Croatian president Mrs. Kolinda Grabar Kitarović visited Macquarie University and Croatian Studies where she spent her morning discussing current and future opportunities for the collaboration between Croatian universities and the MQU. She met with Vice-Chancellor Bruce Dowton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Sakkie Pretorius, Head of Department, International Studies Ulrike Garde, Head of the Department of Ancient History Ian Plant and Head of Croatian Studies Mr. Luka Budak.
Following the meeting with the MQU officials, the President walked through the campus to the Ancient History Museum where she gave a lecture on the importance of the home language maintenance and opened the photographic exhibition Australian Experiences on the Croatian Past.
She then spent some time chatting with students, staff, and members of the CSF GC.
At the gala-dinner at the Croatian Club Sydney in Punchbowl, the President awarded Croatian Studies Foundation the CHARTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA which is given to international organisations, legal entities, foreign statesmen, and Croatian and foreign nationals for their contributions to the development and promotion of the international position of the Republic of Croatia, and for their contributions to scientific, cultural, economic and other development of the Republic of Croatia.
Thank you to everyone at the MQU who made this possible, to all current and former members of the Croatian Studies Foundation, to all the students and friends for their support.
As the President of the CSF CG John Gavljak said “We are standing tall on the shoulders of those that come before us. Let’s keep up the great work!”