Biography - Asanović Vanja

Current position:                        Full Professor

EDUCATION

1985-1990       BSc in metallurgy, Faculty of Metallurgy, University of Montenegro

                         Theme: The influence of thermomechanical regime of rolling on the properties of  8011 aluminum alloys

1990-1994       MSc in technical sciences, Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, University of Montenegro

                        Theme: Thermoelastic martensitic transformation and shape memory effect for Cu-Zn-Al alloys

1994-1998       PhD, Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, University of Montenegro

                        Theme: Influence factors on the kinetics of phase transformations and properties of Cu-Zn-Al alloys with shape memory effect 

Current research interest:           

• Shape memory alloys, Cu-based alloys, steels, aluminium alloys
• Phase transformation in materials
• Characterization of microstructure and crystal structure of materials
• Mechanochemical synthesis
• Casting, thermomechanical treatment, heat treatment of alloys
• Nanocomposites
• Hydrogen storage
• Machine learning in materials science
• Phase change materials
• Environmental protection
• Waste management
• Metrology
• Quality infrastructure, accreditation, standards and quality

WORK EXPERIENCE:

02/2009–Present Full Professor

University of Montenegro, Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, Podgorica (Montenegro)

Teaching at undergraduate and specialist studies at the Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology:

Courses: Phase Transformation, Structure of Alloys, Physics of strength and plasticity, Materials Characterization, Kinetics and Mechanism of Phase Transformations, Electron Microscopy and X-ray analysis, Physical Metallurgy (selected topics) and Physics of Materials (Study programme: Metallurgy and Materials).

Course: Waste Management (Study programme: Environmental Protection). 

Teaching at master and doctoral studies:

• Course: Metrology (Master study at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering);
• Course: Dispersion modelling of pollutants (Master study at the Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, Study programme: Environmental Protection);
• Courses:  Phase Transformations (selected chapters), Thermodynamics (higher level) and Design and Strengthening Mechanisms in Materials (Doctoral study at the Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, Study programme: Metallurgy and Materials).

Research areas: physical metallurgy, phase transformation in metals and alloys, electron microscopy, optical microscopy, shape memory alloys, phase change materials, hydrogen storage, nanocomposites, environmental protection, waste management.

12/2003–02/2009 Associate Professor

University of Montenegro, Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, Podgorica (Montenegro)

Teaching (courses: Phase Transformation, Materials Characterization, Kinetics and Mechanisms of Phase Transformations, and Waste Management)

Research areas: physical metallurgy, phase transformation in metals and alloys, electron microscopy, optical microscopy, shape memory alloys, environmental protection, waste management.

10/1998–12/2003 Assistant Professor

University of Montenegro, Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, Podgorica (Montenegro)

Teaching (courses: Physical Metallurgy, Phase Transformation, Materials Characterization, Kinetics and Mechanisms of Phase Transformations)

Research areas: physical metallurgy, phase transformation in metals and alloys, electron microscopy, optical microscopy, shape memory alloys.

06/1995–10/1998 Assistant

University of Montenegro, Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, Podgorica (Montenegro)

Teaching (courses: Metallography, Heat Treatment, Materials, Materials in Mechanical Engineering)

Research areas: physical metallurgy, phase transformation in metals and alloys, optical microscopy, Cu-based shape memory alloys, deformation.

02/1991–06/1995 Trainee Assistant

University of Montenegro, Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, Podgorica (Montenegro)

Experimental laboratory work and exercises (courses: Metallography, Heat Treatment, Materials, Materials in Mechanical Engineering)

Research areas: physical metallurgy, phase transformation in metals and alloys, metallography, optical microscopy, Cu-based shape memory alloys, cold rolling.

10/2006–02/2021 Director of Montenegrin Bureau of Metrology

Besides scientific research and teaching, I have more than fourteen years of experience managing the Bureau of Metrology. I was on the head of the expert team that established the Centre of Metrology in July 2006. As an acting director of new formed Bureau of Metrology, I have performed all necessary duties for establishing the metrological traceability and organising the working procedures in the field of legal, scientific and industrial metrology as well as control of precious metal articles. One of the most critical issues was establishing the national calibration laboratories within the Bureau of Metrology in which the measurement standards of Montenegro are realised, preserved, maintained, and improved. The documentation for verifying the fulfilment of the requirements for performing the calibration of measuring instruments/measurement standards in the Bureau’s laboratories was prepared by an expert team which I have led. The Croatian Accreditation Agency and the Accreditation Body of Montenegro, have continuously confirmed since 2014 that the Bureau of Metrology meets the requirements of MEST EN ISO/IEC 17025: 2011 and that it is competent to carry out calibration of measuring instruments used for measuring mass, temperature and relative humidity, laboratory glassware and piston-operated volumetric apparatus, etalons of overflow pipettes and standard capacity measures, measuring instruments for measuring length, pressure, standards and instruments for measurement of electrical quantities, frequency and time interval, as well as calibration of measuring devices for measuring radon concentration in air.

The most important results that were achieved in the period since the establishment of the Bureau of Metrology on September 14, 2006, up to February 11, 2021, are as follows:

• established metrological traceability in Montenegro;
• harmonisation of legislation in the field of metrology with the legislation of the European Union;
• establishment of national calibration laboratories in which Montenegrin measurement standards are realised, stored, maintained and improved;
• confirmation of competence for performing calibration of measuring instruments/measurement standards in the laboratories of the Bureau;
• meeting the criteria for membership in international and regional organisations in the field of metrology and control of precious metal articles;
• signing the CIPM Arrangement on Mutual Recognition of Calibration and Measurement Certificates issued by the national metrological institutes of the Member States to remove technical barriers to trade;
• realisation of the Montenegrin second and participation in the realisation of UTC;
• publishing the 24 best measurement and calibration capabilities (CMC) in the database of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures KCDB-BIPM based on successful participation in interlaboratory comparisons;
• license for performing scientific research activities in the field of technical-technological and interdisciplinary sciences and registration of the Bureau in the register of innovative organisations.

From 2007 to February 2021, I have presented Montenegro and the Bureau of Metrology in the different regional and international metrological organizations as a delegate and member of varying working bodies such as the following:

• A delegate in the General Assembly and member of TC IM - Technical Committee for Interdisciplinary Metrology within the European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET). 
• A delegate in the WELMEC Committee and a member of the Working group 8 related to the general application of MID and NAWID within the European Cooperation in Legal Metrology (WELMEC).
• A representative in the International Committee of Legal Metrology meetings (CIML) within the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML).
• A representative of Montenegro in the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM).

I participated in preparing draft laws and bylaws in the field of metrology, draft Metrology Development Strategy in Montenegro for the period 2016-2018, communication strategies, quality management system documentation, and presenting activities within the free movement of goods. From 2007 to 2017, I was a member of the Assembly of the Institute for Standardization of Montenegro. In the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, as a member, I participated in the work of the Council for the award of visual marking of products from Montenegro (2009 - 2021) and the Coordination Committee for Quality of PKCG (2016 - 2020).

Professional appointments – research

2006 Academic Visitor within the Oxford Colleges Hospitality Scheme (from 1^st July to 31^st July) at the Department of Materials, Oxford.

Awards, grants and fellowships

1984 – The award of “Gold Medal” at the Festival of Youth Work of Yugoslavia (high school

competition) for analytical chemistry.

1985 – The award for the best high school pupil in Podgorica.

1985 - The award for the best high school pupil in Montenegro.

1986 – The award of “19th December” for the best student of the Faculty of Metallurgy.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORK

I focused my scientific research on the following topics:

• synthesis, thermo-mechanical processing, phase transformations and structural testing of new materials, Cu-Zn-Al alloys exhibiting shape memory effect;
• production, heat treatment and characterization of steel and aluminium alloys;
• mechanochemical synthesis, processing and characterization of nanocomposite materials for hydrogen storage;
• production and characterization of composites.

As an author or co-author, I have published 27 papers in international scientific journals, 5 in national scientific journals, 43 papers in international scientific conferences and 16 in national conferences. I co-authored a university textbook.

From 1994 to 2007, I was involved as an associate in two research projects, and I managed the following research projects funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Montenegro in the field of development of new materials (alloys that exhibit the effect of shape memory):

• “The influence of microalloying on the kinetics of phase transformations and other application in the structure of alloys with the effect of shape memory” (2000).
• “Investigation of the influence of alloying elements and thermomechanical processing on the substructure, mechanical properties and degree of recovery of copper-based memory alloy shapes” (2005/2007).

During 2009 and 2010, as a contributor to the sub-project “Environment and Sustainable Development” within the project of the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts “Montenegro in the 21st Century - in the Age of Competitiveness”, I participated in the preparation of the chapter Environmental Quality.

Within the program of scientific and technological bilateral cooperation between Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia for the period 2019-2020, I am the project manager: “Synthesis and characterization of PCM (phase change materials) materials - the path towards a hydrogen-based economy”.  

I am a member of Management Committee as the representative of Montenegro for COST actions CA18112: Mechanochemistry for Sustainable Industry, CA18224: Green Chemical Engineering Network towards upscaling sustainable processes and CA19118: High-performance Carbon-based composites with Smart properties for Advanced Sensing Applications.

RECENT PROJECTS

Project: Composites for all advanced materials for a modern, improved, and sustainable society,  CEI Know-how Exchange Programme for period 03/2021-10/2022 (team member).

Project: “MONtenegrin center for Underwater SEnsor Networks - MONUSEN”, HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-02 for period 06/2022-06/2025 (team member).

Project: “CiRcular Economy Skills enhanCEment NeTwOrk - CRESCENTO” Adriatic-Ionian ADRION Programme 2014-2020 for period 01/2023 – 09/2023 (project manager Montenegro).

Project: SPS G6037- “Development of Hydrogen Compressors (NO-DEPENDENCE)” - The NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme, for period: 06/2023 – 06/2026 (NATO country Project Director).

MEMBERSHIP

Member of Materials Research Society of Serbia 

The reviewer of journal papers:

International journal of Metalcasting, Journal of Mining and Metallurgy (Section B: Metallurgy), Journal of Materials Research and Technology, Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, Indian Journal of Engineering and Materials Sciences, Acta Metallurgica Slovaca.

PEDAGOGICAL WORK

TEKSTBOOK

Radulović Branko, Vanja Radusinović-Asanović “Practicum in Metal Heat Processing”, University of Montenegro, MTF, Podgorica, 1997.

MENTORSHIP

Milena Raonic – Master’s thesis “Investigation of influential factors on the choice and suitability of the method for determining the degree of fineness in the system of control of precious metal articles in Montenegro”, defended in 2017 at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Montenegro.

Zorana Sekulic – Doctoral thesis “Influence of transition metals on the structure and properties of nanocomposites based on magnesium hydride.”

TRAINING

The most important training I attended within international projects are related to waste management, environmental protection, metrology, strategic management, media relations and communication, quality and application of standards.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

International projects in the field of environmental protection

1. Person responsible for report:

Data Sheets for Vehicle Fuels and Emissions Country Assessment under projects: Capacity Building for Improvement of Vehicle Fuel Quality in the SEE Countries and Addressing Clean Fuel and Vehicles Issues in Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey (REC, 2005).

2. Engaged expert:

Developing activities for Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers – PRTR Protocol in Montenegro, Aarhus project (REC, 2006).

3. Engaged expert:

Report of Implementation of the European Parliament and of the Council Providing for Minimum Criteria for Environmental Inspection in Montenegro (REC, 2006).

4. Engaged expert:

Program for Capacity Building for Implementing the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Integrated Prevention and Pollution Control in Montenegro - Guide for Implementation of the Law on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (REC, 2009)

5. A representative of the Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology in the project NEWEN aimed to develop a network and transboundary cooperation in environmental management between the six participating Universities in the Western Balkans (WB) and the participating Universities and institutes in the Netherlands. Project NEWEN ran from October 2008 to May 2011 and was financially supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

• The first regional Workshop on Urban Solid Waste Management (11-12 June, 2009, Durres, Albania).
• Tailor made course for University staff: Course on Hazardous Waste Management (21-25 September 2009, Delft, Netherlands).
• The third regional workshop on Lake Pollution Management (8-9 March 2010).

6. Junior short term expert:

Regional Environmental Network for Accession (RENA), Europe Aid/128906/C/SER/Multi (2013)

7. Engaged expert:

Environment and Climate Regional Accession Network – ECRAN (2014)

8. Engaged expert:

Waste management in Montenegro:  Preliminary Activities for Preparation of Waste Management Plan (2015).