Spanish ambassador visits UWB, invites entries for Ibero-American Prize

Spain seeks closer cultural and scientific ties with the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Spanish ambassador H.E. María Pérez Sánchez-Laulhé met university representatives. Ibero-American embassies in the Czech Republic also announced a new edition of the Ibero-American Prize.

Interest in Spanish language courses at the University of West Bohemia continues to grow. In the 2025/26 academic year, 200 students have enrolled. The figure impressed a Spanish delegation that paid an official visit to the Institute of Language Preparation on the last Monday of February.

“Supporting the teaching of Spanish and promoting our culture in the Czech Republic are important to us. But above all, cooperation in science, technology and AI is one of our priorities,” said Ambassador H.E. María Pérez Sánchez-Laulhé during the discussion. She was accompanied by Blanca Admetlla Ribalta, Education Attaché at the Embassy, and Jaime Alcaide Arranz, Head of the Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Office.

Vice-Rector for Strategy and Development Josef Basl highlighted shared interests, particularly in strategic fields such as nuclear energy, nanotechnology and transport. UWB is currently involved in 15 joint research projects with various Spanish partners from industry and academia.

The Education Attaché also presented the current edition of the Ibero-American Prize in the Czech Republic. The competition is open to students of Czech universities, who are invited to write an essay in Spanish or Portuguese on any topic related to Latin America, the Caribbean or the Iberian Peninsula and their ties to the Czech Republic. Applications for the 31st edition are open until 16 March. The winner will receive USD 1,500.