Changes in Czech University Environment Exchange Programs Helping the Reforms

1
Changes in Czech University Environment- Exchange
Programs Helping the Reforms

• Hana Ripkova
• J. William Fulbright Commission in the Czech
  Republic

2
Czech Institutions of Tertiary Education

• 23 public universities
• 2 state institutions of higher education
• 39 private institutions of higher education
• 168 post-secondary professional schools

3
Which changes occurred due to international
influence?

• Structuring of the programs (Bologna Declaration
  influence) but specialization still remains even
  at the undergraduate level
• Diversification of the system needed but is not
  yet satisfactory (post-secondary professional
  schools do not fit into the system)- attempts
  to change their status
• The numbers of students have been growing (but
  not as quickly as the demand)
• Private universities have been founded but the
  total number of their students is less than 5

4
Number of Czech Students in HE www.uiv.cz
5
Differences in Fields www.scio.cz
6
Differences in Fields II www.scio.cz
7
Continuing Challenges

• A Czech University is not one system (problems
  with inter-disciplinary work, credit transfer,
  alumni activities)
• Accreditation system based on outside evaluation
  of quantitative data (mainly degrees of teachers)
• Teaching career and evaluation (no association as
  AAUP)

8
Problems Observed by American Fulbrighters

• New methods of teaching?
• Students less used to active participation and
  open discussion
• Large number of contact hours with students and
  less independent work of students
• Limited access to literature, lack of well
  equipped libraries and internet access to
  e-journals and databases
• Provincial character of many universities, few
  foreign teachers and few Czechs with
  international experience

9
Fulbright Program in the Czech Republic
10
Fulbright Program in the Czech Republic

• American Fulbrighters hosted by all Czech public
  universities
• Czech grantees (from diverse fields) mostly
  return to academia
• New system of funding of research has been
  proposed by a Fulbright alumnus (vice-minister
  for human resources) based on his US experience

11
Impact of exchange programs?