Article 1

The Award of the Rector of Charles University for the best graduates of Charles University (“Best Graduates Award”) may be granted to outstanding graduates from bachelor´s or master´s programmes of study who attained extraordinary results in their scholarly, research, sports or cultural activities in the course of their study.

Article 2

The Best Graduates Award may be granted annually to one graduate from a bachelor´s programme and one graduate from a master´s programme of study in the following five categories:

• Prof. MUDr. Karel Weigner Award – medical programmes

• Prof. JUDr. Karel Engliš Award – social sciences and humanities programmes

• Prof. RNDr. Jaroslav Heyrovský Award – natural sciences programmes

• Josef Dobrovský Award – theological programmes

• Prof. PhDr. Václav Příhoda Award – pedagogy and teaching programmes

Article 3

1. Proposals for granting the Best Graduates Award are to be considered by committees constituted for every category under Article 2 respectively.

2. The Rector appoints members and chairs of the committees upon proposals of the deans of the respective faculties.

3. Proposals for granting the Best Graduates Award are to be sent by the deans to the Student Affairs Department of the Rectorate (“SAD”). The criteria for submitting a proposal are the subject-area and content of the study programme.

4. Proposals for granting the Best Graduates Award are to cover the following information:

   • Name and surname of the graduate; date of birth; permanent residence address or mailing address;

   • Designation of the study programme and/or study field;

   • Study results and evaluations in the course of study;

   • List of published writings, an outline of lectures, journal articles or any other documents proving the results attained in scholarly, research, sports and cultural activities; and

   • Reasons for granting the Best Graduates Award.

5. Committees are to consider the proposals received and submit to the Rector their respective proposal for granting the Award in the form of an order of individual nominees by 31 December.

6. For the purposes of thorough consideration and through the SAD, a committee may request further opinions from those who submitted the original proposals.

7. The Rector is to decide to grant the Best Graduates Award and its amount.

Article 4

Amounts of the Best Graduates Award are set as follows: a minimum of CZK 20,000 for the bachelor´s programme graduate, and a minimum of CZK 40,000 for the master´s programme graduate.

Article 5

The Rector´s Special Award for students of Charles University (“Special Award”) is to be granted as follows:

Article 6

1. Proposals for granting the Special Award are to be delivered by the deans of the respective faculties to the SAD. The Rector may also submit a proposal.

2. Proposals for granting the Special Award are to cover the following information:

   • Name and surname of the graduate; date of birth; permanent residence address or mailing address;

   • Designation of the study programme and/or study field; and

   • Reasons for granting the Special Award.

3. The Rector is to decide to grant the Special Award and its amount.

Article 7

The Special Award amount is set at a minimum of CZK 20,000.

Article 8

1. Bolzano Award is a prestigious award of Charles University to be granted to students and graduates. Students and graduates of Charles University may be granted Bolzano Award for their extraordinary original work with creative substance and usually of an interdisciplinary character, which was produced in the course of their study.

2. Bolzano Award competition is announced by the Rector of Charles University on 1 May every year. The Rector may specify the priorities of the Award for a respective academic year.

3. Bolzano Award is to be granted in three categories as follows: humanities including theology, natural sciences and biomedicine.

4. Only theses completed (defended and/or published) in the respective academic year when Bolzano Award was announced may be submitted. The same thesis may not be submitted repeatedly.

Article 9

1. An application for the competition can be filed by a student or graduate.

2. An application is to contain the following information:

   a.	Name and surname of the graduate; date of birth; permanent residence address or mailing address;
   b.	Title of the thesis;
   c.	Type of the thesis (bachelor´s thesis, master´s thesis, dissertation or made for the competition);
   d.	Name of the faculty, doctoral student training unit (department, institute);
   e.	Name of the study programme and/or study field; and
   f.	Type of the study programme (bachelor´s, post-bachelor master´s, long-cycle master´s, doctoral).

3. The following attachments are to be submitted along with the application:

   a.	Professional curriculum vitae and list of publications;
   b.	The identification number of the respective thesis referring to the repository if a final thesis (i.e. bachelor´s and master´s theses and dissertations) has been uploaded in the repository of final theses of Charles University;
   c.	In the case of final theses (i.e. bachelor´s and master´s theses and dissertations) not yet uploaded in the repository of final theses of Charles University, or those excluded from publishing, the text of the thesis is to be submitted in an electronic format; an undersigned opinion of a supervisor or advisor is to be appended containing a summary of the thesis and justification of its originality and creative benefits; undersigned opinions of one or two reviewers regarding the content and formal quality of the thesis are to be attached;
   d.	In the case of writings other than final theses, undersigned opinions of two or three reviewers regarding the content and formal quality of the writing are to be appended to the application; the opinions are to assess the outstanding creative benefits and interdisciplinary character of the writing.

4. A respective faculty is to provide its position with regard to the application for the Bolzano Award competition.

Article 10

1. The Committee for Bolzano Award granting is to be an advisory body of the Rector to consider submitted proposals.

2. The Committee is to be composed of at least nine members appointed and removed by the Rector. The Vice-Rector in charge of student affairs usually acts as Chair of the committee; the Chair designates its deputy from amongst the committee members. The committee membership is honorary and non-transferrable.

3. The Committee is convened by the Chair who manages the meeting. The Committee has a quorum if two-thirds of its members are present.

4. The Committee is to consider only applications fulfilling all requirements stipulated in Article 9 of the Directive herein.

5. The Committee may request that further reports and opinions be submitted.

6. The Committee decides proposals to grant Bolzano Award by affirmative resolution of the majority of members present. The winning proposal is to be submitted to the Rector for the final decision.

7. Organization and administration of the work of the Committee is ensured by the UK Point, which is also responsible for the recording of granted awards.

Article 11

The amount of Bolzano Award is set at a minimum of CZK 40,000.

Article 12

1. Proposals for granting awards regulated by the Directive herein are to be submitted in an electronic format through the respective web application not later than by 31 October.

2. Students are granted the amount of respective awards in the form of a bursary under Article 9 (2) of the Scholarship and Bursary Rules of Charles University; other cases of nominees for granting awards are covered by Article 26 (2) of the Constitution of Charles University.

3. Awards are covered from funds of Charles University.

4. Awards are handed to the winning individuals by the Rector or Vice-Rector designated thereby.

5. The granting of an award is certified by a diploma containing the name and surname of the laureate, the reasons for the grant and its date. The Charles University Coat of Arms and the Rector´s signature are attached to the diploma.

6. Awards along with Rector´s diplomas are presented to the laureates during a ceremonial act, for example during a meeting of the Research Council of Charles University.

Article 13

1. Rector´s Directive N. 48/2017 and N. 44/2019 are hereby repealed.

2. The Directive herein comes into effect on 1 September 2021.

Prague, 17 June 2021

prof. MUDr. Tomáš Zima, DrSc., MBA