At the Krapina Festival Hall on Thursday, 24 September 2026, the 10th ceremonial promotion of bachelor graduates from the University of Applied Sciences Croatian Zagorje Krapina took place. 65 new bachelor graduates received their diplomas at the ceremony.
The importance of investing in education and the opportunities that higher education in Krapina offers young people was highlighted by Deputy County Prefect Jasna Petek. She stated that the Krapina-Zagorje County is committed to developing, refining, and investing in upbringing and education. She added that the county is currently in a major investment cycle worth more than 130 million euros, aimed at improving conditions in primary schools and preparing them for single-shift teaching.
Deputy Prefect Petek urged the graduates not to fear big and lofty goals in life, as these will drive them to become better every day, to be persistent, resourceful, and to fight. She also told them not to fear stumbling, falling, or failure, as these are integral parts of every success and of life, and will drive them to be even more steadfast and reach their goals.
The rector, Nenad Sikirica, spoke about the University’s nearly two decades of work, what has been built over the years, and the future of studying in Krapina. He recalled that the institution was founded in 2007 on the initiative of the local community and business sector, with the aim of enabling quality higher education for young people in the Krapina-Zagorje County and educating professionals needed by the economy and social development of the region.
Rector Sikirica emphasised that they had developed study programmes, international cooperation, and professional and scientific-research activities. In recent years, they had worked intensively on a model where the University is not just a place where teachers transmit existing knowledge to students, but an institution where that knowledge is created, verified, applied, and returned to teaching.
The University of Applied Sciences Croatian Zagorje Krapina began its operations as the Higher School "Croatian Zagorje" Krapina, which was officially opened on 22 October 2007. After receiving approval for the professional study of Operational Management in 2010 and meeting the conditions for upgrading to a university of applied sciences, it was enrolled in 2011 as the University of Applied Sciences "Croatian Zagorje" Krapina. Since 2019, the University has been a public institution, enabling students to study without paying tuition fees. Today, the University offers three pre-degree professional studies – Informatics, Transport Logistics, and Operational Management.
