120 years of the largest Czech technical university
Brno University of Technology was the first university established in #brnoregion; in the beginning, a mere 47 students attended classes taught by only 4 professors. Fast forward through 120 years of turbulent development and you’ll see a lot has changed. Its 20 thousand students at eight faculties make it the largest university in #brnoregion as well as the largest technical educational institution in the country. Over its entire existence, more than 250 thousand students graduated there.
Hard beginnings
The University commenced the celebrations of its 120th anniversary with a festive unveiling ceremony of a relief sculpture of professor Rezek, who was instrumental in establishing it. “In 1899, the entire ministry resigned, so people were afraid that the emperor’s decree would be delayed and the plan to establish a Czech university in Brno would have to be abandoned. It was for this reason that Rezek informed local newspapers that Franz Joseph I had already signed the establishment decree. When this information was published, the ministry was left with no other alternative than to establish the university,” explains the university’s current rector Petr Štěpánek.
As it is written…
120 years is a long time, which is why the University decided to turn its turbulent history into a book; its release ceremony will take place on April 24. And since the book is in Czech as well as English, you can read it too! You can find out who the first rector was or what the first offices and classrooms looked like.
“The founders’ aim was for the classes to be in Czech. Today, I’d like the University to be a quality, international environment of students as well as teachers, and I’d like a Nobel Prize winner to teach here one day,” said Petr Štěpánek.
Celebrating together
The celebrations are not limited to just the anniversary day, however. The University will drink a toast with special academic wine in September when it was established. The highlight of the celebrations will take place on May 25 when the University holds a day for its graduates, students as well as employees. This is one of the reasons why the University has been intensively searching for its 1969 graduates: to organize a festive ceremony of “Golden Graduation” for them. Fifty years later, they will have an opportunity to remember their studies as well as their graduation ceremony at the Brno University of Technology.
Besides the graduates recalling their studies, there’ll be a music festival, light show, and open days for the general public to enjoy.
“The first Czech university in Brno was a technical university, today’s Brno University of Technology (VUT). This clearly shows that technical education has always been crucial for the Czech lands, not only in relation to the development of industry. The University has followed in the tradition of technical education which dates another 50 years back when the Technical Apprentice School in Brno was established,” adds rector Petr Štěpánek.