From the history of the department
The Department of Electric Power Engineering was established on October 1, 1973 on the grounds of the young Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the VŠT in Košice (it was established by the order of the Slovak Government of the Czechoslovak Republic No. 79/1969 and fulfilling its mission from the academic year 1969/70) as an independent scientific and pedagogical workplace. The establishment of the faculty and its workplaces was motivated by social demands to increase the educational level of the Eastern Slovakia region in general, but especially in connection with its rapidly developing industrial base.
The personnel core of the future department was formed since the establishment of the faculty at the level of the electrical engineering section and under the management of the department of electric drives. Its establishment dates back to June 1, 1971, when at the same time its management was entrusted to Ing. Karol Marton, CSc., already as an internal employee of the faculty. The section was continuously strengthened in terms of personnel, at the date of establishment of the department (October 1, 1973), it already consisted of a 9-member team in the functions of assistant professors and assistants. The head of the department (external) was appointed Ing. Jozef Blišťan, FMPaE employee of the Czechoslovak Government in Prague.
When the department was established, it became a profiling workplace for the field of study in power engineering within the field of study of high-current electrical engineering. The pedagogical duties of the department increased in 1977, in the opening of another study focus, environmental protection. In the 1970s, several external experts from practice and the sister department from Bratislava helped ensure the pedagogical process at the department. At the same time, they were trainers of domestic teachers in obtaining scientific degrees. In the first decade of the department’s existence, research projects were solved at the level of faculty tasks, while applied research was also developed, e.g. for VSŽ Košice, VSE Košice, EVO Vojany, etc.
Positive changes were noted by the department after the adoption of the new Act no. 39/1980 Coll. on universities in the Czechoslovakia. In terms of content, the fact that a new technical department no. 26-34-8 – electrical engineering, which enabled students to profile in several study areas. The personnel connection of the Department of Electric Power Engineering with the Department of Electric Heat and Electrochemistry, which guaranteed the study focus of electrothermal technology, also contributed to this fact. In the period after the merger of the workplaces, the new department had 16 teachers, including two docents, 11 assistant professors and three assistants. Several new subjects related to the automation and control of power plants, power systems, economics of electric power, operation of electrothermal equipment, non-traditional energy sources and others were introduced into the teaching.
In the fulfillment of pedagogical duties, the quality of scientific research work and the qualification structure of teachers was adequately improved. In the years 1981-1990, a total of 13 projects were solved at the department, of which two tasks were in the category ŠPTR. At the department in In 1990, 6 docents were already working. Cooperation with energy practice has expanded significantly. From the point of view of the present, it is possible to recall the year with a smile. 1983, when the department acquired the first HP 85 digital computer, and it was possible to work on it only with the permission of the head of the department.
It would be unnatural if the social changes triggered by November 17, 1989 did not manifest themselves in universities. So also at the VŠT in Košice, its faculties and departments, the expected changes took place, their leadership was legitimately replaced, the pedagogical process, scientific-research orientation and their management were reorganized. At the department, the accent on the complex profile of the graduate was increased by more consistent use of computer technology in the field of analysis and management of electricity systems, in the digitization of protections, the range of economic disciplines was increased and the emphasis on the rationalization of electricity consumption. The equipment of the department’s laboratories was materially improved.
In the 1990s (1991-2000), 16 research projects were solved and successfully opposed at the department, one of which was departmental, 4 VEGA-type projects. The rest were at the institutional level. As a result, 4 patents were also filed and granted.
In the first decade of the 3rd millennium, the team of the department already solved 24 projects in the categories: VEGA -12; KEGA 3; APVV -4; ŠF ASFEU -3. One project had the character of a state program.
Secondary, on the basis of good research results, the publication activity of the department increased, the qualification structure of teachers improved and their active participation in domestic and foreign scientific events. Conversely, the participation of the international scientific public in the events organized by the department increased. From 1994 to the present, there were 13 of them in total, the other 10 at the level of international scientific symposium.
In From 2003 to 2005, the department’s premises on Mäsiarská street were fundamentally renovated, which gave the workplace new and better quality laboratories and seating areas. During this period, the recently abolished department of high voltage technology was added to the department. This significantly strengthened the teaching staff of the expanded department by 1 professor, 2 docents and 6 assistant professors.
Currently, the department has 14 pedagogues (4 professors, 6 associate professors) in terms of personnel