Focus and Priorities

Study

The Faculty of Civil Engineering presently consists of 19 departments, the Institute for Forensic Engineering, Central Laboratory, a Computing Centre and a Library and Information Center. It is the largest educational and scientific research center in the field of civil engineering and geodesy in Slovakia. The Faculty’s staff consists of 39 professors, 66 associate professors, 147 senior lecturers and 60 research fellows having a university education or higher qualifications. 

Currently enrolled at the Faculty are more than 3,370 students in the Bachelor’s degree study programme and Master’s degree programme and 285 students in the Doctoral study programme. 

The principal aim of the Faculty is to provide a high level of education based on Slovakia’s traditional and cultural heritage and the latest scientific knowledge In accordance with the Bologna Declaration, the Faculty organizes the study as a three-degree accredited study using a credit-based modular-unit system. Part of the system includes the mobility of students and the possibility of earning credits from foreign universities. 

The Faculty of Civil Engineering offers 8 accredited Bachelor’s degree study programmes, 13 Master’s degree study programmes and 9 Doctoral degree study programmes. The general medium of instruction is the Slovak language. The Faculty offers accredited English-language B.Sc. and  M.Sc. programmes in Civil Engineering. A bachelor’s degree study programme lasts for 3 years (6 semesters) with the exception of the major “Building Structures and Architecture”, where the course lasts for 4 years (8 semesters). In the  Master’s programme the standard length of study is 2 years (4 semesters); the full-time form of doctoral degree study is three years in length (six semesters), and the part-time form is five years in length (ten semesters). 

A bachelor’s degree programme gives students a background in the natural sciences together with the basics of humane and economics sciences and mainly specialized subjects. Graduates of the bachelor’s degree programme are qualified to start working in practice, or can pursue the master’s programme, which lasts for four semesters .The highest form of education is the doctoral study. 

Graduates of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, STU, can find a broad spectrum of employment in practice (or can utilize their expert knowledge in practice) They are qualified to design projects, are trained in the preparation and management of structures of buildings and structures of civil engineering works, are qualified specialists in water management and can perform and supervise work in the field of geodesy and cartography. They can hold positions in the investment and economic sectors, scientific research institutions or educational institutions, computing centers. They can also carry out entrepreneurial activities.

Science and Research

As a leading educational institution in Slovakia, the Faculty of Civil Engineering has set out as one of its principal aims to guarantee the transfer of the latest information in the wide spectrum of the theory and activities interlinked with civil engineering and geodesy. This mission encompasses a wide scale of activities:

• achieving scientific research targets   
• publishing the latest knowledge obtained
• providing information via the Faculty’s library and information center
• finding the answer to the demanding problems of practice by  means of direct contractual cooperation

Research projects at the Faculty are carried out via the following agencies run by the Slovak Ministry of Education:

• VEGA (Scientific Grant Agency)
• KEGA (Educational Grant Agency)
• APVV (Applied Research)
• MVTS (International Scientific-Technical Cooperation)

In 2007, 146 projects have thus far been realized via the above agencies. In addition, several departments are involved in the 7th Research Framework Programme (operated by the EU in Brussels), structural funds (European Social Fund, European Regional Development Fund) and SAIA projects (which are predominantly of an educational character based on bilateral agreements). 

Research projects are targeted at environmental issues, transportation, power engineering, and infrastructure. The chief research priorities are interlinked with the needs of industry and social practice. The successful achievements of final results are due to the frequent collaboration of our research teams with leading international institutions. 

The transmission of the knowledge obtained, can be seen in the publishing activities of the Faculty’s staff. They publish monographs, textbooks and articles published in professional journals. They participate in conferences (national and international). The 1,400 publications registered by the faculty represent the extensive activity of its teachers. 

A significant activity of the Faculty is the education of its PhD students, the organization of conferences and their sponsorship, participation on organizing committees, and active participation and presentation of well-grounded, professional contributions along with membership on editorial boards of periodicals and membership in Slovak and above all international professional organizations. Regular evaluation of the activities connected with science and research is subject to the criteria for the complex accreditation of the University. 

Another significant component which supports development of the sciences at the Faculty has been the considerable amount of literature published recently. A significant upgrading of the Library and Information Center (KIC) has been accomplished. It can serve as an example to other universities through the services they provide. The service-oriented KIC focuses equally on students and teachers. In addition to the utilization of its extensive archive, visitors to the KIC have online access to world – renowned databases. Wi-fi access to the internet with hot-spots is being installed on the premises of the Faculty. The Faculty is also successful in providing and keeping up with the latest software for the various engineering specializations either on site or at each Department. 

The Presidium of the Faculty supports all the activities of the departments and individuals which draw attention to the scientific and intellectual potential of the Faculty. Progress in the sciences is also available to students, who are getting used to spending some part of their study abroad. The target for the coming years is to compare favourably with well- known universities in Europe.

Public Relations

The field of public relations is structured to cover all areas of activities at the Faculty:

• Study at the Faculty - publicity campaign
• cooperation with secondary schools
• open door day
• participation in educational fairs for secondary schools
• information brochures
• Student welfare
• a guide for “First-Year Students"
• exhibitions of student projects
• job fairs
• sports day at SvF
• meetings of students with the Presidium of the Faculty
• student scientific conference
• competition under the President of ABF auspices
• Presentations at fairs
• Scientific and technical undertakings
• Industrial Council
• "Construction of the Year” competition
• Media coverage
• press conferences
• “Information” – a quarterly publication on life at the Faculty
• Social events
• Representative Ball
• 50^th Anniversary of graduation from the Faculty – red-carpet treatment
• Reception for present and former professors given by the Presidium of the Faculty
• A reception for retired Faculty members

International Cooperation and Foreign Activities

The concept of the foreign activities of SvF STU is based on a hierarchical model of building and maintaining contacts with its partners abroad. The cornerstone of this concept are specific professional contacts of the teachers and researchers, as well as mutual contacts between faculties, departments and the university. The Faculty maintains the necessary logistical support for all foreign activities.

The specialized departments maintain their contacts with numerous European and trans-Atlantic universities, research facilities and companies. Along with student and teacher exchanges and excursions, these are primarily used for the exchange and coordination of teaching materials, pedagogical expertise and exchange of scientific literature. In addition to these contacts, it is also important to mention the connections with foreign non-governmental scientific institutions that employ more than 50 members of the Faculty.

The Faculty is successfully participating in foreign bilateral and multilateral projects. In the period since 1990, these projects have been realized within the framework of the TEMPUS program (eight projects have been finalized; five additional ones are in progress). They have significantly strengthened the technical and pedagogical profile of the Faculty, improving the teaching with technology and scientific literature and contributing to the creation of additional international contacts. Through these projects, modern methods of computer support as well as engineering calculations have been implemented in the pedagogical process. More than 100 students of the Faculty have spent some part of their studies abroad.

Since April 1, 1998, Slovakia has successfully joined additional European Union programs. At present, the Faculty of Civil Engineering participates in all the significant educational programs within the European Union, thanks to the activities of its members. We refer to the “big” EU programs specifically, such as the SOCRATES-ERASMUS, LEONARDO da VINCI II educational programs or the scientific 6th and 7th Framework Programs. In 2006, we revived the TEMPUS projects at our Faculty; in this case, these projects involved the countries of the former Soviet Union – Tempus Tacis.

Apart from the above-mentioned forms of cooperation, pedagogical programs that should be mentioned include TEM­PRA, CZALP and CEEPUS and the scientific projects within the frameworks of COST, COPERNICUS, INCO-COPERNICUS and PHARE. These programs support the international mobility of the employees and doctoral students through grants received from NATO, the British Council, DAAD, Action Austria-Slovakia and the Open Society Fund as well as from other institutions and foundations. 

The Faculty of Civil Engineering is a member of the Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation (SAAIC) and an active member of the International Association of Civil Engineering Faculties (IACEF), which is located at the Czech Technical University, Prague, and is the host of the Permanent Conference of the German Civil Engineering Faculties. Additionally, it was an active member of the SOCRATES program within EUCEET (European Civil Engineering Education and Training) and EEGECS (European Education in Geodetic Engineering, Cartography and Surveying). The Student Parliament, a member of the International Association of Civil Engineering (IACES), has initiated active communication with the Association of Civil Engineering Students of the German Republic. The specific centers of the Faculty are members of other organizations, depending on their specializations. 

The greatest success of the Faculty of Civil Engineering (STU) is the realization of the Leonardo da Vinci II project. The final grant for 10 projects within the Leonardo da Vinci II program was awarded to the Faculty by the National Office, thanks to the International Relations Office at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, STU, along with the Association of the Alumni and Friends (SvF STU) and achieved the astonishing sum of more than 800.000 EUR.