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Department of Information Technology

Our History

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Information Technology Centre (ITC)

Information Technology Centre (ITC) is the name of Uppsala university's premises in the old barracks area Polacksbacken. The area was previously called Mathematics and Information Technology Centre (MIC), however, the name was changed when the Department of Mathematics moved their offices into the Ångström laboratory in 2008.

The Founding of the Department

The Department of Information Technology was founded in January 1999 as the result of the merging of a number of departments and divisions:

  • The Department of Computing Science and ADB was split in two: Computing Science became the Division of Computing Science at the Department of Information Technology, and ADB was integrated into to the Department of Informatics.
  • The Department of Computer Science became the Division of Computer Science.
  • Parts of CMD, or the Center for Human Computer Studies, became the Division of Human-Computer Interaction. About half of the centre’s activities were relocated to the Department of Informatics.
  • The Division of Systems and Control, which was a part of the Department of Applied Materials Science, became a division of the new Department of Information Technology.
  • Finally, the Department of Scientific Computing was turned into the Division of Scientific Computing.

Anniversary Book

Even though our department was formed in 1999, several of our divisions have roots in the department with almost the same name that was established in 1965. Therefore, while the department has only existed for sixteen years, there was a reason to celebrate a 50th anniversary in 2015. We chose to do so by writing the book From Information Processing to Information Technology: The Department of Information Technology Searches for its Roots.

The various sections of the book are written by individuals who participated in the development of the department and its divisions themselves, many of who belong to the pioneering generation that already existed when the respective divisions were formed. Our ambition has been to simultaneously provide a true account of events while also presenting an element of personal stories. Another ambition was to make the text accessible and interesting for those who have subject knowledge within the computer area as well as for a wider audience with an interest in how education and research in this area has emerged at Uppsala University.

Read or download the book here. (In Swedish only)


Recent Developments at ITC

The Centre for Image Analysis (CBA) became a part of the Department of Information Technology in January of 2011. CBA pursues research, development and education in Computerized Image Analysis and is a joint venture between Uppsala University and SLU.

In January of 2012, the Division of Human-Computer Interaction was merged with CBA and together the two formed the Division of Visual Information and Interaction (Vi2).

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Polacksbacken

Polacksbacken was a meeting ground and camping site for Upplands regiment from 1680, when the regiment had barracks built on the site, until 1912. Between 1928-83 the buildings lodged the Army School for Non-commissioned Officers (“kompaniofficersskola”). The Uppland regiment of the Swedish Army moved to Enköping in 1982.

The name of the area is mentioned in 1663 as Pålack Backen (Polish Hill), and in 1666 as Polacksbaka (same meaning, but different spelling). It may have been inspired by the coronation of the Swedish king Sigismund in Uppsala in 1594. (Sigismund's mother was polish and he grew up in Poland).

About Polacksbacken

Updated  2017-12-06 11:55:52 by Peter Waites.