Department of Communication and Space Technologies

University of Zagreb

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing

Department established in 1954

 

Head of Department: Prof. Gordan Šišul

Deputy Head of Department: Prof. Davor Bonefačić

 

Secretary: Ljerka Nuić, ing. inf.


Phone: +385 1 6129 857

Fax: +385 1 6129 717

Email: rc@fer.hr

 

Department of Communication and Space Technologies is located at 12th floor of Faculty's skyscraper (building C), and occupies parts of the 11th and 13th floor. The Department staff currently conducts classes on over 60 courses (undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies) and participates in over 20 domestic and international research projects.


History of the Department of Communication and Space Technologies

The beginnings the Department of Communication and Space Technologies go back to the year 1954 when it was founded under the name Department for the Emission Units at the former Technical Faculty. The first head of the Department was Dr. Roman Galić, former employee of Radio Television Zagreb and part-time lecturer at the Faculty. Department initially had two, and later five rooms in the building of the Secondary Technical School in Klaićeva 7, and moving into a new building of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in 1963 the Department receives the entire floor and changes the name into Department of High-Frequency Technologies. In the new building the Department has been located at 12th floor, especially for the possibility of using the roof of the building for the measurements.

In the 1960s the Department worked with Radio Television Zagreb since the introduction of television into the country on the first installations and measurements of television equipment and devices, conducting first broadcasts from the transmitter Sljeme, and especially in the education of the first personnel  for the televison technical service. Associates of the Department participated in the preparation of projects for the network of transmitters for the second television programme for Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Members of the Department participated in the technological design of Broadcasting House in Zagreb.

In the framework of cooperation on the development of microwave devices with the former Institute of Electronics, Telecommunications and Automation, the Department has borrowed from the Radioindustry Zagreb the most modern microwave instrumentation at that time and thus equipped laboratory, where the Institute officials and associates of the Department successfully developed a prototype of microwave radio-relay device.

The device was designed using waveguides for the 7-8 GHz band and was the first of its kind constructed in the former Yugoslavia. The work ensured modern experimental work on the basis of which the members of the Department prepared papers and expertise for the former "Federal Fund for Scientific Work" in the field of microwave modulators, microwave generators and microwave filters.

In 1994 the Department changes the name into Department of Wireless Communicatrions and High-Frequency Electronics and in 2005 it was named the Department of Wireless Communicatrions. Along with embracing new reseatch and teaching fields, in 2020 the current name, the Department of Communication and Space Technologies, was adopted.

 

Lecturers who have significantly contributed to the development of the Department

The first lecturer and Head of the Department at the time of establishment in 1954 was a part time lecturer dr. Roman Galic that was employed at the Radio Television Zagreb. He introduced the course Emission Devices and VHF Techniques and was over fifteen years the tie between the Department and Radio Television Zagreb. Thus, for many years the members of the Department collaborated with the Radio Television Zagreb on the problems of broadcasting which improved their technical and scientific skills.

The next head of the Department was Professor Zlatko Smrkić who finalized today's profile of the Department in the teaching and research aspects, and affirmed the field of wireless communications. During the introduction of television in Croatia in 1956 he was an associate of Radio Television Zagreb and significantly influenced the education of the first technical staff for television. He wrote the textbook "Introduction to Television" and thereby affirmed the Department in this area.

He introduced the microwave electronics in teaching and for many years led scientific projects in this area, which led to the technical realization of the first semiconductor microwave radio relay system at 8 GHz, which was later produced by Radioindustry Zagreb. Professor Boris Kviz, Professor Boris Zimmermann and Professor Ervin Zentner helped as assistants to Professor Zlatko Smrkić in the creation of laboratories and selection and procurement of equipment for the Department during the construction of new buildings of the Faculty in Unska 3.

Professor Boris Kviz has later independently created couses from the field of radiolocation, radio-telemetric and in particular optical communications.

Professor Ervin Zentner independently created courses in the field of antennas, propagation of electromagnetic waves, mobile wirelles communications, radar and electromagnetic compatibility.

Professor Branka Zovko-Cihlar continued the work of Professor Zlatko Smrkić in the field of television towards the digital television systems and created a course in the field of multimedia communications.

As a longtime part time lecturer Professor Ivan Modlic introduced high-frequency electronics into teaching and wrote a series of textbooks in this field.

Members of the Department participated in teaching at other institutions of higher education in Zagreb Faculty of Traffic Engineering, Faculty of Geodesy, Air Force Senior School, as well as outside Zagreb: Split, Rijeka, Pula, Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Skopje, and in the implementation of teaching courses in many industrial and exploitation organizations.