After the Resolution of the Federal People’s Assembly on Professional Education (1960), degree education was introduced at Yugoslav universities during the academic school years of 1960/61 and 1961/62. Consequently, all study groups at the Teachers’ College in Novi Sad were dismissed while the activities of the Faculty of Philosophy were extended. New study groups for physics, chemistry, biology and geography were introduced in the field of sciences.
Various scientific disciplines had developed and had been enriched with expert staff within individual faculties prior to 1961. In order to achieve the most rational use of space, personnel and equipment, for both teaching and scientific-research activities, the University Institutes of Physics and Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology were established in 1961 (1962). The Institutes were situated in different locations. The Institute of Chemistry was located in one of the pavilions of the Faculty of Agriculture, which had already offered studies dedicated to chemistry; the Institute of Biology was located in the building of the former Teachers’ College in the JNA Street and was later moved to the Petrovaradin Fortress to the former building of the Faculty of Agriculture (later Faculty of Technology). A new building was built for the Institute of Physics and Mathematics within the future university complex. The construction was completed in 1963. The Institute of Geography was situated in the building of the former Teachers’ College in Svetozara Markovića Street.
The development of scientific groups within the Faculty of Philosophy gradually led to the establishment of the Faculty of Sciences.
The bust of Professor Branislav Bukurov
On May 25th, 1969, the Council of the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad made a decision to establish the Faculty of Sciences from the Sciences Department of the Faculty of Philosophy. On July 7th, 1969, the Assembly of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (SAPV), at a joint session of the Provincial Council and Educational-Cultural Council approved the Decision of the Faculty of Philosophy about establishing the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad (“Official Gazette of the SAPV” No. 17, published on July 10th, 1969). Dr Slobodan Glumac was appointed the Acting Dean and Professor dr Mirko Stojaković was elected the first Dean of the Faculty.
The first President of the Faculty Council managing the Faculty was Branislav Bukurov, PhD.
On January 1st, 1976, the decision was made to merge the university institutes with the Faculty of Sciences and the Basic Organizations of Associated Labour (BOAL) of the Faculty Institutes for Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Geography were created. The further processes integrated scientific and teaching activities within the fundamental disciplines of Faculties of Technology, Medicine and Agriculture at our Institutes.
During 1989, the spatial development of the Faculty of Sciences was completed with the construction of a “Blue Building” positioned between the Institute of Mathematics and Physics and the Institute of Biology. The new building hosted the Institute of Chemistry, Institute of Geography and the Dean’s offices of the Faculty.