The Faculty of Economics welcomed US students with a joint course exploring the topic of AI

What impact do AI and modern technologies have on companies and organizations? Czech and American students explored these questions together. In doing so, they built on the collaboration between the Faculty of Economics at UWB and the College of Business Administration at Marquette University (USA).

Joint project work, company visits, exchange of experience, and final presentations of the outcomes. The international Czech-American course at the Faculty of Economics of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen combined academic learning with exposure to the business environment and Czech culture. At the beginning of the program, participants from the USA were introduced to the Czech Republic and toured the university campus.

Practical insights into how companies and institutions operate were provided through professional excursions attended by both American and Czech students. In Pilsen, they visited Škoda Transportation, Aimtec, and 4flow. In Karlovy Vary, they toured the Moser glassworks and the Becherovka visitor center, and also visited the Czech Parliament in Prague. The course thus allowed participants to observe the application of modern technologies and digitalization across various sectors of business and public life.

“The week with the Americans was incredibly intense and demanding in every way, but at the same time extremely enriching and full of great shared experiences. I feel that I finally overcame my hesitation in English and really started speaking fluently,” said student Tomáš. He also appreciated that the course created space for personal interaction and sharing experiences. He was not alone in this view, as last year’s participant Václav Procházka expressed a similar sentiment: “It was great to meet this year’s participants, compare our experiences with them, and after a year once again feel that unique atmosphere created by the connection of two different cultures.”

The collaboration between the Faculty of Economics of the University of West Bohemia and the College of Business Administration at Marquette University in Milwaukee has been ongoing for nearly thirty years. The course consists of two parts, each held in a different country. This year, participants first visited Pilsen, and in the second part, they will continue their joint work at Marquette University in the United States. Czech students will also have the opportunity to gain a closer understanding of both the academic and cultural environment of Wisconsin.