Graduation ceremony of the first generation of cadets of the study programme in Naval Studies

On Friday, 16 February 2024 the graduation ceremony of the 16th generation of cadets of the integrated undergraduate and graduate university study programme in Naval Studies was held at the Major General Ivo Jelić CAF Centre in Split.

The University of Split diplomas were awarded to 30 graduates, of which four were female and two were foreign students from Montenegro. This is the first generation that successfully completed the study programme in Naval Studies, which consists of two major courses: Naval Nautical Studies which was completed by 20 students, of which four students were female and Naval Marine Engineering which was completed by 10 students.

On that occasion, the envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament and the Vice-Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Ante Sanader, congratulated all graduates of the study programme in Naval Studies on completion of their academic education. He said that they showed responsibility, knowledge, proficiency and skills that Croatian veterans also had in the Homeland War and how those values must not be forgotten in the course of their further professional training, work and activities in the Croatian Armed Forces.

Having congratulated the cadets of the study programme in Naval Studies on their academic success, the Deputy Chief of the CAF General Staff, LTG Siniša Jurković, sent special congratulations to the best female student of the Naval Studies, Ensign Antonija Puhalo.

“We are witnessing a time in which knowledge represents power, the power that sets the world in motion. I am sure that you, who have acquired academic knowledge, and especially the best, will be the initiators of the Croatian Armed Forces to make it even better and more successful,”-General Jurković said and added: “The fact that today we awarded diplomas to young male and female officers shows how much importance we give to education of the young people in part of the CAF readiness and the defence system as a whole”. He expressed gratitude to the university community for successful cooperation so far with the Ministry of Defence and the Croatian Armed Forces.

Commandant of the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defence Academy MG Slaven Zdilar said that this day marks a turning point in the lives of the cadets, and the academic graduation is the crown of their education: “The graduation of the first generation of cadets of the study programme in Naval Studies marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Croatian Armed Forces, that is, the Croatian Navy”. General Zdilar referred to the Croatian maritime tradition, pointing out that it is not only a part of history, but a part of our identity, the foundation on which we build our future.

Rector of the University of Split, Prof. Dragan Ljutić, Ph.D. said that completion of the academic education of the young officers of the Croatian Armed Forces is an indicator of success of the students of the study programme in Naval Studies, but also of the Croatian Armed Forces. “Without Croatian war veterans and the Croatian Armed Forces, neither military study programmes would be launched nor cooperation of the University of Split with Croatian Armed Forces would exist, as well as these successful young people who, by completing the first step in their education, showed that qualities such as perseverance and mastering skills are always rewarded in the end.”

Let us remind you that the university study programme in Naval Studies was developed in cooperation with the Croatian Armed Forces and the University of Split. After completion of these study programmes, jobs in units of the Croatian Armed Forces, on positions of the first officer’s duties await the Univ. Bacc. of Naval Studies.

The graduation ceremony of the cadets was attended by the envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament and the Vice-Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Ante Sanader, the representative of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Minister of Defence, Director of the Human Resources Directorate Ivan Jušić, Deputy Chief of the CAF General Staff , LTG Siniša Jurković, Rector of the University of Split, Prof. Dragan Ljutić, Ph.D., Commandant of the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Croatian Defence Academy MG Slaven Zdilar, representatives of the Split-Dalmatia County and the City of Split and numerous military and civilian guests.