Division of Regional Geography and Methodic

The teaching and scientific work of geographers at the University of Zagreb has a long history and the Zagreb school of geography is known far and wide. Since the establishment of the Section for Geography at the Faculty of Philosophy in 1883, geography has developed in two faculties, Philosophy and Science. The organisation of the internal structure (section, institute, division, department) reflected the development of geography over time, and long followed the fundamental division of geography into physical and social geography. In 1997, in addition to the tradition divisions (Division of Physical Geography and Division of Social Geography), the Division of Regional Geography and Methodic was established.

The scientific interests and teaching tasks of Division members are broader than just the areas of regional geography and methodologies, given the broad reaching cooperation with other faculty members at the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science. The Division has 12 faculty members in associate or scientific/teaching positions, from research assistant to tenured professor. Ivan Ivić is the youngest member of the Division, and his research interests are primarily focused on geographic methodologies. Dr. Ivan Šulc studies the geography of tourism, while his scientific and teaching interests also involve GIS. Assistant professor Dr. Ivan Zupanc teaches Demogeography, Historical geography and Urban historical geography, and the Protection and management of cultural landscapes. Assistant professor Dr. Ružica Vuk teaches Methods in geography, Geography of Africa, and Historical geography of Croatia, and based on her long-standing experience in school geography competitions, she established a course dealing with that. Assistant professor Dr. Jelena Lončar teaches the courses Industrial geography, and Geographic basis of globalisation, while her scientific interests are associated with research in the field of regional geography. Assistant professor Dr. Slaven Gašparović is primarily involved in the research of transport geography, in addition to computer statistical analyses and spatial planning in urban areas.
The Division employs five full university professors. Professor Dr. Aleksandar Toskić teaches courses in the fields of cartography, geoinformatics and GIS. Professor Dr. Zoran Stiperski studies industrial geography, political geography, regional development and international organisations, and teaches the regional geography course Geography of Asia. Professor Dr. Dražen Njegač is interested in urban geography, and teaches the course The city in spatial planning, while regional geography courses are Geography of Croatia and Geography of East Asia. Professor Dr. Borna Fuerst-Bjeliš primarily deals with the history of the environment, regional concepts and identities, and of the regional geography courses, teaches the course Mediterranean. Professor Dr. Zoran Curić examines the methodologies in geography and the geography of tourism, and teaches the course Tourism and recreation in physical planning.