PristupačnostAcademic cooperation between Croatia and Southeast Asian countries is extensive, involving dozens of universities and their faculties on both sides.
The collaboration that has brought us together today is part of the broader activities of the University of Zagreb and began in its current format in 2019. At that time, two universities from Indonesia (University of Lampung and Warmadewa University) and two universities from Croatia (University of Zagreb and VERN' University) launched the first joint Summer School. The Summer School was held in Indonesia, where we agreed to hold it annually, alternating between Croatia and Indonesia.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted our work online. After the pandemic, we returned to the traditional format of the Summer School, which includes the exchange of professors and students between countries.
The Summer School has been, and remains, a platform for cooperation, continuous contact, and agreements on other joint academic activities. These include collaborative research and publications, invited lectures at international conferences, support for student research, and active participation in the editorial boards of scientific journals.
Throughout all these years and activities, we have received exceptionally strong support from the Croatian Embassy in Indonesia and the Indonesian Embassy in Croatia. It is particularly important to highlight the outstanding efforts of the Croatian Ambassador, H.E. Nebojša Koharević, without whose contribution, we would not be at the level we have achieved today.
These endeavors have been recognized by the University of Zagreb, which has subsequently included both Indonesian universities on its Erasmus+ list (first the University of Lampung, and more recently Warmadewa University). This has facilitated teacher and student mobility in both directions.
As the successful cooperation between the academic communities of Indonesia and Croatia grew and developed, the significant similarities between Southeast Asia and Southeast Europe became increasingly apparent. Consequently, we began to expand our collaboration to include countries from both regions. Thus, at the seventh Summer School, we now have representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia.
In expanding this cooperation, we have been greatly assisted by the Croatian Embassy in Malaysia and Ambassador H.E. Ivan Velimir Starčević, as well as the Malaysian Embassy in Croatia. Academic collaboration has further extended to several universities in Malaysia and the Philippines. The University of Zagreb has signed cooperation agreements with some of them, while agreements with others are in the negotiation phase.
Furthermore, it is important to note that in the cooperation between these two regions, alongside academic and diplomatic ties, collaboration with the business sector represents a significant segment. Therefore, through primarily academic cooperation and with the support of diplomacy, we are seeking ways to involve the business sector, both as partners and as beneficiaries of our research.
Ultimately, this cooperation couldn't have happened without the help of many institutions, supporters, and individuals who dedicated their time, knowledge, and effort to connecting Southeast Asia and Southeast Europe—two distant regions that, despite it all, share a lot in common.
