ENG
One of the largest investments in Charles University’s history has been completed. The new Mephared 2 campus in Hradec Králové will serve as a link between Charles University’s Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy, providing state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Minister of Education Robert Plaga were present at the grand opening on Wednesday 23 September.
The Hradec Králové faculties of Charles University are entering a new phase. The Faculty of Medicine has been operating in the city since 1945, and the Faculty of Pharmacy since 1969; however, both have until now been housed in historic buildings that were not originally intended for university education. Furthermore, insufficient capacity meant that classes were scattered across several buildings. The new campus now brings them all together in one location.
“The two faculties, which until now have operated in facilities that were inadequate in terms of capacity and scattered across various locations, are being given shared facilities that are appropriate for how medicine, pharmacy, and biomedicine are taught and developed today,” said Charles University Rector Jiří Zima.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš also highlighted the importance of this investment for the education of future healthcare professionals. “This is not only the construction of modern buildings, but a strategic step for the entire Czech healthcare system. By bringing the medical and pharmaceutical faculties together in one location, right next to the university hospital, we are creating first-class conditions for training a new generation of doctors and pharmacists,” the PM said.
Two faculties – one campus
The MEPHARED 2 development consists of two new buildings: the faculty building, which houses the teaching and research activities of the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Pharmacy, and the central building, which provides shared facilities including an entrance hall, a cafeteria, and other shared spaces for both faculties. State-of-the-art audiovisual technology will also enable new teaching methods, including live broadcasts of surgeries from the operating rooms at the Hradec Králové University Hospital. The campus has a maximum capacity of 4,500 people.
“We are receiving cutting-edge academic facilities for biomedical disciplines in the Czech Republic, first-class teaching and research spaces, and, at the same time, shared infrastructure with the Faculty of Pharmacy,” said Jiří Manďák, Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové at Charles University. According to Jaroslav Roh, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Charles University, the shared campus brings not only new facilities but also new opportunities for collaboration. “Together with the Military Faculty of Medicine at the University of Defence and the University Hospital Hradec Králové, we are establishing an exceptionally concentrated and competitive biomedical complex,” noted the Dean of CU PHARM.
A modern and sustainable complex
The site boasts 122 geothermal wells, each 199 meters deep, and a rooftop photovoltaic power plant. Rainwater from the roofs is collected and used, for example, for irrigation; the complex also features a wetlands area and a water feature. The estimated cost of the MEPHARED 2 project and related equipment totals approximately 7.2 billion crowns. The majority of the costs will be covered by grant funding, primarily from the National Recovery Plan, as well as a Ministry of Education programme and the Jan Amos Komenský Operational Programme. Charles University will cover approximately one billion crowns from its own funds. Construction began in August 2023, and the campus received its occupancy permit in June of this year. Both faculties moved into their new facilities over the summer.
“I wish for this campus to be not merely a beautiful and modern building, but above all a lively place – a place of education, science, collaboration, and community,” concluded CU Rector Jiří Zima.
The new campus opens to the public on 25 September as part of Researchers’ Night, featuring guided tours. Students from both Hradec Králové faculties will then take their seats in the new lecture halls for the first time on 29 September, as the new academic year starts.
More information on the new Mephared campus is available in the press release.
Story by: Jitka Jiřičková
Photos by: Jan Škop, Josef Marek, Syner Co.