Fair Days within the Sustainability Festival have opened, organized by University of Split - this time as host - in collaboration with Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.
On the first day of the fair, we spoke with several exhibitors.
“At world competition held in New York two years ago, we won a silver medal for olive oil. We regularly participate in various competitions from Istria to Dubrovnik, and for the last 20 years, we have mostly taken gold. Our membership in the European Union works in our favour, as it is often referred to as a big family - in fact, just last week, a package was sent to Poland,” revealed Slavko Kadić, representative of Konoba Kadić.
Students Marta and Laura presented products from Marko Marulić Secondary School in Slatina’s cooperative. Their booth was filled with various food and utility items.
“Our olive oil is made from the fruits of some 40 olive trees from the school’s olive grove. We also produce oil from St. John’s wort, which is good for various skin diseases, burns, acne and scratches. Additionally, we offer soap made from honey, milk and olive oil, suitable for dry skin, combatting pimples and various skin ailments, that even smells nice. We also provide lavender, which is great against moths,” they presented.
They also showed us handicrafts - aprons with recipes for various Dalmatian dishes, postcards featuring photographs of their town... During our conversation, they introduced us to the project "Ča je za obid," (what’s there to eat?) in which they often cook at school and publish various videos on their YouTube channel.
At University of Split’s booth there was an abundance of traditional food products available, where we met Mladenka Šarolić Ph.D., a professor at Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, Department of Food Technology and Biotechnology.
She told us that there is no shortage of interest in enrolment among high school students in the field of food technology—on the contrary, it is increasing. The job market also looks promising - based on her experience, they quickly find employment in sectors such as processing and quality control.
In Faculty of Science’s auditorium, activities were simultaneously taking place within Researchers' Night and Science Festival for children and adults, organized by Faculty of Science, Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, University Department of Marine Studies, and Study of Mediterranean Agriculture. Among other things, we witnessed a presentation of the work being done at Marine Studies. Assist. Prof. Marin Ordulj Ph.D., deputy head of department, explained how he and his colleague from Faculty of Science, Assist. Prof. Ivica Šamanić Ph.D., are researching ways to combat potential pathogens in mariculture. He also revealed that after years of enrolling around 24 students, this year they have more. However, they are not satisfied because they wish to offer more.
"The sea constitutes more than third of our country. As the oldest program of its kind—existing for 26 years—we are trying to engage young people with presentations like this and by visiting schools, where we conduct various workshops and showcase our projects. Certainly, demographic issues are reflected in enrolments, as there are fewer high school graduates. Additionally, around 25% of the population has university education, because tourism, offering the prospect of quick earnings, undermines the desire for knowledge and advancement, which is not sustainable."
By: Ana Marasović/Dalmatinski portal
Photo: Bogdan Klarić/Dalmatinski portal
