Masaryk University Welcoming letter Autumn 2012/Spring 2013
Masaryk University Office for International Studies • Komenského nám. 2 • 602 00 Brno • Czech Republic Phone: +420 54949 7785 • Fax: +420 54949 1113 E-mail: [email protected] • http://ois.muni.cz
We are pleased that you have been nominated by your home university for exchange studies at Masaryk University in 2012/2013 academic year.
Find below further important information concerning your studies at Masaryk University as an exchange student:
A) Application process for exchange programs B) Visa information C) Course on-line registration D) Academic calendar E) Accommodation booking deposit and orientation week payment F) The City of Brno and how to get to Brno? G) Communication and timeline H) OIS Contact details
A) Application process for exchange programs at MU
First step: On-line application All incoming exchange students are supposed to fill out our on-line application form which is available on-line at https://isois.ois.muni.cz/application/index.php. An electronic copy of our on-line application will be automatically e-mailed to your e-mail address after the application is submitted. The print-out of this application has to be signed by you as well as your home institution coordinator. If you have already done this initial step it is not necessary to do it again. Within the on-line application you will also do: 1) MU halls of residence initial room reservation (tentative) 2) Indication of involvement in buddy (tutor) program (tentative)
Second step: Completion of application package The whole application package has to include (all parts are compulsory)
A print-out of MU on-line application dully signed by a student as well as home university international office representative (with indication of student’s interested in on campus accommodation). Original official academic transcript showing previous university studies and grades received A copy of the photo page of student’s passport A confirmation of English language skills for non-English native speakers (language certificate or confirmation from home institution) - A list of course choices (if not included in MU on-line application)
1 Consequently, the completed application package has to be e-mailed to Office for International Studies to [email protected]. The scanned copy has to reach Office for International Studies before May 15th, 2012.
Masaryk University will review the application and the approved students will be provided with the letter of acceptance (sent by regular mail to your postal address you entered to our on-line application (or directly to your home institution if required).
B) Visa information
Documents for visa provided by Masaryk University: Having received the application package the from your home institution and having made the decision on acceptance, Office for International Office will issue a document written in Czech confirming the purpose of your stay (studies) in the Czech Republic and a document confirming accommodation - both for visa purposes. Document confirming the purpose of stay will confirm the whole duration of the semester/academic year and will be sent by regular slow mail to your postal address you entered to our on-line application (or directly to your home institution if required). Make sure you entered correct postal address into our on-line application. This visa document has to be turned in with your visa application towards the Czech Embassy/Consulate General.
The document confirmation the accommodation at MU halls of residence will be sent electronically to the Embassy where student submits the visa application.
FYI: The postal address of your dormitory will be Koleje Vinarska, Vinarska 5, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic. The letter confirming the purpose of stay for visa purposes confirms your stay at Masaryk University for the whole duration of the semester (see details in academic calendar table).
Student responsibility regarding visa application As processing of visa takes several months, usually up to 2 months, it is highly advisable to turn in the visa application immediately after you collect all required documents. All international students who are not citizens of the European Union are obliged to apply for visa and get it stamped to passport before arriving to the Czech Republic. Students apply for long-term visa for the purpose of study in the Czech Republic (in case a semester-long program) or for long-term residence permit for the purpose of study in the Czech Republic (in case two-semester-long program).
Visa application – visa application procedure is described in detail on web pages of the Czech Embassy or Consulate General of the Czech Republic in your country. See following link for a list of Czech mission abroad http://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/diplomatic_missions/czech_missions_abroad/index.html.
In case you need general information about Czech long-stay visa/residence permit procedure please see http://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/long_stay_visa/index.html for visa and/or http://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/long_term_residence_permit/index.html (for the long- term residence permit).
Travel Medical Insurance –all students coming on long-term visa/long-term permit are required to purchase a health travel insurance plan which complies with Czech Republic visa requirements (see box Travel Medical Insurance)
Travel Medical Insurance Applicants for Czech long-term visa have to adhere to specific criteria concerning the travel health insurance which is one of visa requirements (see http://www.mzv.cz/jnp/en/information_for_aliens/general_visa_information/travel_medical_insurance.html). Travel medical insurance must cover the cost of emergency medical care, including medical evacuation or, in the event of death, repatriation of remains to the country that has issued the applicant’s travel document or to the applicant’s country of residence. The insurance policy must not exclude coverage for injuries and damage caused by the applicant’s intentional acts, injuries and damage caused by fault or contributory fault on the part of the applicant, and injuries and damage caused by the consumption of alcohol, narcotic and psychotropic
2 substances by the applicant. The minimum coverage is EUR 60 000 per one insured event without any coinsurance or copayment. Travel medical insurance may be purchased from:
A) An insurance company licensed to sell such insurance in the Czech Republic (see below) B) An insurance company licensed to sell such insurance in any other Member State of the European Union, ect. (It is necessary to get all documents translated in Czech – see details below). C) An insurance company licensed to sell such insurance in the country that has issued the applicant’s travel document or in the applicant’s country of residence. (It is necessary to get all documents translated in Czech – see details below).
Translations into Czech: The proof of travel medical insurance must be accompanied by a certified Czech translation of the insurance policy and general insurance terms and conditions, proving the existence of travel medical insurance, the scope of coverage, the amount of coverage (at least EUR 60 000), and proving that there is no coinsurance or copayment. The applicant may be requested to present proof of insurance covering the entire period of stay in the Czech Republic. Before you apply for the travel medical insurance with the insurance company please get in touch with the Czech Embassy or Czech Consulate General in your country to find out more about the visa application policy and their medical insurance requirements for visa issuing
Czech insurance companies licensed to sell such insurance in the Czech Republic offering travel medical insurance Insurance company Web in English Payment Maxima http://www.maxima-as.cz/?language=en (go for Insurance Online menu) On-line payment PVZP http://www.pvzp.cz/en/ Money transfer SLAVIA http://foreigners.cz/insurance.php Money transfer UNIQA http://www.uniqa.cz/uniqa_cz/cms/privat/foreignes/index.jsp Money transfer Victoria Volksbanken http://www.victoria.cz/index.php?id=engldoktor00000201 Money transfer
C) Course on-line registration
Lists of courses offered by MU faculties (schools) are available at http://czs.muni.cz/en/in/students/studies/cofl. In case there is no updated list for the particular semester you will study at Masaryk, please take into consideration the courses available there from current semesters. Most of them will be offered in following semesters, too. The on-line registration for courses will be open in July-August 2012 and the actual valid list of courses will be released prior the registration opening. As the registration for courses at Masaryk works through on-line enrollment all international students receive a course registration package by regular post in the course of November 2012. It contains login details to MU Information System that is a tool for course on-line registration.
D) 2012/2013 Academic Calendar Autumn semester 2012 Spring semester 2013 Official Arrival Date: September 8-9, 2012 February 9-10, 2013 Orientation week September 10-16, 2012 February 11-17, 2013 Formal Registration at MU September 10, 2012 February 11, 2013 Classes Begins September 17, 2012 February 18, 2013 Classes Ends December 21, 2012 May 17, 2013 January 2 – February 8, Examination Period May 20 – July 4, 2013 2012 Exams may be set for earlier, for the autumn semester before Christmas 2012. For the spring semester 2013 within the first week of examination period Vacation Period N/A July – August 2013 September 8, 2012 - Period for visa confirmation February 9- July 4, 2013 February 8, 2013
3 E) Accommodation booking deposit and orientation week payment.
Two months before your arrival date to Brno we will provide you with more details on an on-line payment of the MU halls of residence booking deposit. You will be also able to place your room on-line assignment. The booking deposit is worth CZK 1,000 and it is due before your arrival to Brno. Additionally, students interested in participation in MU Orientation week will pay the OW fee on-line. The OW fee is app. CZK 900. (Students from University of Chattanooga, Kansai Gandai University are waived paying the OW fee).
F) The City of Brno and how to get to Brno?
The Czech Republic and Brno itself have local specification such as weather, local habits, cuisine and different system for electric appliances. Please consult Guide for International Students for more details. The Guide is available http://czs.muni.cz/en/in/students/studies/doc-to- dnload. Brno international airport was only opened in 2005 So far it offers links to Prague, London, and Moscow; soon more ports to be introduced. If you arrive in Brno by air, you can go by bus no. 76 to the centre of the city, or take a taxi to the university residences. However, Brno is located in proximity of two important transportation hubs, Prague and Vienna. How to get to Brno Brno international airport was only opened in 2005 So far it offers links to Prague, London, and Moscow; soon more ports to be introduced. If you arrive in Brno by air, you can go by bus no. 76 to the centre of the city, or take a taxi to the university residences. However, Brno is located in proximity of two important transportation hubs, Prague and Vienna.
From Prague - Take the Student Agency Express bus. There is a ticket office at Terminal 1 in Prague, or you can buy your ticket in advance and pay by credit card at http://jizdenky.studentagency.cz/Booking
- Take the train from Prague to Brno, in this case, you need to take the city shuttle bus to get to the centre and then take the underground (metro) to get to the train station. There are two possible train stations: Praha hlavni nadrazi, and Praha-Holesovice, you can check the train schedule on-line at http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlakyautobusy/spojeni
From Vienna - Take the Student Agency Express bus from Vienna Airport to Brno. There is no ticket office at the airport, however can buy your ticket in advance and pay by credit card at http://jizdenky.studentagency.cz/Booking
If you are taking the train from Vienna to Brno, then you need to take the bus from Vienna airport to the train station, take the bus that takes you to (Wien Meidling) From there, you can take a direct train to Brno main station (Brno hl.n.). To check the train schedule from Vienna to Brno, go to http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlakyautobusy/spojeni. The trip takes around 1.5 hours.
If both cases (bus or train) from either Prague or Vienna, you will reach the same destination in Brno, that is Brno main station (in Czech: Brno hlavni nadrazi), from there, you could either take a taxi to Vinarska residence (it would cost you a maximum of 400 CZK - approx. 15 EUR), or you can ask your tutor- buddy to wait for you there to lead the way to Vinarska.
For further information concerning Brno and the Czech Republic, please look at some of the following links: General Information on the CR: Czech Republic at Wikipedia - Czech Republic Tourism – www.czechtourism.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic Czech Republic Travel – www.discoverczech.com Czech Republic website – www.czech.cz Czech and foreign authorities in the CR: European Travel Commission – Foreign Missions in the Czech Republic www.visiteurope.com/home.aspx http://www.mzv.cz Trains and Buses - Czech Embassies Abroad - http://www.mzv.cz http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlakyautobusy/spojeni Czech Weather Forecast - www.chmi.cz/indexe.html General information on Brno and its sites of interest or The Prague Post - www.praguepost.com culture Local time in the Czech Republic - Brno Philharmonic – www.sfb.cz www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=204 Brno Transit website – www.dpmb.cz Official Brno website – www.brno.cz
4 Brno website – www.brno.me Brno at at Wikipedia - BrnoPolis – www.brnopolis.eu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brno Brno Expat Cetre - http://www.brnoexpatcentre.eu Brno Cultural Centre – www.kultura-brno.cz Other places Brno Touristic Centre – www.ticbrno.cz Accommodation www.continentalbrno.cz Daily Guide to Brno for smart people – Špilberk Castle www.spilberk.cz/?lang=en http://brnonow.com Mendel’s Museum Moravian Museum – www.mzm.cz/Default-en.htm http://www.mendelmuseum.muni.cz/en National Theatre Brno – www.ndbrno.cz/en Museum of Roma Culture Moravian Gallery - www.moravska-galerie.cz/en http://www.rommuz.cz/index.php?lang=en Moravian Museum - www.mzm.cz/Default-en.htm Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape Brno ZOO - www.zoobrno.cz/en http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lednice%E2%80%93Va Villa Tugendhat - www.tugendhat-villa.cz ltice_Cultural_Landscape Virtual Brno (on-line tours) – www.south- moravia.info/virtual-tours/?id=255 Information on the Local Host: Masaryk University official page - www.muni.cz American Corner - Info USA Brno - www.mzk.cz/eng/studovny/americka/index.php Office for International Studies of MU - http://ois.muni.cz International Students Club at MU - http://isc.muni.cz
G) Communication and time line
Communication timeline: 1) May 15, 2012 – print out of MU on-line application is due 2) June 2012 – approved student receives the first package with the official letter of acceptance, the confirmation for long-term visa/permanent stay for the study purpose in the Czech Republic (it has to be enclosed to visa application) by regular post. The document confirming accommodation will be sent to the Czech Embassy/ Consulate General by Office for International Studies). 3) Having received the package, the student turns in the long-term visa/permanent stay application at the the Czech Embassy/Consulate General. 4) July/August 2012 – Office for International office sends the registration package by regular mail. It contains login details to Information system of Masaryk University, MU academic calendar overview and also other important information about course registration and grading system. 5) August/September 2012 – Student receives instructions on accommodation booking deposit payment and room assignment by email. The payment will be due in August/September 2012. 6) Late August/September 2012- Pre-arrival instructions are emailed to students 7) September – student’s arrival to Brno
H) OIS Contact details Should you have any further requests feel free to contact me by any channel below!
Mr Martin VASEK Skype: ois.muni.cz Office for International Studies http://ois.muni.cz, http://czs.muni.cz Masaryk University Facebook: Komenského nám. 2 http://www.facebook.com/MasarykUniversityExchange 602 00 Brno Students Czech Republic Office Hours Phone: +420 549 49 7785 Mon 12:00-14:00 Cell: 00420 777 128 339 Wed 12:00-15:00 Fax: +420 549 49 1113 Tue, Fri 9:00-11:00 E-mail: [email protected] Thu 13:00-15:00
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