Plzeň Region and UWB launch Nexus to send more people abroad and bring global experience home

High school and university students, teachers, and professionals from the Plzeň Region will find it easier to go abroad thanks to the new Nexus institute. Its long-term goal is to boost international experience, bring fresh impulses to the region, and retain talent.

The Plzeň Region and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen have signed the founding charter of a new institution called Nexus – International Mobility of the Plzeň Region. It will centralize the organization of outgoing and incoming international stays, educational programs, and international projects in one place. The aim is to simplify what is currently a fragmented system and to give mobility a clear long-term strategy.

Nexus will focus primarily on secondary school and university students, teachers, and representatives of public administration. According to its founders, these groups have the greatest potential to bring experience gained abroad back to the region—whether in education, research, or practice.

“We want young people from our region to have the same opportunity to gain international experience as students in major European cities. Nexus is a tool to achieve this systematically and over the long term. At the same time, it strengthens the future of the region. We want talented people to return and find opportunities here,” said the Governor of the Plzeň Region, Kamal Farhan.

The ambition is for international experience to become not an exception but a standard part of education in the region. “Completing a study or work stay abroad is now almost a necessity. It is not just a personal experience for individuals, but an investment in the development and future competitiveness of the entire region. The joint institute Nexus will help open doors to the world for more students and academics, while also bringing high-quality research partners to Pilsen,” explained the Rector of the University of West Bohemia, Miroslav Lávička.

Systematic work with talent and internationalization

The creation of Nexus builds on the long-term efforts of both institutions to strengthen the links between education, research, and practice in an international context. “A region with a strong industrial and educational tradition must not only develop its own potential but also actively draw on international experience and engage in global projects. The preparation took less than a year, which shows that when it comes to working with talent, we can move quickly and effectively,” said Jan Váně, Vice-Rector for External Relations and Communication at the University of West Bohemia.

“One of the activities the new organization will ensure is the continuation of the Plzeň Region development program DRESS UP & STAY HOME. From next year, it will also include GoHigher. This will create capacity to support the internationalization of all schools in the region, as well as groups of gifted and talented individuals,” said Deputy Governor for Education and Sport Vladimír Kroc. “Naturally, one of Nexus’s roles will also be to secure funding for these activities from European programs, such as Erasmus+,” he added.

NEXUS will be financed primarily from the budget of the Plzeň Region and European sources. From 2027, the region plans regular annual support of at least CZK 10 million. The initial contribution amounts to CZK 1 million already this year. Nexus is expected to begin operations no later than one month after the signing of the founding charter.