The event was also one of the first such gatherings in the European Union following the signing of the trade agreement between the European Union and India, further underscoring its relevance and strategic importance.
The importance of the event was further highlighted by the visit of the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Croatia, Mr Arun Goel, who emphasised in his address the need for stronger links between the academic and industrial sectors of Croatia and India. He underlined that FOI represents a key pillar in Croatia for future cooperation with Indian academic and research institutions, thereby enabling students to gain significantly greater access to knowledge exchange, experience sharing, and international opportunities.
Ambassador Goel also noted that strong bilateral relations, together with the recently signed “Mother of Deals” agreement between the European Union and India, provide a solid framework for long-term cooperation, increased mobility of students and researchers, and the development of joint projects in the field of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
The Dean of the Faculty of Organization and Informatics, Prof. Marina Klačmer Čalopa, PhD, emphasised that FOI possesses top-level knowledge and skills that enable it to participate equally in global knowledge exchange. She noted that exactly one year has passed since the first visit of the Ambassador of India to FOI, marking the beginning of more intensive cooperation, and cited as a concrete example the participation of FOI researcher Assoc. Prof. Bogdan Okreša Đurić, PhD, in the prestigious ITEC programme of the Government of India. She also highlighted that the EU–India trade agreement opens new opportunities for entering international markets, strengthening the mobility of students and academic staff, and fostering systematic knowledge exchange, with artificial intelligence acting as a horizontal technology present across all areas of FOI’s activities – from research and teaching to cooperation with industry.
Three thematic programme segments
The first panel discussion, “India as a Global AI Power”, focused on positioning India as one of the leading global actors in the field of artificial intelligence and on its role in the global development of AI. The panel featured Lovro Stipanović (Elproms), Zoran Korečić (Bankai Group), and Igor Ljubi (Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation), and was moderated by Prof. Neven Vrček, PhD (FOI).
The second panel discussion, “Cooperation with India in IT and AI – Experiences from the EU and Croatia”, presented concrete examples of cooperation between European and Croatian institutions and companies and the Indian IT sector, with particular emphasis on challenges and opportunities for future projects and the education of young professionals. The panelists were Prof. Markus Schatten, PhD (FOI), Moreno Grgurić (IBM iX Croatia), and Sandra Carić Herceg (Nacional), and the discussion was moderated by Ružica Jajčević.
During the panel, FOI alumnus Moreno Grgurić pointed out that demand for IT professionals is once again growing strongly, and that large companies—particularly within the European Union—have recognised the importance of hiring junior professionals in order to develop high-quality mid-level experts in the long term. He concluded that the future will require an increasing number of IT professionals capable of international knowledge exchange, especially with major technological powers such as India.
The third part of the programme was dedicated to the presentation of the ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) Programme and participants’ experiences, presented by Assoc. Prof. Bogdan Okreša Đurić, PhD, and Ružica Jajčević. The ITEC Programme, funded by the Government of India, provides fully funded professional training, including travel and accommodation costs, and represents an exceptional opportunity for developing the international competencies of academic staff and researchers.
The event was held in the context of the announcement of the global India – AI Impact Summit 2026, the world’s first artificial intelligence summit to be hosted in countries of the Global South, further confirming India’s strategic importance in the global development of artificial intelligence. As part of the informal networking segment, numerous representatives of companies already cooperating with India also participated, for whom the event provided an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences, connect with the academic community, and explore new avenues for cooperation. The event was supported by Varaždin County representative Miroslav Huđek, PhD.
The conclusions of the event clearly confirmed that FOI plays a key role in connecting the academic, industrial, and institutional sectors, and that the current geopolitical and economic context, together with the signed EU–India “Mother of Deals”, opens new and long-term opportunities for students, researchers, and the Croatian economy.
