Visit of the Czech Embassy Delegation: Strengthening Ukrainian-Czech Cooperation

On March 6, a distinguished delegation from the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ukraine visited Oles Honchar Dnipro National University.

During their stay in Dnipro, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine, Radek Pech, along with First Secretaries Ladislav Horak and Pavel Kamenik, Project Manager Natalia Andreeva, and Translator Viktoria Lysak, paid a working visit to our university. The Rector of Charles University, Milena Kralichkova, joined the meeting remotely from Prague to discuss further expansion of cooperation between Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

The Czech delegation was warmly welcomed by DNU Rector Sergiy Okovytyy, Head of the Department of Science and Acting First Vice-Rector Valentina Silich-Balgabayeva, Acting Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work in the Field of International Cooperation Viktor Gasso, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work Oleg Marenkov, Acting Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work Nataliya Guk, as well as the Deans of the Faculty of Ukrainian and Foreign Philology and Art History, Iryna Popova, and the Faculty of Social Sciences and International Relations, Vitaly Kryvoshein.

Ukrainian-Czech Academic Partnership

Introducing the guests to the long-standing Ukrainian-Czech cooperation, Rector Sergiy Okovytyy expressed deep gratitude to the Czech people for their unwavering support of Ukraine during wartime. Ambassador Radek Pech emphasized that collaboration with Ukrainian institutions, particularly with DNU, holds great significance for the Czech Republic. In Kyiv, for example, the Czech Cultural and Educational Center is actively promoting Czech culture in Ukraine, employing a majority of Ukrainian staff members.

Furthermore, DNU is preparing to open a Czech Language Center at the Faculty of Ukrainian and Foreign Philology and Art History.

One of the tangible contributions from Czech partners was the funding of a modern conference hall at DNU, officially inaugurated by Ambassador Radek Pech. This facility was made possible through a Czech government grant, "Strengthening the Potential of State Universities in Ukraine and Moldova," aimed at enhancing academic infrastructure.

Ambassador Pech proudly acknowledged his connection to DNU’s partnership with Charles University in Prague, which played a key role in supporting this initiative. Rector Milena Kralichkova sees great potential for collaboration between the two universities, particularly within European university associations.

Future Collaboration and European University Alliance 4U+

In April 2025, the European University Alliance 4U+ congress will be held in Warsaw. Rector Kralichkova will highlight the growing cooperation between Charles University and DNU in discussions with rectors from eight leading European universities.

DNU and Charles University have already established effective partnerships in education and scientific research. In August 2023, ten Czech mini-grants were allocated to strengthen DNU’s research initiatives. In 2024, with the support of Charles University, DNU secured another grant from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, focused on enhancing teaching standards, research quality, and digitalization.

Impact of Czech Support at DNU

Over the past year, Czech financial support has contributed to:

- Twelve research projects conducted by DNU scientists.

- Professional development of 14 faculty members in digital education tools like Moodle.

- A series of online training sessions on distance learning technologies, Open Science, and Open Data.

- The organization of the international scientific conference "Prospects of Hydroecological Research in the Context of Local and Global Consequences of Military Actions," hosted at DNU in September 2024.

Academic Exchanges and Internships

In late 2024, DNU representatives visited Charles University multiple times to foster new joint projects. Acting Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Viktor Gasso, led these negotiations, while eight DNU faculty members participated in scientific internships under Czech guidance.

The internships covered diverse topics, including:

- Rehabilitation technologies (Faculty of Medical Technologies of Diagnostics and Rehabilitation)

- Bioindication and ecological monitoring (Institute of Hydrobiology, Ichthyology, and Radiobiology)

- Evolutionary plant adaptation (Faculty of Biology and Ecology, Research Institute of Biology)

- Functional materials and nanostructures (Scientific Research Institute of Chemistry and Geology)

- Quantum modeling and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis (Faculty of Physics, Electronics, and Computer Systems)

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