Holiday Season Gathering - International Festivities at the Faculty of Agriculture

On December 14, 2023, the International Relations Office (IRO) of the Faculty of Agriculture organized a festive gathering and full-day socializing with international students. The event, titled "Holiday Season Gathering," brought together a total of 18 new international students enrolled in the winter semester 2023/24 (Erasmus+, Danube AgriFood Master - DAFM, and Inter-EnAgro).

For many years, the Faculty of Agriculture has been promoting internationalization, cultural exchange, and connections among domestic and international students, contributing to the creation of a global and inclusive educational community. This initiative was supported by introductory speech from the Vice Dean for International and Interinstitutional Cooperation, Assoc. Prof. Kristina Kljak, PhD, and ECTS Coordinator, Assoc. Prof. Marko Petek, PhD.

IRO staff delivered an engaging presentation on fun and unusual facts about Croatia, and students had the opportunity to participate in an educational quiz testing their knowledge of Croatian culture and customs. Through the interactive quiz and presentation, students learned, among other things, that Croatia owns the world's smallest city, the shortest funicular, the fourth fastest car globally, and that today's world would be challenging to imagine without the fantastic discoveries of numerous Croatian inventors. The winner of this entertaining quiz, a student from Berlin, also received a valuable promotional prize from the Faculty of Agriculture, and all students were gifted packages with traditional Croatian sweets.

Furthermore, during the gathering, students presented a total of 9 talks showcasing unusual facts, bizarre events, and traditions from their countries, fostering a sense of unity within the international student community.

During lunch, students sampled traditional holiday dishes commonly eaten by locals during festive seasons, after which everyone visited the traditional Christmas fair at the Faculty of Agriculture – Agroadvent. At the fair, international students had the opportunity to network with home students and faculty members while participating in a humanitarian action that raised funds for the Crveni nosovi association.

To conclude the day, IRO staff led the students on a night-time tour of Zagreb organized by the Secret Zagreb Walks agency, whose walking tours were recognized by the renowned Guardian magazine among the top 10 alternative tours in Europe. Through the well-known Zagreb walking tour "Zagreb Christmas Carol," students heard numerous secrets of the Upper Town, experienced the enchantment of Zagreb's Advent, and enjoyed a 64-second unforgettable ride on the world's shortest funicular.