Our donors and partners

VIDEO - Message to the first donors to the Fellowship for the Future from 2010 fellows Goran Jutriša, Ema Vidak Gojković and Laurenz Wolfgang Vuchetich.

Main partners and donors

U.S.Embassy in Zagreb

Providing start-up funding for the organization and serving on the Foundation Board constitutes only one part of the U.S. Embassy’s invaluable support for the Foundation. We wish to thank all our dear colleagues at the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb for their long-term collaboration and partnership in strengthening educational opportunities for Croatian citizens. The U.S. Embassy in Zagreb has been at the forefront of providing access and information about top educational opportunities in the United States.  We wish to especially acknowledge the work of the former ambassador to Croatia Robert C. Bradtke, whose initiative in launching and funding the Fulbright for the Future program laid the foundation for our organization and its scholarship program, Fellowship for the Future. We thank H.E. Ambassador James B. Foley for continuing this invaluable support and Robert Post for his service on the Board.  Special thanks are due to Saša Brlek, not only for her help in launching the Foundation’s first scholarship but for her years of dedicated service in helping Croatians access educational opportunities in the United States.

Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of Croatia

Through service on the Board of Directors, financial support of the program and policy advocacy, the Ministry has been instrumental in launching the Foundation and its first scholarship program. We would like to thank Minister Fuchs for his trust and continued assistance. Together with civil society organizations, international organizations and universities, the Ministry is advancing educational mobility and strengthening educational opportunities available to students in Croatia and Croatian students abroad. We wish to extend our warmest thanks to our Board member Ivana Puljiz, director of the Directorate for International Cooperation and European Integration at the Ministry for her unwavering commitment to the Foundation and for her expertise and guidance in addressing our program and institutional needs.

Institute for the Development of Education

Our Founder and Board member has contributed expertise in all aspects of program and organizational leadership and has made the successful launch of our activities possible.  With its unparalleled educational advising services and resources, IDE has been the reference point in Croatia for study abroad opportunities through its online portals (www.iro.hr and www.stipendije.info) and the annual Scholarship Fair.  IDE plays a key role in fostering academic exchange between Croatia and the United States as part of the EducationUSA network of educational information centers, which is supported by the U.S. Department of State. Furthermore, IDE’s work in higher education policy development and advocacy has benefitted many areas of educational reform in Croatia, including academic mobility.  IDE’s director Ninoslav Šćukanec provides valuable guidance as our Board member and its team continues to provide critical support.

Proficio d.d.

Representing one of the largest US investments in Croatia, Proficio d.d. has taken a lead in providing funding for the first generation of Fellows for the Future by underwriting an overwhelming majority of the scholarship cost.

In addition to its significant financial support, Proficio’s majority shareholder Gavin Susman and deputy chair of the Board of Directors has contributed the expertise and entrepreneurial energy necessary to successfully launch the scholarship program.  He has tirelessly lent a hand to every aspect of our newly formed organization by donating hours of volunteer time and helping to implement the program as well as access resources and partnerships necessary to overcome obstacles and improve the wider educational policy framework in Croatia related to academic exchange.  We believe there is great potential to transform Croatia for the better through dedicated involvement of community leaders from all sectors in causes and public programs.  We thank Mr. Susman for providing that kind of leadership.

In-kind donors

Zgombić & Partners Tax Advisors

We were fortunate to benefit from the expertise of the renowned Zgombić & Partners team in addressing a critical policy issue which affects academic exchange. Zgombić & Partners generously volunteered their time and expertise over several months to help us design a comprehensive legislative proposal which addresses disadvantages in the tax treatment of scholarships in Croatia.  This high-quality proposal garnered significant attention and support, and it led to a crucial change in the law.  We thank Zgombic & Partners for playing a key role in transforming the regulatory environment which governs academic mobility for Croatians.

Bogdanović, Dolički & Partners Law Office

We are very grateful to Bogdanović, Dolički & Partners for their work on the legislative proposal to remove taxation of scholarships.  Their expertise in revising the final text of the proposal ensured that the Foundation and its partners presented a set of measures which are in line with legal practice.

Fiktiv Faktor d.o.o.

Many thanks to our web design studio for their flexibility and for providing us with additional support in meeting our online communication needs.

Individual donors

The following individuals are the very first donors to the Fellowship for the Future.  Many of them are alumni and alumnae of U.S. universities who perceive the unique value of educational opportunities in the United States. 

We invite other alumni and supporters of educational exchange between Croatia and the United States to help us maintain the program by making a donation.  

Thank you for your support.

• Ana Arhanić, Zagreb, Croatia
• Ivana Budin Arhanić, Zagreb, Croatia
• Ana Budin, Zagreb, Croatia
• Lisa George, Sydney, Australia
• Valsa George, Port Charlotte, Florida, United States
• Ivan Krstičević, London, United Kingdom
• Tomislav Matić, Zagreb, Croatia
• Ivan and Branka Mihaljević, Zurich, Switzerland
• Oliver Mihaljević, London, United Kingdom
• Antonio Zelić, New York, NY, United States

Media acknowledgements

We would like to thank the media who have helped us reach out to everyone interested in our program and the launch of the Foundation:

• Poslovni dnevnik
• Vjesnik
• Slobodna Dalmacija
• Večernji list
• HTV 1, Znanstvene vijesti, Zagrebačka panorama, Dobro jutro Hrvatska
• OTV
• Otvoreni radio
• Radio Kaj
• Radio Cibona
• Radio Sljeme
• HRT 1
• Voice of America
• Lider
• Studentnet.hr
• Connect portal
• Dnevnik.hr
• Corps Diplomatique Croatia
• Briefing.hr

Our volunteers

We are proud to extend thanks to our distinguished members of the Fellowship for the Future 2010 Selection Committee:

• Gavin M. Susman, co-chair of the Board of Directors, Croatian-American Foundation for Education and Training
• Ted Huston, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
• Martina Kado, Department of Cultural Studies, University of Rijeka
• Jerko Mrkovina, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb
• Jay Malarcher, College of Creative Arts, West Virginia University

We thank our student volunteers, Lida Lamza and Petra Mesarić, for representing the Foundation at one of the most important annual events in higher education in Croatia, the Scholarship Fair.