Prime Highlights

• BUT had three projects shortlisted at the 2026 DZS Awards, with the Faculty of Architecture winning the top prize in internationalisation.
• The winning project ran joint architecture studios between students in Brno and Graz, with public exhibitions held in both cities.

Key Facts

• The DZS Awards are annual prizes recognising the best projects in international education and cross-border academic cooperation across the Czech Republic.
• Over 300 submissions competed across eight categories at the 2026 DZS Awards.

Background

The Faculty of Architecture at Brno University of Technology has received a prestigious award from the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research, which has strengthened the university’s global academic standing. The recognition highlighted the university for its excellent performance in international cooperation activities and student mobility.

BUT had three projects shortlisted this year, the strongest showing from any single institution. The Faculty of Architecture reached an important milestone by winning a top award for international work. This was due to its joint studio program with Technische Universität Graz in Austria. The project, called Urban Hybrid Graz/Brno, brought students from both universities together to work on shared projects. They focused on topics like public spaces, housing, and mixed communities in both cities. Two exhibitions of student work were held, one in Brno, one in Graz, as a concrete output of the collaboration. The two additional BUT projects received recognition through their digitalization work, their program that combined artificial intelligence with digital marketing and their sustainable development research of the Czech-Austrian railway study.

Projects were judged across categories, including inclusion, sustainability, digitalisation, participation, flexibility, innovation, and internationalisation, reflecting priority areas set by the European Commission and the national Strategy 2030+. Over 300 submissions competed this year.

BUT’s win provides a working model that Central European universities and educational partners need to assess cross-border academic collaboration and its recognition through existing frameworks. The model centers on joint teaching and shared student projects and public exhibitions instead of traditional exchange programs.