FOCUS AND CONDITIONS OF THE CENTRALIZED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR 2023
In 2023, projects targeted the following topics:
Priority topics for university projects with pre-allocated funding:
- Implementation and further development of an effective system of academic and psychological counselling, including mental health care, for university students and staff, applicants, and, where relevant, other groups (e.g., participants of lifelong learning courses), including career counselling services
- Support for activities contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Compliance with requirements set by generally binding legal regulations or directives from public administration bodies regulating the internal organization and systems of universities
- Organization of festivals, exhibitions, showcases, and other exceptional events
- Support for student activities within university studies – development of measures leading to greater integration of new students into university studies, especially related to adaptation needs following the COVID-19 pandemic; development of competences and professional skills of student representatives in university governing bodies; raising awareness of academic self-governance (including national student representation) among university students
Priority topics for joint university projects without pre-allocated funding:
- Development of methods for evaluating the quality of academic staff teaching, including the use of self-evaluation tools, classroom peer observations, and the collection of qualitative and quantitative data from students
- Support for the development of internal evaluation boards, or scientific and artistic boards exercising the same authority at public universities without institutional accreditation
- Development of recognition of results from prior informal education within standard study programs, especially regarding the recognition of student volunteering or humanitarian activities
- Strengthening ethical principles within universities, including measures against discrimination toward diverse groups and sexual harassment; raising awareness of gender issues among students, staff, and university leadership
- Teaching in so-called small, strategically and geopolitically important study programs/fields, their stabilization, and training of educators to ensure their delivery
- Increasing digital environment security, fulfilling the requirements of the Cybersecurity Act, adopting security measures according to the Cybersecurity Decree, and ensuring crisis planning and management within universities
Within the program, each public university could participate in up to 10 projects. At the University of West Bohemia (UWB) in Pilsen, 7 projects were implemented:
- CSM26-2023
Implementation and further development of psychological services - C03-2023
Coordinated development of economic applications of universities - C07-2023
Quality standards of teaching at Czech universities - C08-2023
Prevention of unethical conduct in academic environment and support of competences in victim care - C09-2023
Building situational awareness in the cyber space of higher education institutions and effective crisis response - C12-2023
RVH – PRO: Internal Evaluation Boards – practice, development, and organization. Analysis of existing practices and further development of internal evaluation boards - C17-2023
Development and maintenance of the significant position of the Researchers’ Night as a platform for systematic year-round presentation and popularization of science, research, and creative activities of Czech universities