Faculty of Health Sciences Day celebrated

The Catholic University of Croatia celebrated Faculty of Health Sciences Day on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Following last year’s celebration of the 10th anniversary of the University Department of Nursing, this year’s ceremony marked a new chapter in the development of health sciences at the Catholic University of Croatia – now within the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The celebration began with Holy Mass celebrated by the Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia, Professor Željko Tanjić, PhD, and concelebrated by Professor Odilon-Gbènoukpo Singbo, PhD, Vice-Rector for Quality, Identity and Mission Professor Ante Crnčević, PhD, and University Chaplain Fr Branimir Jagodić.

“Remain human as you become professionals. Remain humble as you acquire knowledge. Remain close to people as you advance in your careers. Remain sensitive to suffering even when everyday life threatens to make you indifferent,” Rector Tanjić told the students of the Faculty in his homily. “You are not expected to be all-powerful. You are expected to be faithful. Faithful to knowledge. Faithful to truth. Faithful to people. Faithful to your own conscience. And, as Christians, faithful to God,” he said.

The formal academic ceremony began with a prayer and the Croatian national anthem performed by the Ivan Goran Kovačić Folklore Ensemble. Rector Professor Željko Tanjić, PhD, was the first to address those gathered, highlighting the growth of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the responsibility that comes with it. “You are the largest faculty at our University, a place of excellence for acquiring knowledge and competencies, but also a place where you will grow not only in the profession you have chosen, but also as human beings. As this Faculty grows, so does the University, but so does the responsibility of all of us – not only for the development of the University, but also for society and the Church,” Rector Tanjić said.

On behalf of Minister of Health Assistant Professor Irena Hrstić, PhD, Snježana Krpeta, MN, Special Adviser to the Minister for Nursing, addressed those gathered. She particularly emphasised the importance of in-person learning in the education of future healthcare professionals. “I am pleased that you are one of the faculties that, regardless of how difficult and demanding it may be to combine studying with work, does not offer online classes, because I believe that healthcare professionals belong alongside patients and should learn through direct, in-person experience,” Krpeta said. She also highlighted the Faculty’s contribution to educating a greater number of nurses in the field of emergency medicine.

The President of the Croatian Chamber of Midwives, Iva Podhorsky Škorek, MSc in Midwifery, expressed her satisfaction with the development of the Midwifery programme at the Catholic University of Croatia, particularly the launch of the graduate programme. “I am grateful that we have a Midwifery programme and, as of this year, a graduate programme as well. We have been waiting for this not for years, but for decades. We will have highly educated professionals who will be able to provide high-quality care,” Podhorsky Škorek emphasised.

On behalf of the Croatian Nursing Council, its Secretary Ljiljana Lujanac, MN, addressed those gathered. “What we pass on to these younger generations will come back to us when these people are the ones caring for us. Your tool is the knowledge you will acquire at the Faculty, and the Croatian Nursing Council will continue to support you,” Lujanac said.

The Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Assistant Professor Ivica Matić, PhD, presented the Faculty’s achievements during the previous academic year, reflecting on its growth, teaching and professional activities, and accomplishments. He thanked the academic staff, students, mentors, external associates and partner healthcare institutions whose work and cooperation contribute to the development of the Faculty and the education of new generations of healthcare professionals.

The ceremony continued with awards presented to students who distinguished themselves through academic achievement, research and extracurricular engagement. Twelve awards were presented for outstanding academic achievement in the 2025/2026 academic year, along with an award for the best Master’s thesis and two awards for exceptional extracurricular engagement.

Awards for outstanding academic achievement in the 2025/2026 academic year were presented to Anđela Mustapić, Karmen Mandić, Karla Mance, Sonja Antunović, Antonia Došen Karšaj, Ana Robić, Leonarda Herout, Tanja Valpatić, Jelena Mijić, Marina Perković, Ivana Vizler and Željka Bakota.

The award for the best Master’s thesis was presented to Tara Bosak for her thesis “The Association Between Social Media Use and Body Image Perception Among Students of the Catholic University of Croatia: A Cross-Sectional Study”, supervised by Professor Marta Čivljak, PhD. Awards for exceptional extracurricular engagement were presented to Sara Herceg and  Marie Rosaire Monnou Egnontché.

Željka Bakota addressed those gathered on behalf of the award-winning students. “When we enrolled at this University, we expected knowledge. But we could never have imagined the generosity with which you would share it with us. You gave us so much more than what was necessary and prescribed by the curriculum,” she said, thanking the academic staff and mentors.

Certificates of appreciation for mentoring and professional guidance of international students participating in Erasmus+ mobility during the 2025/2026 academic year were presented to Marija Antunović, Saša Balija, Martin Ercegovac, Matko Filipović, Tanja Fistrić, Biljana Hržić, Karlo Jurčec-Gnus, Dragana Jurčić, Ana Ljubas, Ana Marinić, Senka Pejković, Anita Struški and Verica Šeb.

A certificate of appreciation for mentoring students participating in incoming Erasmus+ mobility during the 2025/2026 academic year was presented to Laura Vujasinović.

For their contribution to the organisation and implementation of student mentoring during clinical placements at partner institutions of the Catholic University of Croatia, certificates of appreciation were presented to Željka Benceković, Tanja Fistrić, Mira Jelić, Tanja Lupieri, Mirjana Meštrović, Anita Znaor and Adelka Zoretić.

The ceremony concluded with the academic anthem Gaudeamus igitur, performed by the Ivan Goran Kovačić Folklore Ensemble.