The Faculty of Information Technology of the Czech Technical University in Prague (FIT CTU) and the University of Antwerp (UAntwerp) are celebrating ten years of collaboration this year. What began as informal contacts between researchers of both institutions has evolved into a strong partnership that now includes joint teaching in a prestigious master’s and doctoral double-degree program, an international laboratory, and collaborative research projects.
The first contacts between FIT CTU and UAntwerp were established ten years ago through the activities of the research group Centre for Conceptual Modelling and Implementation (CCMi), in cooperation with Belgian professors Jan Verelst and Herwig Mannaert. From the very beginning, FIT CTU has offered a joint course titled Normalized Software Systems (NI-NSS), which introduces students to the principles of software normalization and their practical applications. The course is unique in that it is jointly taught by lecturers from both FIT CTU and UAntwerp.
The formal framework for the cooperation was established by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on June 6, 2019, elevating the partnership to an international level with the opportunity to offer joint study programs. FIT CTU subsequently began offering its students the possibility to obtain a double doctoral degree (Double Degree Ph.D. Program) in collaboration with UAntwerp. In 2023, Ing. Marek Suchánek, Ph.D. et Ph.D., became the first graduate of this program in history.
Building on the success of the doctoral program, the faculty also launched a master’s Double Degree Program within the English-accredited Informatics program, specializing in Digital Business Engineering (DBE). This program allows students to earn two master’s degrees – one from FIT CTU and one from the University of Antwerp. It is taught entirely in English and combines knowledge of information technology, business, and economics in an international context. The first graduate of the program was Ing. Wanaka Mannaert, MSc. The program continues to grow – as of September 2025, a new group of students from both universities has begun their first year. Following the planned extension of the accreditation of the Applied Informatics master’s program, the DBE specialization will continue beyond 2026.
In 2024, the faculty and the University of Antwerp jointly established the Normalized Systems Laboratory (NSLab). This laboratory focuses on the adaptability and sustainability of software systems and integrates education, research, and practice. NSLab collaborates in teaching the NI-NSS course and supports the research of FIT CTU doctoral students.
“Ten years of collaboration with UAntwerp is just the beginning. The faculty plans to continue developing joint study programs, supporting student mobility, and expanding opportunities for involvement in international research projects so that our students gain the best possible opportunities for success both at home and abroad,” says Assoc. Prof. Robert Pergl, Ph.D., from the Department of Software Engineering.
