He is on a mission to help Masaryk University boost and promote student and employee mobility, academic or otherwise, and to motivate students to try exchange programmes abroad during the bachelor phase of their studies, and to generally promote all meaningful efforts to make sure that foreign students at MU are happy and satisfied. He also wants Masaryk University to have as many prestigious partners as possible all over the world, to climb all kinds of international evaluation rankings, and to show that “internationalisation” can really mean something tangible.
What are the benefits of your visit to South America for the university?
We established numerous contacts at the universities we visited. All partners that we met to discuss our existing partnership or potential future partnership were genuinely enthusiastic. We learned how the schools operate. Some of them are highly placed in various international rankings, and they are among the best South American universities. I would like to make the most of these contacts and opportunities. It is up to the senior management of the university as a whole and even more up to individual faculties.
You also visited embassies or consulates general of the Czech Republic in Brazil and Argentina and met with compatriots in local Czech clubs and societies. What is our university’s reputation in South America?
Many colleagues we met are quite well-informed about our university. And some of them even surprised us by how much they knew. We did not expect that. They had tried to learn detailed information about previous collaborative efforts on publications or leading experts who teach at Masaryk University. Compatriots and Czech diplomats were genuinely excited to find out that the South American continent is interesting for us. The Czech Republic is an attractive opportunity for young people with Czech roots, especially in Argentina, in terms of education or future careers. Older generations recalled the legacy of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. Those were unforgettable and touching moments. We met a gentleman at our consulate general in Sao Paulo whose father escaped the Bolsheviks from Ukraine to find a new home in Czechoslovakia, before he had to leave the country in 1939 and settle in Brazil. He recently wrote a book about his father’s life. The Czech footprint is very much visible in these countries, and there certainly is something to follow up on. Jan Antonín Baťa did a lot for the reputation of our country in Brazil. Many Czech companies and investors are actively doing business in Brazil.
Many of the photos clearly show that compatriots were particularly happy to see you and Rector Bareš. What did you talk about?
There were several topics, including their roots. Many of them had families in South Moravia or Moravian Wallachia. Many of them still speak perfect Czech, just like their parents and grandparents taught them. Their efforts in preserving the cultural tradition and social events and heritage are remarkable. We talked about their lives and worries or their visits to the Czech Republic. Younger people were keen to learn about our university. They also facilitated contact with another university in Buenos Aires, and we are now in talks about potential cooperation. While Europe is a very distant continent for most people in Latin America, compatriots see the Czech Republic as the land of their ancestors, and they have surprisingly deep feelings about it.
Will these new partnerships mean an influx of students or teaching staff to MU?
We certainly hope so. It is not going to be a flood by any measure, but we are hoping for relationships based on cooperation in education as well as research. I should emphasise that we are not interested in one-way mobility. South American universities can be an opportunity for our students to gain new knowledge, skills, and experience. I think this experience can also make them appreciate what Masaryk University is offering them, and how challenging the social and economic conditions in the region can be for many people, including students.
Every year, almost one thousand students come to MU for exchange programmes, and there are some sixteen hundred other students in foreign-language programmes. What is the impact of their presence on MU?
The impact is positive and undeniable. The spectrum of languages you can now hear in the corridors is growing, and you can see how the entire university environment is changing, along with the general thinking of students and teaching staff. The presence of students and teaching staff from other countries and cultures is a unique opportunity to socialise with people from all parts of the world, to be inspired and to share knowledge and experience and ultimately establish friendships which may last for lifetime. Let’s not forget the benefits for the city as a whole. Brno has become a vibrant metropolis, a good place to work and study.
Many MU students take the opportunity to study in many parts of the world, not just in Europe but also Australia or the United States. What do you think about the opportunities this generation has?
I am very happy about the sheer variety of opportunities on nearly all continents. My generation did not have that, and one cannot help but feel a bit envious. But I am happy for them. We are trying to open new doors and establish new partnerships with prestigious universities in Europe and overseas. At the same time, we must motivate students to fully take advantage of the opportunity while it lasts.
Why do you think students should spend some time studying abroad? There are many reasons for that. First of all, they should develop their knowledge and skills at schools that are in some ways interesting for them, not just here. A foreign school can also offer the opportunity for development in areas that are not that sufficiently covered at MU. They can become more independent and self-confident, and they can improve their language skills. A stay abroad will help them see the Czech Republic from a new perspective; it will make them appreciate things which are often taken for granted. On the other hand, they may be inspired by things that are better “over there”, and they may be tempted to improve them here when they return. Or they can often realise that amazing opportunities for personal growth and treatment can be found here as well. Regardless, living abroad for some time is generally a good experience for just about anyone; it gives you some perspective, and it has a generally positive impact on the entire society. And the last benefit I will mention is the labour market potential. Recently we can see that applicants without experience from a foreign country are disadvantaged when applying for desirable jobs. I hear it often in discussions with our alumni or employers who find it very important.
Do English-language programmes improve the prestige of a department and the faculty and the appeal of the programmes? They definitely do. The opening of new programmes at most departments led to further development and internationalisation. English-language-programme offerings are very broad across the entire university and at the faculty level. I wish some faculties would pay more attention to these opportunities. There could be more English-language programmes at the bachelor level, perhaps in the interdisciplinary regime across faculties.
What do you think are greatest accomplishments of Masaryk University in the area of internationalisation?
First of all, I can see during my visits or at meetings with colleagues from other universities that many prestigious educational institutions from all over the world see Masaryk University as an attractive and reliable partner. Foreign universities are interested in strategic partnership contracts with MU. Secondly, we have won the European Award for Excellence in Internationalisation for our treatment of foreign students during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. It is amazing that the activities of our students and colleagues were acknowledged and praised at the pan-European level. And the third example would be the increasing interest in mobilities among our students and faculty. I am really happy about that