The celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing – today known as FER, and originally as the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (ETF) – is an opportunity to recall the period that strongly shaped its identity. Particularly notable is the time from 1956 to 1965, when the Faculty began operating independently and laid the foundations of modern electrical engineering, electronics, and computer education in Croatia.

This was an era of rapid technical and technological change worldwide: the boom of electronics, the birth of computing and information technology, and the expansion of power and communication systems. It was precisely in these fields that FER assumed an unrivaled role as a bearer of knowledge and innovation.

From the Technical College to an Independent Faculty

FER’s roots go back to the Technical College, founded after the First World War, from which the Technical Faculty of the University of Zagreb emerged in 1926. That same year, the University of Zagreb awarded an honorary doctorate to Nikola Tesla, one of the world’s greatest inventors and visionaries—a symbolic act reflecting the values upon which the Faculty of Electrical Engineering would later develop.

A crucial role in the development of electrical engineering education was played by Josip Lončarand Miroslav Plohl, the only two lecturers who, from 1926/1927 onward, taught courses within the Electrical Engineering and Electro-Mechanical Departments of the Technical Faculty, with a strong emphasis on laboratory work and practical teaching.

By 1956, 750 electrical engineers had graduated, making a decisive contribution to the development of the electrical industry, power engineering, and radio communications in Croatia.

1956 – The Beginning of an Independent Path

A new chapter began on 1 July 1956, when the Faculty of Electrical Engineering became an independent higher-education institution. The years that followed were marked by the struggle to secure its own physical space, alongside the establishment of scientific foundations after separating from the Technical Faculty.

At that time, the Faculty operated at several locations in Zagreb: in the AGG building at Kačićeva 26, Roosevelt Square 6, the former 8 May Street 62 (today Vukotinovićeva Street), Savska 61, and Republic of Croatia Square 4. This clearly illustrates how spatially demanding the beginnings were—yet also how dynamic the development proved to be.

The economic priority of the time was training personnel for electrification. In 1956, the Faculty began with 11 departments and 42 full-time teachers and assistants. The first dean, Prof. Dr. h. c. Anton Dolenc, set a clear strategy: linking teaching directly to the immediate needs of industry. At a time when electronics and computing were rapidly emerging as "high technologies" transforming both life and the economy, the Faculty positioned itself as a driver of modernization.

Study Reform – ETF-1

In 1959 (20 November), the first Statute was adopted, introducing the “year-for-year” system. The goal was to shorten the average duration of studies from more than seven years to five, by better organizing the curriculum and distributing courses more optimally across semesters.

EETF-1 (implemented in the 1959/1960 Academic Year) represented the first independent study program of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. It featured a four-year program with clearly defined student obligations. Compared to the earlier curriculum, the number of teaching hours, lectures, and examinations was reduced, as specialized mandatory courses were converted into electives, while general subjects largely remained unchanged.

This approach allowed mandatory courses to provide fundamental theoretical knowledge, while specialization and engineering training were achieved through elective courses—greatly enhancing flexibility and adaptation to the needs of industry and modern technologies.

Infrastructure Growth

In 1961, the Faculty moved into Building "A", and in the same year launched its third level of education – postgraduate studies, placing ETF among the leading institutions offering advanced scientific programs in the region.

The conditions for relocating laboratories from inadequate basement spaces on Savska Road and Roosevelt Square were created in 1963 with the completion of Building "C" (the high-rise). This further strengthened the foundations of teaching in electrical engineering, power engineering, and electronics.

The year 1964 was marked by the great flood in Zagreb, which struck the city and its institutions but did not halt the Faculty’s development. By 1965, Building “B” was also completed, rounding off this crucial phase of infrastructural growth.
 

Legacy and Leadership

During this period, the Faculty was led by the following deans: Anton Dolenc, Danilo Blanuša, Božidar Stefanini, Vatroslav Lopašić, Hrvoje Požar, and Vladimir Matković. Their leadership ensured stable development, modernization of study programs, and strong links with industry and the scientific community.

The years 1956 – 1965 remain remembered as a time of foundation and major advancement. In line with the motto "70 Years of Pushing Boundaries", it was these steps that enabled FER to grow into the central institution of Croatian electrical engineering, electronics, and computing—and a lasting driver of technological progress.