Asst.prof.Gordana Nikolić, PhD is the Dean of PAR University of Applied Science and one of the nine
leaders of the European University for dual study. She’s received a number of awards for her work:
she has been elected to the European network of women entrepreneurship ambassador, received
scholarship for „The Support Systems for Women Entrepreneurs in South-East Europe“ program
support by Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNECE, also included in the book “100 Croatian
leader” and she received award Women Entrepreneur of the Year in the Republic of Croatia in 2014.
She graduated from the Maritime Faculty, received her master’s degree and doctorate in the field of
management at the Faculty of Economics in Rijeka, and trained all over the world, including at
Harvard Business School, in the field of creating entrepreneurial universities.
As the only woman in the Republic Croatia who has established the first private University of Applied
Science, she received award from Primorsko Goranska County in 2015 for exceptional international
achievements in promotion of women’s entrepreneurship and in 2016 the City of Rijeka award for
exceptional contribution in the field of higher education and entrepreneurship.
She was recognized for her work also at the international level as the WED Ambassador of Croatia
she is a part of global initiative Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). Among the more significant
world recognitions, she stands out for the “Exceptional Women of Excellence 2018” award, which
was presented at the World Women Economic Forum in 2018 in New Delhi. Same year, she was
elected as a senator of the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) and in 2019, she
became the Vice-president of the Global Women Leaders Committee, which brings together women
in the global network of business angels.
In the end of 2022, she received the “Woman of the Decade” award at the Women Economic
Forum in New Delhi and an honorary doctorate from one of the most prestigious Indian universities,
which once again confirmed her international recognition in empowering women and encouraging
academic excellence.
As a global leader and role model for women around the world, Gordana Nikolić, PhD., leads Global
Chair for Higher Education in G100 network. This is the eminent club of 100 world women leaders in
100 sectors, and includes Nobel Prize winners, former heads of state, ministers, businesswomen,
philanthropists, investors, entrepreneurs, corporate and social leaders.
She is the president of the organizing committee of the PAR International Leadership Conference
(PILC) and the event called Women without PARdon, with the aim of promoting the role of women in
society. She is a member of many professional and scientific associations, as well as program
committees of several important scientific professional conferences and summer schools of countries
in the region.