New exciting opportunities are opening up for students and staff of the Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University Olomouc (FPC PU), thanks to a recently established partnership with the prestigious Swedish institution, Örebro University. Although FPC already offers a rich array of international partner institutions for student and staff exchanges, the international relations office at FPC continually strives to expand its portfolio of partner universities in diverse and promising destinations. Since Sweden was previously missing from our map of European partner institutions, after a thorough analysis of local higher education institutions, their study programs, and academic overlaps was Örebro University, a modern institution located in the picturesque town of Örebro, a clear choice.
In May 2024, Vice-Dean for International Relations, Dr. Michal Kudláček, conducted a business trip where he had the opportunity to see the entire university campus and its infrastructure directly connected to study programs that proved to be almost identical to those at his home faculty. He also had the chance to attend both theoretical and practical teaching sessions with Swedish students. Additionally, he met several inspiring colleagues from fields such as physical education, sports, outdoor education, sports training, applied movement activities, and sports management.
Örebro University was founded in 1999 and became the second Swedish university to train professionals in physical education, sports management, sports training, and outdoor education. The university has 15,500 students in total (400 of whom are doctoral students) and offers 82 study programmes. Structurally, it is divided into three faculties, which encompass eight schools. The counterpart to the Faculty of Physical Culture at Örebro University is their School of Health Sciences. The university campus is located in a quiet part of the city and is easily accessible by bicycle. Nature lovers will also appreciate that a five-minute peaceful walk from the athletic stadium leads to vast surrounding forests.
"Given our long-standing excellent collaboration with my colleague, Dr. Susanna Geidne, I approached Örebro University with a clear idea of establishing an inter-institutional agreement. I had already defined shared areas of interest, taking into account the courses and publication activities offered by both institutions. During the week I spent at Örebro University, we agreed with our colleagues on the degree of overlap and mutual willingness to establish deeper cooperation. They showed great interest in participating in FPC's significant international event, the International Teaching Week, and in future collaboration on short-term intensive programs (BIP – Blended Intensive Programme)," commented Vice-Dean Michal Kudláček.
"The opportunity to get an inside look at teaching methods, meetings, and other forms of discussions and the chance to work with Örebro students enriched me greatly, thanks to the different ways our colleagues from Örebro approach their work and the new perspectives this brings to topics taught at FPC. One unique aspect of the institution is that a third of its staff comes from abroad, representing a total of 10 different countries. There is a strong emphasis on practice, innovative methods, and a healthy lifestyle. Sweden is an enormous country full of stunning natural beauty, and in the case of Örebro, this includes places like Tiveden National Park. Örebro offers a comprehensive opportunity to not only get to know Swedish culture, society, and philosophy of life, but also to develop a closer relationship with the magnificent natural environment," Dr. Kudláček summarized his visit to Örebro University.
Prospective students seeking more information about Erasmus+ study stays can visit the highly informative Örebro University website, browse the exchange student flyer, or use the links provided below:
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