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Charles University deepens cooperation with prestigious overseas universities

A delegation from Charles University is in the middle of a working visit to the United States. Led by Rector Milena Králíčková, CU representatives aim to strengthen existing forms of cooperation with some of the most prestigious universities overseas through bilateral talks. During the seven-day visit, the delegation will meet with representatives from institutions such as Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts, and others.

"The trip to the United States is a testament to the exceptional international standing and reputation that Charles University enjoys. Our goal is to intensify collaboration with the world’s top academic institutions. I believe the discussions on our agenda will pave the way for new joint projects and activities," Rector Milena Králíčková said in a statement while from Boston.

The busy itinerary includes meetings at the University of Massachusetts, home to this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate, biologist Viktor Abros (pictured below left).

Rector Králíčková will also meet with Harvard Vice President Klára Jelínková (pictured below right, during a prior visit to Charles University) and many others. Charles University is set to sign a new inter-university cooperation agreement with Brown University.

Charles University representatives, along with the Czech Minister for Science, Research, and Innovation, Marek Ženíšek, who is part of the delegation, will also visit the newly established international branch of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB) Boston, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This branch is the first of its kind in the history of Czech science. The launch of this unique global biotechnology centre on 18 October 2024 will officially mark the beginning of a new era in Czech-American scientific cooperation.

• Tuesday 15. října 2024, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

The Charles University delegation visited the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts, a highly prestigious institution in medical research, where developmental biologist Professor Victor R. Ambros, this year's Nobel Prize winner, is a faculty member.

During an all-day workshop, discussions were held on the joint submission of an Erasmus Mundus Design Measure project, a collaboration between Charles University, UMass Chan, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) focused on innovative medical research. The project aims to expand Charles University’s offering of foreign-language programmes with this highly prestigious new programme in English, centred on medical science and open to international applicants.

• Wednesday, 16 October 2024, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center and Brown University

Part of the university delegation attended an international symposium focused on innovations in healthcare. The event took place at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center. The themes of the Lahey Symposium included public health, healthcare innovations using artificial intelligence, and areas of potential connection and collaboration in other medical and scientific fields. Participants agreed that projects and joint activities with these top institutions – both medical and academic – will bring further excellent science to Charles University and enable future healthcare innovations in the Czech Republic. Forum reported on deepening ties last year.

At the same time, another part of the delegation headed to Brown University. In the presence of the Czech Minister for Science, Research, and Innovation, Marek Ženíšek, the Czech Ambassador to the USA, Miloslav Stašek, and representatives from the Faculty of Arts at Charles University, discussions took place regarding unique cooperation in digital humanities, comparative linguistics, interdisciplinary aspects of artificial intelligence, and Central European and security studies.

Under the newly signed agreement between Charles University and Brown University, covering the period from 2025 to 2030, both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University are included. "We firmly believe that in the future, the areas of cooperation will extend to other faculties of Charles University. Brown University has also expressed interest in developing collaboration in biomedical research, which is one of their research priorities," Eva Voldřichová Beránková, the Vice-Rector for International Affairs at Charles University, said.

• Thursday 17. October 2024, University of Massachusetts Amherst

A rector's delegation attended the 29th Annual Science and Research Meeting at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. This two-day traditional conference allows for the presentation of the latest scientific results in the fields of healthcare and medicine and provides an opportunity to exchange experiences and specific examples of best practices between American and international institutions. In addition, participants engaged in discussions around posters presented by PhD students and young postdocs.

The most distinguished guest at the science and research event in Amherst was the recent Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology and Medicine, Professor Victor Ambros, whom Rector Milena Králíčková invited for a reciprocal visit to Charles University in 2025.

• Friday 18. October 2024, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital

With the Czech Minister Marek Ženíšek and representatives from the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York in attendance, the university delegation held discussions with the leadership of Harvard University, representatives from Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard Center for European Studies (CES).

"New forms of collaboration were established – representatives from Charles University, among other things, discussed the possibility of setting up a program for CES students in Prague as part of the so-called J-term. Conversely, the 'visiting scholars' program will be opened to academics from Charles University," Eva Voldřichová Beránková, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at Charles University explained.

"Talks on collaboration with Anna E. Becker, Dean for Clinical and Academic Affairs at Harvard Medical School, and David E. Golan, Dean for Research and Global Programs at the same institution, will result, among other things, in welcoming colleagues to our university who have recently contributed to the founding of spin-off companies at Harvard," Vice-Rector Beránková added, summarizing the content of the working discussions.

In the evening, during a working dinner with the leadership of Harvard University, members of the university delegation met with Klára Jelínek, Vice President for Information Technology, Mark C. Elliott, Vice President for International Affairs, and John H. Shaw, Vice President for Science and Research. "We were pleased with their interest in developments at our university as well as in our European university alliance 4EU+. Some of them will visit our university in the near future," the vice-rector said.

• Saturday 19. October 2024, Boston

The programme included a meeting with the Czech and Slovak expatriate community in Boston. Thanks to the efforts of Diana Apetauer from Beth Israel Lahey Health, the delegation received a very warm welcome. Many of our expatriates hold positions at prestigious American institutions in fields such as economics, IT, medicine, and the social and humanities sciences. The local community jointly operates the T. G. Masaryk Czech School in Arlington and is considered an immensely important bridge for promoting the reputation of both Charles University and Czech science in the USA.

In the afternoon, the university delegation met with Dr. Veronika Tucker and other representatives from the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Harvard. The talks focused on joint projects, such as admitting American students to summer schools at Charles University or creating a grant to raise awareness of prominent Czech women at Harvard, such as Milada Součková, Heda Margolius Kovály, and Svatava Pírková-Jakobsonová.

CU Rector Milena Králíčková gave a lecture at Harvard focused on science, international relations, and the development of the university. This was followed by a discussion with Czech expatriates, with further collaborative activities to be the subject of online meetings in the coming weeks

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Text: CU Communications Department

Date: 21. 10. 2024