As Radio Prague notes, the number of study programs at Prague universities is growing, but filling lecture halls is far from smooth—many Czech universities complain of under-enrollment in certain fields, mainly humanities. According to experts, the reasons for the shortage of students are demographic problems, as well as the migration of young people to other European countries for education at Western universities and broader employment prospects.
The way out of this situation is to attract foreign youth, who are not only ready to take up vacant places at universities and colleges but also to later fill the shortage of personnel on the labor market.
Every year, a huge number of students from former Soviet countries arrive in the Czech Republic. The attractiveness of this destination has persisted for several years. The main advantages here are the closeness of the languages, which facilitates the learning process, and the price: in Czech, students from any country can study for free. The main thing is to get into a university and successfully confirm knowledge of the language in a corresponding exam.
Most students study the language at specialized courses after arriving in the Czech Republic. However, some prefer to learn the basics of this Slavic language in advance to increase their chances of successful admission.
Vyacheslav is 25 years old, born in Perm, lived there his whole life, and graduated from a secondary school. Shortly before finishing high school, his parents suggested he go study in the Czech Republic. The future Prague student enthusiastically accepted his parents' proposal and began studying Czech two years before enrollment.
"My decision to move to the Czech Republic was not accidental; I prepared for it a couple of years before finishing school, started learning Czech. It all began with a short conversation with my parents—they suggested I study in Europe, and I readily agreed. My parents' position and the mindset they tried to instill in me is that a person should always 'look beyond the fence,' so to speak, to develop and move forward. I accepted my parents' proposal and decided that the opportunity to study in Europe, to see how people live there, is good experience, and I have an excellent chance to gain it."
Now Vyacheslav is studying at the Metropolitan University Prague, has already completed a bachelor's degree in International Relations, and is currently writing his master's thesis. Studies fill almost his entire day; Vyacheslav has little free time, and even this interview has to be conducted during a break between classes in the student cafeteria.
Vyacheslav enjoys his studies, especially because the Czech education system, in his words, develops independence and the ability to take initiative: "In the Czech Republic, if a person cannot organize themselves in time, show discipline and independence, no one will run after them. It all comes down to a specific decision that you make yourself: either you do it or you don't."
Vyacheslav will finish his university studies next year and plans to stay in Prague for some time. Later, he will most likely go somewhere else, because a European diploma will allow him to get a job not only in the Czech Republic but also in other EU countries. The pace of life in Prague, according to Vyacheslav, is "too relaxing," and he wants something a bit different.
"Overall, my impressions of life in Prague are quite mixed; I don't have a definite answer to whether I like living here or not. I am certainly attracted by the beauty of Prague, its architecture. On the other hand, I have always been drawn to megacities, capitals. Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic, but I feel a lack of some rhythm of life, intensity; it feels like people here are in no hurry."
However, many, on the contrary, find the unhurried pace of life in the Czech Republic most suitable for them. For example, Vasilina, 24, originally from Krasnoyarsk and a journalism student at the Anglo-American University in Prague, enjoys the relaxed pace of her stay in Prague.
"I like that in the Czech Republic, even during the work week, you can meet people relaxing in the park, drinking wine or beer on a terrace. People here are in no hurry; they know how to relax. I myself am a person who does not like fuss and haste."
Previously, Vasilina lived in France, in Bordeaux. She studied at a French university, but her studies were not very successful. Vasilina did not like the curriculum, did not like the language of instruction, and often faced everyday problems and misunderstanding from locals simply because she was a foreigner. After visiting the Czech Republic several times, Vasilina realized that the unhurried lifestyle in the Czech capital suits her much better. The girl decided to give Europe a second chance and moved to Prague. There are many reasons for this; Vasilina mainly highlights the atmosphere, convenience of life, and safety as key motives for moving to the Czech Republic.
"I like that my current university has many international students; everyone is on equal footing, no one is an outsider because of their citizenship. This has a positive effect on the learning process, helps to find common ground with classmates, and socialize. In France, I was almost the only foreigner at my university, and French students treated me with some distrust, as an outsider. Another advantage of the Czech Republic is safety: in three years of living here, no one has ever harassed me on the street, been rude, or tried to attack me. In France, all this happened repeatedly. Also worth noting is the Czech public transport, very convenient and cheap. I have been to many countries, but I have not seen such a convenient transport system anywhere."
Vasilina does not make plans for the future – whatever will be, will be. If after graduating from university she is lucky enough to find a suitable job in the Czech Republic, she will gladly stay here. "I don't want to make plans for the future – if I manage to find an interesting job, I will stay here. I like it in the Czech Republic, I have friends here, a boyfriend, I have pets. I like the realization that my diploma allows me to find a job or continue my studies abroad in the future; it really frees my hands and simplifies administrative issues."
However, one should not think that Czech higher education attracts only Russian-speaking students. Prague's universities have many students from all over the world, including from Western Europe and the USA. Western students are attracted by the experience of living in a new country, low tuition fees, and the worldwide recognition of Czech diplomas.
27-year-old American student Daniel, from the Faculty of International Security at Charles University in Prague, highlights another feature of studying in the Czech Republic, namely the interesting experience of encountering different cultures: "Undoubtedly, studying in the Czech Republic is a very valuable experience. Obviously, Charles University is very prestigious, and the quality of education and teaching can be called outstanding. However, beyond all that, outside the university classrooms we are surrounded by a country that historically lies at the crossroads of Western and Eastern Europe and is full not only of Czech and Slovak students but also foreigners who came to study from the USA, Canada, Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the Balkan countries. We all study international relations together, and everyone brings their own vision, their own point of view to the learning process, and this is something you cannot get just by attending lectures; you need to communicate with each other."
Daniel ended up in the Czech Republic by chance. After graduating from a university in the USA with a degree in German studies, he decided to work a bit outside America, planned to go to Asia, but at the last moment chose the Czech Republic. Like Vasilina, he took a liking to the rhythm of life in Prague and decided to try to stay.
"I was looking for a job as an English teacher abroad; I really wanted that. At first I planned to go to Asia, but I chose the Czech Republic. I worked as a teacher in Prague for about a year and gained good experience, but I also realized that it was time to move on, look for career growth prospects, maybe change my field of work. At the same time, I was enjoying life in Prague and felt that I wanted to continue living here. So I went online, searched a bit, and found an English-language program in international security at Charles University. I applied, and a couple of years later I am finishing my master's degree."
Daniel does not undertake to compare the learning process in the USA and the Czech Republic, because in the USA he studied at a small college far from the city, and now he studies at a huge university in the center of the capital. Moving to the Czech Republic did not cause Daniel discomfort, but helped him look at many things in a new way. As befits a student of the Faculty of International Security, Daniel answers the question about culture shock in a political vein.
"To be honest, I had no prejudices when I came to the Czech Republic; I approached the process as openly as possible. I understood that life in Europe is not very different from life in America, not as drastically as, for example, life in India, Central Africa, or Vietnam, so I did not expect any radical culture shock. Many liberal-minded Americans believe that Europeans are better educated, less prone to prejudice, open to progressive thinking. However, I arrived in the Czech Republic at the end of 2014, and while already in Europe, I observed the development of the European migration crisis of 2015, observed the rise of right-wing populism in the politics of many European countries. This experience helped me understand that many Europeans, like many Americans, have a rather limited view of things, tend to divide into 'black' and 'white,' are prone to xenophobia, racism, nationalism, and many other things that Americans consider uncharacteristic of Europeans. This shows, above all, that people think similarly, regardless of the country."
There are many points of view regarding studying in the Czech Republic, but obtaining higher education can become an important stage in further integration into the European community. The main thing that the interviewed students agree on is that a Czech university is an opportunity to gain invaluable experience and broaden one's horizons, which is an important factor in the complex but also interesting process of choosing a life path.