Curriculum Vitae
Academic Profile
Highly experienced computer scientist and university educator with experience spanning academic research, teaching, institutional leadership, and the ICT industry. Has served as a vice-dean, study programme director, and AI laboratory head. Founded and leads Laboratory for Neuro-symbolic Artificial Intelligence (NESYLAB). Combines research and project leadership with undergraduate and graduate supervision, scholarly publishing, editorial service, and public engagement.
Education and Qualifications
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb
- 2013: PhD in Computer Science
- 2007: MSc in Computer Science
- 1999: Diploma in Computer Science (MEng)
Academic specialization in artificial intelligence, knowledge representation and reasoning and mobile computing.
Research Interests and Current Work
- Applied artificial intelligence and machine learning; generative AI and large language models (LLMs).
- Neuro-symbolic AI, automated reasoning, formal knowledge representation, and the semantic web.
- Natural language processing (NLP), information retrieval, and affective computing.
- Applications of generative AI and NLP in education and advanced spellchecking services.
Leads research on neuro-symbolic AI and works with his research team on integrating LLMs, generative AI, and NLP into next-generation educational systems.
Academic Appointments and Institutional Leadership
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Department of Applied Computing
- 2025–Present: Associate Professor
- 2020–2025: Assistant Professor
- 2013–2014: Senior Assistant
- 2008–2013: Assistant
Joined FER in 2008. Contributes to numerous national and EU scientific projects as researcher, domain expert, and project leader. Founded and leads Laboratory for Neuro-symbolic Artificial Intelligence (NESYLAB).
University of Zadar
- 2018–2023: External Associate Professor
Zagreb University of Applied Sciences (TVZ)
- 2018–2020: Senior Lecturer in Computer Science
- 2014–2018: Lecturer in Computer Science
- 2018–2020: Vice-Dean for Science, International Cooperation, and New Study Programs
- 2016–2020: Founder and Head of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Established the AI Lab and introduced new courses in artificial intelligence.
- 2015–2019: Director of the Undergraduate Professional Study Program in Computing
Industry Experience
Croatian and international ICT companies, 1999–2008
- 2007–2008: IT Department Manager
- 2001–2007: Project Manager
- 1999–2007: Software Engineer
Approximately a decade of industry experience before joining FER, including software architecture and progressively greater responsibility for leadership and management. Experience includes the organization and development of complex enterprise core business systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and business intelligence (BI) solutions.
Research Projects and Development Collaboration
Served as a researcher, domain expert, and project leader on national and European scientific projects. Participation spans MZO, HRZZ, Erasmus, ESF, EU NPOO, Horizon 2020, and COST programmes and funding frameworks.
Led and contributed to national development projects with industry and government, drawing on experience in applied AI, software development, and project management.
Publications and Scholarly Output
- Author or co-author of more than 125 scientific publications, including papers in international journals and conference proceedings, and book chapters.
- Author of several university and professional teaching manuals and textbooks.
Teaching and Student Supervision
- Supervised 109 undergraduate and graduate students in university and professional programmes in informatics and computer science.
- Delivered workshops in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science.
Editorial Service and Expert Review
- Editor for international scientific journals and member of journal editorial boards and international conference programme committees.
- Peer reviewer for scientific journals and international conferences.
- Reviewer of study programmes and research project proposals for foreign science foundations.
Professional Leadership and Scientific Service
- IEEE Croatia Section Executive Committee: Member since 2024; Communication and Visibility portfolio for 2025-2026.
- IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Chapter (TEMS): Former Chair, IEEE Croatia Section; served during 2016-2020 and 2024-2026. Former Co-Chair, IEEE Croatia Section; 2020-2024.
- Croatian Mine Action Center Center for Testing, Development and Training (HCR-CTRO): Chair of the Scientific Council, 2022-2025. Vice-Chair of the Scientific Council, 2025-Present.
Professional Memberships
- IEEE Senior Member, 2019-Present.
- IEEE Computational Intelligence Society.
- IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society.
- IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society.
- IEEE Big Data Community.
- Member of the ELMAR, 2026-Present.
- Member of the Croatian Astronomical Society (HAD), 2009-Present.
Science Communication and Public Engagement
Active in the promotion of science and STEM education through expert panels, educational activities, and public outreach. Regularly appears on podcasts, radio, and television to discuss computer science, artificial intelligence, and the societal impact of disruptive technologies.