UWB has a new institute. The FST Department of Physical Education is now an university-wide facility

The Institute of Physical Education and Sport (UTS) is a new part of the structure of the University of West Bohemia. Its main task is to offer sport courses to students of all faculties and to employees. Until the end of last year, this was provided under the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Compulsory and optional courses in physical education, sports competitions and also exercises for employees - all this is offered by the new Institute of Physical Education and Sport at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. From the new year, interested parties will find everything under one university-wide department. The Department of Physical Education of the Faculty of Engineering has thus changed its name and its position in the organisational structure.

The creation of UTS has solved a problem that lasted for decades. The UTS was created by merging two universities that historically had their own departments. "For more than thirty years, there were two departments of physical education at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen - one at the Faculty of Engineering, the other at the Faculty of Education. For a long time there were competency disputes that could not be resolved. Until now. I am glad that now the physical education will be provided by one institute for all and that we have found a solution together with all the parties concerned," said Rector Miroslav Lávička about the change.

While at the Faculty of Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering students enroll in physical education on a compulsory basis, at other faculties they can enroll in it voluntarily as an elective, so-called C-level subject. And there is plenty to choose from - football, floorball, volleyball, yoga, swimming and dance are on offer. More than 2,000 students participate in interest-based physical education each semester. Another sporting option is multi-day courses, such as skiing or hiking. The best athletes can also represent the university in academic competitions.

Physical education teaching, i.e. the education of new PE teachers, continues at the Faculty of Education, where nothing has changed.

On the same level as the Institute of Physical Education and Sport, is also newly the Institute of Language Training, which has changed its character from a „university institute" to another teaching facility. Thus, the University of West Bohemia has a total of 10 units in 2025 - 9 faculties and one research institute NTC. While a university institute carries out creative activities and may also participate in the implementation of accredited study programmes, other teaching facilities do not fulfil these reqiurements.