According to the prestigious Times Higher Education rankings, UCT Prague, one of five Czech universities, ranks among the 4% of the best world universities (*2017). The school has also dominated the rankings of the Education Policy Centre of Charles University in the category "Emphasis on Science, Research and Creativity" category (*2016).
Currently UCT Prague boasts a number of excellent experts such as Jana Hajšlová, member of the EU Advisory Group "Food Quality and Safety"; František Štěpánek, who has been awarded an ERC grant; Martin Pumera, head of the excellent team for advanced functional nanorobots.
Half of its income is generated from the institution's creative activities focused on science, research and innovation. In the Czech context, this is an extraordinary accomplishment.
It is a member of the European University Association, the European Federation of National Engineering Associations and the International Society for Engineering Pedagogy. It cooperates with more than 100 academic institutions not only in Europe but also in the US, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, and many other countries.
A number of key figures of the history of chemistry relate to UCT Prague. Among them, three figures are renowned in their fields: Vladimir Prelog, Nobel Prize winner, Otto Wichterle, inventor of contact lenses, and Emil Votoček, author of the Czech chemical nomenclature.
Several presidents of the Czech Academy of Sciences – František Šorm, Rudolf Zahradník, and Jiří Drahoš – are connected with the school as well.
UCT Prague was the first Czech university authorised to provide the Eurobachelor degree. As its name indicates, this prestigious recognition certifies the quality of UCT Prague bachelor studies at the European level.
UCT Prague researchers were very successful within the European Community framework programme, HORIZON 2020, and are actively involved in developing many new research projects and collaborations.
UCT Prague has 931 staff members (2016 Annual Report data), including 509 academic staff and 422 research staff. UCT Prague is accredited to provide three-year Bachelor (BSc) programmes, two-year Master (MSc/Ing.) programmes, and PhD programmes. Total enrollment at UCT Prague in 2016: 3,397 Bachelor and Master students and 792 PhD students (2016 Annual Report data).
UCT Prague cooperates with more than 100 universities and institutions worldwide. The university is the most active Czech university participant in the Erasmus+ student exchange programme and has also participated in other programmes such as the 5th and 6th framework programme, COST, EUREKA, and Leonardo da Vinci.
UCT Prague operates the superbly equipped library, ChemTK, situated in the modern National Library of Technology (NTK) building. The ChemTK collection includes more than 100,000 books, handbooks, encyclopaedias, periodicals, and other publications. ChemTK subscribes to 300 professional periodicals and provides electronic access to scientific journals. Over 2,500 journals from prestigious scientific publishing houses are currently available in electronic format. ChemTK also provides access to SciFinder, the Chemical Abstracts Service, and other specialised resources (see full list of eResources) that enable research across scientific specialities.
The complete collections of Beilstein's Handbuch der organischen Chemie and Gmelin's Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie are also available in both print and electronic formats. Print editions are available in NTK's Rare Books and Special Collections reading room.
The laboratories provide high-quality equipment for use by students, professors, and research staff members and are equipped with modern instrumentation. Laboratory personnel are experienced in routine as well as specialized experiments. The laboratories are used for student projects, grant-funded research, and industrial applications. External customers (universities, private companies, and others) can also use the facilities.
Laboratory personnel also teach several courses, workshops, and other seminars for members of the UCT Prague community. The courses include practical techniques as well as methods for spectra interpretation.
Thea Baum came to the UCT Prague to study Science and Biotechnology Master program. She graduated in 2015 and then she started looking for a job, which, she says, was relatively easy after pursuing her degree at the UCT Prague.
Thea, where are you working currently?
In PharmInvent. I work as a Scientific and Regulatory Specialist in Pharmaceuticals Regulatory Affairs sector.
That sounds interesting, how did you get this job?
Ernesto Lopez Morales is a likeable Mexican guy, currently living in Canada. It has been 8 years since he completed his degree in Food Preservation and Meat Technology at the UCT (in 2009) and we were curious how he looks back at his studies in Prague after such a long time.
How did you enjoy your study in Czechia?
Naveen Kumar Sathu completed his Ph. D. studies at UCT in 2012. Currently, he works as a scientist in the SABIC Research & Technology. How does he think back of his studies at UCT? How did it contribute to get his dream job at SABIC R&D? Here are some of the questions we asked him in our interview.
What did you like about UCT?