The Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungarian: Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem, abbreviated as BME), is a prestigious public research university situated in Budapest, Hungary. Established in 1782, it holds the distinction of being the oldest institute of technology in the world with university status and structure.
BME comprises eight faculties, within which more than 110 departments and institutes operate. The university employs approximately 1,100 lecturers, 400 researchers, and various degree holders, along with numerous invited lecturers and practicing expert specialists who contribute to both education and research. Of the university’s 21,171 students, about 1,381 are international, representing 50 different countries. Notably, BME is responsible for awarding approximately 70% of Hungary’s engineering degrees. Additionally, 34 of its professors and researchers are members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Courses at BME are offered in five languages: Hungarian, English, German, French, and Russian. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) was introduced in 1995, facilitating student participation in the European Union’s Socrates (also known as Erasmus) exchange program. This system also enables students to pursue a double degree through the Top Industrial Managers for Europe (T.I.M.E.) network.
1635-1782
Foundation and Early Development
Archbishop Péter Pázmány, primate of Hungary, founded the University of Nagyszombat (today Trnava, Slovakia) in 1635. By the late 18th century, the university had relocated to Buda, becoming the University of Buda. In 1735, the “Berg-Schola,” recognized as the world’s first institute of technology, was established in Selmecbánya, Kingdom of Hungary (today Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia). Many of the early teaching staff of BME originated from this institution. In 1782, Emperor Joseph II established the Institutum Geometricum as part of the Faculty of Liberal Arts at the University of Buda. This institute, the direct predecessor of BME, was the first in Europe to award engineering degrees in land surveying, river control, and road construction.
1850-1934
Expansion and Language Transition
In 1850, the Institutum Geometricum merged with the Joseph College of Technology, and by 1856, the combined institution was renamed the Royal Joseph Polytechnic. In 1860, Hungarian replaced Latin as the language of instruction, and by 1862, it became the Royal Joseph University. In 1872, the university gained full autonomy and the right to issue engineering diplomas after five years of study, making it one of the first institutions in Europe to train engineers at a university level. By 1901, it was authorized to confer the doctoral degree “Doctor Rerum Technicarum.” The university moved to its current location near Gellért Square in 1910. The first female students were admitted in 1925, and in 1934, the university was reorganized as the Palatine Joseph University of Technology and Economics, playing a crucial role in Hungary’s interwar industrialization process.
1939-2000
Modernization and Global Integration
The Institute for Continuing Education was established in 1939. The institution officially became known as the Technical University of Budapest in 1949, comprising faculties of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Architecture, Chemical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. The Faculty of Transportation Engineering was established in 1955. Students and professors from the university played a significant role in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. In 1967, the two technical universities in Budapest merged to form the Technical University of Budapest with six faculties. English instruction began in 1984, and in 1994, the university was among the first in Hungary to introduce the credit system, applying the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) in its accredited programs. In 1998, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences were established. Finally, in 2000, the institution was renamed the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME).
