Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FME) is the second largest faculty of the Brno University of Technology with almost 4500 students and 15 specialized institutes.

In terms of history, the origin and development of the faculty were not easy. In 1900 a new mechanical engineering branch was founded as the second oldest branch of a Czech Technical University. The pre-war development of the faculty and the whole university was tragically terminated on 17 November 1939. At that time, and later on in the 1950s, the university experienced the hardest periods of its existence. In 1956 the school started to work under the name of Technical University in Brno, and in 1958 the existing Faculty of Power Engineering was divided into the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Intensive development started in 1986 when the faculty moved to the new premises called `Pod Palackého vrchem'. Since 1989 FME has established a partnership with industrial companies and educational institutions abroad, and has become a recognised institution in the area of science and research. It closely cooperates with the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Cooperation has been deepened with the Czech Technology Park adjacent to FME premises, where leading national and international companies are located (IBM, Koyo Bearings CR, Red Hat Czech, MANN + HUMMEL, MECAS ESI, etc.). FME is an active member of the Southern Moravian Innovation Centre, which creates a suitable environment and infrastructure in the Southern Moravia region for companies with an innovative potential. It supports the formation and development of new companies and starting entrepreneurs by establishing technology incubators.

The priority of the faculty is to ensure education in the branches of mechanical engineering, where FME closely cooperates with other BUT faculties, as well as faculties of Masaryk University in Brno. Besides traditional engineering and technological branches, intensive progress has been made in applied sciences and interdisciplinary studies – material and mathematical engineering, physical engineering and nanotechnology, mechatronics, industrial design, quality, reliability and safety, etc. Some traditional branches of mechanical engineering have significantly changed as well. The changes are reflected in their titles too – e.g. process, energy or fluid engineering.

Study is strictly structured in three follow-up levels of education – Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral study programmes. Study programmes are accredited in Czech and in English, and there are joint degree and double degree programmes organized as international study programmes in cooperation with universities abroad (Arts Et Métiers ParisTech, Campus Cluny; Technische Universität Chemnitz; Universita degli Studi dell'Aquila). Various students projects, exchange study and internship abroad or in a company, involvement in research activities carried out at the institutes, are integral parts of the study. Each year, over 1000 students graduate from all levels at the faculty having no difficulty in finding jobs. The faculty also provides various professional courses within life-long learning.

The faculty has dozens of contacts with the universities and companies in Europe, Asia and USA. It is engaged in a great number of research and development projects of mainly EU and Czech institutions and ministeries, grant agencies, and others. Further important activities include solving tasks from practice, extensive expert and advisory activities, and economic activities of the faculty and individual institutes.

The aim of the faculty management and the directors of its specialized institutes is to develop the faculty as a modern and practice-oriented educational and research institution.