Laudato si’ Center and the Research Center for Climate Law at the University of Graz Sign Cooperation Agreement

On Tuesday, 25 November 2025, our rector, Prof. Željko Tanjić, Ph.D., and the rector of the University of Graz, Prof. Peter Riedler, Ph.D., signed a cooperation agreement between the Catholic University of Croatia’s Laudato si’ Center for Christian Responsibility and Care for Creation and the Research Center for Climate Law at the University of Graz.
 

The signing ceremony took place during the conference “Economy and Climate Protection: Connected in Law?”, which also marked the fifth anniversary of the Research Center. Opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Peter Riedler, Rector of the University of Graz; Prof. Željko Tanjić, Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia; Prof. Gabriele Schmölzer, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Graz; and Assoc. Prof. Maria Bertel, Head of the Institute of Public Law and Political Science at the University of Graz.

The conference gathered numerous participants and guests, including Assoc. Prof. Eva Schulev-Steindl, Rector of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. In his address, Rector Tanjić congratulated the hosts on their anniversary and emphasised the importance of the collaboration between the two centers: “Our Laudato si’ Center strives to be a leader in researching the responsibility of religious communities and encouraging their ecological engagement, because we believe that a comprehensive response to the climate crisis is not possible without a spiritual and ethical dimension,” he stated.

Following the conference, Rector Tanjić, Assoc. Prof. Zoran Turza, Head of the Laudato si’ Center, and Prof. Oliver Ruppel, Ph.D., Head of the Climate Law Center at the University of Graz, held a meeting with Rector Riedler. The discussion focused on further strengthening cooperation between the two universities and enhancing joint activities between the two centers.