Practice for the Students of the Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology Offers a Chance for a Job
The Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology was founded in 1973 as the department of the Faculty of Technology. Today, the Faculty functions as the unit of the University of Montenegro with three study programs: Metallurgy and materials, Chemical technology and Environmental protection. There are almost 1.300 diploma papers obtained since the Faculty was established. We spoke with the dean, Mira Vukicevic Ph.D., about the work of the Faculty, adaptation to modern labour market needs and reform processes
UOM: The Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology conducted a comprehensive reform of study programs. Where do graduates from this Faculty find their jobs?
VUKICEVIC: The Faculty offers a wide spectrum of research materials and provides competitiveness. The Faculty established programs which educate staff for different work positions, from public enterprises, aluminum and steel industries, metal refining industries, organic technologies, treatment and distribution of waters, construction industries, medicine, ceramic industries, glass and plastic industries, pharmaceutical industries, paint and coatings industry, building industry and construction materials, in agencies of law and strategic planning, remediation and mitigation of environment, medicinal plants industry, bioactive products etc.
UOM: The Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology collaborates with economy. How does that collaboration affect the practical work of students?
VUKCEVIC: The Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology implemented practice as a mandatory part of the study process which lasts 45 hours during one semester. There is also a mandatory field course which begins on the second year, but sometimes it stars even from the beginning. We have signed a lot of collaboration agreements with the companies that can be a part of the teaching base and we have established the manner and dynamic of practice. These companies are ready to accept future engineers and because of that students have an opportunity to acquire professional skills and familiarize with industrial environments even before they graduate. Besides this, students spend much time in laboratories of the Faculty, where they have a chance to work independently and to learn more about instruments which are used in industrial environments. The Faculty has equipment which creates industrial conditions in the field of research of materials and waters technology.
UOM: How do these good conditions affect employment of graduates?
VUKCEVIC: The number of unemployed graduates from our Faculty has been reduced since 2011 and in 2015 that number was reduced by half. According to the analysis of the Employment Agency of Montenegro, the specificity of unemployed engineers is that out of 20 people, only one person is under the age of 45. The old structure of unemployed people is a reason for potential employers to find younger people who would be able to follow dynamic work and to be involved in research and management. The Faculty communicates with the biggest companies in the area of technology and metals refine industries which select younger staff necessary for these branches of industries.
UOM: The Faculty has been creating conditions for scientific-research for 45 years. What does the Faculty have now?
VUKCEVIC: The laboratory area covers around 1.860m2 of the Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology, while classrooms and amphitheater cover 432m2 and the administrative area covers 900m2.We have 13 laboratories for general and inorganic analytic and physical chemistry, corrosion analysis, instrumental methods, water quality, analysis of materials, metallography, plastic refining, quenching and tempering, organic and inorganic chemical technology, powder metallurgy; and we create new conditions for purchasing of new equipment. At this moment, the Faculty has equipment for analysis of materials, quenching and tempering, metallography, microscopy, qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis, XRD analysis and possibilities for water purification systems. We have equipped classrooms with new computers and innovative teaching instruments. We have received the contemporary foreign literature about all disciplines which are important for our Faculty.
UOM: It seems that teachers and assistants valorize these conditions through scientific-research work.
VUKCEVIC: Teachers and assistants of the Faculty of Metallurgy and Technology have a significant role in publications of works in indexed bases. The Faculty has realized 114 research and bilateral projects of institutional cooperation for ten years. The Faculty is on the top of the list of the University of Montenegro according to the teaching staff in categories SCI and SCIE.
UOM: The Faculty has a very intensive cooperation with international institutions in the European higher education area and with scientific-research centers. What can you tell us about the mobility of teachers and students?
VUKCEVIC: The teachers from our Faculty are very active at this moment, especially in short mobility programs which are realized within the bilateral cooperation. We are having projects with Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria and Slovenia. Our students use mobility programs within bilateral agreements and K1 actions of the Erasmus+. Two of our students had a chance to study one semester at the universities in USA. It should be emphasized that credits obtained at international institutions are subject to judgment by the Commission for quality assurance system. We have not had any problems regarding this process and our students are proof of good cooperation between institutions.
UOM: You have mentioned that the Faculty has a very active role in international projects. Which ones are special?
VUKCEVIC: We would like to emphasize the fact that the Faculty has two active projects within the HERIC for improvement of institutional competency and the other EUREKA which connects research teams at high education institutions and economy subjects. There are also projects REM MTF (Reform of the study programmes at MTF in line with the needs of Modern Education in the field of technologies, materials and environmental protection) , a project DETT (Didactic concept for Targeted Teaching on the fundamentals of Engineering) a project EUREKA COMPLANT (Comprehensive processing of plant extracts for high value added products). We have established a cooperation plan, exchange of experience and results and communication with relevant external partners that function in high education. We have signed bilateral agreements with similar faculties in the region which means that we will be able to realize exchange of results, staff and students.