Charles University delegation visit
On Tuesday 11 March, the University of St Andrews welcomed 16 colleagues from Charles University to discuss our strategic partnership and the potential for further collaborations. With its medieval origins, 17 faculties and over 50,000 students, Charles University is the oldest and largest university in Czechia.
The day began with a welcome to St Andrews by Deputy Principal Professor Brad Mackay, which laid out the history of the partnerships and St Andrews’ future projects, such as the Business School, New College and the Making Waves Campaign. Visting Vice-Rectors Professor Jan Kuklík and Professor Eva Voldřichová Beránková outlined their longstanding interest in St Andrews and hope for wider collaboration between Faculties at Charles and St Andrews.
The group then enjoyed a showcase of the projects supported by the Charles-St Andrews Joint Seed Funding. From tropical peatlands and art history to improving the student experience in higher education, the attendees heard of vibrant collaborations. The group then discussed the potential for future collaborations across education, research and professional services, building on existing mechanisms of collaboration. The UK membership of Horizon Europe offers a potential pathway for research projects.
Notwithstanding busy schedules, 22 colleagues from Principal’s Office, Schools, Units and the Global Office found time to join the discussions and the networking lunch in Parliament Hall.
In the afternoon, the delegation went on a student-led tour and saw the Czech culture display in the Main Library. They then viewed historic items in University Collections – including a volume of poetry by the Prague-based Elizabeth Weston, a 1911 quincentenary scroll and the handwritten diaries of St Andrews graduate Willa Muir, who lived in Czechia and was largely responsible for the first English-language translations of the works of Franz Kafka. Colleagues also discussed the recent publication of Willa Muir’s The Usurpers, a ‘lost’ novel which draws on the author’s experiences of Prague during the late 1940s. The day concluded with a guided tour of the Wardlaw Museum, where the delegation enjoyed the historic collections and survived the Poisonous Books exhibition.
Samantha Lister, Director of the Global Office, said: “We were delighted to host colleagues from our strategic partner, Charles University, this week. It was a productive and enjoyable visit which provided an opportunity to reflect on our collaboration so far, and to think creatively together about ways we can strengthen further our partnership to support research and education, and to enhance opportunities for our staff and students. Thank you to everyone who helped to make the visit such a success.”
If you are a St Andrews staff member looking to further collaborations with Charles University, the Global Partnerships Travel Grant and the Charles-St Andrews Joint Seed Funding schemes are both open for applications.
