Around a dozen international scholars and researchers from CZU met on Sunday 30th May for a visit to Průhonice Park. This was one of the first opportunities to meet in person since the support network for international colleagues was initiated last year, and the group took full advantage. Most of the group had only previously met online and for many of them, it was a rare opportunity to get to know others from outside of their departments. Luckily the sun came out, and walking and chatting in the spring sunshine made a nice change from winter evenings on Microsoft Teams!
The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 250 hectares of land just Southeast of Prague (only 15 minutes by bus). It was designed and created as a dedicated landscape garden in 1885 by Count Arnošt Emanuel Silva-Tarouca and is now owned and operated by the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences. It is host to around 1800 species of local and exotic plants, including 8000 rhododendrons which bloom throughout spring. Its botanical garden contains unique collections of irises, peonies, roses and lilies, and the park contains over 25km of walking routes. The visit only scratched the surface of what the park can offer.
The group of international scholars and researchers has been meeting regularly online since November 2020. Future trips are planned, including to the university’s chateau in Kostelec nad Černymi lesy and vineyards in Mělník. New international colleagues are arriving all the time!
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The authors of the article are Mrs Mirka Perst, J.D., MBA, the Manager of Welcome Services for International Scholars and Daniel Swain Rosenhaft