The Faculty of Physical Culture at Palacký University Olomouc sees international cooperation not only as a means of academic growth but also as an opportunity to express support in challenging times. In response to the current situation in Israel, we have decided to offer a welcoming academic environment to students and staff from our partner institution, Levinsky-Wingate Academic College (LWAC).
Since 2023, our faculty has hosted four students and four academic staff members from LWAC. One of them is Itai Har-Nir, who was first introduced to FTK during the International Teaching Week in 2023. His enthusiasm for the faculty environment was so strong that he decided to return in 2024 and subsequently enrolled in a doctoral study program. He is currently conducting research on individualized strength training for seniors as a PhD student at FTK. “At the moment, I’m collaborating with colleagues from Israel on research. I have supervisors both here in Olomouc and at Wingate. In the future, I would like to participate in other international projects and contribute to strengthening FTK’s global partnerships,” says Itai Har-Nir. Another visiting lecturer from LWAC, Shira Robbins, played a key role in preparing the International Dancing Week (IDW), a themed edition of the traditional International Teaching Week. The idea originated during Shira’s first participation in ITW in 2022 and came to fruition in 2025.
A noteworthy visit was that of Prof. Yael Netz, who came to our faculty in October 2024 for two international events organized under the European COST initiative, led by Prof. Jana Pelclová – the final DE-PASS (Determinants of Physical Activities in Settings) conference and a PHYSAGENET (Network on Evidence-based Physical Activity in Old Age) network meeting. During her visit, Prof. Netz also held discussions with the FTK International Relations Office about the future direction of the partnership. “The Erasmus partnership between Levinsky-Wingate Academic College and Palacký University Olomouc from 2022 to 2025 has been highly successful and rewarding. We sent four students to FTK who returned full of enthusiasm – they praised the quality of teaching, the welcoming atmosphere, and the cultural experiences. We also sent four academics on teaching and training mobilities, which opened up new opportunities for professional development and international collaboration,” said Prof. Netz.
We see our cooperation with Levinsky-Wingate Academic College as highly valuable and wish to continue strengthening it in the future. We are building on the successful project from the 2020 call, during which numerous mobilities were carried out – specifically 2 incoming students, 4 outgoing students, 5 incoming staff members, and 6 outgoing staff members. We are already working on a new agreement that will open up further opportunities for academic exchanges, joint projects, and mutual enrichment. We believe that especially in difficult times, it is meaningful to build bridges – scientific, cultural, and interpersonal.
