PA L A C K Ý U N I V E R S I T Y O L O M O U C
2019 THROUGH THE EYES OF THE UP RECTOR AND DEANS What was 2019 like (not only) for Palacký University?
I am ever more aware of just how fundamental the third role of the university and the social responsibility of large institutions really are. This is why UP devoted significant attention and energy to public outreach in 2019. This is reflected in our Czech National Prize for Social Responsibility in the Public Sector, and our being awarded the Committed to Sustainability mark for a three-year period, as well as being included in the European Foundation for Management Quality database. Being ever more integrated into the world has brought the satisfaction of having been granted the prestigious European Association for International Education prize for Internationalisation. UP was also successful in 2019 in the area of science and research: the Highly Cited Researchers global ranking featured three representatives from UP, and Olomouc scientists took part for example in decoding the pea genome, creating anti-tumoral substances, and breeding more resilient wheat strains. Important discussions continued about the necessary integration of scientific centres, which will allow UP in the future to hold its own amongst increasingly tougher global competition. UP also significantly invested into the construction of new research spaces and modernisation; for example, it completed extensive remodelling to its main dining hall. The year 2019 brought a significant element in common to all eight UP faculties; i.e. transformation of study programmes according to our newly-gained institutional self-accreditation – for which great thanks are due to all. The most important fact in 2019, however, was that the Czech Republic remained a place of calm and freedom within an uncertain world.
jaroslav miller, up rector
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