So far the Joint Committee for the Bilateral Funds approved predefined activities as follows:
Activities
Participation in the conference “Gender Equality”
Beneficiary: Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Duration: the conference held from 31 October to 1 November 2019
The main purpose of the activity was to bring together agents of change for gender equality in the Beneficiary and Donor States and foster potential future co-operation under the EEA Grants. At the conference, the successful tools and techniques in the field of gender equality, in particular the Nordic approach was introduced and examples of the best practices from Iceland, Portugal, Norway and the beneficiary states were presented.
Bilateral initiative: Strengthening Norwegian studies at the University of Zagreb
Beneficiary: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb
Duration: 1 January 2023-28 February 2025
Budget: 136.775 EUR
The goal of the bilateral activity is the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of improving Norwegian studies at the University of Zagreb through a set of activities that include online lectures, the organization of workshops and events on the topic of Norwegian literature, the holding of lectures by Norwegian lecturers in Zagreb, the participation of a Croatian representative in a summer course in Norway , and all for the purpose of strengthening linguistic and cultural knowledge. Throughout the duration of the initiative, the Norwegian professor will hold lectures at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb, which continuously strengthens the capacities of the faculty’s students, as well as providing the Norwegian professor with additional experience working abroad, which encourages the strengthening of cooperation between Croatian and Norwegian partners. The initiative is implemented in cooperation with the Norwegian partner Faculty of Humanities and Education, Center for Norwegian Studies Abroad, University of Agder.
Bilateral activity: The Sense of Play
Beneficiary: DeltaLab, Centre for Urban Transition, Architecture and Urbanism, University of Rijeka
Duration: 20 January 2021 – 31 December 2022
Budget: 150.000 EUR
The goal of the bilateral activity was the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of the inclusive design and in particular applying inclusive design principles in design projects for children.
Expert workshops were conducted with the participation of architects, designers and students focused on the development of inclusive design in Croatia. The workshops resulted in the development of the installation Sense of Balance, which is thematically dedicated to children’s play and playful exploration, and is located on the campus of the University of Rijeka. The activity was implemented in coordination with Norwegian partners Snøhetta Oslo AS and Design and Architecture Norway (DOGA) with the support of City of Rijeka.
Bilateral activity: Firefighters Raising Preparedness and Awareness for Road Traffic Safety
Beneficiary: Croatian Firefighting Association
Duration: January – December 2021
Budget: 100.000 EUR
This bilateral activity contributed to raising preparedness and awareness in the field of traffic safety in the Republic of Croatia through the education of firefighters. The activity was carried out through workshops and joint training of trainers.
The experience of the Norwegian partner helped improve the work of Croatian firefighters regarding traffic and contributed to improving road safety in Croatia. Educational materials and a promotional video were also prepared.
Bilateral activity: The sharing experiences between Croatia and Norway in search and rescue in ruins
Beneficiary: Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
Duration: January – December 2022
Budget: 149.953,88 EUR
The aim of the bilateral activity is the exchange of knowledge and practice in the field of protection and rescue through cooperation, networking and knowledge exchange between project partners. The activity was carried out through the preparation of a “light” module for rescue from ruins after a seismic event (earthquake), procurement of rescue equipment and training of HGSS K9 search teams for search and rescue from ruins. The experience of the Norwegian partner Norwegian Search and Rescue Dogs in searching with K9 search teams from the ruins strengthened Croatian professional capacities and contributed to the creation of the SOP for the LUSAR module.
Bilateral initiative: Waves of Exchange- Navigating Port Cities of the Future
Beneficiary: University of Rijeka, DELTALAB- Center for Urban Transition, Architecture and Urbanism
Duration: 1 November 2024-30 March 2025
Budget: 46.000 EUR
The goal of the initiative is to research the connection between Rijeka and Oslo as port cities and to face complex challenges which arise from globalisation, urbanisation and climate change. Additionally, port cities hold unique cultural and historical significance, often serving as gateways for trade, migration and cultural exchange. Activities include one-day symposium in Cres and a study visit to Oslo for urban studies students, during which a workshop will be held comparing and analyzing these two port cities. Initiative will be conducted in cooperation with Norwegian partner SAAHA arkitekter.
Bilateral initiative: Light USAR Certification for Earthquake Resilience
Beneficiary: Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
Duration: 22 December 2023-30 April 2025
Budget: 200.000 EUR
The initiative aims to provide knowledge and practices in the field of protection and rescue by achieving bilateral and strategic cooperation, networking and exchange of knowledge between project partners CMRS and Norske Redningshunder (Norwegian Search and Rescue Dogs). Activities include:
1. Strengthening of professional capacities and short-term training for search and rescue from ruins after a seismic event in accordance with Standard Operating Procedure, jointly prepared within bilateral initiative The Sharing Experiences between Croatia and Norway in Search and Rescue in Ruins
2. Preparation of professional documentation as a basis for certification and licensing of search teams
3. Raising visibility of bilateral initiative and established cooperation.