Palacký University Olomouc

Olomouc is home to the hallowed halls of Palacký University (UP) and to 22 secondary schools of various kinds. Founded in 1573, Palacký University is the Czech Republic’s second oldest university. The university currently has eight faculties and 23 000 students, making it one of the most important Czech universities and the largest educational establishment in Central Moravia. UP is an internationally recognised European learning centre with high academic performance. One of the best Czech universities, it has quickly risen through the rankings of the world’s top universities. In addition to its scientific and research output, UP is highly appraised for the excellent skills and versatility of the alumni, its top percentile of cited papers and patents, as well as level of internationalisation, social responsibility and sustainable development. UP is proud of its scientific research centres (see the chapter University Town) that employ recognised international teams and create hundreds of qualified jobs. The public is invited to its unique, interactive science museum, Fort Science, visited by about a hundred thousand people a year. The university’s activities, foreign contacts, and participation in international projects all contribute to the fact that Olomouc is becoming one of the Czech Republic’s most vibrant, multicultural and globally recognized venues for great events.

Palacký University is what makes Olomouc a university town, as the students increase the city’s total population by more than 20 %. University buildings, ancient and modern, contribute to the captivating nature of the Haná region’s metropolis. UP brings experts recognized by the international scientific and research community to town on a regular basis. Thousands of visitors from the Czech Republic and abroad are attracted by the numerous events organised by UP, e.g. the Academia Film Olomouc festival of popular science films, PAF – a film animation and contemporary art show, ‘Majáles’ – the student May festival, and hundreds of conferences. UP also involves townspeople – a number of events liven up more than just the city centre and parks.

Palacký University Olomouc’s unique information centre and shop UPoint, located on the Upper Square, not only provides tourists and visitors with information about the city, but also offers its own UniWearCity fashion collection and souvenirs. Uni t(r)ips, the interactive web guide, may be used for tours of interesting university sites. The UP Career Centre assists students at the start of their job careers. The UP Endowment Fund develops inventive research projects of young scientific talents via funds raised by donation. UP has been fulfilling its civic role for instance via the UniON Civic University outreach project, within which UP students and teachers organise presentations and educational lectures, and via the Euforka project.

UP has consistently scored high in international rankings of prestigious universities, which evaluate not only the scientific output of universities, but also teaching quality and the degree of internationalisation. UP has been ranked by Times Higher Education (THE) among Europe’s top 300 universities in 2016–2017, and in 2018 among the top 10 universities of the ‘New Europe’. Since 2016, UP has also appeared in the prestigious QS World University Rankings, and since 2017 in the ARWU Shanghai Ranking; it also has an excellent position in the QS Emerging Europe and Central Asia Ranking).

International cooperation is developed by the Merrill Program, which allows students to study in the USA. PhD students and researchers make use of the Fulbright Program. Study trips to Europe are supported from the Erasmus+ Programme. Exchanges of students and scientists are supported by more than a hundred agreements of cooperation, offering study stays in Japan, USA, China and numerous countries of South America and the EU.

In 2019, UP received the prestigious European Association for International Education Award for outstanding results in internationalisation and the Czech National Award for Social Responsibility. Since 2020, UP has been a member of the European Aurora Alliance, working on projects focusing on sustainability and social responsibility. In 2021, UP won the prestigious HR Award for the quality of care regarding human resources in science and research, awarded by the European Commission, and has established a post of Sustainable Development Coordinator. In 2023, the UP Science and Technology Park opened Envelopa Hub, with facilities for companies focusing on optics, healthcare, new materials, and IT. Envelopa Hub received the prestigious 2023 Entrepreneurial Project of the Year award. Prospective students are invited to visit the website Univerzitní město (University Town).

Students and academic and research workers at Palacký University Olomouc in the 2023/2024 academic year

Faculty Number of students Number of academic and research workers
Total 23 229 2 659*

* the Total also includes academic and scientific staff at the Rector’s Office and other parts of Palacký University Source: Palacký University Olomouc

Moravian College of Olomouc

Moravian College of Olomouc (MVŠO) was founded in 2005, and it is currently an established private college providing economic training, primarily in the Olomouc Region. A public benefit corporation, its goal is to educate the necessary managerial and economic professionals for the region. MVŠO offers a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programme in Economics and Management, in full-time and combined form. Both the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes also allow profiling, giving students a possibility to specialise in a specific topic. The fields of study are vocationally oriented. The college also offers a possibility to study the accredited programme Economics and Management in English. The college has been included on the National List of Scientific Institutions, issues its own impact journal EMI, organises the International Days of Science conference, mediates studies abroad under the Erasmus+ programme, and brings added value to the region through enterprise and CSR projects that interconnect science, research, and practice in the Olomouc-based BEA Centre. The college also houses the Czech-Israeli Innovations and Partnership Centre (CCIIP), the Regional Centre for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship (KCPP), and the Business Platform comprising start-up entrepreneurs as well as experienced businesspeople. MVŠO was attended by 394 students in May 2024; and in 2023, 99% of its alumni found jobs or continued further studies.