In 1969 informatics teaching began at ELTE. It wasn’t a separate faculty yet. The courses were part of the mathematics program. They were simply called computing techniques. Can you imagine? Computing techniques.
This is the ELTE Faculty of Informatics. Its story is one of remarkable growth. It began humbly. Just a few courses tucked within a larger department. But things changed. Professor Imre Kátay saw the potential. He saw the future. Informatics was no longer a niche subject. It was the future.
In 1972 Professor Kátay created a new curriculum. He called it programmer-mathematician. A bold step. A visionary move. To support this new program a whole new department was needed. The Department of Numerical and Computer Mathematics was born. Student numbers exploded. From 60 in 1972 to 400 by the 1980s. By the end of the 1990s there were 2000 students.
The department was too large. It needed to be divided. Three specialized departments were created. These three departments later formed the Institute of Informatics. The Institute then joined forces with the Department of Cartography from the Faculty of Science. This was a momentous occasion. It led to the formation of the ELTE Faculty of Informatics in 2003.
The ELTE Faculty of Informatics now stands as a testament to foresight and dedication. It’s a leader in informatics education and research in Hungary. Its graduates are sought after. Their skills are highly valuable. They are well prepared to meet the demands of the modern world.
The faculty is more than just buildings and classrooms. It’s a community. A hub of innovation. A place where minds come together to explore the frontiers of computing. From its humble beginnings as a few courses in mathematics to the respected institution it is today this is the story of the ELTE Faculty of Informatics. A story of vision. A story of growth. A story of success.