UWB launched the new academic year in Karlovy Vary with thirty first-year students enrolled

Nearly 50 students of the University of West Bohemia have started the new academic year in Karlovy Vary. The Kinanthropology – Wellness Specialist program, which has been attracting increasing interest among applicants, responds to the needs of the spa region.

Thirty new students have enrolled in the first year of the Kinanthropology – Wellness Specialist program in Karlovy Vary, while another sixteen are continuing in their second year. For the first time, second-year students will undertake placements in local sports and community organizations, such as Triatlet Karlovy Vary or SK Kontakt Karlovy Vary.

Since its establishment, the University of West Bohemia has provided educational opportunities for the entire West Bohemian region. “In the Karlovy Vary Region, where the proportion of university-educated residents is still lower than the national average, it is crucial for us to focus on degree programs that will encourage graduates to remain in the region – that means programs most sought after by local companies and institutions,” said UWB Rector Miroslav Lávička at the opening of the academic year on September 16. According to him, cooperation with the City of Karlovy Vary and the regional government is essential, as they create the conditions for increasing the employability of UWB graduates.

Dean of the Faculty of Education Pavel Mentlík emphasized that the success of the program in Karlovy Vary is built on the university’s long-term partnership with the region: “Without long-term cooperation and support from the region and the city, the faculty could not function in Karlovy Vary. If we want higher education in the Karlovy Vary Region to have a future, support for the faculty must truly be long-term. It cannot rely on one-year projects; there must be a clear strategy and state support.”

Students gradually move into practice during their studies. “Second-year students are getting involved in cooperation with institutions in the Karlovy Vary Region, and they will also take part in exercise classes for oncology patients in collaboration with the Oncology Clinic of the University Hospital in Pilsen. This direct contact with practice is essential for their professional development,” explained program guarantor Věra Knappová. Another major benefit is a newly equipped physiotherapy classroom, which allows students to practice massage and sports techniques.

The Dean also reminded that the university’s efforts are bringing tangible results in other parts of the region as well. “Our long-term strategy is to develop higher education directly where people live. We can see that it makes sense – for example, in Cheb, where after five years of intensive work, the first graduation ceremony for teachers will be held in the Karlovy Vary Region this academic year,” Mentlík added.

The program was established in cooperation with the Karlovy Vary Region and the City of Karlovy Vary and is tailored to the needs of the spa industry, which is characteristic of the region. The ceremonial opening was also attended by Governor of the Karlovy Vary Region Jana Mračková Vildumetzová and Deputy Mayor of Karlovy Vary Lubomír Kovář, alongside university representatives.

The Faculty of Education of the University of West Bohemia is the only faculty based directly in Karlovy Vary. In Cheb, it also offers the Primary School Teacher Education program.

Photographs from the ceremonial opening are available in the faculty’s online gallery.