About the Faculty – History and Profile
The beginnings of higher education in the field of technical sciences in Eastern Croatia date back to 1962, when the Technical College in Zagreb established the Centre for Part-time Study in Engineering in Slavonski Brod, in a city with well-known factory Đuro Đaković, established in 1921. The Centre for Part-time Study in Engineering was active for 17 years, being supported by today’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture of the University of Zagreb. In 1979, there are conditions achieved for establishment of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty in Slavonski Brod, as an independent legal entity within Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.
The chronological overview of events important in the Faculty development is presented below:
- 1962 the Centre for Part-time Study in Engineering in Slavonski Brod was established with support of former Technical College in Zagreb.
- 1967 the Centre continued its activities within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Zagreb.
- 1975 the University of Osijek was established; the Centre for Engineering Study in Slavonski Brod was one of the University founders.
- 1979 as a result of a referendum, the Organisational unit Research and Development – Mechanical Engineering Faculty, which operated under the Đuro Đaković Institute of Mechanical Engineering, joined the University of Osijek.
- 1981 the first agreement on cooperation was signed between the University of Osijek and Hochschule Bremen upon the initiative of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty.
- 1983 upon reorganisation of the Đuro Đaković Institute of Mechanical Engineering, there was the Institute of Mechanical Engineering – Mechanical Engineering Faculty established, within which the Faculty started its scientific research activities and teaching at the former VI/1 level (professional studies).
- 1985 the Institute of Mechanical Engineering – Mechanical Engineering Faculty fulfilled criteria for registration as a higher education institution in the field of Technical Sciences – Mechanical Engineering.
- 1986 the Faculty became eligible to carry out university study for the degree of graduated engineer in the field of Mechanical Engineering (within former system of higher education).
- 1991 Mechanical Engineering Faculty in Slavonski Brod acts as an independent institution within Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.
- 1992 the Faculty operated in difficult war circumstances, carrying out study programmes in Pleternica and Požega because of the war attacks on the city of Slavonski Brod.
- 1994 in cooperation with the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty started with publication of the journal Technical Gazette, which is indexed in the SCI Expanded Database.
- 1995 teaching programme is organised for employees of the Croatian Ministry of Defence (8 generations were enrolled).
- 1998 the Faculty obtained a license to carry out university postgraduate study programme within Technical Sciences-Mechanical Engineering, with orientations in Production Systems and Production Technologies.
- 2000 the first Master of Technical Sciences was promoted.
- 2002 the first four doctoral dissertations were defended, the mentors of which were professors of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty in Slavonski Brod.
- 2005 reform of study programmes according to Bologna principles, university undergraduate and graduate studies organised in cycles of 3.5 + 1.5, with four orientation programmes.
- 2006 obtained licence from the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports to carry out Postgraduate doctoral study with three orientation modules.
- 2007 obtained licence from the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports to carry out Postgraduate professional study with four orientation modules.
- 2007 obtained funds from the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports for 2 scientific research programmes and 11 projects.
- 2007 the event the Mechanical Challenge was organised for the first time, to be held annually.
- 2009 the Faculty Annual Report was published in English language.
- 2009 the Faculty became involved as a partner in three CEEPUS projects, and intensified its international cooperation.
- 2009 the first ERASMUS outgoing mobilities were realised by the Faculty staff.
- 2010 obtained licence from the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports to carry out university undergraduate and graduate study in Mechanical Engineering according to 3+2 scheme with four orientation programmes.
- 2011 the Faculty Alumni Club has been established.
- 2011 the procedure for licence award has been initiated to carry out new university graduate study in Power Engineering.
- 2011 preparation of a project for the new Centre for Knowledge and Technology Transfer
- 2013 New orientation in Power plants within university graduate study of Mechanical Engineering started in the academic year 2013/2014.
- 2013 the Quality Assurance Office has been established as a unit of the Central Administration Office of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty in Slavonski Brod.
- 2013-2014 the Faculty was carrying out 4 EU projects, which total value was more than 10 million HRK:
- „Every Learning Counts! + Svako učenje se računa!“, „e4 corner@mefsb: entrepreneurship in engineering education initiative – key to better employability“,
- „ME4CataLOgue (Mechanical Engineering for Catalogue) – Croatian Catalogue of knowledge, skills and competences for Mechanical Engineering studies (Bachelor, Master and Doctoral study programmes) based on learning outcomes, and
- „Flexible manufacturing of customized spinal orthoses – OrtoFLEX“. More details about the projects is available further in this Self-evaluation report.
- 2016 implementation of „e-student book“: on the Faculty Council session held on 31 March 2016, the decision has been reached to adopt new way of recording student performance at exams. Since April 2016, monitoring and evaluating students in undergraduate and graduate studies is performed only within the Information System of Higher Education Institutions – ISVU (in the module Exams).
- 2017 successful completion of the re-accreditation of the postgraduate university doctoral study programme in Mechanical Engineering.
- 2017 purchase of the real-estate at the address Mile Budaka 1 in Slavonski Brod for the purpose of teaching organisation, funded from the Faculty own resources.
Being one of the University of Osijek’s constituents, the Faculty operates by its clear vision of development. During the Homeland War, the Faculty faced difficulties in organising the classes, but today the Faculty is systematically performing its main activities: education of students, scientific research and international cooperation, as well as cooperation with the economy sector, all with the aim to fulfil its social role in the community in which it operates.