Nikola Buković has over 15 years of experience as researcher, activist and manager in the non-profit sector. His professional path began in 2008 with the internet portal ZaMirZINE and the Academy for Political Development where he worked as honorary associate and project assistant respectively. Since 2009 he has been with the Croatian Youth Network, completing his engagement with the organization as its coordinator. This was followed by two and half years with MAP Consulting, a consultancy specializing in evaluation and social development projects; and Gong, one of the leading Croatian civic watchdogs. Since January 2024 he is employed as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Social Policy at the Social Work Study Centre of the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb.

Focal topics of Nikola’s research and analytical work are vocational education and training, employment, social inclusion and social policy planning. He covered a range of other topics, such as civic education, employment, media education and youth participation in decision-making.  Furthermore, Nikola has been extensively involved in policy making and monitoring processes, taking part (among others) in working groups for developing National Employment Plan 2011 – 2012, National Youth Programme 2014 – 2017 and Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan. He was also member of the Monitoring Committee on the Operational Programme “Effective Human Potentials” during the 2014 – 2020 implementing period.