Academic Education in the Golden Valley

Požega is located in the Golden Valley, which the Romans called Vallis Aurea. The city has a rich history dating back to the Roman times of Incerum. In 1699, the Jesuits founded a gymnasium, and in 1727, a theater hall was built. The Academia Posegana for the study of philosophy and moral theology, also founded by the Jesuits, dates back to that time. This trace of the Academy and education will continue with a higher education institution in 1998 with a strong representation of professors: Premužić, Bišof, Miljković, and later Mesić. Almost 300 years later, in 2021, Vinum Academicum will be founded in Požega within the Faculty of Tourism and Rural Development. Today, this faculty is part of the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.

Following in this vein was the initiative of Kutjevo winemakers, led by Vlado Krauthaker and Ivan Enjingi, in the late 1990s, who launched the initiative to establish a Wine Institute in their region. From Požega, the purchase of vineyards in Podgorje owned by winemaker Klesinger was initiated. The idea of ​​an experimental site and vineyards was joined by the municipality of Kaptol, which donated 4.35 hectares of land for this purpose. A year later, in 2006, white varieties were planted, and a year later, black ones. After 15 years, in 2020, a clonal selection of Graševina was planted on one hectare. So today, Vinum Academicum owns about 7.5 hectares of vineyards with an average annual production of 35,000 liters of wine. The label of the Vinum Academicum winery shows the Rudinske glava site. They were chosen because the oldest sacral building was found near the village of Čečavac/Psunj at 417 meters, dating back to the mid-13th century, which belonged to the Benedictines. Professor Mesić and employees Jasna Del Vechio, Ivan Malčić and Daniel Klemenić work on the winemaking, along with his students.

At the Enogastronomy study program, the president of the Department of Enogastronomy, doc. dr.sc Maja Ergović, and her colleagues, doc.dr.sc. Valentina Obradović and doc.dr.sc.Svjetlana Škrabo work equally in educating students and presenting gastronomic achievements. A few months ago, the popular scientific monograph "Chef in Your Own Way" by this trio of authors for people with disabilities was promoted, which won a gold medal and a special award for contributing to the inclusiveness of vulnerable groups at the International Exhibition of Innovations and Prototypes INOVA/Budi user 2024. It also received international recognition after its Crolač cake was named the best student food product in Croatia in 2023 in the student competition. The international award for Crolač was presented to professors Helena Marčetić and Tomislav Solda and the student team consisting of: Zvonimir Paponja, Ivan Vučić, Nika Jukić, Robertino Puharić,, and Lorena Princip at the Eco Trophelia Europa in Berlin in 2023.

That same year, in France (Paris), as part of the International Agricultural Fair, students of the Enogastronomy study program Zvonimir Paponja and Nika Jurić participated in the European Competition of Young Professionals in Tasting French Wines. The mentor was Assistant Professor Josip Mesić. The students had demanding tasks - identifying the wine variety, appellation, vintage year and price range. Zvonimir Paponja successfully completed all tasks (with a 10-minute presentation in English) and won second place. Nika Jukić was noted for placing 10th among about 70 competitors. So in just two years, 2022-24, it was confirmed that professors and students work professionally with verifiable results. Both wine and gastronomy are part of the tourism industry.

In the tourism and rural development sector, the Faculty provides higher education and lifelong learning in the field of biotechnical and social sciences, focusing on scientific and professional work, quality assurance, international cooperation and cooperation with the local community for the fastest possible employment of graduates - says the Vice-Dean for Development and Business, Assoc. Prof. Berislav Andrlić. The university has built a new student dormitory worth around 4 million euros. In addition to dormitories, it includes modern classrooms. It is a representative teaching facility with an experimental base in the Kutjevo vineyards/Podgorje. All this contributes to the further development of higher education in Požega and the surrounding area.

At the Faculty of Tourism and Rural Development in Požega, it is possible to enroll in undergraduate professional studies: Enogastronomy, Electronic Business and Software Engineering and Accounting, as well as the university study of Tourism. Požega and the wider area are becoming increasingly interesting to tourists on the continental part, especially because of the world capital of Graševina - Kutjevo. Generations that will graduate from this Faculty will be able to speak competently about wine, prepare food and know how to host visitors. This was demonstrated by the Vinum Academicum workshop held in the center of Zagreb, led by Vjekoslav Madunić, where experts and journalists tasted wines from the cellars in Podgorje.

The faculty pays attention to the cultural heritage of the region. Among other things, the Vinum label depicts figures from stone consoles from the historical site near Rudina. This large site, and later the Benedictine abbey, were first mentioned in a deed of gift from King Andrew II Arpadović from 1210. These relief heads and other artifacts are exhibited in the Požega Museum.

Photos: FTRR