Czech Republic/Re.ViCa

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Country in a nutshell

Source: Original gif on: the CIA's "The World Factbook" / The Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe with neighbouring countries Poland to the north-east, Germany to the west, Austria to the south, and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague (Czech: Praha), the official language is Czech and the citizens of this country are called the Czechs. The Czech Republic is composed of the historic regions of Bohemia and Moravia, as well as parts of Silesia. The Czech Republic is a member of NATO since 1999 and the European Union since 2004. As of January 1, 2009, the Czech Republic holds the EU Presidency.

The Czech Republic is a pluralist multi-party parliamentary representative democracy. President Václav Klaus is the current head of state (for the 2008-2013 term). The Prime Minister for 2008-2013 is the head of government (currently Mirek Topolánek). The Parliament has two chambers — the Chamber of Deputies] and the Senate. It is also a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Council of Europe (on European integration and Human Rights) and the Visegrád Group, which is a regional alliance between the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

Since 2000, the country is divided into thirteen regions (Czech: kraje, singular kraj) and the capital city of Prague. Each region has its own elected Regional Assembly and hejtman (usually translated as hetman or president). In Prague, their powers are executed by the city council and the mayor.

Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic

Communism history

The Czech Republic is a relatively small country (an area of 78,886 km2) in Central Europe with 10.3 million inhabitants, with a population density of 131 per square km. It was formerly part of Czechoslovakia, where communists seized power in 1948 and retained almost complete control over all areas of life. In 1989 this communist regime fell and Czechoslovakia transformed from a centrally controlled country to a parliamentary democracy with the President as the head of state. This change had an impact on economy, health, life expectancy and of course also education; more information on that aspect is below.

In 1993 the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) peacefully split into two states (one of which is now still the Czech Republic). Territorially, it is divided into 13 regions and the capital city, Prague (population over 1.3 million). The official language is Czech and the unit of currency is the Czech koruna (CZK); 1 euro is about 30 CZK.

Adapted from: “Thematic Review of Tertiary Education - Country Background Report - Czech Republic” by Centre for Higher Education Studies, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic, 2006, PDF – 144 pages

Documents of relevance: Czech Republic - useful information, by the Private College of Economic Studies, Ltd.

Country education policy

The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms is kept in its entirety in its 1991 form as a separate document from the constitution but is imbued with the same legal standing as the Czech constitution It upholds the general right to education, the right to free education at primary, secondary and (depending on ability and capacity) university level. The Constitution of the Czech Republic (EN) or the Constitutional Act was passed by the former Czech National Council on of 16 December 1992.

Sources:

• The Constitution of the Czech Republic (EN)
• Embassy of the Czech Republic in Dublin - The Czech Education System
• Wikipedia's page on the Czech Charter of Fundamental Rights and Basic Freedoms (EN)

The Ministry responsible for education is "the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports".

The Czech tertiary education system has experienced a number of deep, dynamic changes and extensive development in the last fifteen years. From a strictly uniform highly centralised and ideologically-bound system under the communist regime, it has been changed into a much more diversified and decentralised system with full academic freedom and self-governing bodies, open to Europe and the world.”

Source: “Thematic Review of Tertiary Education - Country Background Report - Czech Republic (EN)” by Centre for Higher Education Studies, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic, 2006, PDF – 144 pages, p. 87.

The objective of the Ministry is to create a competitive, highly diversified system fulfilling all three principal functions of higher education institutions.

• In the area of education, the system should develop and make full use of the potential of individuals, prepare young people for entering the labour market and provide for their employability over the long term, educate active citizens who strive to build democratic society, encourage graduates to pursue continuing education and learn throughout their lives, and further develop knowledge in a wide variety of disciplines.
• In the area of research and development the role of higher education institutions is gaining in importance. Higher education institutions are increasingly expected to establish appropriate conditions for the development of R&D of top standards, and to communicate the results of research and development or to apply them in practice as an important source of innovation.
• The third area of the operations of higher education institutions, in no way less important, is their co-operation with the business sector (enterprises, employers and other clients), and their contribution to the establishment of innovative and technological partnerships and involvement in the development of the region where the higher education institution operates.

(Long-Term Plan 2006 – 2010, p. 2)

Source: “Thematic Review of Tertiary Education - Country Note for the Czech Republic (EN)” by Jon File, Thomas Weko, Arthur Hauptman, Bente Kristensen, Sabine Herlitschka, 2006, PDF – 89 pages

We can summarize the key values in Czech Higher Education as equity, lifelong learning and research & development

Since 1st January 2005, the Czech education system has been operating on the base of new acts: Education Act that regulates education from pre-primary to upper secondary and tertiary professional schools and its public administration, and Act on Educational Staff that regulates teacher profession on the same levels. Individual measures of the Education Act come in force subsequently. The Higher Education Act with 16 amendments regulates higher education from 1999.

Schools are administered in the frame of general administration. The responsibility is distributed between the central government, regions (which are 14) and communities. Regions are given a high degree of autonomy.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports preserves the integrated state educational policy by formulating long-term policy objectives of education and development of the education system, which it submits to the government every impair year. For higher education, long-term plans are formulated now for 2006-2010, and updated annually.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) above all:

• is responsible for the conception, state and development of the education system;
• determines the content of education: approves framework educational programmes (developed till the ISCED level 3) which are the base for the development of school educational programmes; accredits educational programmes for tertiary professional schools and for higher education institutions;
• is responsible for the state financing policy in education – for drawing up of the education budget and for determining of principles of its allocation;
• is in charge of the school register which has a constitutional meaning: only a registered institution has a right to provide recognized education and receives public resources;
• is an organizing body of institutions for in-service training of teachers and facilities for institutional care.

Regions are responsible for education on their territory. Regional authorities formulate long-term policy objectives for their territory every pair year, in compliance with national objectives. Regions are organizing bodies for upper secondary and tertiary professional schools.

The communities are responsible for compulsory schooling. They establish and administer basic schools and nursery schools which are not compulsory.

Source: Eurydice - National summary sheets on education systems in Europe and ongoing reforms - Czech Republic - Edition 2008 (PDF - EN - 9 pages)

Country education system

Degree programmes

Degree programmes are of three types: Bachelor’s degree programmes, Master’s degree programmes and Doctoral degree programmes.

The HE institutions are divided into three types according to the level of programmes offered:

• Universities offer Bachelors (primarily since the introduction of the two-cycle structure), Masters and Doctoral degrees
• Non-university HEIs offer Bachelors and some Masters degrees
• Tertiary professional schools offer three year specialist diplomas.

With the exception of the tertiary professional schools that are clearly vocationally oriented, there is no attempt to differentiate the university and non-university sectors on the basis of a distinction between “academic” and “professional” orientation. Both sectors offer both types of programme.

The Accreditation Commission established in 1990 plays a key role in the assessment of proposals for new programmes, including whether institutions have the capacity to offer a higher level of qualification. The latter determines whether tertiary professional schools can obtain HEI status and whether non-university HEIs can become universities.

Adapted from: “Act No. 111/1998 (Amended and Consolidated) on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendments and Supplements to some other Acts (The Higher Education Act)” & “Thematic Review of Tertiary Education - Country Note for the Czech Republic” by Jon File, Thomas Weko, Arthur Hauptman, Bente Kristensen, Sabine Herlitschka, 2006, PDF – 89 pages

Documents of relevance: Official site of the Czech Republic - Educational system

Student numbers

The tertiary professional schools enrol only 30,000 students or 9 percent of the total number of students in the country.

The Higher Education Act of 1998 made provision for the establishment of private higher education institutions of both the university and non-university type. Since then 39 private higher education institutions - all of the non-university type - have been founded and together they enrol more than 20,000 students or some 6 to 7 percent of the total student body.

Adapted from: “Act No. 111/1998 (Amended and Consolidated) on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendments and Supplements to some other Acts (The Higher Education Act)” & “Thematic Review of Tertiary Education - Country Note for the Czech Republic” by Jon File, Thomas Weko, Arthur Hauptman, Bente Kristensen, Sabine Herlitschka, 2006, PDF – 89 pages

Higher Education

Higher education institutions provide accredited degree programmes as well as lifelong learning programmes, such as written above.

Lifelong learning

“The most serious issue concerning population development in the CR in the last fifteen years has been a major and rapid drop in the birth-rate, which corresponds closely to changing trends in the marriage rate and family stability (UNDP, 2003).” “Czech demographic forecasts show a sharply aging population—which implies a potential demand for much more extensive and varied lifelong learning that is presently being provided by Czech tertiary institutions.”

Adapted from: “Thematic Review of Tertiary Education - Country Background Report - Czech Republic” by Centre for Higher Education Studies, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic, 2006, PDF – 144 pages

Relevant Source:: Czech Republic: The Database on Education Systems in Europe - Eurybase (PDF - 2008 - EN - 356 pages)

Higher education

Representative bodies of higher education institutions:

• Czech Rectors' Conference
• Council of Higher Education Institutions

Other relevant HE institutions:

• Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) in Prague

There are three types of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Czech Republic: public, state (military and police) and private. In 2006 there were 24 public universities there are two state HEIs (Military and Police) and two public non-university HEIs, according to the OECD Country Background Report.

A list of private, state and public universities or colleges can be found at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site and the web site of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. A special case, which doesn’t suit the divisions is Neisse University, which represents a network of co-operation between the Technical University of Liberec, the Wroclaw University of Technology and the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz (FH). They offer 2 joint study courses: B.Sc. Information and Communication Management and M.Sc. Environmental Health & Safety Risk Management. Students stay at a different university each year. “At present, there are 37 Students - Poland 16, Czech Republic 12, Germany 8 and Non-EU 1 - enrolled in the study course on "Information and Communication Management.”

State Institutions of Higher Education

1. Police Academy of the Czech Republic
2. University of Defence

Private Universities / Colleges in Country

1. Academia Rerum Civilium – College of Political and Social Sciences
2. Anglo-American College
3. Banking Institute/College of Banking (BICB)
4. Brno International Business School
5. Business School Ostrava
6. CEVRO Institut
7. College of Advanced Legal Studies
8. College of Business and Hotel
9. College of Information Management and Business Administration
10. College of Logistics
11. College of Regional Development
12. College of Tourism, Hotel And Spa Management
13. Film Academy of Miroslav Ondricek (FAMO)
14. Independent Film College in Písek
15. Institut Franka Dysona
16. Institut of nursing and midwifery
17. Institute of Finance and Administration (VSFS)
18. Institute of Hospitality Management
19. International Baptist Theological Seminary of the European Baptist Federation
20. Jan Amos Komensky University Prague
21. Karel Englis College
22. Literary Academy
23. Metropolitan University Prague
24. Moravian College Olomouc
25. NEWTON College
26. PALESTRA
27. Prague Institute Of Technology
28. Prague University of Psychosocial Studies - PVŠPS Ltd.
29. Private College of Economic Studies Znojmo, Ltd.
30. Private College of Economic Studies, Ltd. (PCES)
31. Private European Polytechnic Institute & Private College of Law
32. RAŠÍN College Ltd.
33. Škoda Auto University
34. STING Academy
35. The College of Business in Prague, o.p.s.
36. The College of European and Regional Studies (VŠERS)
37. Unicorn College
38. University College of International and Public Relations Prague
39. University of Carlsbad
40. University of Economics and Management
41. University of New York in Prague (UNYP)
42. Vysoká škola sociálně-správní

Universities / Colleges in Country

1. Academy of Arts, Architecture and Industrial Design in Prague
2. Academy of Fine Arts in Prague
3. Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
4. Brno University of Technology - more than 15,000 students – technical university
5. Charles University in Prague
6. Czech Technical University in Prague
7. Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague - almost 15.000 students
8. Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague
9. Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice
10. J.E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem
11. Janáček Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Brno
12. Masaryk University in Brno
13. Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno
14. Ostrava University in Ostrava
15. Palacký University in Olomouc
16. Polytechnic College in Jihlava
17. Silesian University in Opava
18. Technical University in Liberec
19. Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB)
20. Tomas Bata University in Zlín
21. University of Economics, Prague
22. University of Hradec Králové
23. University of Pardubice
24. University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
25. University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Brno
26. University of West Bohemia in Plzeň

Higher education reform

The Bologna Process

The Czech Republic will be the Presidency in the 1st half of 2009. Source: The Bologna Process

Administration and finance

Funding for the institutions by the government

The Czech Republic provides funding for the Higher Education and this is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. There are three types of HEIs in the Czech Republic:

• State HEI (military and police): 1% of students. Supervised and funded directly by the respective ministries
• Private HEI: less than 10% of all students. Received 0,08% of public higher education expenditures in 2005 so self-financing through student fees (usually 90% of all income)
• Public HEI: more than 90% of all students. Over 90% of all income at 17 of the 24 Czech public HEIs was public sources.

Other income sources of the public HEIs include property revenues, services to students, extra teaching activities, R & D activities and study related fees.

Adapted from: “Funding Systems and Their Effects on Higher Education Systems COUNTRY STUDY – Czech Republic” by Petr Pabian, Marek Melichar, Helena Šebková for the Centre for Higher Education Studies, Prague, 2006, PDF – 20 pages

Bursaries for the students

“The student representative body, Student Chamber of the Council of Higher Education Institutions, insists on state's dominant role in higher education funding and resolutely opposes introduction of student fees. It also calls for the development of a national student welfare system.”

Source: “Funding Systems and Their Effects on Higher Education Systems COUNTRY STUDY – Czech Republic” by Petr Pabian, Marek Melichar, Helena Šebková for the Centre for Higher Education Studies, Prague, 2006, (PDF – 20 pages)

Country's HEIs in the information society

Towards the information society

The Czech Republic first tackled the question of the Information Society in 1998 and produced the ‘State Information Policy’ in May 1999 which was based on an earlier document entitled ‘The Main Principles of Telecommunications Policy’ originally produced in 1994. Overall responsibility for ICT policy now comes under the Ministry of Information Technologies established in January 2003. However, each local government area is responsible for implementation locally. There are also central government bodies responsible for gathering statistics relevant to ICT. The government is trying to provide incentives for e-commerce and has taken a number of initiatives to build e-market places including giving Cesky Telecom, the national operator, a subsidiary to do so. In 2000, the government also created an integral site giving information on all public tenders and auctions and customs declarations are mostly submitted online. The government is also committed to heightening public awareness of ecommerce and strengthening the infrastructure to support this.

Source: The eLearning industry and market in Europe, Lot 1, Appendix to Synthesis Report (PDF - EN - 214 pages by Danish Technological Institute, Competence and IT/Analyses

"Czech Efficient Learning Node (CELN), the former Czech E-learning Network, was founded in September 17th 2002 as a public association in order to promote and develop e-learning and use of information and communication technologies. Mission of CELN is promotion of effective use of information technologies, multimedia tools and online content in frontal teaching both on elementary, secondary and tertiary school level. Besides, CELN also promotes e-learning in the field of adult education and in commercial sphere.

Promotion of ICT on the national and European level also includes participating in national and European Union projects. CELN is a partner in two EU projects co-funded by EU (EU finances 50% of the overall project costs) 6th Framework Programme for years 2002–2006. Both our projects eMapps.com and AtGentive are realised under the scheme of 6th Framework Programme, which is focused on building European Research Area. In both projects is CELN engaged as a testing site and national project coordinator. On the national level is association taking active part in trainings for public related to EU project issues, such as presenting the new project calls, explanatory sessions for the EU project funding system, issues related to the projects management in EU etc."

Source: Czech Efficient Learning Node (CELN)

Information society strategy

"The Czech Republic is part of the eEurope Action Plan that has the objectives of:

• Accelerating the putting in place of the basic building blocks for the Information Society
• Providing a cheaper, faster securer Internet
• Investing in people and skills
• Stimulating the use of the Internet

For the Czech Republic, this has meant implementing the policy ‘Internet for Schools’, securing infrastructure, accessibility and training in ICT for primary and secondary schools – a project with a budget of € 250 million and 2005 as a timeframe. The universities are also included in the government strategy by upgrading the Internet connections of the already existing educational network, CESNET (Czech National Research and Education Network)."

Source: The eLearning industry and market in Europe, Lot 1, Appendix to Synthesis Report (PDF - EN - 214 pages by Danish Technological Institute, Competence and IT/Analyses

Virtual Initiatives

Go to Virtual Initiatives in Czech Republic

References

• Official web site of the Czech Republic (operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic)
• Government of the Czech Republic
• Ministry of Higher Education & Sports – Education – Higher Education
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: (OECD) Czech Republic > Country Surveys/Reviews/Guides
• “MegaTrends in e-Learning Provision Report on Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Czech Republic” (PDF – 9 pages)

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