Annual Activity Report Masaryk university Masaryk university Annual Activity Report 2018 Contents Foreword Masaryk University's Mission, Values and Vision 5 7 1 2 3 Degree Programme Quality Internationalization Diversification and Accessibility in Education in Education 9–15 17–23 25–31 1.1 Admission to the Bachelor’s 2.1 Internal Quality Assurance 3.1 Foreign Language Teaching and Master’s Degree and Assessment System 3.2 Foreign Language Programmes 2.2 Institutional Accreditation Instruction and Other 1.2 Academic Counselling 2.3 Surveys and Feedback Language Centre Activities 1.3 Activities for Applicants and 2.4 Support for Talented 3.3 The Implementation of Collaboration with Schools Students Foreign Language Degree 1.4 Bachelor's and Master's 2.5 Making Instruction Programmes Programmes Attractive Through New 3.4 Summer Schools 1.5 Lifelong Learning Technology and Teaching with Foreign Student Methods Participation 3.5 Foreign Collaboration and Mobility Programmes 4 5 6 Individualized Doctoral Research Excellence and Research Efficiency and Programmes Relevance a Stimulating Research 33–37 39–43 Environment 45–49 4.1 University-Wide Activities 5.1 Masaryk University’s 6.1 University-Wide Support for Doctoral Students and Scientific Performance Services for Creative Work Supervisors 5.2 International Research 6.2 Support for Qualification 4.2 Support Activities for Support Growth and Academics’ Doctoral Candidates 5.3 Knowledge Transfer and Performance Implemented by Faculties Utilization of Research 4.3 Awards for Talented Results Doctoral Candidates and Doctoral Degree Programme Graduates 2 7 8 9 Organizational Culture Based Inspiration and Social Personnel Management and on Shared Values Responsibility Employee Development 51–57 59–65 67–71 7.1 Inspirational University 8.1 Key Projects Implemented 9.1 Internal Personnel Environment in Response to Societal Management Regulations 7.2 University Associations and Challenges 9.2 Qualitative Growth and Student and Staff Activities 8.2 Masaryk University in the Employee Evaluation 7.3 Internal Communication Media 9.3 Open Personnel Policy and 7.4 Visual Identity 8.3 Cultural Role Related Services 7.5 Career Counselling 8.4 Alumni Relations 9.4 Employee Training 7.6 Services Provided to Development and Benefits Persons with Special Needs 8.5 Mendel Museum 7.7 Ethics and Equal 8.6 Munipress (Masaryk Opportunities University Press) 8.7 Library Services 10 11 12 Infrastructure and Information Systems and MU Faculties and University Institutional Management IT Support Institutes 73–81 83–87 89–111 10.1 Support for Project 11.1 Development of Information 12.1 Faculty of Law Preparation and Infrastructure and 12.2 Faculty of Medicine Implementation Information Systems 12.3 Faculty of Science 10.2 University Infrastructure 11.2 Masaryk University 12.4 Faculty of Arts and Facilities Information System 12.5 Faculty of Education 10.3 Accommodation Infrastructure 12.6 Faculty of Economics and and Catering Services Administration 10.4 Building Management and 12.7 Faculty of Informatics Operation Efficiency 12.8 Faculty of Social Studies 10.5 Financial Balance Sheet for 2018 12.9 Faculty of Sports Studies 10.6 University Budgeting 12.10 Central European Institute of 10.7 Internal Control System Technology 10.8 Masaryk University Archives 12.11 Institute of Computer Science 10.9 Providing Information MU Organizational Structure List of Abbreviations 112–113 114–115 Foreword The institutional history of universities generally moves The conditions for doctoral studies improved signifi- at an uneven pace. The period of major changes, initiated cantly in 2018. In the context of a nationwide debate, the by the revision of the Higher Education Act in 2017 with university increased its scholarships for internal doctoral changes in internal legislation in the area of studies and students beyond the amount subsidised by the state, and quality management, continued in 2018 by introducing a the scholarship has reached a minimum of 12,000 crowns. new study offer to university life. However, the actual amount of scholarships provided to Obtaining institutional accreditation brought a signif- doctoral students is significantly higher at our university’s icant increase in the university’s autonomy in the area of faculties. implementing study programmes, and the new university Another positive signal of the university's increasing body with final responsibility for quality - the Board of In- competitiveness is the fact that a growing proportion of ternal Evaluation of MU - could fully demonstrate its role. I our scientific production is being published in the most am convinced that it is performing well above expectations. prestigious magazines and the proportion of publications Compared to the former national accreditation commission, created in cooperation with international colleagues is also the Board is more demanding, but its decision-making is on the rise. Repeated success in obtaining prestigious, par- based on fair and confidential knowledge of the matter un- ticularly ERC, grants illustrates that the university is on der consideration. Fears that intra-university solidarity the path to international excellence. could influence the judgement of Board members proved 2018 was also a successful year for the university in the to be unfounded. On the contrary, personal interest in the area of investment development. We managed to complete quality of the university as a whole leads to diligence in the long-term reconstruction of the MU Faculty of Arts, approving new and transformed study programmes. The and after several years of funding shortfall from European new design of the studies will be tested for the first time funds, another project to complete the university campus by students in the 2019/2020 academic year. was launched, namely the Simulation Center of the Faculty A controlled decline in the number of university stu- of Medicine, which will represent a majestic entry into the dents continued in 2018, albeit at a more moderate pace entire complex in the future. than in the past, while simultaneously improving the basic In the year of the centenary of the establishment of indicator of study quality reflected by international rank- the Czechoslovak Republic, the university was engaged ings - the number of students per teacher. Compared to in intense preparation for its own centenary, which it cel- 44,000 students in 2011, the number dropped to less than ebrates in 2019, reviewing its scientific and educational 32,000; the number of students per teacher declined from development and much more. The change in its visual style, 28 to 19. At the same time, the proportion of students com- the preparation of scientific and popularising publications ing from abroad is increasing, even if we exclude students related to the foundation of the university and devising the from Slovakia, the numbers of which have been growing varied programme of the celebrations filled the past year only slightly. The number of students per teacher and the in the area of external relations. degree of internationalisation of the student population I would like to extend my thanks to our employees and are, in international comparisons, basic indicators of the students for all these achievements. I wish the university quality of education, which means that the current de- all the best in the year which marks its centenary. velopment will, although with some delay caused by the ranking methodology, certainly be reflected in the future Mikuláš Bek position of our university in global competition. Rector 5 Masaryk University’s mission is to create and disseminate knowledge, thus enhancing the quality of life and fostering cultural growth in the community. This mission stems from the university’s founding values. Masaryk University's Mission, Values and Vision Our Values Our Vision Since its founding following the establishment of the In 2020, Masaryk University will be: Czechoslovak Republic, Masaryk University has always — a university with a better position among world uni- respected and professed values reflecting the republican versities, measured using quality and performance and democratic ethos of that initial period. To this day, such indicators in world university rankings, values form the basis of its internal culture and are widely — a respected research university boasting of inter- embraced by the academic community. These values are: nationally renowned research teams, clearly defined research priorities and interdisciplinary topics, — Freedom, respected and defended as the governing — a university offering a valuable higher education principle of the inner workings of the university in based on a stable and universal foundation com- terms of the academic freedom of teaching and research, prised of both social and natural sciences, freedoms such as a students’ right to design their own — a university whose comprehensive offer of educa- curricula, freedom as the principle of institutional au- tion reflects technological developments and chang- tonomy exercised by the university towards the state, es, a university which is thus perceived as a leader in and – last but not least – freedom as a social imperative. Czech higher education, — Respect for rules ensuring equal opportunities and — a university which functions as a role model in both transparency regarding the functioning of the insti- national and international contexts with respect to tution, as manifested e.g. by internal administrative facilitating access