Milan Raspopović

Education

Milan Raspopović received his doctoral titles in Physics and in Philosophy from University of Belgrade. Previous doctoral work of Professor Dr Milan Raspopovic was in cosmic ray physics. The research was interrupted and then abandoned after the funding for cosmic and particle physics research, provided by the Government of Yugoslavia, came to a halt.

He successfully defended his physics thesis entitled "The impact of Ludwig Boltzmann’s teachings and understandings on physics and philosophy" at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade.

Career

Raspopović was full-time university professor, first professor of Physics in Special School for Gifted Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade – Special Mathematical Gymnasium (a school of Special National Interest), creator of school's unique physics and overall curriculum. He was one of the founders of Special School for Gifted Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade in Belgrade, along with academician Prof. dr Vojin Dajović, who was a professor at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Belgrade. Their basic model was Kolmogorov School at Moscow University [1] which had been launched in Moscow a year earlier, in 1965, under Lomonosov Moscow State University, by one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th century, Andrei Nikolayevich Kolmogorov, and which was later named after him.

Raspopović taught university level courses at University of Belgrade, University of Niš, University of Kragujevac, and University of Montenegro. During that time he was Principal and Director at Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade, where he developed special curriculum in physics for MG students.

Raspopović and Emilo Danilović, then Serbian Chief Scientific Advisor for physics, created first MG curriculum in physics. It had 50% more physics classes than in regular Gymnasiums with mathematical orientation or Mathematical and Technical High Schools.

Raspopović introduced and developed scientific curricula for two new specializations in Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade, in 1977: Technician for Nuclear Physics, and Technician for Laser Physics, which both lead to Assistant in Mathematical and Technical Sciences Diploma.

Along with his Principal and Director duties, his duties as a professor of physics and a developer of MG curricula in physics and its sub-specializations in nuclear physics and in laser physics, Milan Raspopović introduced, in 1969, and taught, from 1969 to 1980, Electronics in Mathematical Gymnasium. Electronics in MG was taught 2 hours per week, 72 hours per year.

Textbooks

As a university professor, and professor, Principal and Director of the Special School for gifted and talented students of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics – Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade in Belgrade, Raspopović is the author or co-author of over 30 textbooks and collections of assignments in physics, for all educational levels, from elementary schools to university level. In the area of physics for elementary schools, as well as in the area of textbooks and collections of assignments for high schools of technical sciences (electrical engineering and mechanical engineering), for high schools of natural sciences and mathematics and natural science curricular stream in gymnasiums, in didactics, and including his special physics textbooks for Special School for Gifted Matematička gimnazija, professor Raspopović's books have the largest circulation in Serbia, Montenegro, and in former Yugoslavia, with a circulation of well over 4 million of issued printings during the previous 45 years.

As a co-author, Raspopović signed textbooks with Academician Dragiša M. Ivanović – former Rector of University of Belgrade and professor of Theory of Nuclear Reactors, Ivan Aničin – Chief of Nuclear Division at the Institute for Nuclear Sciences Vinča (former INN "Boris Kidrič"), Chief of Cosmic Ray Division and Low Background Laboratory of Institute of Physics Belgrade, and Director of Doctoral Studies of High Energy Physics at University of Belgrade, Dragomir Krpić – Chief of Chair of Experimental Elementary Particle Physics, three times Dean of the Faculty of Physics and President of the Board of Governors the Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, Darko Kapor from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Novi Sad, and many others from Academia.

Raspopović also co-authored textbooks and collections of solved problems with professors from Mathematical Gymnasium.

International results

Raspopović led the school as its Principal and Director for 32 years. During that time, the school achieved unique results worldwide regarding the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals won at the greatest international competitions – International Science Olympiads:

as well as the number of scientists originating from it: the school won more than 400 medals at international competitions and Olympiads and served as a breeding ground for scientist with approx. 2000 PhD's among its alumni.

It was not unusual that most, and sometimes all, of the medals at Republics or Federal competitions in Serbia and in Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, in all categories and for every single grade, were won by students of Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade. Logical consequence was that many times Yugoslavian teams for International Olympiads consisted of mostly or only of students from Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade. In 1974, a turbulent year for Yugoslavia when new Constitution of Yugoslavia was introduced, 7 out of 8 members of Yugoslavian National Team for International Mathematical Olympiad – IMO, were from Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade. It caused a lot of political commentaries, since Yugoslavia had 6 Republics and 7 out of 8 students for IMO came from Belgrade's Mathematical Gymnasium. Problems were solved when Yugoslav team (7 out of 8 were MG students) came back form IMO with 5 medals: 2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals. Yugoslavia ranked 5th in the world, and USSR and Yugoslavia were the only 2 countries that won 2 Gold Medals that year. Mathematical Gymnasium was absolute winner among all schools in the world, and remained at that position to the present day. (The unsigned rule remained to present day: in 2010 Serbian national team for International Mathematical Olympiad had MG students only. They ranked 10th in the world as a country (Serbia) and took the first place in the world as a school.

Raspopović established Mathematical Gymnasium as the world leader in high school education in the fields of mathematics, physics, informatics, and computer programming. Under professor Raspopović's leadership, school won more than 400 medals at international competitions.

Retirement

Raspopović was professor in Mathematical Gymnasium Belgrade from the school's foundation days in 1966, and was elected Principal and Director in 1970. He served as Principal and Director until his retirement, effective from 2002. He was succeeded as a Principal by Ljubomir Protić of Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade.

Milan Raspopović remained active member of Mathematical Gymnasium Trust and Mathematical Gymnasium Scientific Board.

He is also active writer and continued to revise and publish textbooks for elementary and high schools. In 2010 his books were printed in 200,000 copies, of which more than 150,000 copies were sold before December 2010.

Spoken languages

Milan Raspopović is fluent in Russian, as well as in Serbo-Croatian and its derivatives and variants (Serbian, Croatian, Montenegrin, Bosnian). He also reads and uses English.