Liberec, Prague, Czech Republic

Visegrád Countries in the Context of Current European Crisis

when 3 August 2020 - 14 August 2020
language English
duration 2 weeks
credits 5 EC
fee EUR 450

At the beginning of the program, students participate in an intensive introduction to Czech culture as well as the orientation at the university and the city of Liberec. The programme explains the whole Visegrád Group, with particular focus on the Czech Republic, from the interdisciplinary point of view, where students will gain a deeper understanding of the key topics of Central European history and culture. The knowledge will be framed in the context of current European crisis. This mix should help the students to obtain an interdisciplinary perspective of CE society and cultures. Speakers od 4 nationalities with various backgrounds will offer the lectures on geography, history, art, media studies, political studies.
Field Trips are academically interlinked with in-class sessions and are designed to provide better understanding of the discussed issues. The program lecturers guide all of the following trips: Prague, Dresden and Wroclaw.
The programme will be based on geographical disciplines, as geography is the cross-cutting scientific field. The whole programme will be based upon combination of classical tuition in classrooms combined with field trips.
Students will during this summer school experience at least the following:
• Visit 3 countries: Czech Republic, Poland and Germany
• Attend following cities, where they will have an occasion to spend also some spared time: Prague, Dresden and Wroclaw
• Czech Republic is very safe and affordable country with low living expenses

Course leader

Hynek Böhm, Ph.D., Academic Coordinator (e-mail: hynek.bohm@tul.cz, phone: +420 775 297 415)

Target group

Applicants must be undergraduate (Bachelor) students or major students with an interest in spending two interdisciplinary weeks in three countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

Course aim

The goal of the program is to provide the students with an intensive interdisciplinary insight – based on the mix of geography, political science and history, into Central European history, culture and society. Particular goal of the programme is to make them familiar with post-communist countries, which create Visegrád Group – Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
The curriculum was designed to provide a unique academic experience: covering key topics of present and past of the Visegrád countries and Europe as the whole, Central European history, and present day challenges in the context of current EU crisis deepened by Brexit and rise of illiberal democracies. It also makes possible cultural immersion through extracurricular activities including many field trips. Students are also integrated into the campus through numerous events, walking trips, fun and sports activities. A prolonged free weekend in the middle of the course enables student to make individual trips.

Fee info

EUR 450: The tuition fee includes:
course fee
accommodation in double rooms in Liberec and also during all field trips
all reading materials
excursions and site visits including transport
welcome and farewell drinks
certificate of attendance
credit students are entitled to receive their transcript of records
orientation and non-stop assistance

The application fee 420 EUR applies for the early bird registration until 31 March 2020.