Faculty of 
On 13th November 2011, exactly 100 years after the first lecture was given at the Veterinary College, by Prof. Jaroslav Sakar on anatomy, the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Zagreb held an official celebration to mark its centenary in the Crystal Ballroom of the Westin Hotel. The many prominent guests, the Rector and Vice-Rector of the University of Zagreb, representatives of state bodies and local self-government, deans of other components of the University of Zagreb, the rectors and deans of institutions of higher veterinary education from this country and the world, representatives of various institutions and veterinary organizations with which the Faculty cooperates, former and current employees and students, were greeted in his opening address by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Sc. Nenad Turk. The guests were also addressed by the Rector, Prof. Dr. Sc. Damir Boras, the Deputy Mayor of Zagreb, Dr. Sc. Jelena Pavičić Vukičević, and the state secretary in the Ministry of Science and Education, Dr. Sc. Tome Antičić.
To mark the centenary, plaques, charters, awards and certificates of appreciation were presented to professors of the Veterinary Faculty who have contributed most to its development and promoting its reputation: Josip Madić, Željko Cvetnić and Dražen Matičić.
Certificates of appreciation were also presented to professors who have held the position of Vice-Rector – Petar Kraljević and Ljiljana Pinter and the present Vice-Rector, Miljenko Šimpraga.
Certificates of appreciation were presented to deans of the Faculty – professors Zvonimir Vinovrški, Zdenko Biđin, Ljiljana Pinter, Velimir Sušić and Tomislav Dobranić.
A plaque was presented for exceptional scientific achievement by alumni to Prof. Dr. Sc Kristijan Ramadan, our former student and the first Croat to receive the scientific-teaching title of full professor at the prestigious University of Oxford. An award was also presented to Dr. Sc. Atila Kos, for his contribution to international cooperation and promotion of the Faculty.
Charters to mark many years of successful business cooperation were presented to the City of Zagreb, Genera d.d., Agroproteinka, Medical Intertrade, Koka d.d., and the veterinary stations in Jastrebarsko and Vrbovec.
The Croatian Veterinary Institute, the Croatian Veterinary Chamber, the Croatian Institute of Public Health, and the Dr. Andrija Štampar Educational Institute of Public Health, the Dr. Fran Mihaljević Infectious Diseases Clinic, the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Medicine, and the Ruđer Bošković Institute were awarded certificates of appreciation and memorial medallions for their cooperation in teaching, scientific and professional activities.
The Veterinary Universities of Vienna, Budapest, Brno and Lviv received certificates of appreciation and memorial medallions for their contribution to the foundation of the Veterinary Faculty in Zagreb, whilst the veterinary and related faculties in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Ljubljana, Skopje, Novi Sad, Košice, Pomona (USA), Bila Tserkva (Ukraine), Tirana and Priština, also received awards for their successful cooperation.
The official programme was accompanied by a musical performance by Primadonna Lidija Horvat-Dunjko, M. Art., and the Academic Choir of the Veterinary Faculty in Zagreb, “Ab ovo”.
At the end of this brief account of the official celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Veterinary Faculty, we will quote the Dean, Prof. Dr. Sc. Nenad Turk: “Let us continue our journey through time, promoting the fundamental academic values, and by each step we take we leave our mark on history, even though we are not aware of it at the time. We can look back with pride on the way we have come, and the successes we have achieved. Borne on the wings of success, let us not forget that this time in our society is weighed down with challenges, constant changes to the environment in which we work and create, and leaves almost no time for the normal life we all strive for. We should not always look for the means to achieve our goals and values outside ourselves, but I firmly believe that by delving deeper into our own consciousness, it is possible to find the best way to express the fundamental values of society, such as understanding, tolerance and goodness, values which we know well, but too often forget. Therefore, let us make it our goal, in the unstoppable course of time in which we live, for humanity and community to continue to be the virtues of which we can boast, and which will continue to guide the Veterinary Faculty on the path of success in the next one hundred years.”
