Chair of Power Engineering

The decision to establish the Department of Power Engineering was made soon after the end of War in Bosnia (1992-1995). First classes were held in 1997, with curricula of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade. Study duration was five years. Most of the classes were held by professors from Belgrade. There were 15 students enrolled in the first generation. Magister studies started in 1999, while the first doctoral dissertation was defended in 2002.

The foundation of the Department was largely helped by company Elektroprivreda RS and its subsidiary companies Elektroprenos, Elektrokrajina and Hidroelektrane na Vrbasu. Elektroprivreda RS donated a large laboratory for power engineering systems – the micronetworks laboratory. The Chair of Power Engineering was established at the same time as the Department, with significant contribution of Dr. Miloš Milanković, the first Head of the Chair with full-time contract at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Banja Luka. Under Prof. Milanković, the chair acquired its first significant equipment for exercises related to electrical machines. At the same time, first steps towards establishing cooperation with industry organizations were made. The chair continually updated its curricula, both at the level of department and the faculty, monitoring the development of study process at faculties of electrical engineering in the region and in the world, but mostly the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade and Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad.

The science and research work at the Chair of Power Engineering is conducted in two intertwined fields: industrial power engineering and power engineering systems. Members of the chair have published more than hundred scientific, technical and research papers in proceedings of national and international conferences, magazines and scientific publications. The period 2011-2012 is especially noted for publication of five papers by members of the chair as first authors in international journals with high impact factor, two of which were in highest ranking international journals.

Besides micronetworks laboratory, currently in process of modernization, the chair has one more laboratory for exercises in electromechanical energy conversion, electrical machine testing, electrical transformers and generators, electric motor drive and regulation, renewable energy sources, relay protection and electrical energy quality.

The main goal of the chair is educating engineers who are, soon after obtaining their bachelor degree, capable of independent work on engineering tasks in the field of power engineering. While creating curricula for the first, second and third study cycle, the chair aims to include partners from industry, so the students can gain as much practical and immediately applicable knowledge. The ultimate goal of the chair is to gain high quality recognized both locally and internationally. In the next five years, the chair plans to intensively train its own teachers who would be able to take over the core of teaching activities. At the same time, the chair plans to keep part of teaching staff from other higher education institutions, with strong desire to enrich the study, science and research process by exchanging experiences.

Dr. Petar Matić, associate professor