On Monday and Tuesday, April 20th and 21st, we had the pleasure of welcoming a delegation from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) to our Prague campus. The visiting group included both researchers and representatives from the SGGW Welcome Centre, eager to share experiences and learn about our approach to internationalization.
Exchanging Know-How at EURAXESS
The visit kicked off on Monday with a deep dive into support services for international academics. The colleagues from the SGGW Welcome Centre visited our EURAXESS point, bringing many insightful questions.
Rainy Campus Tour
While the famously unpredictable Prague spring generously watered our campus, it certainly couldn't dampen the warm atmosphere of the visit. Our colleague from the International Relations Office, Lubomír Majerník, introduced the CZU and guided the delegation around the university grounds. The tour included a stop at our greenhouse (many thanks to Zdislava Procházková for showing us around).
This was followed by visits to the Welcome Centre and the university brewery. We are very grateful to Pavel Braný and Tomáš Vaško for showing us around the brewery, where we brewed up some great conversations. We also visited the Food Pavilion, and we are very grateful to Catherine Portway for her excellent guidance.
The day concluded at the Na Farmě Restaurant with a networking dinner. Several international researchers currently working at CZU joined the group, allowing everyone to establish valuable new contacts. This created a fantastic atmosphere and the perfect environment to wrap up the day's discussions.
Presentations and Shared Insights
The second day featured engaging presentations by our guests. We also spent some time presenting our Welcome Centre for International Scholars, which sparked a lot of great questions and discussion. Furthermore, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to Lukáš Pacek, Jiří Hájek, and Petra Chaloupková, who shared their valuable insights and experiences regarding international cooperation and the integration of foreign academics.
A highly valued part of Tuesday's schedule was the opportunity to speak directly with our international community. The guests had an open Q&A session with our PhD students, including students from Cameroon, Ghana, and Czechia, allowing them to ask straightforward questions about the experiences of both foreigners and locals at our university. They discussed what we are doing well to cultivate a friendly environment and where we still have room to grow.
A Final Word of Thanks
And finally, just in case we haven't said "thank you" quite enough throughout this article, we want to extend an enormous thank you to our Polish friends and colleagues from SGGW for their visit. It was an absolute pleasure hosting you, sharing ideas, and learning from each other, and we look forward to many more fruitful collaborations in the future!