Dr. Vlatko Smiljanić Has Participated in the Scholarly Conference CePOZiR 2025

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History classes at the Faculty of Croatian Studies of the University of Zagreb began during the 1997/1998 academic year. Currently, the Department of History offers classes at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate (doctoral) levels of study.

History studies at our faculty are organized according to the contemporary scientific and didactic standards. Over the course of the past academic years, our program undeqent a transition in order to adapt its own study program to students who whish to learn more about national history. The fundamental feature of our program is the strong connection with other national historical institutions (museums, Croatian Institute of History, etc.). This fact allows students to start modeling their own research interest in the areas of national history that interest them already during their undergraduate studies. At the graduate level, students are provided with thematic specialization through a large number of non-mandatory courses.

Although our program emphasizes Croatian history, it also includes the posibilitiy of profiling in various areas of world history: from ancient civilizations and societies to modern and contemporary history. This kind of profiling is open to students due to the wide topics of courses that are adapted to the various interests of students.

Assistant Professor Dr. Vlatko Smiljanić from the Department of Croatology and the Department of History participated in the First International CePOZiR Conference (Center for the Study of the Relationship between Science and Religion), held from 24 to 26 September 2025 at the Faculty of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Zagreb.

The conference brought together distinguished scholars and researchers from fifteen countries, focusing on the complex intersections between science and religion, religion and society, and science and society. The speakers at CePOZiR 2025 represented a wide range of institutions, including universities and research centers from Croatia (University of Zagreb, University of Zadar, Ruđer Bošković Institute), Slovenia, Italy (University of Padua, Nuovo SEFIR APS), Poland (Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków), Bulgaria (University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia), Finland (University of Helsinki), Denmark (University of Copenhagen), Norway (NLA University College), the United Kingdom (Canterbury Christ Church University, Faraday Institute, Ulster University), the United States (Fuller Theological Seminary, Global Methodist Church), Israel, Greece (University of Ioannina), Romania, Slovakia, and North Macedonia (University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje).

The rich program featured three keynote speakers, nine invited lecturers, and over thirty presenters from disciplines ranging from the natural sciences to the humanities. Assistant Professor Smiljanić delivered a paper titled “Mirko Danijel Bogdanić and Catholic Enlightenment in the Habsburg Monarchy,” in which he examined the work of one of the most prominent Croatian natural scientists of the eighteenth century. In his presentation, Dr. Smiljanić emphasized that Bogdanić’s scientific activity (spanning astronomy, mathematics, and cartography to journalism and historiography) was inseparable from the intellectual atmosphere of the Catholic Enlightenment. Particular attention was given to his participation in astronomical and cartographic expeditions, his contribution to the creation of geographical maps, and his initiative to publish the first newspaper in the Croatian language. The paper demonstrated how science and religion within the Habsburg Monarchy could operate in a complementary relationship, shaping the cultural and intellectual landscape of Central Europe.

Participation in this conference provided an opportunity for international scholarly exchange and for presenting Croatian scientific and cultural heritage in an interdisciplinary context. Through his presentation, Dr. Vlatko Smiljanić contributed to the discussion on the complex relationship between religion and science in early modern Europe, with special emphasis on the Croatian tradition within the broader Habsburg framework.