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The Head of the International Office of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (UWB), Magdalena Rousová, represented the university at the mission organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of its scientific diplomacy activities. The five-day mission, which took place from 21 to 25 October, was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Jiří Kozák and aimed to establish cooperation with universities on the west coast of the USA, where the delegation was invited by the Consul General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles.

The program was designed as a series of meetings with representatives of the management of selected universities, but also as separate meetings with individual faculties and departments. The participants presented mutual opportunities for joint research, teaching and mobility of students and staff. In addition to ZČU, the mission was attended by representatives of Charles University and Brno University of Technology.

"The primary objective of the mission to the West of the USA was to strengthen existing, but above all to establish new partnerships, especially in the field of research and education. This includes student exchanges and mobility, joint supervision of doctoral theses, cooperation within international study programs and other activities, " said Deputy Minister Jiří Kozák.

Magdalena Rousová has established contacts with Czech teachers and researchers in the fields of public health, special education and economics. These and other contacts will be passed on to the relevant faculties of the university, which will then support the future development of these links.

The delegation's first steps led to Utah, where Jonathon Tichy, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Salt Lake City, became a local guide and university liaison. In addition to the state universities, the delegation visited Brigham Young University (BYU), the largest private and religious university in the USA. At all the universities visited, the delegation always connected with teachers and researchers or students who are either directly of Czech nationality or have Czech ties. This helped to create closer links and a greater interest in cooperation. In addition to formal visits, the mission also included informal meetings with the large Czech community in Utah.

Another part of the mission led to California, specifically to two universities under the state education system of the University of California - UC Irvine and UCLA, and to the private research institution University of Southern California (USC). Connections with local universities were made possible thanks to the activities of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles, headed by Consul Jaroslav Olša Jr. The Consulate General also organized a joint event where it connected the mission participants with Czech researchers and teachers working in the Los Angeles area, as well as colleagues from other consulates in Central and Eastern Europe who also have university and scientific cooperation in their portfolios.