1992 – 2002

Branislav Olah – Milan Marčok

The shift in the political and social situation after the year 1989, mostly the new law on higher education no. 172/1990 of Coll., allowed the universities to act more autonomously and to have wider decision making rights in managing their activities. The new decade of the Technical University in Zvolen starting in 1992 and continuing until 2001 was built on these new democratic principles. The period was full of changes in terms of internal organisation of the University and its operations, new study programmes and orientation of the research activities.

The TUZVO was led by four Rectors in this period: Assoc. Prof. Vilém Štefka, CSc. (1992 – 1994), Prof. Ing. Štefan Šmelko, DrSc. (1994 – 1995), Prof. RNDr. Milan Marčok, DrSc. (1995 – 2001) and Prof. Ing. Mikuláš Šupín, CSc. (2001 – 2002).

This period was marked by two significant changes; the first one being the change in the name, when the traditional name University of Forestry and Wood Technology (VŠLD) was replaced by the name Technical University in Zvolen. This happened in the academic year 1992/1993 by the Law of the Slovak National Council no. 26/1992 of Coll. The second change was the creation of two new faculties – Faculty of Ecology (1 October 1991), after

1995 renamed to the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technology (1 September 1996). In the sphere of education, the most significant change was the return to the five-year master study and the introduction of the credit system in the academic year 1993/1994 at the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, later also at other faculties. This year saw also the beginning of the cooperation with the Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica in terms of the University of the Third Age.

In 1993, Bariny – a facility providing catering and accommodation – with the capacity of 608 beds was put into operation, and the provisional accommodation facility P-120 stopped its operation. In this year, the boiler room, heating system and heat exchangers stations were reconstructed; windows in the main TUZVO building and building of the Slovak Forestry and Wood Sciences Library were exchanged. After establishing the Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technology, the TUZVO received a building of the Agris company from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Slovak Republic. When the seat of the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences moved from Zvolen to Banská Štiavnica, the TUZVO received a building from the Secondary Vocational School of Forestry in Banská Štiavnica and Belházy House from the Town Hall in Banská Štiavnica.

During this decade, the TUZVO representatives welcomed personalities of political and public life. On 9th December 1994, the President of the Slovak Republic Michal Kováč with his wife visited the University. Other significant personalities visiting the University included: Prime Ministers of the Slovak Republic Ján Čarnogurský, and Vladimír Mečiar, Deputy Prime Ministers of the Slovak Republic Mária Kadlečíková, Brigita Schmögnerová, Sergej Kozlík, and Ivan Mikloš, Ministers of Education Eva Slavkovská and Milan Ftáčnik, Minister of Agriculture Pavel Koncoš, Ministers of Environment Jozef Zlocha, and László Miklós, and Ministers of Culture Ivan Hudec and Milan Kňažko, as well as ambassadors and representatives of the United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Russia.

After 1990, the extent of foreign relations and international cooperation of the University have become wider. The long-term goal of the University was to enrich the cooperation with workplaces from abroad, be active in international non-governmental organisations and take part in international programmes. The cooperation started to broaden and include further institutions from the Central and Western European countries, as well as from North America. The TUZVO participated in international programmes TEMPUS, SOCRATES/ ERASMUS, Leonardo, COST, Inco Copernicus and Phare. In addition, the University established active cooperation with the British Council, Fulbright Commission and SAIA. The TUZVO became a collective member of international organization IUFRO, PRO SILVA, IAWS, SWST, IAWA and University Alliance for Democracy. Prof. Ing. L. Paule, PhD. was a member of the executive board of the IUFRO and Ing. R. Kropil, PhD. was awarded the IUFRO

Outstanding Doctoral Research Award along with the gold medal. It was awarded to only seven researchers world-wide and Ing. R. Kropil, PhD. was the only representative of the Central Europe. Eight international agreements on cooperation were valid in 2001 specifying the pedagogical activities, science and research activities and joint research projects in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Austria, France, Latvia, Ukraine, Spain, the USA and Finland.

The number of employees and students going abroad for the purpose of mobilities was increasing, and the employees were working on scientific and research topics within the active agreements. Fruitful cooperation resulted in publishing in joint publications, participation in international conferences and symposia. The awards received by our employees abroad and cooperation of prominent specialists from abroad with our University are highly appreciated. In this period, the TUZVO was visited by representatives of universities and scientific institutions from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Croatia, Spain, Russia and the USA.

In the years 1992 – 2001 the TUZVO awarded the honorary degree doctor honoris causa to several personalities from abroad:

1992 – Prof. Dr. Branimir Prpič from the University of Zagreb, Croatia and Prof. Dr. Branislav Sloboda from the University in Göttingen, Germany, 1994 – Prof. Ing. Stepan Michajlovoič Stojko, DrSc. from the Insitute of Ecology of the Carpathians of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine, 1996 – Mag. Art. Dipl. Wolfgang Haipl from the Association for Interior Design in Vienna, Austria, 1997 – Prof. Dr. Dr. hab. Gerd Wegener from the Department of Wood Research, University of Munich, Germany and Dr. Bernard Comps from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Bordeaux, France,

1998 – Dr. David A. Harcharik, Deputy Directorgeneral, FAO, Rome, Italy, 1999 – Prof. Dr. Jean-Phillippe Schütz, ETH Zürich, Switzerland, 2000 – Prof. DrSc. Malden Figurič from the University of Zagreb, Croatia and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Habil. Dr. h. c. Gerhard Kühne from Technische Univerität Dresden, Germany.

In 1992 – 2001 the number of students in the full-time form of study increased from 125 to 354, which meant a 2.6 times increase in ten years while the number of employees remained the same. The number of teachers increased by 80 and the number of other employees decreased by 53. If there were four other employees per one teacher in 1992, in 2001 it was only 2.8 other employees per one teacher. The number of employees in science and research decreased only slightly. The proportion of the TUZVO students in the overall number of students in Slovakia was 2.2 % and 3.4 % in 1992 and 2001 respectively.

Unfavourable economic situation of that period in Slovakia could be seen also in the social sphere. The prices of accommodation for students increased by 400 Sk on average per month. The price of the luncheon voucher increased from 2.60 to 29 Sk. A more favourable situation was in the field of doctoral students’ remuneration. The amount of the monthly scholarship increased to 6,400 Sk on average. On the other hand, the remuneration of teachers, other employees and employees in science and research was very low. In spite of the high qualification of employees, the average salary did not reach the amount of average salary of the national economy.

Faculty of Forestry

In this decade, the Faculty was led by Prof. Ing. Štefan Žihlavník, CSc. (1990 – 1997 and

2000 – 2007) and Prof. Ing. Milan Hladík, CSc. (1997 – 2000).

The studies at the Faculty of Forestry was provided in the following study programmes and forms:

• full-time form of study in the field of Forestry according to the five-year study plan (from the academic year 1990/1991),

• full-time form of study in the field of Management and Financing of Forest Enterprises according to the five-year study plan (from the academic year 1993/1994),

• full-time form of study in the field of Forest Ecology according to the five-year study plan (from the academic year 1995/1996),

• full-time form of study in the field of Applied Zoology and Wildlife Management according to the five-year study plan (from the academic year 1996/1997),

• part-time (distance) study in the field of Forestry according to the six-year study plan,

• PhD. study in the full-time and part-time form of study in the following scientific fields: Ecology, Silviculture, Forest Management, Ameliorations, Forestry Phytology, Technologies and Mechanisation of Agricultural and Forestry Production, and Plant Protection,

• further education activities required for carrying out specialised jobs or activities and updating the education in various courses, trainings and seminars organised by the Faculty for the graduates as required by the forestry practice or other institutions.

The scientific research of the Faculty was being organised and developed as an integral part of the Faculty activities in order to provide solving of the current theoretical issues of forestry, as well as the necessary innovation of the education process and effective cooperation with practice.

In the long term, the research was focused on the biological, technical and economic fundamentals of the forest management in the forest ecosystems of Slovakia and on managing Slovak forests in the changing ecological conditions.

In this period, the Faculty comprised eight departments. The overview lists only the changes which occurred in the period of 1992 – 2001.

The Department of Phytology was established on 1st September 1991, when the Department of Forest Environment split into the Department of Natural Environment and the Department of Phytology. In 1996, the group focused on forestry genetics joined the Department. The first Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. Ing. Dušan Randuška, later the Department was led by Prof. Rudolf Šály, DrSc., and Prof. Ing. Milan Križo, DrSc. From 1st September 1996, the Head of the Department was Prof. Ing. Ladislav Paule, PhD.

The Department of Natural Environment (established on 1st September 1991 by division of the Department of Forest Environment) continued in the tradition of the former Department of Pedology and Geology, which was a part of the VŠLD until 1982. In this period, the Department was led by Assoc. Prof. Ing. Juraj Gregor, PhD.

From 1991 until the end of this period, the Department of Silviculture was led by Prof. Milan Saniga, DrSc.

Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, or rather its predecessor the Department of Landscaping and Forest Protection, was established by merging the Department of Zoology and Forest Protection (from 1953) with one section of the Department of Dendrology and Landscaping in 1974. The Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management was established in the academic year 1991/1992, when its section focused on landscaping was moved to the newly established Faculty of Ecology and the Department of Landscape Ecology was created. At that time, the Head of the Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management was Prof. Ing. Peter Garaj, CSc. The Department of Forest Structures and Ameliorations was created in 1994 from the former Department of Forest Structures. The Heads of the Department were Assoc. Prof. Pavol Dvorščák, PhD. and from 1994 Prof. Ing. Július Valtýni, DrSc.

Department of Forest Harvesting and Mechanisation was during the period of 1992 – 2001 led by Prof. Ing. Tibor Lukáč, PhD.

Department of Forest Management and Geodesy was created by merging the Department of Forest Management and the Department of Geodesy in 1991. Gradually, the Department was led by Prof. Ing. Štefan Šmelko, DrSc., Prof. Ing. Štefan Žihlavník, Csc., Prof. Ing. Milan Hladík, CSc. and from 2000 it was led by Assoc. Prof. Ing. Anton Žihlavník, CSc.

The Department of Economics and Forest Management was led by Prof. Ing. Ivan Kolenka, DrSc.

Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology

The Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology was in the period of 1992 – 2001 led by four Deans: Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Marian Babiak, CSc. (1990 – 1992), Prof. Ing. Mikuláš Šupín, CSc. (1992 – 1998), Prof. Ing. Anton Osvald, CSc. (1998 – 2001) and Assoc. Prof. Ing. Štefan Barcík, PhD. (2001 – 2005). In 1992, the study programme Economics and Management of Wood-processing Industry transformed to the newly-established programme Enterprise Management. The novelty of this study programme was the incorporation of two combined semesters into the five-year study, i.e. the education of students was carried out in practice. In the academic year 1992/1993 a new study programme

Wood Processing was launched. This period saw also inter-disciplinary studies focused on building the wood processing machines and forestry machines and equipment. The studies were created in cooperation with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of theTechnical University of Košice and the Faculty of Forestry of the TUZVO. These studies were later transformed into a new study programme, and after establishing the Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technology at the TUZVO in 1996, it was provided by this Faculty.

In the academic year 1987/1988 an interdisciplinary study programme Industrial Furniture Design was created in cooperation with the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. From the academic year 1994/1995, the Faculty started to provide a threeyear bachelor study programme Interior Creation and Consultancy in cooperation with Austria. In 1998 the name of the programme changed to Interior Design and Consultancy.

In the academic year 1998/1999 the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, being the first faculty in Slovakia, launched a five-year master study programme Fire Protection. Along with the full-time form of study, the Faculty provided the possibility of studying Interior Design, Fire Protection and Enterprise Management in the parttime study, as well.

From the academic year 1993/1994 the Faculty introduced credit system of study and participated also in life-long learning by providing studies at the University of the Third Age. In addition the Faculty provided also various training courses as per practice requirements.

The PhD. study was provided in the following fields of study: Technology of Wood Processing, Wood Structure and Properties, Construction and Technology of Wooden Products, Branch and Section Economics, Business and Industry Economics.

In 1991 the organisation and structure of scientific and research activities of the Faculty changed. The strictly hierarchically structured state research plans were replaced by a more autonomous grant system. The research and scientific activities were divided into five programmes: Wood Structure and Properties, Technology, Wood Preservation, Seasoning, Building Structures and Means of Visual Art Representation, Methods and Models of Managing the Wood-processing Industry, and Mathematics.

In 1997 a new direction for the research and scientific activity of the Faculty was approved, and it was entitled Valuation of Wood via Its Transformation to Products of New Generation

Creating the Complex Interior. The central idea of the new orientation was homocentrism. A human in all their activities shall move from the protection to the targeted creation of the environment, where wood plays an irreplaceable role.

In 1990 the structure of the Faculty changed significantly and ten departments were established. During the subsequent decade some departments merged, others were relocated to newly-established faculties and other new departments were formed. By the end of 2001 there were following departments:

The Department of Wood Science became independent again in 1990 and was led by Ing. Igor Čunderlík, CSc. (1990 – 1991), later by Prof. Ing. Alexander Požgaj, DrSc. (1990 – 1996). In the years 1996 – 1997 the appointed deputy Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ján Dubovský, CSc. and from 1997 the Head of the Department was Prof. Ing. Stanislav Kurjatko, DrSc.

The Department of Woodworking has been an integral part of the Faculty since 1997, and since its beginning it was led by Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ladislav Dzurenda, PhD.

The Department of Mechanical Wood Technology was led by Prof. Anton Osvald, CSc. (1992 – 1997), Assoc. Prof. Ing. Anna Šúriková, CSc. (1997 – 2000) and Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ivan Klement, CSc. since 2000.

The Department of Furniture and Wooden Products was in this period led by Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ján Zemiar, PhD.

In 1998 a section of Furniture Design was formed at this Department and it later became an independent department.

The Department of Furniture Design and Wood Products with its own study programme and research subjects was established in 1995.

The Department guaranteed two fields of study –a five-year study programme Industrial Furniture Design and a three-year bachelor study programme Furniture Design and Consultancy. Since its establishment, the Department was led by Assoc. Prof. Štefan Schneider, PhD.

The Department of Physics and Applied Mechanics has been an independent Department bearing this name since 1992. In this decade it was led by Prof. RNDr. Emil Rajčan, DrSc.

The Department of Enterprise Management had in this period following heads: 1992 – 1996 Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jiří Kníže, CSc., 1997 – 2001 Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jaroslav Rašner, CSc., and after 2001 the Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. Ing. Josef Drábek, CSc.

Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry had gone through a complex development. It regained its status of an independent department in 1997 and Prof. Ing. Mikuláš Šupín, CSc. was appointed the Head of the Department. In 1991 –1995, the Section of World Forestry was part of the Department of Wood Science and in 1995 – 1996 it was an independent section of the Department of Enterprise Management.

The Department of Mathematics and Descriptive Geometry was led by Prof. RNDr. Anton Dekrét, DrSc. (1990 –1995) and by Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Milan Matejdes, CSc. from 1995.

The Department of Fire Protection was established in 1998, following a 25-year long work of the employees of the Department of Mechanical Wood Technology in the sphere of protecting the wood against fire. The first Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. Anton Osvald, CSc. and from 1st December 1998 the Department was led by Assoc. Prof. Alexander Krakovský, CSc.

Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology developed from its predecessor the

Department of Chemistry established in 1952.

In 1991 the Department was moved to the newly created Faculty of Ecology. In 2000, the Department returned to the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology. The first Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. Ján Šindler, CSc. (1991 – 1997) and from 1997 the Department was led by Assoc. Prof. RNDr. František Kačík, CSc.

Faculty of Ecology

and

Environmental Sciences

The Faculty of Ecology was established on 1st October 1991 following a decision of the Academic Senate of the University of Forestry and Wood Technology in Zvolen made on 14th June 1991. The goal of the Faculty in terms of the education process was to prepare specialists with a wide range of knowledge within ecology and environmental science for the needs of specialised public service and professional organisations in the newly established government environmental section. The studies were designed in order to educate the students in the field of earth science and subsequently also in technical, application and social and scientific disciplines in a logical sequence. During the first few years after establishing the Faculty, the education process was largely provided also by teachers from the Faculty of Forestry, the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology and the Institute of Forest Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

The Faculty was from its establishment led by Assoc. Prof. Vladimír Konrád, CSc. (Vice-rector appointed with managing the Faculty and later in 1993 – 1996 designated a Dean), RNDr. Peter Bitušík, CSc. (in charge of the Dean’s function in 1996), Prof. Ing. Imrich Beseda, DrSc. (1996 – 1999), Prof. RNDr. Ján Chrapan, DrSc.

(1999 – 2000), and Prof. Ing. Ivan Vološčuk, DrSc. (from 2000).

First university students enrolled for the threeyear bachelor study programme that was later in 1992 transformed to a five-year study programme focused on general ecology in three specialisations: Landscape Ecology, Nature Protection, and Environmental Protection. Subsequently, another specialisation was added: Landscape Architecture and Vegetation Alterations.On 25th May 1994, the Academic Senate of the Technical University in Zvolen adopted a resolution on changing the name of the Faculty. The resolution came to force on 1st January 1995 and the Faculty started to use the new name Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences.

In the academic year 1995/1996, the studies were provided in two fields of study. Within the field of study Applied Ecology, three study specialisations were offered: Landscape Ecology, Nature Protection, and Landscape Architecture and Vegetation Alterations. Moreover, two further specialisations Environmental Studies and Environmental Management were offered within the field of study Environmental Studies.

In the academic year 1997/1998, third field of study was added to the studies portfolio: Landscape Architecture and Recreology.

From the academic year 1998/1999 the studies comprised again two specialisations. Applied Ecology was divided into two specialisations: Landscape Ecology and Nature Protection, and Landscape Engineering and Landscape Architecture, and Environmental Studies offered two specialisations as well: Environmental Studies, and Environmental Management.

The Faculty was experiencing a great expansion in this period attracting a lot of smart and enthusiastic students interested in ecology and environmental science.

Students started organising a public Earth’s Day (22nd April), Environment’s Day (5th June), various activities related to environmental education for children, and they also founded Ekodivadlo (Eco theatre) introducing the most severe environmental issues in the form of short sketches. In 1998 the Ekodivadlo took part in various festivals and exhibitions dealing with environmental issues: exhibition Enviro in Nitra, festival Envirofilm in Banská Bystrica, Ranger Day in Slovenská Ľupča and Earth’s Day in Piešťany.

By the Rector’s decision from 16th September 1998 and with the agreement of the TUZVO Academic Senate from 26th February 1997, the seat of the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences was relocated from Zvolen to Banská Štiavnica. This process was completed in 2000. The Faculty thus followed up with the traditions of the former Mining and Forestry Academy in Banská Štiavnica. This relocation meant a great change in the life of Faculty and was associated with many positive, as well as negative aspects that are inevitably associated to new beginnings.

The Scientific and Research activities of the Faculty were focused on four main pillars: 1) basic research into biota (relationships between the biota and the environment, biodiversity, monitoring the conditions of the environment via bioindicators);

2) basic research into the landscape and its components (research into the landscape structure, landscape capacity, ecology principles of landscape designing and sustainable utilisation of natural resources, nature and landscape protection, agroecosystems, ecological stability of forest ecosystems, urban ecosystems); 3) analysing and studying the changes of the environment quality (monitoring the environmental factors, ecologisation of technological procedures and production, taking care of renewable natural resources, waste management); 4) philosophical and social aspects of the relationships among human, nature and society.

Faculty comprised seven departments in this period. Two of them (Department of General Ecology and Department of Landscape Planning and Architecture) were located in the building of so called “old Rector’s office“ of the former VŠLD in Štúrova street 2; two other departments (Department of Applied Ecology and Department of Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry) were located in the main University building; Department of Social Sciences was located in the building of the Ľ. Štúr Dormitory; Department of Environmental Engineering had its seat on the premises of the Development Workshops and Laboratories and the UNESCO Department was located in Basnká Štiavnica in the laboratory building of the Secondary Chemistry Vocational School.

Department of Biology and General Ecology was established in 1991 bearing the name Department of General Ecology, and in the academic year 1991/1992 it was the first established department of the Faculty of Ecology. It was later renamed to the Department of Biology (1997) and to the Department of Biology and General Ecology (2000). The first Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Alexander Dudich, CSc., who was replaced by Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Peter Bitušík, CSC. in 1997.

The Department of Applied Ecology was established in 1991 as the Department of Landscape Ecology at the Faculty of Forestry, University of Forestry and Wood Technology. It became a part of the Faculty of Ecology in 1992. In 1997 it was renamed to the Department of Applied Ecology and since its beginning it was led by Prof. Ing. Rudolf Midriak, DrSc.

The Department of Landscape Planning and Design was established as the Department of Applied Ecology in 1991. In 1996 it was renamed to the Department of Landscape Design and in 2000 to the Department of Landscape Planning and Design. The focus and conceptual development of the Department was supervised by outside Heads of the Department Assoc. Prof. Ing. Vladimír Čaboun, CSc., Prof. RNDr. Milan Ružička, DrSc. and in-house Heads of the Department Assoc. Prof. Ing. Tibor Benčať, CSc., Prof. Ing. Ján Supuka, DrSc. and from 2001 Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Dagmar Sláviková, CSc.

The Department of Environmental Engineering was established in 1991 as the Department of Environmental Quality and was created partly from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of Wood, Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, University of Forestry and Wood Technology. The first Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jozef Pajtík, CSc., who was later replaced by Prof. Mgr. Juraj Ladomerský, CSc.

The Department of Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry was established in 1991 as the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, which was relocated from the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, University of Forestry and Wood Technology. The first Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. Mgr. Ján Šindler, CSc., then Assoc. Prof. RNDr. František Kačík,

CSc. (from 1997). After relocating the Faculty to Banská Štiavnica in 2000, the Department became again a part of the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, TUZVO. A smaller section created a new Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences and the Department was renamed to Department of Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry in 2000, with Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jozef Blaho, CSc. being the Head of the Department.

The Department of Social Sciences was established in 1990 as a part of the Faculty of Forestry. In 1991 it became a department of the newly established Faculty of Ecology. Since its establishment, the Department was led by Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Peter Krchnák, CSc.

UNESCO Department for Ecological Awareness and Sustainable Development was established in 1994 within the UNESCO Chair/UNITWIN Programme. The establishers of the Department were UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the Technical University in Zvolen. The Department became part of the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences on 1st January 1995 following a contract signed by UNESCO and the Technical University in Zvolen in Paris. Since its establishment, the Head of the Department was Prof. RNDr. Dr. h. c. László Miklós, DrSc.

Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technology

The Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technology was established as the fourth and the youngest faculty of the Technical University in Zvolen. Since its establishment it was designed as a specific and unique workplace due to its mission, and the connection to the structure and profile of the

University. The idea behind establishing the Faculty was to create an institution that would complement the focus of other, already existing faculties and thus complete the profile of the TUZVO in the sphere of FOREST – WOOD – ENVIRONMENT. The Faculty was created after the decision made by the Academic Senate of the Technical University in Zvolen on 27th March 1996 and by resolution of the Government of the Slovak Republic no. 315 from 3rd May 1996 and no. 498 from 16th July 1996. The Faculty started officially its activities on 1st September 1996. The Rector of the University Prof. RNDr. Milan Marčok, DrSc. put the Vice-rector Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ján Zelený, CSc. in charge to be Dean and in January he was elected officially the Dean by the first independent Academic Senate of the Faculty. He remained in the function until the end of the decade.

The advantage of the newly established Faculty was that since the beginning the Faculty had its own premises on Študentská street 26, which were rebuilt in 1997 and 1998 to meet the needs of education and scientific and research activities. The Faculty staff comprised mainly teachers and scientific and research workers of the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology and Faculty of Forestry, TUZVO.

In October 1996 the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic awarded to the Faculty the right to carry out final state examination in the field of study Construction of Woodworking and Forestry Machines and Devices. This meant that the students of this field of study, who were previously students of the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, officially became students of the Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technology. At the end of the academic year 1996/1997, the Faculty had first fourteen graduates.

In 1998 the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic awarded to the Faculty the right to carry out final state examination in the five-year master field of study: Engineering of Machines and Devices in the specialisation Woodworking and Forestry Technology, and the right to carry out Habilitation procedures and procedures for appointing Professors in this field of study.

Since November 1997, the Faculty could offer PhD. study in the scientific fields of study Machines and Devices for Industry, Wood Processing and Technology and Mechanisation of Agricultural and Forestry Production.

The most important fields of science and research of the Faculty in this period covered: theoretical fundamentals of machines and technology of minimisation, storage, processing, disposal and recycling of waste and secondary raw materials; secondary and renewable energy sources; research into technology of separation processes of solid particles aimed to minimise the solid particle emission; research into technology of water conservation, modelling and simulations of accidents and designing technological methods for identification, prevention and removal of the accident consequences; manipulation and transportation technologies in woodworking industry and forestry; development of testing in the field of forestry and woodworking machines and environmental devices aimed to improve the quality of products; development of controlling systems for above-mentioned devices and processes. In this period, the Faculty consisted of seven departments:

The Department of Environmental Devices and Production Systems was since its beginning led by Prof. Ing. Ján Zelený, CSc.

The Department of Woodworking Machines and Devices was established in 1996; the Department of Woodworking Machines and Automation at the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology being its predecessor. The Head of the Department at the time of its establishment was Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jan Oswald, CSc. and after 2002 it was led by Assoc. Prof. Ing. Milan Banský, CSc.

The Department of Forestry and Mobile Technology was led by Prof. Ing. Milan Mikleš, DrSc. since its establishment in 1996. Its predecessor was the section of Forestry Mechanisation at the Department of Forest Harvesting and Mechanisation at the Faculty of Forestry.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering Technologies and Machine Reliability was established in 1996 and was led by Prof. Ing. Milan Danko, CSc.

The Department of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering was relocated from the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology right after the establishment of the Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technology and was led by Assoc. Prof. Ing. Milan Lang, CSc.

The Department of Applied Electrotechnics employed employees of the former section of the Department of Manufacturing Machines and Devices of the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology in 1996. The Head of the Department was Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ivan Makovíny, CSc.

The Department of Controlling and Automation Technology was established in 1990 at the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology bearing the name Department of Computer Technology and Automation. The Department was led by Ing. Tibor Csongrády, CSc. and from 2000 Prof. Ing. Jozef Šuriansky, CSc.

Institute of Foreign Languages

The university workplace Institute of Foreign Languages was established on 1st January 1999; its predecessor was the Department of Foreign Languages, which was part of the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology. Its history dates back to 1952 when the Department was established at the University of Forestry and Wood Science in Zvolen. In this decade the Institute broadened the offer of languages that could have been studied and the languages covered English, German, French, Russian and Swedish at all three levels of studies at all four TUZVO faculties.

In addition to the education activities, the employees of the institute participated in creating specialised professional dictionaries as encouraged by the situation of absent specialised dictionaries. In cooperation with other departments, the Institute employees collected professional expressions and subsequently found the foreign language equivalents. As a result of this joint effort, the Publishing House of the TUZVO published several dictionaries in the period of 1990 – 2000: SlovakCzech-English-German-French-Spanish Dictionary of Wood Science with definitions (1990), SlovakEnglish-German-French-Russian Dictionary of Silviculture – Forestry with definitions (1994), Slovak-English-German-French-Russian Dictionary of Nature and Environment Conservation – with definitions (1997) and Slovak-Czech-EnglishGerman-French-Russian Dictionary of Fire Protection with definitions (2000).

Institute of Physical Education

The Institute was established on 1st January 1999 as a university workplace providing for the classes of physical education and other extra-curricular sport activities for students and employees of the

TUZVO. The Institute continued in the activities of its predecessor – the Department of Physical Education, which had been a part of the Faculty of Forestry. Students and employees could select from following sport activities: basketball, volleyball, football, badminton, tennis, table tennis, canoeing, aerobic, bouldering, self-defence (karate, judo), swimming, weight lifting, skiing, cycling, and hiking (summer and winter courses). In addition to the educational activities, the Institute employees were also active as coaches and officials in various sport associations at the national, regional or club level in biathlon, football, volleyball, karate, in the Slovak Association of University Sport, in clubs of the sport organisation Slávia TUZVO, which had at that time 12 sport clubs and around 380 members. Organising various sport events for the university employees, e.g. football tournaments among the Technical University in Zvolen, University of Veterinary Medicine in Košice and Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra, winter duathlon of these universities in Račkova dolina valley or tennis tournament of university employees had a long-time tradition.

Slovak Forestry and Wood Sciences Library

The Slovak Forestry and Wood Sciences Library, currently being the University part, was established in 1952 as the State Academic Library in Zvolen; later the name changed to State Scientific Library, and in 1978 it became a part of the University of Forestry and Wood Technology bearing the name Central Forestry and Wood Sciences Library of the Slovak Socialist Republic. After 1990 it was renamed to Slovak Forestry and Wood Sciences Library.

The Slovak Forestry and Wood Sciences Library is the only institution in Slovakia that creates professional databases of scientific and technical information for forestry, wood science, ecology and economics from domestic and foreign literature sources. In addition, it creates databases of publication activities and citations of the TUZVO employees.

In this decade the Library had to respond flexibly to the challenges related to the position of libraries in general. The changes were caused by a rapid development in information technologies, information boom, worse economic situation of libraries, losing their information monopoly and new requirements for increasing the level of higher education, new forms of higher education and the need for life-long learning. Introducing the new automated library and information system Rapid Library in 1998 enabled the Library to offer a wider range of services, complemented by multimedia connection and accessing the internal organisation network and SANET/INTERNET. Twelve academic libraries in Slovakia worked in this system, and this enabled them to be connected and cooperate.

Student Dormitories and Canteen

In this decade, the student accommodation was provided by three dormitories with the overall capacity of 1,487 beds. A new dormitory – Bariny, with overall capacity of 604 beds and a canteen with the daily capacity of 1,200 meals, complemented two older dormitories that had been used (Dormitory of Ľ. Štúr and Dormitory Záhonok). The canteen operated also three snack bars (one in the main University building, one in the Development Workshops and one at the Dormitory Bariny). Since 1999, students of the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Studies were accommodated in rented premises of the dormitory of the Secondary Vocational School of Forestry in Banská Štiavnica, providing approx. 400 beds.

Student Life and Traditions

An inseparable part of the student cultural and social life was created by university clubs. The original WORLD klub was located in the attractive premises of the Zvolen castle and Finkova kúria mansion. After November 1989 a group of students decided to rebuild premises in the D-block of the Dormitory of Ľ. Štúr. During the first few years, only irregular events were organised here. Later, in years 1992 – 1993 significant changes happened in the club organisation. After accepting new members and with the aid of the TUZVO management, the premises were reconstructed and students of the study programme Industrial Furniture Design contributed to changing the visual representation of the club interior.

In addition to the above-mentioned changes, also the name was changed from V-Klub to WORLD klub. A significant part of the club programme included production of underground and non-commercial music, mostly jazz. Assoc. Prof. R. Réh and Mgr. M. Babic were in charge of the jazz evenings. In the period of 1993 – 1996, they were in charge of a series of thematic evenings devoted to individual interprets and musical styles. In 1994 – 1995, the production was enriched by live jazz concerts, and thanks to various sponsors and cooperation with a famous Slovak jazzman Jozef “Dodo“ Šošoka and others, they were able to organise fifteen jazz concerts in years 1995 – 1996. In addition, rock concerts of the Slovak and Czech bands – Gladiátor, I.M.T. Smile, Hex, No Name, Už jsme doma and others contributed to the musical production of the World klub, as well as local bands (ZVA 12-28 Band, BB Band, Pančuchy Eleny Hríbovej and others). The concerts of Jaromír Nohavica were very popular, too.

Everyday life of students at the Dormitory of Ľ. Štúr was connected also with broadcasting of the dormitory radio INRO established in 1968. Since that time almost 200 members participated in the broadcasting activities. They regularly meet during one weekend in May at INRO celebrations and remember their student year spent in the radio.

The INRO broadcasting studio is located on the third floor of the C block at the dormitory and the radio broadcast via wiring directly to the rooms. The radio broadcast from Monday to Thursday (19:00 – 24:00) except the time of exams and holidays and offered shows like INRO Chartshow, Hardchart, KONAŽE, spoken word, shows from archive and shows of contemporary musical styles with advertisement jingles and theme songs produced by the INRO radio. In addition, INRO organised discos, balls and provided sound systems for various student events, and often cooperated with the WORLD klub. INRO was in close touch with other dormitory radio stations from all over Slovakia, and they regularly took part in competitions like AZZ and Radiorally, where INRO was also awarded several prizes.

The students of the Technical University in Zvolen lived an intense student life. The ball season was three times a year. In autumn, every Faculty organised matriculation ball for the first graders; after the winter semester there was a ball typical for the half of the studies and at the end of the fifth grade there was a graduate ball. Other traditional activities included building the maypoles (students of forestry) and totem poles (students of wood sciences), and establishment of two new faculties brought also new initiatives. One of the most significant changes was the increased number of female students, since almost three quarters of the students of the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Studies were girls. During the first few years the newly established faculties did not have the fourth graders that would act as “God parents“ to the first graders; therefore the students of forestry were the God parents to the students of ecology and students of wood science to the students of the Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technology. Few years later also the students of ecology and mechanical engineering were able to continue in this tradition and introduce the first graders into the student life. In 1996 the ecology students organised for the first time matriculation theatre performance as a response to the performance organised by students of forestry. Matriculation performances consisted variety of sketches humorously depicting the university life and mocking the students of other faculties.