Charles University in Prague

Charles University founded in 1348 is one of the oldest universities in the world and nowadays belongs to the most eminent educational and scientific establishments in the Czech Republic which are recognized in both the European and global context. It is an outstanding cultural institution due to its scientific and pedagogical results and its unique historical tradition.

Charles University now contains 17 faculties (14 in Prague, 2 in Hradec Králové, and 1 in Plzeň), 3 collegiate institutes, 6 additional establishments for educational, scientific, research and developmental activities and other creative activities and for information service, 5 university-wide facilities and the vice-chancellor´s/ rector´s office as an executive establishment for Charles University management. There are more than 7000 University employees, 4000 of them are academic and research workers.

Over 42,400 students study at Charles University (approximately one fifth of all the students in the Czech Republic) in more than 270 accredited academic programs with 600 departments. 7200 students are studying for bachelor´s degrees, 29 000 students are studying for master´s degrees, and over 6200 students are in PhD programs. There are more than 4300 foreign students—750 of which study in English language academic programs. Over 5000 participants graduate from continuing education courses every year.

Scientific and research activities form the basis on which the doctoral and master´s programs are based at Charles University. Scientific results of Charles University workplaces measured by the amount of financial means provided to universities in the Czech Republic make approximately one third of this financial means. Charles University aims to be recognized as a competitive research university on the world stage.

Charles University stresses international cooperation with prestigious educational and scientific establishments. Charles University has entered into 450 bilateral contracts and 170 international partnerships with foreign universities.

The scope of Charles University can be characterized also by its income amount which is cca 5 billion Czech crowns per year. 41% of this amount comes from educational funding, 27% from competitive research grants, and 26% is its own income.

Charles University is an accredited public university, it is an autonomous scientific and educational establishment. The rector is head of Charles University; the Academic Senate is the supreme self-regulating academic organ. Other organs: the Academic Council and bursar, the Board of Directors is responsible for implementation of public interest in Charles University activities, the Senate consisting of prorectors, bursar and chancellor makes the consultative body of the rector. The deans are heads of faculties which are independent to a large extent; other parts of Charles University are managed by their directors.

Source: http://www.cuni.cz/UKENG-7.html

 6.4. Read the story (a witness of which was one of the authors of this book) and answer two questions in written form: “What is this story about? What does it teach us?”

I will tell you a story that really happened in my life and in the life of a group of 3^rd year students from the Faculty of Journalism. What is this story about and what does it teach us?

Meanwhile, I am giving just a remark to you. A teacher is a person who really wants to share students their knowledge. A teacher, as you understand now, is also such a person who is always engaged in self-education. Besides a teacher is such a person who is ready not to get offended at students, as students sometimes do not understand what messages their sentences really contain. Planning to send one message, they are sending quite an opposite one.

So here is the story. Once the faculty invited a lecturer from abroad (an expert in journalistic writing, that is in printed mass media production) for the students who have a good command in English as a foreign language. (And it was not an exclusive practice for this institution). The classes for this particular expert’s visit took place in a sport base outside the university campus and outside the town as well, so that during 3 days the students could spend some time at a resort place having both extensive experience of training and a rest in a beautiful place.

The classes were quite extensive: a lot of information and some practical activities were proposed to the students. The trainer shared her knowledge with students in a very quick and lively manner, as she wanted to cover many different topics she considered especially important for a contemporary reporter. That is why each new task, as for example knowledge about how to compose lead for a news story was followed by only one practical task and its check on the lead structure. The trainer did some critical remarks to those fulfilling it; the students accepted criticism easily and gratefully: it seems they were on the point of grasping the whole idea how to fulfill the task, but it was no time for a second attempt and so the group were proposed to switch to a new equally important topic.

A part of the material of the training course (as for example a journalist ethics) was proposed exclusively in the format of lecturing, though the lecture was really well illustrated with examples of what is right and what is wrong. The key rule of a journalist from one’s ethical behavior was formulated in the following way: “Don’t make splashes!” The rule was supported with the following interpretation: “When one writes about some event or situation critically handled, the even itself (or the situation) is under consideration, but not the people involved”. Otherwise one is not writing in this case about people being good or bad, as if one switch into evaluating participants, they will make splashes. It may be explained also with a focus on a message content: every message has its explicit (surface like) and implicit (depth) meaning. The explicit one is “I’ve said what I’ve said”, while the implicit one is “By saying this I mean that but also something else” (and it may be “By saying this I meant quite the opposite”). A professional (and a reporter is to be a professional) is to know that this implicit (potential) can always be manifested in this or that audience. If such things happen, a reporter should know that s\he can be sued for personal injury.

So it came the time when the days of this training course were over and the students had a final meeting with their trainer and also the faculty members who organized this 3-day course for them, brought them to the sport base and were regular visitors of the course just as the students themselves. It was expected somehow that the students would express their thanks to the trainer of the course. There were several students who pronounced the speeches of gratitude. Within those speeches of gratitude there appeared to be the following one: “Thank you very much for your classes: for these 3 days we’ve learnt even more than we’ve learnt for 3 previous years at our faculty”. (A pause…. Splashes…). So here is a question for you: What is it that the speaker has learnt for these 3 days of classes?