The international academic trip to Brno, Czech Republic proved to be an unforgettable experience for the undergraduate students from the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences.

The SCES students were at Brno University of Technology for the Brno International Summer School in IT program for two weeks. One of them narrates their experience. 

The excitement was ignited right from our departure in Kenya and only escalated from there. Our journey took us from Nairobi to Dubai by plane, then onward to Vienna. Finally, we embarked on a two hour bus ride from Vienna to Brno, Czech Republic

Our guide, named Roman, met us at the bus station and led us to the tram station where we then took trams to our accommodation. Everybody took a shower, freshened up and got ready for the next day.

We went to tour the school and be introduced to the team at the Brno University of Technology that organized the summer program (the school was a 15-minute walk from the accommodation venue). 

During the tour of the school, we visited their lab where we saw the different projects that they had carried out. One project that captured my eye was a breast cancer detection project that was less invasive than the current method of breast cancer detection. The lecturer in charge of the programme informed us that the students do different projects throughout the semester and showcase them to the school in an exhibition. Professionals from the industry also come to see the projects, choose the best, thus opening up opportunities for students to join the different companies. 

At 2 pm that day, we went for the Brno city rally where we received a tour of the city led by Roman. We got to see some historic sites and hear very interesting historical stories about the city which helped us understand the purpose of certain things. The most interesting story was that of the dragon and how it became the symbol of the city. The astronomical clock was another monument with a very interesting story behind it. 

We took advantage of the long summer days (the sun set at around 9pm ) and used the evenings to tour the city which for us meant going to the City Centre and walking around till it was dark. There would always be live music somewhere in the centre and that made the evening strolls worth it. Some nights we went out with plans and others we just went with the vibes. On one of the nights we stumbled upon a live band and let our bodies flow with the music. 

The two courses to be studied were Cybersecurity and Machine Learning. The lectures were very interesting and interactive. There was a huge focus on practicals as much as we delved into the theoretical aspects. We were privileged to have one of our very own take us through some of the lectures in the Cybersecurity class.

A few excursions were planned for us: 

• Brno City Rally 
• A visit to Kyndryl (an Information Technology Company) 
• A visit to Czech’s capital city, Prague 
• A visit to the Moravian Carst, Rudice, Krtiny 

The food in Brno was outstanding. The first thing we noticed was the kebab houses on every street, pizza shops, and ice cream shops almost everywhere. The kebabs were a student favorite as their meals were filling and very affordable. 

Some of us got to try out some Czech meals like beef goulash and dumplings, confit duck with red honey cabbage and dumplings, and fried cheese which was a very interesting experience. They had the same meals as us but, in more variety, and the portions were way bigger. We got real value for our money. 

The lecturers who accompanied us made our trip extra special by inviting us to dinner where we got to share stories and enjoy amazing food with each other as one big group. We went for dinner at Buddha which was an Indian restaurant where the food was made from the heart for the soul. We also went to Charlie’s Square where meals like burgers, ribs, and chicken were popular at the table. 

The main form of transport was trams (electric buses) which was the best thing ever as they were always on time and payment was either by ticket or card. Once we knew which tram to take, tram number 1, we were all set. 

The culture shock was real. We had to cross roads at zebra crossings only and only when the pedestrian light was green, punctuality was very important which is not easy if you are used to the “African timing” lifestyle. The systems and people are very rigid such that everything must be planned and there’s no space for last minute changes or inconveniences, beer can be taken during breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.

All in all, the trip was fantastic. All those who went can agree that this was the best trip ever. 

It doesn’t Czech without the fam. 

This article was written by Keziah Kiago.