AIT Budapest

Meet Professor A. Chakrabarti to learn about AIT, this exchange program, and how to apply. Following a brief talk about the program, the floor will be open for student questions. Students must attend an information session to be eligible to apply.

Jan 18, 2024 at 4:30-5:30pm in ECSC 008 

This will be the final information session before the application deadline of February 1, 2024.

The Department of Computer Science is pleased to sponsor their first off-campus program offering in Budapest, Hungary. The Aquincum Institute of Technology (AIT) provides a unique English language study abroad experience for North American undergraduates majoring in computer science, software engineering, and related disciplines.

Hungary has a proud tradition of creativity in computing: John von Neumann, who developed the principles of stored-program digital computers, Andy Grove, longtime leader of Intel, and Charles Simonyi, father of Microsoft Office, all got their start in the schools of Budapest. Following in this tradition of innovative education, AIT brings together globally-acclaimed scholars, designers, and entrepreneurs to provide an inspiring academic program with small classes that emphasize interactivity and creativity. In order to maintain the high quality of instruction and to give each student the attention they deserve, AIT admits no more than 100 students in any semester.

AIT was established in 2007 by the successful Hungarian software entrepreneur, Gábor Bojár, to provide an exceptional study abroad experience to North American undergraduates in IT fields. AIT's curriculum integrates foundational courses in computer science with advanced applications and courses from the fields of creative design and entrepreneurship as well as humanities courses related to Hungary's rich cultural heritage.

Every year about 10 students are selected for this program. Students first apply through the Guarini Institute by the February 1st application deadline. After February 1st, faculty from the Department of Computer Science will review applications and make acceptance decisions. Students will be notified of their acceptance decisions on March 1st.

Successful applicants who are accepted and commit to the program will receive a nomination from the Guarini Institute. Applying for an exchange program involves two steps: if you receive a nomination from the Guarini Institute you will also need to complete the host institution's application, which is administered and reviewed by the host institution. The host institution makes the final acceptance decision. The Guarini Institute will provide further instructions on this second step to students after they are accepted and commit to a program.

For more information about applying for this program, see our webpage on How to Apply & our FAQs under section 2 (How to Apply: Application), or contact the Guarini Institute.

Budapest is a beautiful city with a rich history. It was formed when two cities on opposite sides of the Danube River merged. Pest, on the eastern side, is flat and skews younger demographically. It's where most of the student apartments are located. Because students will be crossing the Danube and then  north to get to AIT, their commute on trains and/or buses could take up to an hour. Buda, on the western side of the Danube, is hillier and skews older demographically. The old castle sits on the Buda side, overlooking the Danube. 

The Hungarian language, though it uses the Roman alphabet with unusual accent marks, is not Indo-European. Students will not find many words that are cognates to English words. Fortunately, many people under 30 in Budapest speak English. Even if a student does not learn any Hungarian, they will want to learn the place names.

Although Hungary is in the EU, it is not in the Eurozone. Hungary has its own currency, the forint (like the start of a loop in Java or C++).