The Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) hosted a delegation of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT) on Wednesday, 28 January. The delegation, representing 19 Thai universities and composed of presidents, vice-presidents and assistants to presidents, visited CZU as part of their study tour of the Czech Republic, with the aim of strengthening cooperation with Czech higher education institutions.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Rectorate’s international relations office as well as delegates from several CZU faculties. The programme opened with a presentation of CZU, followed by an overview of the university’s existing cooperation with Thailand. This was presented in detail by Petra Chaloupková, Vice-Dean for International Relations at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, who highlighted the faculty’s long-term and systematic engagement in Southeast Asia .
The Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences has been cooperating with Thai universities for more than a decade, both in education and through international projects and academic mobility schemes. Key partner institutions include Prince of Songkla University, Kasetsart University, Chiang Mai University and Khon Kaen University, with whom CZU has implemented a number of Erasmus Mundus and Erasmus+ projects focused on higher education development and academic exchange.
A flagship example of the current cooperation is the joint double degree master’s programme “Agricultural Development – International Development and Agricultural Economics”, delivered in partnership with Prince of Songkla University. Students complete the first year of study at CZU in Prague and the second year in Thailand, and upon successful completion, receive degrees from both institutions.
CZU has also demonstrated strong and consistent success in the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (KA171) programme. In recent years, the number of incoming and outgoing student and staff mobilities between CZU and its Thai partners has steadily increased, with additional projects currently under preparation. The cooperation is further complemented by summer schools, joint study modules and Erasmus+ capacity-building projects, which contribute to strengthening institutional partnerships.
As part of her presentation, Vice-Dean Chaloupková also shared a personal reflection on receiving an award from the Princess of the Kingdom of Thailand for her contribution to cooperation with Thai institutions, describing it as a powerful experience and a highlight of her career in international relations.
The visit also included the formal handover of the extension of the Memorandum of Cooperation with Prince of Songkla University. The subsequent informal discussion confirmed the strong interest of the Thai delegation in further expanding cooperation with CZU, including engagement with additional faculties and new areas of joint activity.
