The University of Texas at El Paso and Czech Technical University has expanded its partnership with Czech Technical University in Prague, launching a dual master’s program on smart cities. The new program builds on more than a decade of collaboration between the two universities on a master’s degree program in transportation science and logistics systems.

The two institutions signed a new memorandum of understanding establishing the new smart cities master’s program and extending their partnership through the 2023-24 academic year.

A delegation from UTEP, including Kelvin Cheu, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and C2SMART principal investigator, traveled to the Czech Republic to mark the 25th anniversary of CTU’s Faculty of Transportation Sciences. CTU awarded both Cheu and UTEP President Diana Natalicio the Professor F.J. Gerstner Medal of Merit, which recognizes distinguished academic contributions and is named for the first director of CTU when it became a polytechnic school in 1806.

“This is a very nice recognition of the work we have done,” Cheu said. “In creating the new dual master’s program, I’ll be working with all departments in the College of Engineering. It is a new challenge. There are different requirements and different cultures with each department. But, there are also new opportunities for collaboration as we move into the new research frontier.”