PROFILE OF IVICA KOSTOVIC

( Editorial: --> 8435 ) ZAGREB, Oct 14 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Wednesday appointed Ivica Kostovic as the Presidential chief-of- staff. By the President's decision Kostovic has been absolved from his former duties as Deputy Prime Minister for humanitarian issues and Science and Technology Minister. Ivica Kostovic was born in Zagreb on June 7, 1943. He graduated, earned master's and doctoral degrees at the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb and left for the United States as a Fulbright Foundation scholar. Kostovic's professional career started in 1968 when he was elected as assistant at the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb. In 1981 he became a full-time professor at the University, and at 1987 he became the head of the neuro-anatomy department's science unit. He was elected as head of the anatomy department in 1990, and during 11992 Ivica Kostovic was acting dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Zagreb. Kostovic was guest-professor at the American University of Harvard and the counsellor at the Yale University. Since 1992 Kostovic has been a professor at the Spinoza University in Amsterdam. He started his political career as the head of the information and investigation department of the Croatian main sanitary headquarters. Between 1991 and 1992 Kostovic was a Deputy Commander of the headquarters. On October 12, 1993 Kostovic was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister, and in 1995 as Science and Technology Minister. Ivica Kostovic is a member of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) since its establishment. Kostovic is a married father of two kids. (hina) it/lml 142007 MET oct 98