The President of the Municipality of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević, hosted a reception for Suzana Žilič Fišer, a longtime member of the European Commission’s Panel of Experts and former director of the Maribor Institute — European Capital of Culture 2012.
President Kovačević emphasized the importance of the fact that Ms. Žilič Fišer comes from Slovenia, a country with which Nikšić enjoys excellent cooperation — through investments, projects, and now cultural exchange as well. He noted that her experience will be of great value to Nikšić in successfully implementing the European Capital of Culture project, with full support from local institutions.
Ms. Žilič Fišer first congratulated Nikšić on winning the title of European Capital of Culture for 2030, expressing her great pleasure at being able to share her experience and contribute to this important project. She stressed that the European Capital of Culture is not only a project of one city, but of the entire country. As a member of the Panel of Experts, she took part in the selection process for more than 20 European Capitals of Culture and in the monitoring of over 120 candidate cities.
The ceremonial reception was attended by the Head of the President’s Office, Marko Perućica, Project Manager of the Nikšić — European Capital of Culture 2030 Office, Mato Uljarević, and the Office’s Operations Manager, Nemanja Popović.
During the visit, Ms. Žilič Fišer toured the House of Digital Revolution and IPC Technopolis, where she delivered a lecture titled “What the ECoC Title Brings to a City.” She spoke about how a city prepares for its ECoC year, the most important criteria and challenges, the benefits and changes the process can bring to the community, as well as lessons from Maribor and other ECoC examples that may be particularly useful today.
After the lecture, Ms. Žilič Fišer and representatives of the Nikšić ECoC 2030 Office visited the Faculty of Philosophy and Philology, where they met with the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Dr. Tatjana Novović, Assistant Professor Dr. Nataša Krivokapić, and Professor Dr. Dijana Vučković. The meeting focused on potential cooperation between the Faculty of Philosophy and Philology and the University of Maribor, primarily in the fields of cultural policy, education, and international exchange of students and professors.
The visit of Ms. Suzana Žilič Fišer further strengthened the belief that Nikšić has exceptional potential to significantly enhance its cultural identity, urban development, and international visibility through the European Capital of Culture 2030 title. Her experience and recommendations represent an important incentive for further cooperation, planning, and community engagement, marking another step toward Nikšić becoming a European cultural center.