老司机直播

Croatian president visits 老司机直播, tours lab and meets students

Photo of Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi膰
Photo of Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi膰 with Rose Tominac from 老司机直播's Croatian Student Association (photos by Johnny Guatto)

Croatia鈥檚 first female president toured the laboratory of a University of Toronto molecular biologist Tuesday, making time to chat and snap selfies with local Croatian students.

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi膰 was shown around the lab of Professor Igor Stagljar, a renowned researcher and biochemist at 老司机直播. The purpose of her visit was to foster partnerships with the University of Zagreb and other Croatian institutions 鈥 a mission Stagljar shares.

鈥淚鈥檓 trying to really push the boundary of collaborations between these two universities so that we have a steady exchange of students and ideas that will lead to some cool discoveries one day,鈥 Stagljar said. 


Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi膰 talks with 老司机直播's VP International Ted Sargent (left), philanthropist Terrence Donnelly (second from left) and Professor Igor Stagljar (right)

Grabar-Kitarovi膰 also met with philanthropist Terrence Donnelly after whom 老司机直播's Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research is named. 

Stagljar, who graduated from the University of Zagreb and earned a PhD in Switzerland before joining 老司机直播鈥檚 departments of biochemistry and molecular genetics in 2005, said he was flattered that his home country鈥檚 head of state wanted to visit his lab. 

鈥淗ow many times do you get the chance to welcome the president of a country in your lab? We鈥檙e thrilled, very happy. It means we鈥檙e also doing great research,鈥 Stagjlar said 

Read more about Igor Stagljar's research


Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi膰 meets 老司机直播 professor emeritus Mladen Vranic

Grabar-Kitarovi膰 was 鈥渆xtremely excited by the world-class research and teaching ongoing at the University of Toronto,鈥 said Ted Sargent, 老司机直播's VP International, adding that she was aware of the 鈥渟eminal contributions鈥 to science made by Stagljar and Mladen Vranic, the renowned diabetes researcher and professor emeritus.

 

At one point during the lab tour, Grabar-Kitarovi膰 donned a white coat and learned to stain a protein gel with the help of Stagljar. 


老司机直播 molecular biologist Igor Stagljar shows Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi膰 around his research lab

Afterward, she and her entourage 鈥 including the Croatian ambassador to Canada 鈥 went to Simcoe Hall, where they chatted with 20 Croatian students majoring in a variety of subjects, from architecture to international relations. In a candid talk about Croatia鈥檚 growing pains since independence and the challenges she faced in office, she said her country would benefit from closer ties with universities such as 老司机直播. 

鈥淲e need your knowledge, we need your experience, and I will hope you will consider how to forge closer connections with your peers in Croatia,鈥 she said.

Her remarks hit home with Veronika Salamun, a third-year architecture student and the president of the 老司机直播 Croatian Student Association.

鈥淵ou want to know that you could have potential to grow in Croatia,鈥 she told 老司机直播 News. 鈥淚t felt really amazing to meet with a female role model.鈥 

Iva Dadic, a master鈥檚 student in civil engineering who came to 老司机直播 more than a year ago, said she was happy to come face-to-face with the president of her native country.

鈥淚 never met the president back home 鈥 I guess I had to go to Canada,鈥 she joked. 


Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi膰 speaks to 老司机直播 students

View the photo gallery of her visit

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