CSYPN, Croatian Students and Young Professionals Network, is a private non-profit organisation run by volunteer committee members. Our mission is "to promote and encourage a Croatian network amongst students and young professionals in the United Kingdom".

We organise, support and attend a wide range of events and activities. From Croatian film festivals, charitable concerts and lecture series to social events dinners, CSYPN caters for a wide range of interests.

CSYPN provides a platform for academic, social and business contacts between the UK and Croatia; an expanding network of ideas where students, artists, scholars, scientists and professionals come together, interact and exchange ideas and skills.

Membership

Founded in 2000, CSYPN has gone from strength to strength. Our membership is currently running around 100 - all beautiful people!

See our Membership section for the benefits of being a part of CSYPN and how to join.

London's City Hall

Socialising

Probably the most important, and best, part of CSYPN life is socialising, including pub events, dinners, Croatian Independence day celebrations (some of them in the London's City Hall) and countryside walks. Many different people attend our events so there is always somebody interesting to talk to.

We have even had a few marriages ...

Culture

CSYPN provides opportunities to explore the culture of Croatia. We have organised lectures about the Croatian language and Glagolitic script in Cambridge and London by leading Croatian academics, as well as talks by important British writers such as Robin Harris and Marcus Tanner.

Closer Croatia

In 2004 CSYPN organised the Croatian Film Festival "Closer Croatia 2004" in the Riverside Studios. Opened by Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, Closer Croatia featured new and classic Croatian films as well as guests from the Croatian film industry. In October 2007 there was a follow-on festival, "Closer Croatia 2007".

CSYPN has also organized a number of charitable concerts, the biggest being at Wigmore Hall featuring opera singers Sandra Martinovic and Jonathan Lemalu.

Cultural activities are at the core of CSYPN and we work tirelessly to promote them.

Sports

Croats in a Chelsea Pub

If your interest lies in sports, then there is something for you. Many of us play or follow sports together - whether it is football, tennis, skiing or something else. Some members even attended Goran Ivanisevic's epic win in the Wimbledon final.

We also book space in a large London sports pub to watch Croatia's football team in the World Cup, European Championships and qualifying campaigns. For Euro 2004, over 200 Croatian supporters gathered to watch the games and the spectacle generated a huge media presence including the BBC, ITV, SkySports, the Times and the Guardian. We also organized big screen showings for Croatia's Euro 2008 campaign. We have also arranged big screen viewing of several Croatian domestic league games.

But we don't just watch sport. In summer 2008, one of our members organised a very successful tennis tournament and picnic. We also entered a boat into that year's Great River Race, which included the ambassador as one of the crew, achieving a very respectable time. We will be doing the same this year, so keep alert for more details.