2022

Support to Ukrainian students and scientists

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports supports study of Ukrainian students at Czech higher education institutions. As of 1 March 2022, it announced the Podnět k předkládání žádostí v rámci Fondu vzdělávací politiky na podporu studia ukrajinských studentů v roce 2022 (Initiative to Submit Applications under the Education Policy Fund to Support the Study of Ukrainian Students in 2022). It is a financial support for Ukrainian students who began their study at Czech public higher education institutions after 24 February. The support is intended both for students newly admitted to the entire study programme and for students coming for short-term study stays. The total allocation for this purpose is CZK 150 million (EUR 5.9 m; EUR/CZK 25.465, 1 March 2022) and higher education institution can obtain up to CZK 150 000 (EUR 5 890) per student from this programme for 2022 calendar year. The financial means will be used, for example, for students who are afraid to continue their studies in the current situation in Ukraine, but also for those who have been prevented from studying there. A higher education institution itself decides whether the applicants fall into these categories.

The offer of assistance directly from Czech higher education institutions in the form of various assistance activities, scholarships and job offers to Ukrainian students, academics, scientists and their families is available at studyin.cz/ukraine administered by the Study in the Czech Republic initiative which operates within the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS). The website also refers to the Science For Ukraine website scienceforukraine.eu, which provides opportunities for students and researchers at the institutional, the national and the international level.

The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic will also support researchers and doctoral students within the Researchers at Risk Fellowship programme. By the end of 2023, it plans to support at least 40 applicants from Ukraine in the form of internships; in the future, the programme should also be extended to scientists from other countries who are at risk of war or persecution. A subsidy of approximately CZK 45 000 (EUR 1 767) per month for one job created in this way is expected.

From 21 March 2022 to 31 March 2023 a new specific Act no. 67/2022 is valid which sets temporary measures in education. For students/applicants, who have been granted temporary protection, following exceptions are in place, e.g.: Higher education institution or faculty may lay down conditions for admission to studies of these persons which differ from those for other applicants. When proving previous education, the relevant document can be replaced with a solemn declaration. Applicants are also exempt from nostrification fees. These persons but also other citizens of Ukraine may be exempt from the fee for the admission procedure or any fees associated with the study.

The National Recovery Plan to support the transformation of higher education

At the end of 2021, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) announced the Call for Project Proposals under the National Recovery Plan for the Higher Education area in 2022–2024. The transformation of higher education will be supported by an amount of CZK 3 billion (EUR 116 m; EUR/CZK 25.735, 4 March 2022). The main goal of the reform is to transform the forms and content of higher education, to reflect new trends in the structure of study programmes and to adapt them to the changing needs of the labour market, especially in connection with the developments in digital technologies.

Funds from the National Recovery Plan (NRP) should contribute to accelerating the transition of public higher education institutions (HEIs) to new forms of teaching, especially the digital ones, and thus increase the share of blended and distance learning at individual HEIs. Great emphasis is also placed on increasing the competencies of academic staff in the use of information technology and innovative approaches in teaching.

One of the trends is the support in creating new professionally oriented study programmes as well as new study programmes in progressive fields focused primarily on digital technologies, modern technologies and engineering, environmental quality, landscape planning, waste management, energy, construction, innovation in the area of mobility or healthcare and social care.

At the same time, the reform joins the European trend in lifelong learning, responding to current and future labour market needs. The NRP will support the creation of courses aimed at extending skills (so-called upskilling and reskilling). These will be courses aimed at qualified people who need to extend their portfolio with specific knowledge or competencies, in areas where HEIs have a high added value. The NRP also aims to support the issuing of so-called micro-credentials, enabling the graduates of these courses to transparently prove the completion of courses or parts of standard studies, even at the international level.

The MEYS will significantly support the joint projects of public HEIs aimed at fulfilling the goals in the field of digitisation and grasp methodologically the issue of micro-certificates, the implementation of which requires the cooperation of all HEIs.

Programme to Support the Strategic Management of HEIs for the Years 2022–2025

In 2020, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports approved the Programme to Support the Strategic Management of Higher Education Institutions for the Years 2022–2025. The aim is to contribute to the fulfilment of the objectives of the submitted strategic plans of public HEIs, which are based on the Strategic Plan of the Ministry for Higher Education for the Period from 2021. The programme is designed to support the main strategic measures in the field of educational activities, management, internal processes and, to a lesser extent, the so-called third role. The maximum amount of the contribution in individual years of the programming period was determined in advance for individual HEIs. The total allocation of the programme for a period of four years is CZK 4.94 billion (EUR 192 million; CZK/EUR 25.735 – 4 March 2022).

Centralised Development Programme for Public HEIs in 2022

As in previous years, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports announced a Centralised Development Programme for Public HEIs for 2022. Its aim is to contribute to the fulfilment of individual priorities set out in the Strategic Plan of the Ministry for Higher Education for the Period from 2021 and the Plan for the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Area of Higher Education institutions for 2022 and related goals of individual HEIs. The programme supports capacity sharing and networking of HEIs in the Czech Republic; each project must be carried out in cooperation of at least two HEIs.

Supported topics include:

1. the development of distance learning methods (including blended learning, the collection of data on students and graduates or the development of measures to reduce academic failure)
2. evaluation of the quality of study programmes (with emphasis on the professional profile)
3. electronic agenda
4. setting up an effective system of academic and psychological counselling (incl. mental health care)
5. strengthening ethical principles in the environment of the HEIs (including anti-discrimination measures), gender issues
6. development of internationalisation (especially virtual or blended activities, digitisation, and sustainable goals)
7. electronic exchange of information on studies, recognition of credits from study mobility, in particular implementation of the European Commission's Erasmus Without Paper initiative, European Student Card, EMREX
8. foreign accreditation/evaluation of study programmes
9. compliance with legislative and administrative requirements (including cyber security)
10. organisation of festivals, shows, exhibitions, etc.
11. activities within the framework of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2022
12. activities to achieve sustainable goals
13. teaching in so-called small, strategically, and geopolitically important study programmes (fields)

2021

Special authorisation of the higher education institution in emergency situations

In January, the amendment to the Higher Education Act (No. 495/2020) came into force, which includes a special authorisation for a higher education institution (HEI) in emergency situations. Under certain circumstances, the amendment allows HEIs to adjust the announced conditions of admission to study, to set a different date and the methods of verifying the conditions for admission, or a different form, framework content or criteria for evaluating the entrance examination. At the same time, higher education institutions may decide, together with the decision on admission to study, that the condition of proving the attainment of previous education will be met later (no later than 90 days from the date of enrolment in studies). If the personal presence of students in education is limited, it is then possible to shorten or extend the academic year, use distance communication in teaching, checking the study procedure, or exams, regardless of the form of study, even in the case of a state exam (provided that an audio visual recording is made, which the school will keep for 5 years).

2020

Frequently asked questions about education and coronavirus

For more see Frequently asked questions about education and coronavirus in chapter devoted to the National Reforms in School Education.

Strategic Plan for the Higher Education Area for the period from 2021

In June 2020, the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports approved the Ministry’s Strategic Plan for Higher Education Area for the period from 2021 (SP2021+), prepared in line with the Strategy for Education Policy until 2030+ and the Innovation Strategy of the Czech Republic 2019 –2030: The Country for the Future. The SP2021+ enters into force on 1 January 2021, with a presumed validity of 10 years. This is a basic conceptual document for the area of higher education, which can be continuously revised through the annual SP2021+ Implementation Plans. Based on the SP2021+, higher education institutions (HEIs) will prepare their own strategic plans. Public HEIs can receive a contribution from the state budget to the fulfilment of the objectives submitted in their strategic plans for the period from 2022. Contributions will be provided through the Programme for the Support of Strategic Management of Higher Education Institutions. 

The priority objectives of the Strategic Plan for the Higher Education Area are as follow:

1. To develop competences directly relevant to life and practice in the 21st century.
2. To improve the availability and relevance of flexible forms of education.
3. To increase the efficiency and quality of doctoral studies.
4. To strengthen the strategic management and effective use of research and development capacities at higher education institutions.
5. To build capacity for the strategic management of higher education.
6. To reduce the administrative burden on higher education staff so that they can fully devote themselves to their mission.

The individual priority objectives were assigned operational objectives, which also contain the expected measures that need to be implemented at individual higher education institutions.

Strategy for the Internationalisation of Higher Education for the Period from 2021 An annex to the above SP2021+ is the Strategy for the Internationalisation of Higher Education for the Period from 2021, which contains the main priority and operational objectives in the area of internationalisation. Due to the complexity and cross-sectionality of the topic of internationalisation, this Strategy was created as a separate document.

The priority objectives of this strategy are:

1. Developing global competences of HE students and staff
2. The internationalisation of HE study programmes
3. Simplifying the process for recognising the education from abroad
4. Creating an international environment at HEIs and promotion abroad
5. Strengthening the strategic management of internationalisation
6. Internationalisation activities of the national accreditation bureau

Strategies and other documents are available at the website of the Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy (the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports).

Centralised Development Programme in 2020

For 2020, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports announced the Centralised Development Programme (Centralizovaný rozvojový program), which should support the fulfillment of the priorities set out in the Strategic Plan for Higher Education Institutions for 2016–2020. The projects should be carried out in cooperation of at least two HEIs. Each project is related to one of the following topics (the topics different from the last year are highlighted):

• Development of measures to reduce study failure, including the data collection and both quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to evaluate effectiveness of previous measures and identifying at-risk groups;
• Computerisation of the HEI's administrative agenda;
• Compliance with the requirements laid down by binding legal regulations, instructions of the state administration authorities governing the internal organisation and systems of higher education institutions, including the cyber safety;
• Organisation of festivals, shows, exhibitions and other similar events;
• Strengthening the social responsibility, e.g. through the regional functioning of HEIs and cooperation with local public partners, NGOs and private sector; 
• Setting and implementing the measures for supporting the HEIs climate, with regard to gender equality at all levels of HEIs management, including decision-making positions;
• International cooperation of public HEIs; supporting their presentation at home and abroad, building an infrastructure for hiring and caring for foreign students / employees, including administrative staff education;
• Development of scholarly activity of HEIs by means of improving educational competences and implementing learning innovations using actively the recommendations of the European University Association and European Students’ Union;
• Measures for strengthening academic integrity of students and employees of HEIs, including promotion of principles of the ethic creative work and publication and struggle against deceptions, corruption and plagiarism;
• Formulation of common criteria of quality of study programmes with similar field of study and sharing good practice in creating and realizing the programmes;
• Teaching in so-called small study programmes with strategic and geopolitical importance.

For more details, see the websites of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (in Czech).