mechanics.

Name

International School for Social and Business Studies

Legal name

Mednarodna fakulteta za družbene in poslovne študije (MFDPŠ)

Website

https://mfdps.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ISSBS is a NAKVIS-accredited private university in Celje, Slovenia, offering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs in social and business studies, primarily serving Slovenian and Western Balkan students through tuition-free and Bologna-compliant programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher education services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Management Research Institutes & Doctoral (PhD/DBA) Programs (EDAHAHAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Teacher Education Universities (Licensure & M.Ed.) (EDAHALAG), Field-of-Study & Discipline-Specific Funding (EDAIAOAD)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University degree programs
• Business and social studies
• Distance learning platform
• Erasmus international exchange

Headquarters

HQ city

Celje

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MFDPŠ is a privately operated higher education institution delivering accredited undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs in economics, business, knowledge management, and leadership in education. It supports instruction through a Moodle-based virtual classroom (E-učilnica) and a higher education information system (Novis), and complements teaching with an in-house publishing house, a COBISS-integrated library, a career center, and an alumni network. The faculty also organizes international scientific conferences (MakeLearn, TIIM, PIConf) and facilitates Erasmus+ student mobility.

Product overview

MFDPŠ (International School for Social and Business Studies) is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive suite of academic programs across three levels: undergraduate (Ekonomija v sodobni družbi UN and Poslovanje v sodobni družbi VS), master's (Management znanja and Vodenje in kakovost v izobraževanju MAG), and doctoral (Management znanja DR). The institution's core digital products include the E-učilnica (Moodle-based virtual learning environment) and Novis (higher education information system). Supporting services encompass a Publishing House for academic materials, Library integrated with COBISS, Career Center for student employment support, and an Alumni network. International engagement is facilitated through Erasmus+ mobility and organized conferences including MakeLearn and TIIM & PIConf. The renewed 2024/25 undergraduate programs incorporate contemporary subjects like Artificial Intelligence in Business, Business Forensics, and Cryptocurrencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ekonomija v sodobni družbi (UN) - Undergraduate University Program in Economics in Contemporary Society University-level undergraduate program in Economics in Contemporary Society, preparing graduates for positions requiring economic and business skills, including macro and micro economic analysis and decision-making. The program is free regardless of age or employment status.
• Poslovanje v sodobni družbi (VS) - Undergraduate Professional Program in Business in Contemporary Society Professional higher education program in Business in Contemporary Society, providing practical business knowledge and skills for the modern work environment. The program is free regardless of age or employment status.
• Management znanja (MAG) - Master's Program in Knowledge Management Master's program in Knowledge Management, focusing on knowledge-based organizational management and strategic knowledge implementation.
• Vodenje in kakovost v izobraževanju (MAG) - Master's Program in Leadership and Quality in Education Master's program focusing on leadership and quality assurance in educational institutions and higher education settings.
• Management znanja (DR) - Doctoral Program in Knowledge Management Doctoral program in Knowledge Management, preparing researchers and academics for advanced research in knowledge-based organizations.
• E-učilnica (E-classroom) A virtual learning environment powered by the Moodle platform, designed for blended learning and e-education activities. Supports teaching, learning, and research with collaborative features between teachers and students.
• Novis - Higher Education Information System A comprehensive higher education information system for managing student records, academic data, and institutional information.
• ISSBS Publishing House (Založba) / ToKnowPress Publishing division producing scientific monographs, textbooks, study materials, and the ToKnowPress international publications, enhancing availability of study literature for students.
• Erasmus+ Mobility Program International exchange program enabling students and faculty to complete study obligations or internships at partner institutions in EU countries, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Both undergraduate programs are free regardless of age or employment status
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• COBISS (Library ID: 51005)coreOthersThe MFDPŠ library is part of the national library information system Cobiss, providing access to shared cataloging and library services across Slovenia.
• SpringerLinkcoreOthersFree access to international scientific journal database for students and faculty members of ISSBS.
• ProQuestcoreOthersFree access to international scientific journal database for students and faculty members of ISSBS.
• EBSCOhostcoreOthersFree access to international scientific journal database for students and faculty members of ISSBS.
• JSTORminorOthersOpen access digital library including numerous scientific journals, books, and other resources.
• 40+ International Partner InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 40 partner institutions abroad for Erasmus+ student exchanges, internships abroad, and international academic collaboration across EU countries, Liechtenstein, Norway, Turkey, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
• 250+ Regional CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected with over 250 local and international companies for student projects, professional internships, and employment opportunities in the Savinja region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DOBA Faculty of Applied Business and Social Studies: Slovenian private higher education institution focused on business and social studies with applied, career-oriented programs. Closely comparable in scale, private status, and applied business / social science positioning.
• GEA College: Slovenian private higher education institution delivering business, management, and entrepreneurship programs in English. Comparable as a small, private Slovenian HEI competing for similar international and domestic business students.
• IEDC Bled School of Management: Slovenian private business school offering MBA and executive education. Directly comparable as a domestic, private, internationally-oriented business school competing for the same Slovenian and Western Balkans student pool.
• Alma Mater Europaea: European private university network with strong presence in Slovenia offering business, social sciences, and management programs. Comparable as an accredited private HEI with international student recruitment and Bologna-aligned programs.

Emerging players

• BSP Business School: Smaller Slovenian private business school focused on applied business and management education. Comparable as a niche, private Slovenian business education competitor targeting similar student segments.

Regional players

• Sarajevo School of Science and Technology: Private English-language university in Sarajevo with strong business and management programs. Competes with MFDPŠ for Western Balkans students seeking English-taught business degrees in the region.
• International Burch University: Private university in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, offering English-taught business, engineering, and social science programs. Comparable as a regional private HEI recruiting from the Western Balkans market that MFDPŠ targets.

Broad incumbents

• University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business: The flagship Slovenian public business school offering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs in economics and business. Represents the dominant incumbent MFDPŠ competes with for domestic students and faculty.
• University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences: Slovenia's main public faculty for social sciences, covering sociology, political science, and related disciplines. Comparable as a social-science HEI competing for the same domestic postgraduate and doctoral talent.
• University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business: Major Slovenian public faculty of economics and business offering full BA/MA/PhD programs. A broad incumbent competitor for Slovenian business students and research collaborations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCjvAleKGNkcveJXlQ4EhYg
• Facebookfacebook.com/mfdps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-school-for-social-and-business-studies
• Instagraminstagram.com/mednarodna_fakulteta_mfdps
• TikToktiktok.com/@fakulteta_mfdps

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International School for Social and Business Studies