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Tereza Havránková, lecturer and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (FPE UWB), took part in a three-week IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Program) in the United States. She was selected for the U.S. State Department program as one of just 14 participants from around the world.

“The greatest benefit for me was the opportunity to engage in discussions with representatives from the education faculties at Brown University and the University of Rhode Island. I see great potential for future cooperation in the area of virtual mobility and joint research,” said Havránková, who traveled across four U.S. states during the program – from Washington, D.C. to Texas. “This is a concrete step towards enabling our students to gain international experience without the need for long-term stays abroad,” the Vice-Dean added. What exactly does virtual mobility involve? “It can mean shared online courses with foreign universities, joint webinars, or student project collaborations across countries. Everything takes place online, allowing students to experience international education from home,” Havránková explained.

According to Havránková, the participation of representatives from organizations such as ISTE, EdTech Nerds, and TCEA – all of which focus on educational technologies – was also key. “They take a systematic approach to supporting teachers, placing strong emphasis on professional development aimed at the practical use of technology, for example through mentoring programs, summer academies, or online platforms offering ready-made lesson plans for teachers,” she said.

Havránková also gained insights from visits to American schools, where technology is a natural part of teaching across subjects. “Technology in U.S. schools isn’t seen as limited to computer science. On the contrary – it is integrated across the curriculum and is a natural part of everyday teaching,” she added. Havránková aims to bring this approach to teacher education at UWB. “I want to show our students that technology is not the goal, but a tool – and that what matters most is how meaningfully we can integrate it into teaching,” she said. The schools she visited also placed strong emphasis on classroom atmosphere and social climate. “Teachers actively encourage collaboration and mutual respect among students. Great care is taken to ensure that children feel safe, and short activities focusing on empathy and self-reflection are common,” Havránková added.

The International Visitor Leadership Program is the U.S. State Department’s oldest exchange initiative. Since 1940, more than 230,000 global leaders have participated – including over 500 future presidents or prime ministers and twelve Nobel Prize winners. Participants are nominated by U.S. embassies in individual countries, with the final selection taking place at the U.S. Department of State. The program aims to foster global cooperation in various fields – in this case, education – and to connect professionals from around the world with American institutions and experts. The edition of the program attended by Tereza Havránková focused on Technology Innovators: Education in the Digital Age and addressed topics such as access to education in rural areas, the integration of digital tools into teaching, and the development of teachers’ technological and pedagogical skills.