The historic town of Banská Štiavnica is not only famous for its architectural value, but also for one of European centers of education and science since the 18th century, with the Mining Academy, the first university of its kind in the world. The Faculty of Architecture at the Slovak University of Technology (SUT) in Bratislava established one of its departments in a historic building near the town hall in 1986. This building itself has become a training place for more than 400 students, who took part in its restoration. In 2000, the Research and Education Center of the Faculty of Architecture (SUT) was opened in this building. Since that time it has become a place of experimental research and educational activities.