These students belonged to the 2nd and 3rd year of the Bachelor degree program in the multidisciplinary "Honours" group, in which highly motivated individuals from the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, the Department of Earth Sciences, and the Department of Sustainable Development collaborate within the Faculty of Geosciences.
The group expressed interest in direct interaction with Czech students of similar academic field, with whom they could share knowledge regarding the past, present, and future of Czechia in terms of various roles and processes in landscape changes and protection, regional identity, tourism, historical heritage, nationalism, and sustainability.
The visit from Utrecht University was welcomed on campus by Romana Suchá from the International Office of the University of West Bohemia and David Vogt from the Department of Geography of the Faculty of Economics. The group, including a brave student with crutches, began their program on the roof of the Faculty of Applied Sciences building. Despite the unfavourable weather, Pavel Hájek from the Department of Geomatics showed them not only an impressive view of the city, but also the GPS station, while also engaging with the group by answering many curious questions.
After the tour, the group was introduced to the Czech students of Bachelor degree program in Economic and Regional Geography (ERG). It turned out that concerns about the language barrier were completely unfounded, and both groups of young students immediately engaged in warm conversation.
The main part of the program was a joint seminar led by David Vogt on the topic of the History, Present, and Future of the Campus, City, and Regional Identity. This part was initiated by Jiří Fiala, a 3rd-year ERG student, who introduced his bachelor's thesis comparing the approach to sustainability at California State University, San Bernardino and the University of West Bohemia. Favourable feedback was evident in the subsequent discussion. This was followed by successful interaction between students from both countries. In four teams, they attempted to discuss and arrange historical and current maps and orthophotomaps, as well as spatial studies and plans, in the correct order on a timeline. At the end of the seminar, Dutch students also had the opportunity to deliver a presentation on the transformations of the Utrecht University campus and the city.
After lunch in the university canteen, the guests visited the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art building, where, under the guidance of the Vice-Dean for Creative Activities and Research, Jana Potiron, and her Ph.D. student Kristina Zejkanová, they could observe students' artwork in action and discuss sustainability when working with various materials.
The entire visit was conducted in a very friendly atmosphere, which, we believe, could be the basis for further cooperation.
Faculty of Economics |
David Vogt |
19. 04. 2024 |