UNIC Staff Week Brought Together Experts in Campus and Urban Development

An international UNIC Staff Week titled Redesigning the Campus in the City was held last week at the Université de Liège in Belgium, focusing on the development of university campuses, urban regeneration, and the relationship between universities and cities.

The program included participation by Sven Simov, Head of the University Development Department, representing the Catholic University of Croatia. Alongside the HKS representative, participants from Zagreb also included Prof. Martina Jakovčić, PhD, Vice Dean for Finance and Operations at the Faculty of Science of the University of Zagreb, and Dr. Irena Matković, Deputy Head of the City Office for Construction, Physical Planning, Building and Reconstruction of the City of Zagreb.

The Staff Week program brought together representatives of universities, local authorities, and experts in urban development with the aim of exchanging experiences on the role of university campuses in urban development, sustainability, mobility, and the creation of quality public spaces.

Through lectures, workshops, and study visits, participants had the opportunity to explore examples of campus and urban space transformation in Liège and Brussels (Belgium), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Łódź (Poland), Cork (Ireland), Oulu (Finland), and Zagreb, including the campus of the Catholic University of Croatia and the Borongaj campus, with special emphasis on connecting universities with local communities and developing campuses as open, inclusive, and integrated urban spaces.

Participation in the international Staff Week further contributed to strengthening the international cooperation of the Catholic University of Croatia and the exchange of experiences related to campus development and strategic planning in higher education.