One of the topics with faculty officials and students was the role of women in science and higher education.
“The reason I am here today, on International Women’s Day, is also the fact that at (the Sisak) faculty, in management and leadership, are solely women, which is very unusual given that the nature of their profession is stereotypically considered male,” Milanović told the press, adding that it was also unusual that half the students were women.
Speaking of the 60 years of the Sisak Faculty of Metallurgy, which is part of the University of Zagreb, the president said it was fighting and developing despite all the changes Croatia had gone through.
“In Sisak, the cradle of Croatian metallurgy, which has had its ups and downs, fighting for survival and progress, that knowledge is nurtured,” he said, adding that the doctoral studies at the faculty were “a big success considering how demanding, intensive and complicated they are.”
Milanović said he was sure the Science and Education Ministry and the faculty itself would advance the faculty with European funding.
After visiting the Petrinja Faculty of Teacher Education, which is also part of the University of Zagreb, the president said he was confident that it would “carry this city” after the devastating earthquake last December.
Congratulating women on their day, Milanović said “there are women and women,” explaining that some were fighters who would not sell themselves or be broken, who would “kick in that place” any thug or abuser, while others put on a show.
Asked if he was again referring to Hollywood actresses, he said, “Never mind those actresses now.”
Asked if women deserved protection, he said the weak deserved it. “Female teachers deserve protection, the girls who are teaching assistants and must make headway through a non-transparent system and who depend on older colleagues, but are not interesting enough for 30 cameras to gather because of them.”
