Department of psychology Day celebration

On Monday, May 12, 2025, the Psychology Department Day was ceremoniously marked. The program began with a Holy Mass celebrated by the University Chaplain Rev. Branimir Jagodić, concelebrated by the Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia, Prof. Željko Tanjić, PhD, the Vice-Rector for Quality, Identity and Mission, Prof. Ante Crnčević, PhD, and Assistant Professor Odilon Singbo, PhD, from the University Chair of Theology.
 

In his homily, the University Chaplain emphasized that the Gospel of John reveals something that deeply connects us all — the need for security, understanding, and meaning. "In the Gospel of John, in the passage we just heard, Jesus offers one of the most beautiful images of His relationship with us – the image of the shepherd and the sheep, and the gate that leads to life. This passage follows the story in the previous chapter where Jesus healed a man blind from birth, who was later cast out of the community by religious leaders. Rejected by the official 'shepherds', that healed man found in Jesus the true Shepherd. In the same way, we often seek those who will truly understand us, not merely judge us," the chaplain said. "Dear psychologists, your vocation is deeply rooted in Christ’s ministry of opening doors. Psychology, at its core, is not merely the science of behavior or mental processes, but a service to the whole person — a ministry of delving into the depths of the human soul, of listening, understanding, accompanying, and healing. Your work resembles the shepherd’s calling: to be with the one who is lost, wounded, seeking meaning, or standing before closed doors within themselves. A psychologist is called to be a companion on the path of discovering one’s truth, of opening the door to one’s own potential, and facing one’s limitations. Like Christ, the psychologist is called to be the gate — not an obstacle, not a judge, but one who enables passage toward the source of life, toward healing, reconciliation, and growth," the chaplain concluded.
 

The celebration continued with a formal academic ceremony held in the “Bl. Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac” hall. Addressing the gathered professors and students, Rector Tanjić congratulated the psychologists on their day, expressing pride and gratitude for all the achievements of the Department’s students, lecturers, and staff. The Rector drew a parallel between the process of choosing a pope and the pope’s role with psychology — both aim for something higher, the discovery of truth, and are oriented toward the call of helping individuals and society.
 

Head of the Psychology Department, Assistant Professor Dragan Glavaš, PhD, thanked all those who contributed to organizing the event. He expressed pride in the high demand for psychology studies, the quality of student and staff work, and presented the Department’s accomplishments over the past academic year. "Dear students, thank you for all your contributions, for all your extracurricular engagements — but not only for those. Thank you also for the support you give to your lecturers, which is most clearly seen in your dedication, effort, and consistent study. Believe me, this means a lot to us, because in it we immediately and clearly see the goal of our shared work and our being a part of this University," said Dr. Glavaš. He continued: "Dear lecturers, dear colleagues, I am happy to witness your work at today’s celebration and to modestly record, in numbers and words, the meaning of our presence at the University, in academia, and in society as a whole. May your path continue to be accompanied by health, God’s blessing, and true values — and then, as is empirically evident, we will provoke happiness and reap worthy fruits," concluded Dr. Glavaš.

Awards for best academic achievement in the 2023/2024 academic year were also presented:

• Ivana Hrkać for the 1st year of the undergraduate psychology program with a weighted grade point average of 4.803,
• Stella Lukač for the 2nd year with a GPA of 4.900,
• Tessa Pavleković for the 3rd year with a GPA of 4.917,
• Monika Knežević Dijanović for the 1st year of the graduate psychology program with a GPA of 5.000,
• Katarina Užarević for the 2nd year of the graduate psychology program with a GPA of 5.000.

The award for the best master’s thesis defended in the 2023/2024 academic year was awarded to Paula Borošak. Her thesis, "Volunteering in Crisis: Motivation, Experiences, and Consequences of Volunteering After the Earthquake", was written under the mentorship of Assoc. Prof. Ivana Vrselja, PhD, and co-mentorship of Assist. Prof. Lana Batinić, PhD. The thesis explored the rarely researched topic of crisis volunteering, focusing on the earthquake that struck Banovina in 2020. For the purpose of the research, Paula conducted focus group studies in three Croatian cities, recruited participants, organized and moderated the discussions, and performed thematic data analysis.

The award for exceptional extracurricular engagement promoting the Psychology Department and the profession during the 2023/2024 academic year was awarded to Sara Novosel and Antea Crnjak, third-year undergraduate psychology students.

Speaking on behalf of the awarded students, Monika Knežević Dijanović thanked the professors for sharing their knowledge, providing feedback, and their dedication in teaching. She also thanked her peers for shared learning moments, words of encouragement, and all forms of support. govorila je Monika Knežević Dijanović, koja je zahvalila profesorima na dijeljenju znanja, povratnim informacijama na njihov rad te na nesebičnom trudu u nastavi, a kolegama je zahvalila na zajedničkim učenjima, riječima ohrabrenja i svim poticajima.

Following the academic ceremony, a roundtable titled “Mentorship in Student Internships: Past Experiences and Future Recommendations” was held. Participants included Bernardica Franjić Nađ from the Educational Institution in Turopolje, Tomislav Goldi from Remete Primary School, Tanja Sever from Sever Psychological Center, and Mislav Vuković from the company Valcon Croatia. The roundtable was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Ivana Vrselja, PhD.
 

After the roundtable, the Psychology Student Club Hexis organized a knowledge quiz titled “5 on 5”. The academic ceremony was moderated by Katarina Užarević, Assistant at the Psychology Department.