Main activity of the Institute of Telecommunications (IT) is providing of education for future experts in the field of telecommunications with main focus on scientific research as well as establishing co-operation with industries and the economy relevant and related to telecommunications.
Currently, the staff at the IT is as follows: prof. Borislav Popovski, Ph.D., Head of the Institute, prof. Toni Janevski, Ph.D., prof. Venceslav Kafedziski, Ph.D., prof. Zoran Hadzi-Velkov, Ph.D., prof. Aleksandar Risteski, Ph.D., associate prof. Pero Latkoski, Ph.D., associate prof. Vladimir Atanasovski, Ph.D., associate prof. Marko Porjazoski, Ph.D., assistant prof. Slavce Pejoski. Ph.D., assistant prof. Tomislav Shuminoski, Ph.D., assistant prof. Valentin Rakovic, PhD., and demonstrator Marija Poposka.
Former heads of the Institute were also: prof. B. Spasenovski, prof. T. Ulcar, Ph.D., and prof. L. Gavrilovska, Ph.D. In addition, our Faculty started fostering the field of telecommunications in the 1970s within the frame of the course studying low voltage electric power by introducing the first two subjects in the field of telecommunications taught by professors Georgije Lukatela from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade and Boris Spasenovski. The Chair of Telecommunications was established in 1977 and its first Head was professor Spasenovski. In addition, this Chair was turned into a Department of Telecommunications in 1982, which later became the Institute of Telecommunications.
Regarding the development of the Institute, besides the existing staff, professors who have established the basis of telecommunications in the educational system in Macedonia are as follows: prof. Boris Spasenovski (retired), senior lecturer, Risto Tuntev (deceased), prof. Tatjana Ulcar Stavrova, Ph.D. (retired) and assistant prof. Ljubomir Strezov, Ph.D. (retired). Their tradition and strive to perfection have been fostered by their successors: Petar Pepeljugovski, Ph.D, Marjan Bogatinovski, M.A., Saso Stojanovski, M.A., and Toni Stojanovski, Ph.D. All of them have been actively engaged at the IT for certain period of time and have significantly contributed to the development of curricula and establishment of high-quality professional staff.
Also, the members of the IT have realized numerous professional visits to acknowledged academic institutions and world-renowned laboratories such as: Alborg University, Denmark, TU Erlangen/ Germany; GA/Tech/USA; IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, New Yоrk/USA; ТU Dublin/Ireland; La Sapienca University, Rome/Italy; Eurecom Institute/ France; TU Aachen/Germany, TU Berlin and UoT/Canada.
IT covers curriculum of significant number of scientific disciplines within the frame of Telecommunications and Information Engineering (TIE) (including modules of Computer Technology and Engineering) at the first study cycle, and participates in other study programs and provides services to other related institutes. IT realizes curriculum in the second study cycle (by providing MSc study programmes on Wireless Systems, Services and Applications – WSSA, on Communications and Information Technology – CIT and on Internet and Mobile services and applications – IMSA). The Institute also participates in the third study cycle – Doctoral (PhD) Studies (including studies on Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies – EEIT and Metrology). The current program of the first cycle includes (6) mandatory subjects referring to basic studies in the field, as well as a large number of optional subjects (40), which replicate the current heterogeneous and integrated technical and technological ambience by introducing an innovative approach. Also, a number of full-time students participating in current projects have been provided with professional study visits. In the past decade, IT has also hosted a number of foreign students and collaborators (coming from the UK, Greece, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway and Poland).
Members of the Institute are actively engaged in the faculty publishing activity as they have published three study books (FEEIT/USCM), as well as a number of other study materials.
IT is highly ranked within the frame of the ‘Ss. Cyril and Methodius University’ in Skopje as an institute with a recognizable scientific reputation, especially by the number of international (EU, NATO) and bilateral research projects (a total of 17), which cover a wide range of current areas, such as: design of virtualized platforms, cognitive networks and relevant phenomena, radar tests/examinations, telecommunications with ‘energy harvesting, wireless channels phenomena, energy efficiency, optical networks, management and optimization, secure communications, etc. In addition, the following scientific and research projects have been realized in the last 10 years: eWALL (eWall for an active, prolonged life (2013 – 2016 (FP7 IP), managed by L. Gavrilovska; Fly – GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar integrated with hexacopter for automatic land mine detection (2016 – 2019) (NATO Science for Peace and Security) managed by V. Kafedziski; ACROPOLIS (advanced coexisting technologies for radio optimization in a licensed and non-licensed domain) (2010 – 2013) (FP7 NoE), managed by L. Gavrilovska; FARAMIR (Flexible radio access with spectrum recognition via measuring and modeling in cognitive radio systems) (2010 – 2012 (FP7 STREP), managed by L. Gavrilovska; Energy efficiency in wireless telecommunications networks (2017, bilateral project realized in co-operation with China, managed by Z. Hadzi-Velkov).
Members of IT have published scientific research papers in renowned magazines with or without journal impact factor (JIF), or in the proceedings of numerous international conferences, as well. In recent years, they have published a total of 53 research papers in journals with impact factor (IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials, IEEE Trans. on Communications, IEEE Trans. on Wireless Communications, IEEE Trans. on Information Theory, IEEE Communication Letters, IEEE Signal Processing Letters, IEEE Wireless Communications Letters, Elsevier COMNET and DSP, Springer WPC Journal), 39 in journals without impact factor and 223 research papers at conferences (IEEE GLOBECOM, PIMRC, IEEE ICC, IEEE MILCOM, IEEE EUROCON, IEEE DySPAN, ICT, ETAI, IEEE CCNC, IEEE INFOCOM), etc. Our members so far have published about 10 books and 15 book chapters, published by world renowned publishing houses, such as: Wiley&Sons, Springer Pbl. Int., Artech House, Chapman&Hall/CRC, Nova Sci. Pbl.
The IT has established active co-operation by providing its expertise to the national economy (NEOTEL, Macedonian Railways, Macedonian Telecom, Agency for Electronic Communications, Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, and the Standardization Institute. In addition, the IT has realized 10 experts/applied projects, such as: Design and Implementation of QoS Software Solution for OTT services (managed by B. Popovski, 2014 – 2015) for NEOTEL; SmartWine – Integrated System for Remote Surveillance of Vineyards by Using Wireless Sensor Networks (managed by L. Gavrilovska, 2013) for Macedonian Telecom; Research on New Services Provided by Digital Dividend (within the frame of FP7 Project SEE DigiTV for the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services (managed by prof. А. Risteski 2013), Development of Digital Evidence Management System for Ministry of Interior (Sponsored by the Government of Norway and MoI, managed by prof. A. Risteski, 2015-2019). Professor V. Kafedziski has been the President of the Technical Committee for Electronic Communications of the Standardization Institute of the Republic of North Macedonia since its establishment in 2008 to the present.
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IT was the initiator and organizer of the Balcancom 2019 and FABULOUS 2015 international conferences as well as of the FutureComNet 2014 – 2016 workshop. IT members are actively participating in international conferences and assemblies by providing lectures, tutorials, organizing special sessions and participating in panel discussions. Within the project for ITU Center of Excellence of FEEIT (managed by prof. T. Janevski) numerous ITU Academy e-learning courses have been delivered since 2009 until the present time.
Our professors have also served important roles in telecommunication/ICT world and academic life. Prof. T. Janevski was elected member of the first Commission of the Agency for Electronic Communications (AEC), with a mandate in the period 2005-2008. Also, members of the IT have served numerous Faculty and University functions. Prof. B. Spasenovski was the Dean of FEEIT in the period 1981-1982, prof. B. Popovski was the Vice-dean for economic matters in the period 2001-2004, prof. T. Janevski was a member of the Senate of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje serving two terms 2008-2012 and 2012-2016, prof. A. Risteski served as the Vice-dean for international cooperation in two terms 2008-2012 and 2012-2016, and prof. V. Atanasovski has been elected the Vice-dean for economic matters for the period 2016-2020. Prof. T. Janevski is an elected member (proposed by CEPT) of the ITU GCBI (Group on Capacity Building Initiatives) with mandate 2018-2022 (as one of the two members from the Europe region). Prof. A. Risteski was member of the National Board for Accreditation and Evaluation of Higher Education with mandate 2011-2015, member of the Board of Directors of Macedonian Telecom with mandate 2005-2007, and president of the Society for Electronics, Telecommunications, Automation and Informatics (ETAI) from 2009 to 2015. Moreover, at the recommendation of the German National Academy of Sciences “Leopoldina”, from 2014 Prof. Hadzi-Velkov is a representative of Macedonia from among the prominent scientists in the science segment of the Berlin Process, which prepares recommendations for the harmonization of higher education and science in the countries of the Western Balkans with the European Union.
Our members have received multiple international and top national awards (‘Goce Delcev’ granted to prof. T. Janevski, Ph.D in 2011, and to professors L. Gavrilovska and associate professor V. Atanasovski, Ph.D in 2013); Best Scientist Award from the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (prof. L. Gavrilovska in 2012, prof. T.Janevski and prof. Z. Hadzi-Velkov in 2013, prof. V. Atanasovski in 2014 and assistant professor V. Rakovic in 2017); best research award (granted to the WINGroup under the guidance of prof. L. Gavrilovska entitled: Best Demo Award for IEEE DYSPAN in 2011 and 2015); DIONIS Design Award at The Balkan Venture Forum in 2012 and an award for design of SmartWine (presented by the Macedonian Telecom in 2013).
With regards to the Macedonian Unit of IEEE, two Chapters have been established on the initiative of the IT members (Telecommunications Chapter established in 1998 by prof. L. Gavrilovska Ph.D who was its first president and the Information Theory Chapter, established in 2011 by prof. V. Kafedziski, Ph.D who was its first president). Also, professor Gavrilovska was a member of IEEE COMSOC NEC, 2015 – 2017, while associate professor P. Latkoski has been the president of the IEEE Macedonian Section since the beginning of 2018 to the present.
