Rector Tanjić Participates in the 4th Rectors’ Conference in Krakow and the Conference of the Catholic Universities Partnership in Lublin

The 4th Meeting of the Rectors’ Conference of the Republic of Croatia and the College of Rectors of Krakow Universities was held in Krakow, Poland, from 15 to 18 October 2025.

The meeting was organized at the initiative of Paweł Włodarczyk, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in Krakow (responsible for the Lesser Poland, Silesia, and Subcarpathian Voivodeships), and H.E. Tomislav Vidošević, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Poland. This gathering continued the excellent cooperation between Croatian and Krakow universities, following previous meetings held in Krakow (2015), Osijek (2018), and Zadar (2023). The fourth meeting took place on Wednesday, 15 October, in Krakow.

The Croatian delegation included Prof. Nebojša Stojčić, Ph.D., Rector of the University of Dubrovnik and Deputy Chair of the Croatian Rectors’ Conference, who chaired the delegation; Prof. Željko Tanjić, Ph.D., Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia; Prof. Jurica Pavičić and Prof. Jasenka Ostojić, Vice-Rectors of the University of Zagreb; Prof. Vlado Guberac, Ph.D. and Prof. Jurislav Babić, Ph.D., Vice-Rectors of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek; Prof. Lena Mirošević, Vice-Rector of the University of Zadar; Prof. Vlado Tropša, Ph.D., Advisor to the Rector of the University North; Prof. Antun Stoić, Ph.D., Vice-Rector of the University of Slavonski Brod; Prof. Luka Mihanović, Ph.D., and Dr. Daglas Koraca from the University of Defense and Security “Dr. Franjo Tuđman”; Dr. Daglas Koraca, Dean of the Istrian University of Applied Sciences; and Paula Pavletić, Secretary of the Croatian Rectors’ Conference.

The gracious hosts, led by Prof. Piotr Jedynak, Rector of Jagiellonian University, prepared a rich and engaging program. The visit began with a meeting at the Botanical Garden of Jagiellonian University. The following day, the delegation visited the Shrine of St. John Paul II and the Croatian Oratory, attended Mass celebrated by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski to mark the start of the academic year at the Pontifical University of John Paul II, and participated in the university’s academic inauguration ceremony, led by Rector Prof. Robert Tyrała, Ph.D.

After the ceremony, the Croatian delegation, accompanied by the Ambassador, visited Austrian Military Cemetery No. 384 – Łagiewniki to honor Croatian soldiers who fell in World War I, and the Divine Mercy Shrine, where St. Faustina’s tomb is located.

In the afternoon, the conference of Polish and Croatian rectors continued at the Collegium Maius Library, and the next day at the AGH University of Science and Technology, where cooperation agreements were ceremoniously signed between the Universities of Zagreb, Osijek, and North and the Pontifical University of John Paul II. The hosts presented advanced space technology projects and the AGH Space Technology Center. Later, the delegation visited Little Croatia Park and the Croatian Stars Promenade, and attended a concert of the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. The conference concluded with a gala dinner hosted by Lesser Poland Voivode Krzysztof Jan Kleczar. Both the Croatian and Polish participants expressed great satisfaction with the meeting, which strengthened bilateral academic relations and opened new avenues for international cooperation.

Following the conference in Krakow, Rector Željko Tanjić and Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Prof. Jasna Ćurković Nimac, Ph.D., participated in the international conference “Catholic Universities Cooperation in Action: Promoting Peace, Dialogue, and Science Diplomacy”, held on 19–20 October 2025 at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL).

The Catholic Universities Partnership (CUP) is an initiative of the University of Notre Dame (USA) aimed at supporting the establishment and development of Catholic universities in Europe, particularly in post-communist countries. The Lublin conference featured a diverse academic program with panel discussions, lectures, and networking sessions among delegations from Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, and Croatia. Participants also visited the Study Center at Lublin Remand Prison and the KUL Medical Campus.

During the visit, Rector Tanjić and Vice-Rector Ćurković Nimac met with Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, Ph.D., Rector of the Catholic University of Lublin, and Archbishop Antonio Staglianò, President of the Pontifical Academy of Theology. The next Catholic Universities Partnership meeting will be held at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest in 2026.