From FORTRAN in High School to Leading National Digital Systems
Vedran Mornar’s introduction to programming came through an unexpected circumstance. When his German teacher fell ill during his third year at the First Zagreb Gymnasium, the school made an unconventional decision: replace the language course with FORTRAN programming. This seemingly minor administrative change set the trajectory for a remarkable 44-year career that would span academia, government service, and the development of critical national information systems.
That early exposure led Mornar to SRCE (the University Computing Centre) and subsequently to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), where he studied under Damir Kalpić—a young assistant who would become his mentor through diploma, master’s, and doctoral studies. Mornar credits much of his professional success to this formative relationship, noting that without that chance encounter with programming, he might have pursued medicine instead of engineering.
His programming passion never faded. Even at 67 years old, as rector of VERN University, Mornar continues to code—currently developing a scheduling system based on genetic algorithms. This sustained enthusiasm for creating solutions from scratch demonstrates a fundamental truth about successful engineering careers: technical curiosity, when properly nurtured, can sustain a lifetime of meaningful work.
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The Evolution of Computing Infrastructure at FER
The contrast between computing resources available during Mornar’s student years and today’s infrastructure illustrates the dramatic pace of technological change. When he enrolled, FER had a single IBM 1130 computer and a few card punch machines. Students accessed computing power through terminals connected to SRCE via acoustic modems—one with a screen, one with only a printer. Google did not exist. The internet did not exist.
Today, FER operates as a system supported by world-class infrastructure. The faculty has grown substantially in student population, faculty members, equipment, and physical facilities. This transformation did not happen accidentally—it resulted from deliberate strategic decisions and a shared vision of where the institution needed to go.
What Makes FER Distinctive in International Context
Mornar identifies two factors that differentiate FER from other universities, both in Croatia and internationally. First, the faculty maintains strong organizational coherence. Second, and perhaps more importantly, FER operates with a shared vision of its direction.
Using a vector analogy, Mornar explains that while individual ambitions at other institutions often act as opposing forces that cancel each other out, FER’s various interests align closely enough to create meaningful forward momentum. The “angle between vectors” may not be zero, but it remains acute enough that collective efforts reinforce rather than undermine each other.
This alignment manifests in tangible outcomes: successful research projects, consistent educational quality, and sustained institutional development even as specific technologies change dramatically from one decade to the next.
Digital Transformation in Croatian Education: A Pioneer’s Perspective
Mornar’s work on digital systems for Croatian education predates what most people consider the start of digitalization. As early as 1977, his university entrance exam was processed electronically—students filled in answers with 2B pencils, and results were computed. While primitive by today’s standards, this represented an early form of educational technology adoption.
Building Systems That People Actually Use
The development of e-learning platforms and administrative systems like e-Enrolment taught Mornar a crucial lesson: technical excellence means nothing without user acceptance. The student ID card system (Iksica) succeeded because it solved a real problem—simplifying access to student dining services. Students adopted it quickly because they experienced immediate, tangible benefits.
The same principle applied to the State Matura examination system and enrollment platforms for universities and secondary schools. These systems gained widespread acceptance because they simplified administrative processes that had previously caused significant frustration for students, parents, and institutions alike.
However, reliable performance under pressure is essential. When 40,000 students, along with their parents and grandparents, attempt to view examination results simultaneously, every system component must function flawlessly. The months and years of preparation, testing, and coordination required to achieve this reliability remain invisible to end users—but without that invisible work, digital transformation fails.
Explore our related articles for further reading on educational technology implementation strategies.
Lessons from the Ministry: Balancing Professional Expertise and Political Reality
Mornar’s tenure as Minister of Education provided sobering insights into the challenges of systemic reform. The core difficulty: politics often favors immediately popular measures over structural changes that would produce meaningful long-term results.
Consider the example of school consolidation. Closing or merging schools with very small student populations makes objective sense from an efficiency and educational quality standpoint. Yet such proposals face immediate opposition from parents, local communities, and teachers—regardless of the rational arguments supporting them.
The State Matura: Changing Attitudes, Not Just Technology
The introduction of the State Matura examination system illustrates how technical solutions often require cultural transformation. Before the Matura, entrance examinations at different institutions frequently occurred on the same day, meaning students who failed to gain admission to one school might miss opportunities elsewhere entirely.
The primary challenge was not technical implementation—it was convincing higher education institutions to accept Matura results in place of their own entrance examinations. Critics raised concerns about the “dual role” of the Matura and whether students from vocational schools could compete fairly for university admission. Yet historical examination of earlier practices showed that legendary professors had never designed separate examinations for different student populations—they had always used unified standards.
The Croatian Qualifications Framework: Good Ideas, Problematic Implementation
Mornar’s assessment of CROQF reflects a common pattern in educational policy: sound concepts become counterproductive through excessive bureaucratic implementation. The framework’s goals—facilitating comparability of educational programs and qualification recognition—remain valid. However, the detailed prescription of occupational standards and learning outcomes within the CROQF Register has created regulatory burden that may hinder rather than support educational development.
The curricular reform, led by Boris Jokić with minimal funding, came remarkably close to implementation through extraordinary enthusiasm. Mornar suspects it was never fully adopted partly because its proposed hybrid assessment system would have revealed substantial gaps between school grades and objectively measured student knowledge. Whether this was the actual reason or whether political factors played a larger role, he notes that the reform itself was well-conceived.
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Education
Mornar’s perspective on AI in education balances optimism with genuine concern. He acknowledges that artificial intelligence and personalized learning open “fantastic opportunities”—enabling faster, more accurate, individually tailored education. This potential excites him.
Yet he observes a troubling trend: people’s ability to solve problems independently appears to be declining. Even he catches himself taking the path of least resistance, spending more time using AI or pre-built solutions than he would have spent solving problems directly. The convenience of AI-assisted work can become a trap that undermines the very capabilities it should enhance.
Why Traditional Teaching Methods Must Evolve, Not Disappear
Mornar rejects both technological utopianism and reactionary resistance to change. His reference to Star Trek’s Holodeck acknowledges that fully immersive simulation technology might eventually replicate all aspects of traditional education—but that reality remains distant.
More practically, he addresses declining lecture attendance by acknowledging its root cause: students no longer need to attend lectures to access information. What professors explain in lecture halls can be watched from home in comfortable circumstances. The solution is not to force attendance but to redesign the educational experience.
The flipped classroom approach—studying material at home while dedicating classroom time to discussion, practical application, and problem-solving—offers a viable path forward. Students would likely appreciate this format, as it makes classroom time genuinely valuable rather than redundant.
The pandemic accelerated digitalization but also demonstrated that fully online education carries significant disadvantages. Direct interaction and hands-on classroom experience cannot be completely replaced by digital alternatives.
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The Culture of Excellence That Sustains FER
Despite decades of technological transformation, certain FER characteristics remain constant. The faculty maintains rigorous academic standards—no shortcuts exist, and genuine understanding of subject matter is required. Equally important, FER consistently combines strong theoretical foundations with practical connection to real-world applications.
Mornar traces this orientation back to post-World War II electrification efforts, in which FER professors played key roles. The goal was never merely to know theory but to understand how to apply it to solve actual problems. Technologies change; the engineering mindset does not.
The culture of excellence and sense of community work together as complementary forces. Excellence pushes people to do things properly—or better than strictly necessary. Community holds everything together, ensuring that outstanding individuals operate within a collaborative environment rather than in isolation. This combination explains how FER has remained relevant despite technology changing “practically every year.”
Bridging Academia and Industry: The Role of Professional Conferences
Mornar’s long involvement with the MIPRO conference highlights an often-underestimated aspect of professional development. While technical presentations and research papers are now accessible online, the informal interactions that occur between sessions—over coffee, on hotel terraces—create opportunities that cannot be replicated through virtual meetings.
Conferences serve functions beyond information transmission. They build professional networks, establish trust, and generate collaborations that can have lasting impacts on individuals and the broader IT community. For Croatia’s IT sector, these connections remain valuable even as digital alternatives to in-person gatherings become more sophisticated.
What Students Should Actually Learn from Engineering Education
Mornar’s most practical advice for current and prospective students stems from honest self-assessment: he estimates that he has directly used only about 5% of the factual knowledge he acquired as a student. What remained valuable was the problem-solving approach that education instilled.
The university provided him with a mindset that makes “almost nothing seem impossible”—given sufficient determination, time, and a good team. Factual knowledge becomes outdated surprisingly quickly. Critical thinking, problem-solving ability, and the capacity to learn continuously remain valuable throughout an entire career.
For students considering where to invest their effort, this distinction matters enormously. Mastering specific programming languages or tools provides short-term advantages. Developing the capacity to understand new domains, identify problems, and devise solutions provides long-term career resilience.
Have questions? Write to us to learn more about how FER’s programs develop these enduring capabilities.
Building Systems That Matter: A Career Highlight
When asked what he is most proud of, Mornar does not point to academic titles or political positions. He points to the national information systems he designed, led development of, and partially programmed himself—systems that serve tens of thousands of people daily.
This pride reflects a fundamental engineering value: the ability to turn ideas into practical, reliable systems that make tangible differences in people’s lives. Concepts on paper remain abstractions. Functioning solutions in the real world represent genuine professional accomplishment.
For aspiring engineers, this perspective offers a useful career compass. Technical skills matter. Academic credentials open doors. But the ultimate measure of engineering work is whether it solves real problems for real people. The University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing has spent decades cultivating precisely this orientation—and that tradition continues to shape graduates who build systems that matter.
