Milivoje M. Kostic
NIU is looking to gain international students and encourage current students to study abroad to expand the university’s global influence and better prepare students for an international economy.
For example, the university has “emerging and important partnerships” with China.
“In the last two months, we have had delegations from potential Chinese partner universities visit us and vice versa,” NIU President Doug Baker wrote Oct. 11 in an email to the university community.
“Given the significant economic and political role China will continue to hold in coming decades, we need to provide opportunities for NIU students, faculty and staff to have strong cross-cultural experiences. In turn, we have sizable opportunities to bring international students to NIU and enrich our educational environment.”
Faculty also are seeking greater exposure to to help grow programs abroad.
“Engineering by virtue of its technical portability is well-suited to be a global profession. Our efforts to connect with engineers and students across the world are becoming fruitful and realistic,” said Promod Vohra, dean of the NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. “I am very optimistic on continuing the global nature of our college and its partnership. We are lucky to have globally recognized faculty and programs.”
One of the forerunners of this international expansion is Milivoje M. Kostic, professor of mechanical engineering.
Kostic’s work on new fundamental concept-theories in thermal sciences, including the Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics, draw attention of the Tsinghau University’s renowned Heat Transfer group led by Academician Z.Y. Guo.
He was invited to present a keynote lecture at the “International Forum on Frontier Theories of Thermal Science” in Beijing, China in December 2011, and this summer received individual invitation to give a series of presentations at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Xi’an Jiaotong University in Xi’an, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan regarding his recent innovative work in thermal sciences.
“The International Forum has been a unique group of invited speakers to present innovative ideas and frontier theories in thermal science. Among distinguished invites were five keynote speakers from China (four academicians) and seven international keynote speakers: three from the USA and one each from Japan, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Spain. It was a great honor to be part of such distinguished gathering,” Kostic said.
Kostic’s teaching, research and scholarly interests are in fundamental laws of nature; thermodynamics and heat transfer fundamentals; the second law of thermodynamics and entropy; energy efficiency; conservation and sustainability; fluids-thermal-energy components and systems; and nanotechnology and nanofluids. He has presented a number of invited plenary lectures and seminars at international conferences and several institutions.
“The sky may be the limit if having this information reach worldwide,” he said. “I am working on my new concept-theories and trying to get them established, and the fact that Chinese colleagues are interested in my work, is helping me to finalize what I have conceptualized here at Northern Illinois University.”
