UWB hosted a meeting of the RONALDO+ platform

Conference Cooperation Science and research

Representatives of 24 public universities met on October 2–3 at the Darovanský dvůr resort in Břasy near Rokycany to share their experiences with preparing projects under the Operational Programme Jan Amos Komenský (OP JAK) and the National Recovery Plan.

The two-day event, attended by over 100 experts from across the country, provided a space for exchanging experiences among project and financial managers, administrators, and heads of departments. Participants focused particularly on preparing the framework for the Programme to Support Strategic Management of Higher Education 26+, the National Recovery Plan (NRP), as well as sharing experiences from projects under the Operational Programme Jan Amos Komenský (OP JAK) from the so-called “triple call.”

The program also included a discussion on applying the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle, which ensures that projects funded by European funds do not cause significant environmental damage. Another session was dedicated to public procurement and related methodological issues.

“The RONALDO+ meeting once again demonstrated how essential open communication between project managers across universities is. Sharing experiences, ideas, and daily challenges moves us forward—it helps us better understand the system, anticipate changes, and collectively find ways to be more effective in project management,” said Dagmar Vokounová Franzeová, Director of the Project Center at the University of West Bohemia. “We want to be true partners and support academics so they can fully focus on what really matters—their creative and scientific work,” she added.

Jiří Hammerbauer, Vice-Rector for Creative Activities and Doctoral Studies at the University of West Bohemia, highlighted the growing importance of collaboration between universities and managing authorities, as well as the value of sharing know-how in project management: “This enables us to plan more effectively, improve the quality of project preparation, and avoid mistakes. Shared knowledge and knowledge management lead to more efficient project implementation and higher success in securing funding from public sources.”

The RONALDO+ platform meets several times a year. It brings together experts from Czech universities involved in development and research projects. Its goal is to strengthen collaboration, share experiences, and improve the quality of project management. The next meeting will take place in December at Charles University.

The University of West Bohemia has been actively involved in the platform for a long time. It is currently working on projects such as NRP 7.4 – Supporting Green Skills and Sustainability at Universities, and NRP 3.2.1 – University Transformation, which focuses on new forms of teaching and labor market needs. Under the so-called triple call of OP JAK, it is also implementing ESF+ UWB projects (Personnel Development and Internationalization), ERDF SP UWB (Support for Students with Specific Needs), and ERDF QUALITY UWB (Support for University Infrastructure).

Participation in the platform allows the University of West Bohemia to gain up-to-date information on planned calls and methodological changes, which helps with more efficient project planning and preparation. Sharing experiences across universities thus contributes to more successful project implementation and strengthens the strategic development of higher education.