Rector Petr Dvořák presented the proceeds from the VŠE Alumni Homecoming to the Centre for Students with Special Needs

On Tuesday, 6 December, Rector Petr Dvořák handed over a cheque for CZK 217,724 on the occasion of the lighting of the Christmas tree in the Atrium of the Rajská budova. This is the proceeds from the largest alumni event in the history of the VŠE Alumni Homecoming 2023, which took place on Saturday, October 21. The event was attended by nearly 3,300 alumni, their family members and friends of the school.

Martin Ctibor, head of the Centre for Students with Special Needs, and FMV student Zdenek Uldrych received the cheque from the Rector. Half of the proceeds are designated for the student Zdeněk. The money will help him to complete his studies at the university and to fulfill his dream – a study abroad in Japan.

Zdenek Uldrych is studying at the Faculty of International Relations at the Prague University of Economics and Business. He has been confined to a wheelchair all his life after cerebral palsy. Zdeněk overcomes the significant limitations caused by his disability with a very active lifestyle and optimism, which he easily transfers to his surroundings. He is proficient in several foreign languages (English, Spanish, Japanese), which he actively takes advantage of when he volunteers to help foreign students with special learning needs at VŠE. He is interested in archaeology and modern history. His studies at the VŠE are associated with increased costs, mainly due to daily travel and the constant need for a personal assistant.

The Centre for Student with special needs has been active at the VŠE since 2007, when it was established primarily in response to the needs of students with visual impairments who were studying at the VŠE at that time. This is still reflected in the services provided to students with visual impairments, which are of a high standard. Students benefit from the latest compensatory aids, study materials converted into different formats (digital, embossed, audio, braille), modifications to meet study requirements and information services provided by the visually impaired centre staff.

There are currently 160 students with special learning needs studying at the VSE who benefit from
CSP services.
– Students with visual impairments
– students with physical disabilities
– students with hearing disabilities
– students with learning disabilities
– students with mental illness
– students with autism spectrum disorders
– students with chronic illnesses

All students with special learning needs study at the VŠE thanks to the support of the CSSN in the form of integration without distinction of learning disability. They can therefore choose any course of study offered. The CSSN ensures the study and architectural accessibility of the VŠE to such an extent that the functional impact of the handicap is not an insurmountable obstacle to the fulfilment of study obligations. Tests and examinations are adapted to the specific type and degree of the student’s learning disability. Students with specific needs may use the barrier-free office equipped with compensatory aids and the library of digital study texts. CSP provides students with academic and psychological counselling, assistance with the development of individual study plans, diagnosis of specific learning disabilities and a space for sharing learning experiences among CSSN clients. Students with limited mobility can use the services of a personal assistant.