University of Zagreb

Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering

Short biography:

PhD: 1982
Master of science degree: 1974
Graduated: 1964

Until his retirement in 2011, he was a full professor at the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering, and today he is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Zagreb.

An internationally recognized scientist and a university teacher. He stands out with his original scientific contributions in the study of karst areas in Croatia and worldwide with special attention to the protection of water resources (scientific and professional projects).

During the reorganization of the study program according to Bologna system, he was the head of the Department and one of the developers of the Bologna curriculum at the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering. He initiated the establishment of the Laboratory for Environmental Geochemistry and an IT classroom.

In 1998, he was appointed National Coordinator for EU COST projects by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, which he successfully worked on until his retirement in 2011. He initiated the establishment of the international doctoral study programme in Water Management and Geoengineeering (Joint PhD).

A large part of his scientific activity is connected to the Croatian Geological Survey (HGI), where he was the head of the Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology in Croatian Geological Survey for many years, and in the period from 1996 to 2000 he was also the general director of the Croatian Geological Survey. He was the leader of the scientific project Basic Hydrogeological Map of Croatia, and together with his associates he introduced GIS methods in the research of water resources in the Republic of Croatia.

In the period from 1992 to 1995 he was the president of the Croatian Geological Society (HGD) and one of the founders of the Croatian Chapter of the IAH (International Association of Hydrogeologists) within the Croatian Geological Society.

He is a member of the Croatian Water Protection Society (HDZV) and the SLAP association. Since 1999 he has been a professional member of the American Institute of Hydrology (AIH). Twice he was the president of the Commission for the State Award in Nature Protection. He is the president of the Commission for professional exams in the field of geological engineering. He is a full member of the Croatian Academy of Technical Sciences (HATZ) in the Department of Civil Engineering and Geodesy.