Charles University

Charles University was founded on the 7th of April 1348 by a charter of Charles IV, King of the Romans and of Bohemia. In this way one of the three great ideas of Christian medieval times ? universitas ? was fulfilled. Thanks to Charles? foresight and his good relations with Pope Clement VI, the newly founded university had four faculties ? theological, legal, medical and arts ? a pattern which corresponded to medieval concepts of a complete university. The university was based on the Sorbonne model and it is the oldest university in Central Europe.

Over the centuries, as with all other universities, Charles University has experienced periods of great success, and times of trouble and decline. Our Alma Mater, founded by Charles IV in the hope that it would serve the nation forever, is now a leading educational and scholarly institution that remains true to its ancient traditions. Its seventeen faculties educate over 42,000 students; teaching and research is carried out by hundreds of specialists in the various disciplines, from humanities to medicine and natural sciences. The prime purpose of Charles University is the diffusion of learning and protection of acquired knowledge, the cultivation of free thought, independent academic research and the arts, and the encouragement of the free creative spirit of human society.

The history of Charles University, a living and ever-changing organism, is being written by thousands of its members, with due respect for the traditions of the university and in a way that reflects the needs of the society and the development of science and culture.

Today, Charles University is a member of many international organizations and university networks, such as: EAIE (European Association for International Education), UNICA (Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe), DCR (Danube Rectors Conference), IMHE (OECD ? Institutional Management in Higher Education), IAU (International Association of Universities), EUA (European University Association), the Coimbra Group and the Europaeum Common Fund.

Charles University has exchange and collaborative links with institutions of higher education worldwide. It has a growing network of partnerships with universities and colleges around the world, supporting student and academic staff exchange, work on joint courses and collaborative research. Independent research and expansion of educational resources are carried out via the universities doctoral study programmes. The majority of these programmes are organized in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Based on a general agreement, new specialized research centres have been established (e.g. Centre for Theoretical Studies, Centre for Medieval Studies, and Centre for Biblical Studies). Charles University has also worked in cooperation with institutes of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic (e.g. National Institute of Public Health, Institute of Rheumatology, and Institute of Endocrinology).