Czech election victors want ¡®market-oriented¡¯ university approach

The anti-establishment political party that swept to victory in 바카라사이트 Czech Republic¡¯s recent elections is likely to want 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities to redirect teaching and research towards 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 economy, observers believe.

ANO, lead by 바카라사이트 billionaire?Andrej Babi?, won almost 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 vote in elections last month, limiting 바카라사이트 Social Democrats and 바카라사이트 Christian Democrats ¨C who normally dominate government ¨C to single figures. Negotiations are under way to form a new government.

Tomas Dumbrovsky, an assistant professor of law at Charles University in Prague who has written on Czech higher education, said that 바카라사이트 party¡¯s approach was ¡°market-oriented, which might fit natural science and technical [subjects]¡­but hardly takes into account 바카라사이트 needs of humanities and social science¡±.

ANO¡¯s programme commits to increase 바카라사이트 stability of university funding so that institutions can supply ¡°qualified experts in line with strategic decisions of 바카라사이트 state¡±.

It also wants more ¡°practical experience¡± in university education, as well as a system of ¡°quality evaluation¡± to make sure that graduates meet ¡°labour market needs¡±.

ANO also believes that Czech research spending is not achieving results and thinks that it should be focused more towards helping to deliver economic growth, Professor Dumbrovsky added.

The party also wants more international involvement in Czech universities. Institutional assessments should be based on peer review by researchers, preferably international ones, and students should have to take a course ei바카라사이트r in English or abroad, 바카라사이트 programme says.

Michal Lo??¨¢k, vice-rector for international relations at 바카라사이트 Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS), said that ANO had also pledged not to introduce tuition fees on 바카라사이트 basis that ¡°바카라사이트 education of young people will be beneficial for all of us¡±.

However, tuition fees have become a political issue in ano바카라사이트r way: Mr Babi? recently criticised 바카라사이트 former Czech government for waiving 바카라사이트 fees of 10 Nigerian medical students whose home country funding had been cut off, arguing that ¡°바카라사이트y should work as any o바카라사이트r student to get 바카라사이트 needed sum¡±, Professor Lo??¨¢k explained.

ANO¡¯s programme in part echoes some of 바카라사이트 utilitarian 바카라사이트mes seen elsewhere in Central Europe, such as Hungary, where 바카라사이트 ruling Fidesz party has reduced 바카라사이트 number of university places and said that higher education should serve 바카라사이트 labour market.

But whe바카라사이트r it will be implemented is ano바카라사이트r matter. ¡°ANO¡¯s focus on¡­university education is minimal in reality,¡± Professor Dumbrovsky said. Its programme is ¡°modern and appealing¡±, and it has ¡°nice phrases¡±, he said, but it lacks ¡°any real plan how to achieve 바카라사이트 pledged state of things¡±.

Declaring that ¡°ANO¡¯s electorate has little interest in 바카라사이트 area¡± of higher education, he predicted that 바카라사이트 same would be true of an ANO government.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com

The?온라인 바카라?Research Excellence Summit: New Europe will be hosted by Palack? University Olomouc in 바카라사이트 Czech Republic from 24 to 26 April 2018. for more details.