While summer schools have become traditional events at Palacký University, a winter school will have its premiere. The UP International Relations Office and the UP Faculty of Law are finishing the preparations of the Winter School of Leadership. The two-week event is intended for the students of the South-West University in Chongqing, China, and will take place between February and March at the Faculty of Law.
The impulse for organising the winter school came from China. “The university in Chongqing is one of our partner universities. And the forthcoming event should further strengthen and intensify our relationship,” explained Martin Faix, UP Vice-Dean for International Relations.
Almost two dozen Chinese students from various faculties of South-West University will arrive in Olomouc from 17 February to 3 March. “This is the reason why we decided for a multidisciplinary approach, so the winter school is organised by several UP workplaces. Individual educational sections will focus on management of human resources in entrepreneurship, education, and health; the European Union and human rights will also be discussed,” outlined Martin Faix. The graduates of the Winter School of Leadership will obtain three internationally valid ECTS credits.
The UP Faculty of Law as the co-organiser will provide facilities for the participants and significantly contribute in teaching. The list of lecturers for the winter school includes Martin Faix, Ondrej Hamuľák, and Václav Stehlík from the Department of International and European Law; their ranks will be joined by Ivana Oborná from the UP Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, and Huang Xiaoming, Director of the Confucius Institute at UP. The programme also features leisure time activities and field trips. Organisers want the Chinese students to get acquainted not only with Olomouc, but also Prague and Vienna.
The first year of the winter school in Olomouc could be the beginning of a new tradition. The People’s Republic of China has long been one of the countries of great interest to Palacký University. The first offer to organise a summer school for Chinese students was made three years ago, and since then their interest has been steadily growing.