New faculty at the AGH University

The Faculty of Computer Science (WI) replaces the former unit – Institute of Computer Science at the Faculty of Computer Science, Electronics, and Communications. In this new formula, the Faculty educates within the fields of study such as:  

• Computer Science, 
• Computer Science – Data Science. 

Together with other faculties, it provides education within the following fields of study: 

• Cybersecurity (with the Faculty of Computer Science, Electronics, and Communications), 
• Modern Technologies in Forensic Science (with the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics). 

For the last few years, the most popular fields of study among our candidates, with the highest number of persons per place, are these from the IT sector. The IT fields of study also dominate in terms of the highest number of applications. In this year’s first admission cycle, there were almost 1000 applications to study Computer Science, run until now at the Faculty of Computer Science, Electronics, and Communications. 

Computer Science, which becomes part of the new faculty’s educational offer with the beginning of the academic year, is one of the most renowned fields of study within computer and information sciences in Poland. With a 40-year-long tradition of education and research, it has been recognised in the country and abroad. 

A strong point of the new faculty are also numerous non-degree postgraduate programmes, trainings, and courses. Any available spots at non-degree postgraduate programmes, among others in Cybersecurity in practice and Data Analysis – Data Science, enjoy a great deal of interest and admissions close within only a couple of hours.  

Research conducted in the Institute of Computer Science, which continues now at the new faculty, is concentrated mostly on: broadly understood methods of artificial intelligence, particularly applied to e.g. processing natural language or images, systems within the Internet of Things, simulation methods of physical phenomena, and computational systems. Research and education are carried out in a modern building with plenty of specialised laboratories. 

The faculty also supports the activity of the Centre for Security Technologies which executes projects consisting in developing and implementing specialistic software for the needs of public safety, particularly tools supporting forensic analysis. 

Another unit closely cooperating with the Faculty is the Cybersecurity Centre, first such unit in Poland, which conducts expert and educational activity but also research and development work in the field of technology for cybersecurity. 

As emphasised by the AGH University Rector, Professor Jerzy Lis: 

“Today, the Faculty of Computer Science joins the group of our 16 basic units. The establishment of a separate faculty in the discipline of computer science is a result of hard work and over 40 years of experience in teaching in the former Institute. Not without significance remain the considerable interest of candidates in the field, dynamic development of the Institute of Computer Science, including the constant expansion of personnel, partnership agreements, exchanges, and cooperation with companies from the IT sector. I believe that the decision to create a separate faculty, where matters related to computer science will be developed, will only strengthen the discipline and contribute to the better preparation of specialists graduating from our university to perform the roles of programmers, analysts, and network administrators.” 

 “By creating a new faculty, we focus on the development of IT research in collaboration with other units concerned with similar issues. Our actions are aimed at stressing the relevance of this subject matter within the AGH University and thriving growth of cooperation, e.g. in the field of artificial intelligence, with internal units, as well as national and foreign institutions. We seek understanding and the possibility to perform joint actions under the aegis of the unit which will undoubtedly be recognisable outside the AGH University walls, as it constitutes the effect of the work on the development of the IT sector commenced by our predecessors in the 1980’s,” explained Prof. Marek Kisiel-Dorohinicki, the originator of the idea to distinguish a new faculty. 

The Faculty of Computer Science begins its operation with personnel including more than 100 people (former Institute employees) and over twenty professors. The staff is continuously growing and so is the educational, service, and research offer of the unit which constitutes a direct continuation of activities performed in the Institute of Computer Science. The former seat of the Institute of Computer Science, i.e. building D-17 on 21 Kawiory Street, becomes the facility of the new faculty. The existing Faculty of Computer Science, Electronics, and Communications remains under its current name.