The Postgraduate Study of Macromolecular Sciences at the University of Zagreb (1971-1980)

Postdiplomski studij makromolekularnih znanosti (PSMZ) osnovan je na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu 1971. kao sveučilišni studij u doba kad je sredinom 20. stoljeća došlo do sve snažnijeg interdisciplinarnog prožimanja prirodoslovnih struka - fizike, kemije i biologije te primjene njihovih dostignuća u tehničkim strukama. PSMZ je osnovala skupina istaknutih nastavnika s fakulteta Prirodoslovno-matematičkog, Tehnološkog, Farmaceutsko-biokemijskog i Medicinskog te s Instituta za biologiju. Studij je obuhvaćao glavna područja makromolekularnih znanosti: Organska kemija sintetskih makromolekula, Fizička kemija makromolekula, Strukturna analiza makromolekula, Fizika makromolekula, Biološke makromolekule i Polimerno inženjerstvo s primjenom i preradom polimera, a nastavu 29 kolegija vodilo je 30 nastavnika sa svojim suradnicima. Kad je 1980. promjenom zakonskih propisa u Hrvatskoj prevladalo stanovište da se poslijediplomski studiji moraju vratiti na "matične" fakultete, prestao je postojati i PSMZ. U devet godina postojanja studija magistriralo je 37 stručnjaka za makromolekule. Ocijenjeno je da je PSMZ prije tridesetak godina bio lijep primjer modernog poslijediplomskog usavršavanja i u svjetskim razmjerima. Kako se danas u svijetu uvode slični interdisciplinarni studiji u području makromolekularnih znanosti, to bi ponovno uvođenje nekog suvremenog interdisciplinarnog studija u tom području bilo značajno za daljnji razvoj tih znanosti u Hrvatskoj.The postgraduate study of macromolecular sciences (PSMS) was established at the University of Zagreb in 1971 as a university study in the time of expressed interdisciplinary permeation of natural sciences - physics, chemistry and biology, and application of their achievements in technological disciplines. PSMS was established by a group of prominent university professors from the schools of Science, Chemical Technology, Pharmacy and Medicine, as well as from the Institute of Biology. The study comprised basic fields of macromolecular sciences: organic chemistry of synthetic macromolecules, physical chemistry of macromolecules, physics of macromolecules, biological macromolecules and polymer engineering with polymer application and processing, and teaching was performed in 29 lecture courses lead by 30 professors with their collaborators. PSMS ceased to exist with the change of legislation in Croatia in 1980, when the attitude prevailed to render back postgraduate studies to the university schools. During 9 years of existence of PSMS the MSci grade was awarded to 37 macromolecular experts. It was assessed that the PSMS some thirty years ago was an important example of modern postgraduate education as compared with the international postgraduate development. In concordance with the recent introduction of similar interdisciplinary studies in macromolecular sciences elsewhere in the world, the establishment of a modern interdisciplinary study in the field would be of importance for further development of these sciences in Croatia