A warm welcome to Zagreb
21 students from all around the world have started a new journey full of activities to get to know each other and understand the cultural differences during the immersion week. One of the highlights of the immersion week was the innovative and collaborative workshop concerning climate change, designed to learn how simple human activities are becoming the main drivers of climate change and its impact back on our societies and the living. Such a useful and interesting tool to raise awareness, the Climate Fresk is a serious game, based on the studies of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This is suitable for anyone who wants to help tackle climate change, and the participants can get fundamental scientific knowledge in just about three hours.
The immersion week was not only about paperwork and lectures, but it was also filled with excitement and sightseeing in the capital city of Zagreb. From the Dolac market with large red iconic umbrellas, crowded with local vendors offering fresh organic products to the old town’s street, we explored all the beautiful and historical attractions just within walking distance. We got introduced to the capital city by a local guide about the partisan story of how Zagreb city had been found nearby a small fountain at the Main Square. While enjoying all the architecture and historical attractions with a beautiful view are just fascinated enough to realize that Zagreb is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
Of course, we cannot imagine our first weekend without any group trips where we chattered non-stop on a bus to digest all that we gained from the immersion week. We explored the oldest and the biggest national park in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes, and its exceptional natural beauty attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year with its combination of sixteen beautiful lakes, caves, and countless waterfalls inter-connected in outstanding natural phenomenon. While walking on the wooden footbridges and pathways over the crystal-clear water, and getting on the panoramic boat ride, it really felt like walking on water. Therefore, it is undoubtedly comprehensible that the park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage in 1979.
Miret, the Croatian start-up that makes shoes from 97% natural materials
Yes, like one of the successful start-ups that developed at the ZICER, Miret, a Croatian footwear brand working towards a plastic-free industry, was founded by two brothers from a small town of the Duga Resa. In their early twenties, they inherited the family business, but they wanted to act towards the dark side of the footwear industry which poses many threats to the well-being of our planet, as many toxins, chemicals, and fossil fuels are generated. According to their sustainability facts, the Merits are the only sneakers in the world to hold the STANDARD 100 by OEKO TEX label, for the entire product and not just specific components, which means the sneakers contain zero substances that are harmful to human health. Except for 3% of synthetic thread and glue that ensures sneaker durability, their genuine effort to make their business sustainable and ethical for the environment was truly inspiring and motivating for us who want to build the same for our environment and society in the future.
ZICER, a home for Croatian start-ups
As it is one of the benefits of the EMMIE program, we are privileged to get to know the ecosystem for entrepreneurship and sustainability at each location. It allows us to be exposed to and experience the local entrepreneurship journey and local solutions toward sustainable challenges. We visited the Croatian Innovation Center, ZICER where many Croatian startups grow big and it is a home for almost a hundred of enterprises. It provides all type of perks such as an incubation, acceleration, labs, coworking space, and mentorship program, focusing on promoting entrepreneurship and helping entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into fruition.
Leveraging digital technology for inclusion – a learning tool for people with dyslexia
Do you know that 2-4% of the world’s population is affected by dyslexia regardless of culture or language? Dyslexia is used as a term for a disorder that is mainly characterized by severe difficulties in learning how to read, spell, and to write according to the European Dyslexia Association. During our visit to the ZICER, we had a chance to meet Mr. Vanja Andric, a co-founder of Omoguru and a father who built a community and solutions for an inclusive society to her daughter with dyslexia. Omoguru offers everyone, with or without reading difficulties, a possibility to grow and develop themselves in all segments of their lives. They consist of a diverse team of therapists, designers, typographers, IT professionals, and innovators, and their solutions provide not only technology-based platforms, fonts, and website widgets for a the comfortable reading experience, but they are also making an impact to society by publishing, donating books for children with dyslexia, as well as organizing lectures for communities. They believe that these activities will directly or indirectly empower and increase the understanding of those who struggle with reading.
Will you go on a ride to explore exquisite gourmet food in Istria, the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea, while visiting the headquarters of Croatian tech giant Infobip?
Perhaps, the most fascinating and memorable experience of the first semester in Croatia for us is one of the two unicorns in Croatia, the Infobip that was found in a small garage, like famous tech leaders such as Google and Apple in 2006. Their initial idea was to collect and share news through SMS chat. Now it is amazing that in only 17 years they have become the global leader in omnichannel communication worth the value of 1.5 billion USD, with over 70 offices globally, and over 3500 employees. The fact that the first unicorn in the country with global reach and local presence alone began to inspire the young tech ecosystem in Croatia. Furthermore, their investment in young startups and the launch of its Startup Tripe program aimed to help startups fast-track their growth and development for more than 70 globally selected startups. According to Ivan Burazin, Infobip’s chief development experience officer and one of the main architects of the program, investing in new generations is one of the main goals for the company now.
The Istrian gourmet was one of the highlights of this study trip and we got to taste the delicious local cuisine at a well-known local restaurant called Konobi Klarici, which gives you a pleasant and peaceful environment of a small village. Excellent food, such as truffles, homemade pasta, local meat, and everything in between, there was not a single part of this gastronomical experience that left me with a sour taste. The trip did not end so soon with this excitement, we continued to the destination, which is perhaps the most awaited one for a reason, the Aura family distillery where we got to experience the entire production process – from fruit fermentation to distillation in a handmade copper cauldron. We also had the pleasure to taste some of their delicacies in the unique interior. The company produces exclusive traditional products such as brandies, jams, and other traditional products made from wild herbs and wild fruits picked in an ecologically clean environment.
