H. E. Mrs. Charlotte van Baak, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Croatia, visited the University of Rijeka Rectorate on May 7, 2024, accompanied by Mrs. Vanda Pošćić, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of Croatia with headquarters in Opatija, and Mrs. Andreja Kocijan, Senior Economic Officer at the Embassy. The esteemed guests were welcomed by Prof. Senka Maćešić, Ph.D., Vice-rector for Digitalization and Development, and Prof. Saša Zelenika, Ph.D., Vice-rector for Strategic Projects.
Ambassador van Baak arrived in Croatia in August last year, but she is still getting to know Croatia, our customs, culture, and language. Since Croatia and the Netherlands, partners in the European Union and allies in NATO, share many common values, Ambassador van Baak expressed her satisfaction with the cooperation and added that we still can and must learn a lot from each other.
She will spend the day in Rijeka getting to know the leaders of key institutions, i.e. representatives of the University, the City of Rijeka and Primorje-Gorski kotar County, but she is very pleased to have started the day meeting with the representatives of the academic community. She heard only the best about our University and activities, which is in no small part due to her predecessor, Mr. Hendrik Jan Voskamp, who visited Rijeka several times.
Vice-rectors Zelenika and Maćešić briefly presented the University of Rijeka, emphasizing the importance of being a member of both YUFE and YERUN, but also numerous European projects and innovative processes that aim to address contemporary challenges, needs of the labor market, and prepare the community for the jobs of the future. Ambassador van Baak was especially interested in EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC), pointing out that the Dutch government is also committed to sustainability and green transition, and suggested the possibility of including the port of Rotterdam in the project itself.
The meeting also served as an opportunity to discuss various issues such as community engagement, brain drain, climate change, green transition, new forms of energy, and the rise in real estate prices.
Ambassador van Baak earned her PhD in history from Leiden University, and joined the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2003. Before coming to Croatia, she was the Head of Eastern Europe Department, Europe Directorate, Deputy Political Coordinator and Deputy Head of Political Affairs at the Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations, New York, and a Deputy Advisor for Kingdom Affairs, Western Hemisphere Directorate, The Hague.
