Faculty of Mathematics
- Faculty of Mathematics (MATF) in Belgrade has a long tradition, was founded
in 1875, as a part of the Belgrade University. Since then, and even earlier
(since 1839, through the Department of Philosophy) astronomy and mathematics,
and in particular applied mathematics, were taught there. About 400 PhD theses
were achieved since then in mathematics, astronomy and mechanics. Famous scientist
were working and doing research at the Faculty, one of them was Milutin Milankovic,
professor of applied mathematics and astronomy, the founder of the theory of
planetary climates and ice ages. Today, MATF is the leading scientific and educational
institution in Serbia in mathematics, astronomy and informatics. About 400 new
students enter undergraduate studies, and about 50 graduate students begin their
studies at MATF. MATF is the only university institution in Serbia having Department
of astronomy, where students may study astronomy at undergraduate and graduate
level. At this moment, there are 56 members of the senior staff (professors
and lecturers) and 32 assistants. Many our former students (about 15% of whole
population) are working in leading world scientific centres (universities, observatories,
etc). MATF has moderate computer equipment organized into several computers
laboratories and broadband connection to Internet. Until now many scientific
and technological projects were leaded by professors of the Faculty, mostly
funded by the Serbian Ministry of science, but several of the international
ones, as from Tempus programme. It has good international cooperation with recognized
world institution. This proves the eligibility of the Faculty to run and ménage
sophisticated scientific project in the areas of mathematics, astronomy and
informatics.
Department of Astronomy of the University of Belgrade
The University of Beograd is the only University in Yugoslavia with a Department
of Astronomy.
The begining of the university education in Serbia can be traced up to 1838,
when "Licej" was founded in Kragujevac. Licej separated from "Gimnazija"
in 1839 and was transfered to Belgrade in 1841.
Judging by the content of the textbooks elements of astronomy were lectured
at the Licej. The first traces of teaching "physical" astronomy in
the plans of Licej can be found for the year 1854/55.
The law about transformation of the Licej into the Grand School, from 1863,
did not include teaching of astronomy. This was corrected by the law on changes
and additions from 1880, where it was regulated that astronomy was to be taught
although together with meteorology.
Therefore, 1880 is assumed to mark the foundation of the Cathedra of Astronomy
in Belgrade, although jointly with meteorology, untill 1924. It was within the
Department of Sciences and Mathematics till 1896, when teaching of sciences
splitted. From 1896 till 1905 it was within the Department of Physics and Mathematics.
When the University was founded in 1905, the Cathedra of Astronomy and Meteorology
was incorporeted within the Philosophical Faculty.
The lectures started in 1884, when Milan Nedeljkovic was elected to be the "suplent"
- lecturer for astronomy and meteorology. He became a professor in 1886, and
taught astronomy (except in 1899-1900) till 1924, when he was asked to retire.
At the turn of the century the professor of astronomy was Djordje Stanojevic.
The Astronomical and Meteorological Observatory founded in Belgrade, in 1887,
was connected with the Cathedra (and University) till 1948. The directors of
the Astronomical Observatory were professors of the Cathedra. At the beginning
it was more occupied with meteorological measurements. The division into two
observatories -- Astronomical and the Meteorological -- officially occured in
1924.
Milan Nedeljkovic procured a large collection of instruments, especially astronomical
ones, using the funds due to the First World War reparation.
Vojislav Miškovic who became the professor of the University of Beograd
in 1925, was appointed as the director of the Astronomical observatory in Belgrade,
supervised works on the new buildings (finished in 1932), and organized its
work. He retired in 1962.
A great advance in the theoretical scientific work occured when Milutin Milankovic
was elected to be the professor of the University of Belgrade in 1909. He became
the most famous serbian astronomer of the XX century. His best works concern
the theory of climate and the celestial mechanics. He stayed a professor untill
retirement in 1955.
The new regulation of the Philosophical Faculty introduced in 1925 for the first
time treats astronomy as a separate teaching subject. The final educational
sheme in 1927 established a separate study group for astronomy. It was named
the III group of sciences and contained: Practical and Theoretical Astronomy;
Celestial Mechanics, Theoretical Mathematics, Rational Mechanics, Physics and
Meteorology. Professor Miškovic was nominated to teach the first subject.
After the foundation of the Faculty of Sciences in 1947, the Cathedra of Celestial
Mechanics and Astronomy was formed. Soon it changed the name into the Cathedra
of Mechanics and Astronomy. The separation started in 1960 and ended in 1962;
therefore this period can be taken as the time when an independent Chair of
Astronomy is mentioned for the first time. Following the reorganization of the
Faculty of Sciences, the Chair of Astronomy became the Institute of Astronomy
in 1971 and the Chair (Department) of Astronomy again in 1995. Within the last
change it stayed within the Mathematical Faculty.
Astrophysics was introduced for the firt time as an obligatory course at the
Cathedra of Astronomy in 1958. Since then it developed into several courses.
Important changes in teaching plans were introduced in the academic year 1961/1962
when two separate study groups were formed: astrophysical and astronomical one.
The postgraduate studies started in 1966.
The staff of the Chair increased considerably during the last four decades.
The average number has risen from two in early fifties to six in early sixties
and reached ten in the late seventies.
The field of research has broadened from classical astrometrical subjects to
more modern ones: Motion of Artificial Earth Satelites, Earth Rotation, Motion
of Asteroids, Stellar Systems. Several astrophysical subjects were introduced:
Radio Astronomy, Solar Astrophysics, Stellar Structure and Evolution. Although
Radio Astronomy started as an observational subject due to building of the two-element
interferometer for the observation of the Sun by Ivan Atanasijevic, it changed
later into a semi theoretical research in the field of Galactic Radio Astronomy.
In general, majority of research developed in theoretical direction, due to
computers and not sufficiently modernized local observational basis. In this
direction most of the Ph.D. theseses, obtained either in Beograd or abroad,
were done.
Good international collaboration in astronomy was developed with Czechoslovakia,
France and Hungary, during seventies and eighties.
Within the last three decades the staff almost completely changed. Several members
left, either retiring or getting jobs elsewhere.
At the present time the Department of Astronomy has eleven full time and two
part time (one from the Astronomical Observatory an the other from the Department
of Mechanics) members of staff, teaching fifteen astronomical courses: General
Astronomy, General Astrophysics, Processing of Astronomical Data, for both groups;
Theoretical Astrophysics, Practical Astrophysics, Stellar Structure and Evolution,
Stellar Astronomy, Radio Astronomy, Teaching and History of Astronomy for students
of the astrophysical branch; Theoretical Astronomy, Practical Astronomy, Positional
Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics and Theory of the Motion of Artificial Earth
Satellites, Ephemerical Astronomy, Stellar Systems, for students of the astronomical
branch. The names of the present members of staff and the allocation of subjects
can be found in the separate part of the presentation.
Many of these courses got their present shape due to professors who left the
Department of Astronomy due to retirements, e.g.: Zaharije Brkic, Branislav
ševarlic, Jovan Simovljevic, Jovan Lazovic and Mirjana Vukicevic-Karabin.
Out of 29 published in Serbian textbooks and auxiliary books, known to be used
in teaching of astronomy on the higher level, 17 were written by the professors
of the Department (Cathedra, Chair) of Astronomy. Eihgt textbooks were translated
fully and one partially. Some early texts have been lost as manuscripts. Some
textbooks written recently are waiting for publication.
Practically all professors contributed to the development of the Department
of Astronomy by organizational work. Many of them were chiefs of the Department,
one was a dean and four were vicedeans.
The Department of Astronomy was publishing since 1969 "The Publications
of the Department of Astronomy". After 18 issues (21 years) it merged with
the "Bulletin Astronomique de Belgrade", which changed the title into
"Serbian Astronomical Journal" in 1998.
Although the Astronomical Observatory in Belgrade is not in an administrative
way connected with University nowadays, there is a wide collaboration in teaching
(practical subjects during the undergraduate studies and specialized subjects
at the postgraduate studies) and scientific research. Part of the practical
exercises is done in the Public Observatory and the Planetarium of the Astronomical
Society "Rudjer Boškovic" in Beograd.
The Chair (Department) of Astronomy organized observations of both total solar
eclipses seen from Yugoslavia (1961, 1999) for professors and students.
Majority of the professors are the members of the IAU and its Commissions. Many
of them were the members of the National Committee for Astronomy.
Some professors were very active in popularization of astronomy either in the
mentioned Society or at other public places. Three of them won the prize of
the Kolarcev Public University for popularization of sciences.
The familly of the late professor Zaharije Brkic has established a fund for
the best student graduated within the previous academic year. Forteen studets
were awarded since its introduction in 1981.
Starting from the foundation of the Chair of Astronomy in 1880, 38 persons were
engaged for undergraduate studies, part or full time. The Chair of Astronomy
educated 171 graduated students, 37 candidates leaded to M.Sc. and 23 to Ph.D
degrees. The first astronomy student graduated in 1936, the first M.Sc. degree
was obtained in 1968 and the first Ph.D. degree in 1958.
Within the last three decades the staff almost completely changed. Several members
left either retiring or getting jobs elsewhere. Chronologically they were: Ivan
Atanasijevic, Vasilije Oskanjan, Zaharije Brkic, Branislav Ševarlic, Milivoje
Rakic, Milan Vuletic, Jovan Simovljevic, Jovan Lazovic, Mirjana Vukicevic-Karabin,
Jovan Skuljan, Predrag Punoševac and Zlatko Catovic.
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