Alumni Roundtable #1
Czech Higher Education
On November 9, 2005, The Fulbright commission conducted the first of what is anticipated to
be a series of roundtable discussions with selected members of its alumni. The Alumni
Roundtable is conceived as an opportunity for students and scholars who have participated in
one of the many Fulbright programs to openly express opinions in an informal setting and to
explore building a consensus on contemporary matters of public interest.
The first Alumni Roundtable focused on the subject of Czech higher education. A broad
selection of Alumni students and scholars from universities throughout the country,
representatives of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives from the American
Embassy (including the Commission’s honorary chairman, US Ambassador William Cabaniss
participated. In all, 26 participants were in attendance. Some participants are recent alumni; others
completed their Fulbright experience many years ago. The discussion was moderated by Anthony
Caine, current chair of the Commission’s board, Dr. Bronislava Horejsi, current deputy chair, and
Hana Ripkova, the Commission’s executive director.
The subject of Czech higher education focused on three primary topics:
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Traditional versus progressive administrative structures for the future.
The diversification of funding sources: public and private
The internationalization of Czech higher education
Underlying these three topics was the broader question: how can Czech higher education
increase its level of excellence and become more competitive in the international arena?
Traditional versus Progressive Administrative Structures
The first topic drew on experience which the alumni brought back to their Czech institutions
upon their return and areas in which they saw challenges:
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Experiencing a different system is inspiring; it yields many reasons for a change at one’s
own institution and people see that even completely different modes of organizing
education can function; on the other hand some people experience resentment and envy
if they try to implement certain systems drawn from their foreign experience
Any educational experience of a longer stay abroad (including the Fulbright experience) is
an agent of a change for the student or scholar. Outcomes – improving English
(indispensable in establishing and maintaining any intl. contacts); change in the ways of
teaching (interactive teaching, case studies, invitations to colleagues to teach in one’s own
classes, etc.)
The organization of educational institutions appears to be much more hierarchical in the
Czech Republic than in the USA; the US experience suggests that responsibility for
drafting program and course curricula and its related decision-making, when shared by
more faculty, can encourage change and decrease the bureaucratic burdens attached
thereto. (The administration of departments, schools and universities is usually performed
by people who are not trained as administrators in the Czech Republic.) Encouraging
more cooperation among peers on a horizontal level would help to improve the quality
and delivery of programs. The alumni welcome:
 Changes in style of teaching inspired by their own experience abroad and by
foreign lecturers at US universities
 Profesionalization of administrative staff, combined with shared responsibilities
within departments
 Recognize and train faculty in administrative skills, particularly those skills related
to the procurement of educational and research grants, and the solicitation of
private sector investment into research.
Notable quotes related to this first topic included:
“With the entering of the Czech Republic into EU there is an increasing pressure on
internationalization of education, new challenges emerge - e.g. accreditation process,
transition, transformation…”
“After meeting with Czech students upon their returns from abroad, she observes
substantial positive changes in their personalities (apart from knowledge gain, etc.). Also,
students say that our education system is comparable to those they experience abroad.”
“The introduction of the US course credit system would help make the Czech
educational system more flexible and thereby more able to respond to changing educational
demands.”
“The Czech education’s administrative system within universities is not so hierarchical
everywhere. In some departments, there is a cooperative effort when creating the curricula.
The personality and openness of a particular faculty’s dean is important in this respect.”
The Diversification of Funding Sources: Public and Private
The second topic included areas of funding, allocation and salaries within Czech system:
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There are less attractive economic conditions for young researchers when coming home
compared to their experience abroad. This decreases their interest in becoming the “agent
of change.”
Many Czech lecturers and researchers still feel the necessity of having extra jobs and
other paid activities instead of being able to fully concentrate on their basic tasks within
their university positions.
Resources may not be deployed efficiently or there may be a basic lack of resources. Both
problems probably apply, although some universities are showing improved efficiency in
managing their funding
Today, it is very difficult to change a balance between institutional and project funding,
between universities and the Academy of Science, between basic and applied research.
Possibilities to attract more private financing exist and need to be exploited; not much
more can be provided by the public sector. Private funding resources must be looked for;
up-coming changes in the tax credits for companies (regarding their funding for research)
may improve education’s private sourcing opportunities.
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The traditional methods of rewarding Czech academic research at universities were
described. (An “egalitarian approach” prevails; teachers are not paid according to
academic achievement but according to the number of years spent at a university.) This
opinion is not shared by all roundtable participants: some universities (or at least some
faculties at some of them) have already adopted other mechanisms. This suggests that the
Ministry of Education is today not an obstacle for introducing systems that better
correlate academic achievement and reward.
Education can be viewed at its basic level as a business offering a product and responding
to market demands in the USA, while it has traditionally not been considered a business
here. The American view helps prepare their universities and their students to be more
globally competitive. The universities in the Czech Republic should learn to explain
clearly to the society why we need to improve the excellence of our educational system
and its product.
The concept of corporate chairs has little tradition in CR. Scholars mostly disrespect
businessmen, and businessmen tend to disrespect scholars as academics untouched by
market realities. On the other hand, many leading businessmen are eager to address
university students. Some universities have already started this type of cooperation,
thereby encouraging lectures by leading business executives and establishing corporate
chairs for sponsorship. There are difference potentials related to the sponsorship
corporate research depending upon the particular academic field, but possibilities exist in
almost all fields. (For example, linguistics can be attractive for computer companies etc.).
The major obstacle to the private sponsoring of research seems to be finding a common
culture between academic and business communities in various fields.
 Public/private partnership is slowly appearing at some Czech universities.
Faculties need to learn new strategies for marketing their achievements.
 Salary systems today differ from one institution to the next, as the law on higher
education no longer regulates this issue. The traditional approach based on age
rather than academic achievement nevertheless still prevails.
 Although the deployment of public funding is managed by university
administrators with some efficiency, universities would need funding at a much
higher level to turn Czech higher education into a global tiger. The Czech system
probably cannot expect sufficient increase from public funds to grow
competitively.
Notable quotes related to this second topic included:
“There is a financing available in international programs (Erasmus, etc.). Teaching in a
foreign language (having accredited programs in foreign language) may be another source of
financing, but it requires a better-trained faculty. What if needed is better networking of
universities, balancing resources, less bureaucracy…”
“MŠMT has certain criteria according to which it distributes the money, we follow it;
the overall framework copies MŠMT. The number of students is the most important criteria;
small programs have financial problems, money goes either to salaries or research not both..”
“There are rather different patterns in resources allocation here; small-scale actions
(donating computers, alumni network established, contributing to one’s alma mater is of
importance as well.”
“Drawing research from universities almost always proves to be the cheapest way to
start up a new enterprise or business.”
“There is a huge difference between universities, institutes of the Academy of
Sciences, and other research institutions. Jahn´s office started to measure the productivity of
research institutes, something similar must be done at universities.”
The Internationalization of Czech Higher Education
Internationalization of Czech Higher Education was the third area discussed:
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The participation of Czech students in study programs abroad is steeply increasing.
(European financial support to student and scholar exchange programs has dramatically
changed the situation in the last decade.)
The numbers of foreign students at Czech universities tend to be dominated by Slovaks.
(Typically, Slovak students, because they speak Czech, do not generate extra funding for
the schools; only students undertaking programs in languages other than Czech generate
additional funding.)
Although Czech universities are implementing the Bologna system, American students
presently do not fit well into Czech study programs that are today typically offered. A
bachelor degree in Europe has different curricula and significance than in the USA. The
lack of a course credit system here makes it difficult to apply individual courses to an
American degree. As such it seems that the participation of American students in regular
study programs here will be limited for the near future.
The participation of Czech students in exchange programs and the experience of foreign
students studying in CR together raise students’ expectations for quality performance by
course lecturers. This may help stimulate faster implementation of teaching reform in the
universities.
Internationalization itself motivates the universities to improve their teaching and
research programs and improve their comprehensive excellence. It also should help the
universities gain better standing in international rankings.
 Internationalization is already bringing positive effects, but its effect is still limited.
The transformation can be accelerated.
 European exchange programs will probably dominate in future years (compared
to attracting students from other countries of the world).
 Internationalization is a welcomed pressure at institutions adapting reforms.
Notable quotes related to this third topic included:
“There seems to be a movement in higher education at universities; they are starting to
be more progressive. There is a push from the bottom up to improve.”
“One must ask the basic questions: What is the quality of education given here when
compared to other countries? Are we here at home reaping positive benefits from our
investment?”
“Universities here remain separated from real life. In the U.S., a faculty member
typically teaches one or more subjects in which he/she is specialized; here everybody is
requested to teach everything within an acknowledged field of study.”
“Of the foreign students who study here, it is generally regarded that Slovak and
Vietnamese students, as groups, typically perform the best.”
“After coming back from studies abroad, our students tend not to return to science
because their stipends abroad exceed their salaries in science here, and thus they look for
something more advantageous.”
“Programs in English are charged. Our universities have many students from Africa,
and they would have more foreign students if it were not for the lengthy and cumbersome visa
process.”
“Education is viewed as a product which is marketed. The product must be improved
to attract students.”