The beginnings of physics teacher education in Rijeka date back to 1960, with the establishment of the Department of Natural Sciences at the Higher Vocational Pedagogical School, followed a year later by the Department of Mathematics and Applied Physics. In 1964, the first four-year program in Mathematics and Physics was launched, thanks to the efforts of physicist Professor Branimir Marković, who came from the Ruđer Bošković Institute.
During the 1970s, physics and mathematics studies developed within the Higher School of Industrial Pedagogy and later the Faculty of Industrial Pedagogy, one of the founding institutions of the University of Rijeka in 1973. This period also saw the hiring of several physicists and the expansion of study groups combining mathematics, physics, and technical education.
With the establishment of the Faculty of Pedagogy in 1977, the Department of Physics continued to expand programs in mathematics, physics, informatics, and, for a time, chemistry. Over the following decades, new staff and researchers joined, strengthening teaching and research capacity. After the Faculty was renamed the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1998, the Department of Physics continued to play a central role in education and research.
In 2007, the University established the Departments of Physics, Mathematics, and Informatics as independent units. The Department of Physics began operating in April 2008, marking a new stage in higher education and scientific research in physics at the University of Rijeka. Undergraduate and graduate programs were restructured as university-level studies, and in 2012 the Department moved to the new University Campus at Trsat.
The academic structure was completed in 2017 with the introduction of a doctoral program in Physics, modeled on modern European PhD programs, focusing on condensed matter physics, elementary particle physics, and astrophysics. In 2022, the Department of Physics was officially recognized as the Faculty of Physics.
Today, the Faculty actively participates in teaching across the University of Rijeka, offers lifelong learning programs for students and teachers, and conducts cutting-edge experimental and theoretical research. Its laboratories are equipped with advanced instruments funded through EU and national projects, unique in Croatia and the wider region. With strong international collaborations and a high level of scientific output, the Faculty of Physics is among the leading research and educational institutions of the University of Rijeka.
Learn More About the Founder of the Mathematics and Physics Study Program in Rijeka
60th Anniversary Celebration
On February 15, 2024, the Faculty marked the 60th anniversary of the four-year study program Mathematics and Physics in Rijeka. The celebration gathered alumni from across generations, including students from the very first cohort.