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Scholarships Awarded to Students for the 2025/2026 Academic Year
On Friday, 5 December 2025, scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic year were awarded from the CUC “Marko Franović” Scholarship Fund, contributions from other donors, and the University’s own resources.
Alongside the scholarship recipients, the ceremonial event held in the “Blessed Alojzije Cardinal Stepinac” Hall was attended by the Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia (CUC), Prof. Željko Tanjić, PhD; the Vice-Rector for Science and Chair of the Scholarship Committee, Prof. Roberto Antolović, PhD; the Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Prof. Jasna Ćurković Nimac, PhD; heads of the University departments; and the University chaplain, Branimir Jagodić.
In his opening address, Rector Tanjić reflected on the upcoming Christmas season, emphasizing the values of light, hope, goodness, and community inspired by Christ’s birth, and describing the awarding of scholarships as “a reflection of that goodness and of God’s closeness, as well as of the kindness and support of all those who help our University carry out its mission—to educate young people for knowledge, truth, and above all, for goodness.”
On behalf of the Scholarship Committee, Vice-Rector Antolović thanked all applicants and noted how challenging the selection process had been given the strong interest and outstanding motivation letters. This year, 117 applications were submitted for 18 scholarships, nearly double the number from the previous year. He described the scholarships as a stimulus for continued excellence and perseverance, encouraging recipients to remain leaders who will “lead toward a better future and become sharers of goodness and opportunity for others.”
Via a video call from Australia, Mr. Marko Franović addressed the recipients, expressing pride in supporting young people and encouraging them to remain dedicated to their studies, highlighting that hard work brings many rewards. He also shared his satisfaction in watching the Catholic University of Croatia grow, develop, and nurture Croatian cultural heritage and identity.
A total of 18 scholarships were awarded: 11 scholarships for academic excellence, 1 scholarship for top athletes, 4 scholarships for students of lower socio-economic status, 1 scholarship for students with disabilities, 1 scholarship for children of Croatian Homeland War veterans.
The scholarship recipients were:
- Laura Vujasinović (Nursing)
- Dunja Šikić (Nursing)
- Nika Baić (Communication Science)
- Laura Prpić (Communication Science)
- Luka Smokrović (Medicine)
- Renato Kozarić (History)
- Iva Mihekovec (History)
- Lucija Kulišić (Psychology)
- Tessa Pavleković (Psychology)
- Ivana Maslać (Sociology)
- Antonio Treppo (Sociology)
- Mislav Plesivčak (Psychology)
- Vesna Dropulić (Nursing)
- Sara Novosel (Psychology)
- Patricija Špoljar (Psychology)
- Barbara Čulo (Psychology)
- Maša Noemi Dombre (Psychology)
- Mia Nikić (Communication Science)
On behalf of the recipients, Nika Baić, a Communication Science student, delivered a thank-you speech, expressing gratitude to the University for recognizing students’ efforts and supporting not only their academic but also their personal growth. She offered special thanks to Mr. Marko Franović, stating that his generosity is more than financial support—it is a message that hard work is valued and that students’ potential is truly seen.
The ceremonial academic event was moderated by Katarina Užarević, assistant at the University Department of Psychology.
