During visit to Croatia, Vice-Rector of the International University of Sarajevo (IUS), Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhamed Hadžiabdić and Secretary General of IUS, Mr. Emir Hadžikadunić visited the Varaždin County and the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia on Thursday, February 27th, 2014.
This was the first visit of the IUS representatives to the Varaždin County and Croatia as well as the aforementioned ministry.
The hosts of the IUS representatives in Varaždin were the Deputy Governor of the Varaždin County, Mr. Alen Kišić and the Head of the Department for Education, Culture and Sport, Mr. Sc. Miroslav Huđek.
At a meeting in the Varaždin County the directors of the highs schools were present and director of the Second Gymnasium in Varaždin, Mrs. Zdravka Grđan as well.
The hosts of the meeting gave introduction for the guests from Sarajevo, on the general information about the Varaždin County, its economic situation as well as investments in primary, secondary and higher education in this region of Croatia.
At the beginning of the meeting, Deputy Governor of the Varaždin County Mr. Alen Kišić pointed out that the County of Varaždin is a strong industrial region in Croatia. This is confirmed and seen in the facts that the city of Varaždin is the third city in the nation with highest GDP (before Varaždin comes Rovinj and Zagreb) .
Speaking of education in the County, Deputy Kišić pointed out that the Varaždin County as politically independent, decided to be the County of knowledge. Therefore, a lot of effort and attention is invested in primary and secondary schools which are far above the Croatian standards, said Mr. Kišić. He also said that last year the Varaždin County had 51 state champions which is a product of Centers of Excellence, a unique project in Croatia. Mr. Kišić also added that the schools find international cooperation as extremely important, which can be seen in the facts that they have the highest number of approved projects co-financed by the European funds .
" I'm glad you are a part of an international project as well, and that we will cooperate with the common goal of better and quality education of our students ," said Mr. Kišić .
In conversation with the hosts, the representatives of IUS presented the work of the University and expressed satisfaction with the fact that in the next academic year, three new students from Croatia will be able to join IUS as students. " Cooperation with the Second Gymnasium in Varaždin is yet another evidence of the development of IUS and its promotion on the international and/or regional level ," said Vice-Rector Muhamed Hadžiabdić.
In Zagreb, the Vice-Rector and the Secretary General of IUS met with the representatives of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia as well as with Professor Senad Nanić, a lecturer who teaches at the Gymnasium for Islamic Studies Dr. Ahmed Smajlović in Zagreb. Mr. Nanić was a guest lecturer on many occasions at IUS.
Vice-Rector Hadžiabdić and Secretary General Hadžikadunić have said that their visit to Croatia was very successful.
