PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1964 – 1965

Began professional career as an agricultural technician after graduating from the prestigious Secondary School of Agriculture in Ilok.

Employed at the Agricultural Cooperative Selenča (near Bač, Vojvodina) as an officer responsible for hop production and later animal husbandry.

1965

After completing mandatory military service, worked as an animal husbandry officer at the Agricultural and Food Processing Combine Županja, Production Unit Drenovci II.

1966 – 1970

Studied agronomy at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture (Plant Production – Arable Farming), graduating with high academic distinction.

In 1967 completed a three-month professional internship at the Max Planck Institute in Mariensee/Reinbek, near Hamburg, Germany, where he adopted the German scientific approach characterized by methodological rigor, high organization, and teamwork.

1970 – 1971

Began academic career as Assistant at the Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb.

Conducted field and laboratory practical courses in Soil Science.

1972 – 1973

Joined the Institute for Soil Science and Soil Technology, Zagreb.

Worked as Assistant in soil genesis and soil cartography within the national project "General Soil Map of Croatia" (scale 1:50,000).

Participated in the project until its completion in 1986, gaining extensive field experience across Pannonian, mountainous, and Mediterranean regions of Croatia.

During this period developed a lasting professional commitment to soil as a national natural resource.

1973 – 1984

Eleven years of teaching, scientific, and professional work at the Higher Agricultural College in Križevci.

Participated in the General Soil Map project and collaborated with the Faculty of Forestry and the Yugoslav Institute for Conifers (Jastrebarsko).

Taught courses in Soil Science and Soil Amelioration.

Published the textbook Soil Science (1976); second edition published in 1982.

The textbook defined core soil science knowledge standards for higher agricultural education for many years.

1979

Organized and participated in the inventory of the scholarly legacy of Academician Mihovil Gračanin, a leading Croatian soil scientist.

Contributed to establishing the Memorial Collection of Mihovil Gračanin at the Museum of Agricultural Education.

1984 – 2010

Returned to the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Department of General Agronomy.

Taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Fundamentals of Agriculture and General Crop Production.

Introduced elective courses in Organic Agriculture and Soil and Water Protection.

Within the Bologna reform, these courses evolved into full study programs in Agroecology and Organic Agriculture — the first of their kind in this part of Europe.

Contributed to curriculum development and teaching in Zagreb, Split, Mostar, and Sarajevo, promoting sustainable soil management.

2013 – 2016

Co-author of three chapters in the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts publication Croatian National Treasure – Natural Resources:

– Availability of Surface Waters in the Republic of Croatia
– Agricultural Soil as a Resource of National Interest
– Biodiversity of the Croatian Agrosphere

2015

Lead author of a monograph marking the 60th anniversary of the Department of General Agronomy.

The monograph documents the development and scientific contribution of the Zagreb Agroecological School in agricultural science, education, and practice.