Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova

A Large Croatian Team Participated in the APAIE 2026 Higher Education Conference and Fair in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, 25 February 2026. A large team of Croatian higher education institutions participated in the Annual Conference and International Higher Education Fair of the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) from February 23 to 27, 2026 in Hong Kong. At the Fair, for the first time on the Asia-Pacific market, as many as twelve Croatian higher education institutions presented themselves through the umbrella project Study in Croatia. In addition to representatives of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth and the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes, the delegation consisted of more than 40 people, from universities and faculties from Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Osijek, Split, the Zagreb School of Economics and Management and the Par University of Applied Sciences in Rijeka.
 
The Croatian presentation was assessed as successful; the exhibition area was well-visited and a number of meetings were held. With quality programs in English, relatively low study costs and high security, Croatia has a comparative advantage over other European destinations, but it is necessary to systematically work on the visibility of the Croatian offer and breaking stereotypes, for which such fairs are an ideal platform. The Embassy supported the team in preparing the visit, as well as by attending the fair. Given the growing needs of the higher education market in China and the wider region, the presentation of the Croatian education offer in Hong Kong was timely and strategically well-designed.

Ambassador Dario Mihelin welcomed those present at the exceptionally well-attended reception held at the exhibition space, and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Croatia in Hong Kong, Lady Ivy Wu, was also present. The proposal that the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Beijing, after moving to new premises, organize a presentation of the study offer in Croatia and Beijing, was accepted with enthusiasm, as was the possibility of a similar presentation in Mongolia.

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