Forty Years of Successful Work by the Faculty of Civil Engineering Left an Important Trace in Constructing Montenegro
Today, on July 2nd, 2020, the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Montenegro celebrates four decades of education of higher education staff and scientific research work in the field of civil engineering.
"The social significance of founding the Faculty of Civil Engineering was confirmed during these, perhaps for some modest, but for us great 40 years of work," Dean of this higher education institution, Marina Rakočević, PhD, said.
We talked with her about the history of the faculty, demand for civil engineers in the market, the number of active students, projects that testifying importance of this faculty and alumni who confirm its value.
UMNE: What marked the 40 years of work of the faculty and what role did the Faculty of Civil Engineering play in the Montenegrin society during those four decades?
RAKOČEVIĆ: The Faculty of Civil Engineering was founded on July 2nd, 1980, as the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Veljko Vlahović University in Titograd. The reasons for establishment are the then objective needs of Montenegrin economy for education of higher education construction staff, which had been particularly reinforced by devastating earthquake that hit Montenegro in 1979.
First curricula were determined by the Parent Commission for establishment of the Faculty of Civil Engineering. Decisions of the Parent Commission have defined fundamental principles and attitudes in providing staff for teaching and creating a material basis for the work and development of the Faculty. Civil engineering studies at that time lasted ten semesters, with the tenth semester planned for preparing diploma thesis. From then until today, curricula have been innovated, changed, updated and supplemented.
UMNE: How many active students are there today at the Faculty of Civil Engineering UMNE?
RAKOČEVIĆ: There are about 1000 active students at the Faculty of Civil Engineering. The teaching staff currently numbers 24 teachers and 14 associates and professional associates. Due to nature and responsibilities of our profession, working with students is interactive, so that the employed teaching staff makes great efforts to ensure that our students acquire adequate knowledge allowing them to find employment and better jobs after graduation. Collegial relations, based on respect and understanding, adorn the Faculty of Civil Engineering, which we are especially proud of.
UMNE: This year, closing date of electronic application for enrollment at the University of Montenegro coincided with the jubilee of the Faculty of Civil Engineering. How high is the interest of students and how much is this profession is demanded by the labor market? RAKOČEVIĆ: There is a great demand for civil engineers in the market. Therefore, traditionally at the Faculty of Civil Engineering there are no vacancies when enrolling in undergraduate, specialist and master's studies. In the period from its establishment to 2004, 670 civil engineers graduated. From 2004 until today, within undergraduate academic studies 734 students completed the Civil Engineering program, and students finished the undergraduate applied studies of the study program Management in Civil Engineering. In the same period, 507 students obtained diploma of a construction specialist, and 72 students obtained a diploma of a construction management specialist. The Faculty of Civil Engineering educated 72 masters and 11 doctors of science.
UMNE: How present is the trace / mark by former students of the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Montenegro, the region, Europe?
RAKOČEVIĆ: Among former students of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, there is a large number of successful engineers, who participated in implementation of the most complex construction projects, both in Montenegro and in the region and beyond. Practically, there is no facility built in Montenegro in the last 40 years, in which the graduates of our Faculty did not participate, and they proved their qualities in the profession on all meridians. Among the alumni of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, there are also prominent scientists and researchers, who are employed at prestigious universities, as well as in research centers around the world. In addition to a large number of projects implemented, as well as those being implemented, we may highlight the projects: Highway Bar-Boljare; Moraca bridges in Podgorica (Millennium, Union Bridge, and others); remediation of lead and zinc mine tailings in Mojkovac; project for reconstruction of the cooling tower of TPP Pljevlja and a large number of other infrastructure facilities, of which we are very proud. Our graduate students have built and continue to build our Montenegro. They have woven their knowledge into every built bridge, building, road or other infrastructural facility, which can be seen, and which we are very proud of. The Faculty of Civil Engineering makes a great contribution to the community because it is generally known that development of civil engineering follows development of society as a whole.
UMNE: The project and research activity of the Faculty of Civil Engineering has been noticed, especially in the field of real-time earthquake risk reduction for the Europe area?
RAKOČEVIĆ: So far, the Faculty of Civil Engineering has achieved an enormous progress and notable results in the field of science and research. From its foundation until today, the Faculty of Civil Engineering has been the holder, or participant, in a large number of scientific research projects. Currently, the Faculty participates in the H2020 RISE project (Real-time earthquake risk reduction for a reSilient Europe), which deals with real-time earthquake risk reduction for Europe, and which is also implemented with the support of the Ministry of Science. This project will contribute to new experiences of researchers from the Faculty of Civil Engineering in priority innovative areas of research, as well as to opening of new perspectives for joint applications on future prestigious European scientific research projects. Also, five bilateral scientific research projects are currently active in cooperation with eminent universities and scientific research institutions of the world. The teaching and research staff of the Faculty actively participates in current programs of European cooperation in science and technology and COST actions. Three doctoral researches supported by the grant of the Ministry of Science of Montenegro are active at the Faculty, which has influenced the increase in number of active young researchers at the Faculty.
UMNE: How did it come about that the University of Montenegro, and thus the Faculty of Civil Engineering, was included in the category 601-800 Times Higher Education rankings?
RAKOČEVIĆ: In recent years, the Faculty has significantly increased the number of published scientific publications of teaching staff in leading journals from the WOS and SCOPUS lists (SCI / SCIE), thus contributing to the high place achieved by our University in the field of engineering and technological sciences (Engineering & Technology) in October 2019, when it was included in the category 601-800 Times Higher Education rankings. From the establishment until today, investments have been made in the equipment of the laboratory for materials and constructions, which works within the Faculty. Initially, the investments were more significant, and in 2019, within the ERASMUS + CBHS project SWARM (Strengthening of master curricula in Water Resources Management in the Western Balkans HEIs and stakeholders), they procured equipment for a hydraulic laboratory. In our laboratory, they realized numerous experimental scientific researches from which the doctoral dissertations of not only ours, but also the universities in the region originated. It is difficult to list everything that has been achieved in these 40 years of existence. We are grateful to the engineers, professors and other staff who contributed to the establishment of the Faculty of Civil Engineering. Their dedicated work and implemented ideas provided a good basis for this Faculty and it is ours only to nurture and improve it, for which we have enough responsibilities, knowledge and competencies.
UMNE: What is aspiration of the Faculty in terms of direction of further development, what is highlighted by the Strategy of the Faculty of Civil Engineering?
RAKOČEVIĆ: Development strategy of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, which we developed within the general development strategy of the University of Montenegro, defines strategic goals for the period from 2019-2024. Knowledge is an elementary factor of competitiveness. Therefore, the strategic goal of the Faculty is to maintain and improve curricula and contents, as well as conditions, in order to continue to provide education of quality staff in the field of construction. In this way, we will respond to social task assigned to us, and that is that in addition to construction knowledge, techniques and skills, our students also learn that construction profession actually means great responsibility. In the coming period, strategic goal is to constantly encourage training of teaching and research staff and students, through implementation of European quality, stimulating a culture of excellence and commitment, internationalization, multidisciplinary research environment, digitalization, application of advanced teaching methods, ensuring high quality research and innovation, with the possibility of direct transfer of technology and knowledge to the business and economic environment. The time ahead also introduces a new paradigm that implies competitive advantage, based not only on knowledge, but increasingly on innovation and creativity. In order to change something in education, we need to offer new tools to higher education staff, in direction that our students must accept fundamental concepts and principles of the market, marketing, competition, business psychology, team management, etc. Our civil engineers must be shaped not only in engineering, but also in managerial direction and be ready to manage teams with good engineering knowledge. The Faculty of Civil Engineering has recognized this, following example of a large number of such schools across Europe and America, and educates staff who know construction techniques, legal regulations, economic disciplines and business psychology, thus educating staff for the new times. The Faculty of Civil Engineering is capable of a successful fulfilling its mission and social role in future development of Montenegro.
UMNE: How will this important date be celebrated?
RAKOČEVIĆ: Traditionally, the celebration of this important jubilee, which will be followed by a series of events, will be organized in December, if the circumstances related to pandemic caused by the Covid 19 virus allow it.