Zoran Cekic has significant HEI leadership experience as a member of Global Engineering Deans Council – GEDC and Danube Rectors Conference – DRC (70 EU Universities, 1.1 million students), Rector of Union NT University Serbia, University Senate member and Dean of Faculty of Polytechnics UDG Montenegro (powered by Arizona State University USA and Cintana Alliance) and Dean of Faculty of Construction Management Serbia.
He is a former State Secretary at Serbian Ministry for National Infrastructure Investment Plan (2 billion Euro portfolio) and program manager of European Investment Bank – EIB co-financed program “Municipal and regional infrastructure” (200 million Euro).
Zoran is professor of project management (IPMA Reg) at Singidunum University Serbia and UDG Montenegro. He was a visiting professor at Department of Civil Engineering and Geodesy at Faculty of Technical Science University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Architecture University of Montenegro, and Institute of Architecture and Construction SUSU Russia.
He is professional member of The Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB), The Association of Project Management (APM, London Branch) and The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS and assessor for SEE), with professional background in civil engineering (structural design, with specialization in bridge design) and construction project management (with BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees from University of Belgrade). He is the author of two books and more than hundred papers in research journals and conference proceedings.
As a professor of project management and digital technologies in BIM environment, as well as CEO of SMC International consultancy, he is trying to figure out how to translate digitally enhanced smart systems, as a part of 4.0 revolution, into new and useful technology, which could change how infrastructure and real estate will be delivered, managed, and controlled, for the benefit of all stakeholders, more efficiently and with better whole-life value.
Extensive HEI leadership and industry experience allowed him to give expert advises on university-university and industry-university cooperation, focused on development of the next generation of engineering leaders in WB region through closing the gap between the skills employers need and those available in graduates through university-industry collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing with global universities and leading engineering companies.