Certificates Awarded to the Sixth Generation Mark the Completion of the Integration and Education Programme

On Thursday, 16 April 2026, a ceremonial awarding of certificates to the sixth generation of participants in the Integration and Education Programme was held in the Blessed Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac Hall. This was also the final generation envisaged within the three-year project. A total of 38 participants received certificates of successful completion of the programme, as well as certificates of proficiency in the Croatian language.

In addition to participants and university lecturers, the ceremony was attended by the Rector, Prof. Željko Tanjić, PhD; Viktor Filima, representative of the Ukrainian national minority of the City of Zagreb; and Prof. Marina Čubrić from the Archdiocesan Classical Gymnasium in Zagreb, who collaborated on the programme.

Rector Željko Tanjić expressed his joy at the occasion: “I am truly pleased to see all of you this evening and warmly greet you on behalf of our entire university community. You are the sixth generation who, through your effort and dedication, have successfully completed this programme. In addition to language competences, it has provided you with knowledge of Croatian history, society, and culture. I also thank and congratulate your teachers, who speak of you and this programme with great affection. We will strive to continue it in a different format and offer it to our fellow citizens from other countries.”

Viktor Filima also extended his congratulations to the participants and expressed gratitude to the Catholic University of Croatia: “I must say that I was deeply moved by the fact that the Catholic University of Croatia, through Christian charity, extended a helping hand to Ukrainians in this difficult situation. Without knowledge of the language and understanding of the context in which we live, integration is impossible. You have succeeded in this, and I sincerely congratulate you.”

The Programme Head, Karla Žagi, PhD, thanked all lecturers involved in the programme, with special emphasis on “the strong language team led by Prof. Marina Čubrić from the Archdiocesan Classical Gymnasium, whose expertise and dedication made it possible to conduct language examinations and issue certificates of language proficiency at the University. After three years of the programme, I would highlight this as a valuable achievement that enables the development of new programmes.”

After the awarding ceremony, the group representative, Hanna Tsukanova, addressed those present in fluent Croatian, greeting the lecturers and thanking them for their knowledge, patience, and the pleasant atmosphere throughout the programme.

The Integration and Education Programme was supported by the foundation of the German Bishops’ Conference Renovabis and the Catholic University of Croatia, with the Ukrainian Community of the City of Zagreb as a partner organization. The programme has been implemented at the University since February 2023. The teaching team included university lecturers Anna Komarytsia, Milica Mikecin, Mario Bara, Karla Žagi, Tado Jurić, Lucija Mihaljević, and Matea Vidulić. The programme was designed for six groups of participants from Ukraine, with a total of 240 participants completing it.