Academic Year 2010/2011 at VŠE
In academic year 2010/2011, the University of Economics, Prague (VŠE) continued in strengthening its important position among universities both in the Czech Republic and internationally. Apart from education, science and research, the school hosted also number of social, cultural and sport events.
In the past academic year, over 4 500 students enrolled in the first year of bachelor’s degree, while the total amount of the VŠE‘s students reached circa 20 thousand. The number of academics in the school, participating in teaching and research, exceeded 700.
International Awards and Cooperation
In the past academic year, VŠE continued in the internationalization of study, as well as of other tasks. Already for the third time the university was awarded, in the Eduniversal evaluation, as the “1st Business School in Eastern Europe” and received the highest possible five palms which symbolize the level of internationalization.
Another crucial international success was the award for the Faculty of Business Administration. In a ranking of the prestigious Financial Times, its master’s program Business Economics and Management scored as the 58th worldwide. In the ranking, the international program CEMS Master in International Management (CEMS MIM) won the second place globally. Owing to these results, later also VŠE as such scored in the FT European Business School rankings as the 73rd from the total of 75 best European schools.
In academic year 2010/2011, VŠE cooperated with 159 partner universities from more than 50 countries of the world. Approximately 480 VŠE‘s students studied abroad. Faculties broadened the offer of courses taught in foreign languages and VŠE continued in building its six international master’s programs. Owing to the fact, in the past academic year, more than 550 foreign students studied at VŠE (outside of Czech programs) and more than 70 foreign visiting professors taught here. In September 2010, the French-Czech Institute of Management (IFTG) celebrated twenty years of existence; the IFTG in cooperation with the French embassy in Prague and French partner universities runs the MBA-MAE course (Master Management et Administration des Entreprises).
Cooperation with Firms and Alumni
Also cooperation with corporate partners and alumni belonged to VŠE‘s priorities in the academic year 2010/2011. The Development and Counseling Center (RPC), a specialized body of the school founded in 2006 for this purpose, organized another two job fairs “Šance“ (Chance) for students and graduates, at which circa 80 firms and 3 thousand students participated. Also the student organization AIESEC Prague organized already the 19th job fair Career Days. In November 2010, the fourth alumni meeting “Den s VŠE” (Day with VŠE) was held, visited by more than 1 800 university’s past students. VŠE also remembers to offer possibilities for additional, life-long education – the Faculty of International Relations introduced a new bachelor’s long-distance course Retail Management, apart from the already-existing courses at the Faculty of Management in Jindřichův Hradec, the Faculty of Business Administration (FPH), and the Faculty of Informatics and Statistics, or MBA courses at the International School of Business and Management (ISBM) at the FPH, and at the IFTG. The faculties, as well as other university’s departments offer also various possibilities of training, courses on demand or certification courses, etc.
VŠE and its faculties also broadened the portfolio of their corporate partners. In the past academic year, the current ones were joined for example by “Plzeňský Prazdroj”. An important moment was the signature of a partner agreement with “Škoda Auto”; at this occasion, Škoda‘s chairman of the board Prof. Winfried Vahland, dr.h.c. gave the lecture “International Strategy of Škoda Auto“ and provided VŠE with a sponsor car. A broad cooperation with the school’s general partner “Česká spořitelna” continued successfully as well.
Science and Research Activities
In academic year 2010/2011, science and research teams dealt with more than 60 projects (out of this 6 international), which amounted to 80 million CZK. Also the qualification of the school’s academic staff increased – in total 6 associate professors and 2 full professors were appointed. 187 students enrolled in 17 different doctoral courses at all faculties and 50 students successfully received a Ph.D. degree. In order to support young science and bring it closer to secondary school students but also to the broad public, in November 2010, the fourth “Scientia Pragensis – Den vědy na pražských vysokých školách” (Day of Science at Universities in Prague) took place at the university; apart from VŠE it was organized also by ČVUT, ČZU, UK and VŠCHT. In May 2011, VŠE hosted already the tenth European Fore of Science and Technology, focused on “Science in a Changing World” – an international conference organized by the society for support of scientific and technological intelligence “Česká hlava” (Czech Head), where apart from others also several Nobel prize winners held a speech. A grand success was that the Prague Economic Papers journal received an impact factor.
Student Organizations and Activities
In academic year 2010/2011, more than 35 student organizations worked at VŠE. Among international student organizations at VŠE are already traditionally: AIESEC Prague, AEGEE Prague, Buddy System, OIKOS Prague, YBPW or CEMS Club Prague. To specialized organizations belong for example: Debating Club, association of students of economics “EKONOM”, Investors Club, Young Logisticians Club, Young Managers Club, or Economic Club of Young Civic Platform. To leisure-time organizations belong: theatre ensemble “S bojkou v zádech”, Film Club, folklore ensemble Gaudeamus, chamber orchestra and choir Musica Oeconomia Pragensis, or several sport organizations headed by Sport.VSE.cz. Among the newest student organizations at VŠE are for example: Honors Club, Indivisuals, Travelers Club, Young Political Students Club, Model UN Club or Young Statisticians Association. At the university, also three independent student magazines are published: “ECONOMIX”, “Studentský list“ (Students’ Paper), and Buddy Up.
Activities of the organizations contribute substantially to the development of contacts with foreign partners, corporate sector, or increase students’ professional competences. For example the association “EKONOM” organized the already traditional “Ekofóra” – lectures of esteemed persons of economic and political life (in the past academic year, e.g. with M. Pecina, M. Singer, P. Žaluda, L. Heger, and P. Kysilka). The Economic Club of Young Civic Platform organized a discussion of students with the government’s National Economic Council (NERV). OIKOS Prague organized a global meeting on “Sustainable Architecture: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”. The VŠE’s students succeeded also in plenty of international specialized competitions, for example Google Online Marketing Challenge, KPMG International Case Competition, or L’Oréal Brandstorm 2011, and participated in the National Model UN in New York, USA.
Socially Responsible Activities
For a long time, VŠE has also participated in socially responsible activities. For example, in May 2011, the university already repeatedly supported the public campaign “The Czech Day against Cancer 2011” of the League against Cancer. Another similar, key event was “Donate Blood at VŠE “, organized for the school’s students, as well as employees by the mobile transfusion station of the Central Military Hospital.
Social, Cultural and Sport Life
Increasingly, VŠE becomes also a centre of social life. In academic year 2010/2011, the students achieved remarkable success particularly in sports. For example the women’s basketball team managed to get into the highest basketball competition in the Czech Republic, the school’s football team won the international tournament “XXXI. MERCURIAL” in Paris, France, and in June 2011, at the tenth Czech Academic Games the VŠE‘s students scored third out of the 43 universities which participated at the games.
In June 2011, a ceremony of the fourth competition of student creativity “Winston Econ Art 2011” took place at VŠE. Again, students had an opportunity to show their creativity and imagination, and present themselves as talented creators of multi-media pieces – in the categories of photography, graphics, and film. The chamber orchestra and choir Musica Oeconomica Pragensis together celebrated already a ten-year presence at the university. The ensemble Gaudeamus received the Prize of the Director of the “Pražský jarmark 2010” festival – for a continued promotion of the Czech folklore at home, as well as abroad. The tradition of a previously popular “VŠE‘s Ball” was reestablished; it was held in December 2010 in the National House at Vinohrady. At the university performed for example the singer Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers or, as part of the Day with VŠE, the singer Ivan Mládek and the group Chinaski. During the whole academic year, exhibitions were held in the hall of the Rajská Building; this year for example “The Photographing Cameramen” or an exhibition to the 50th anniversary of the OECD.