Charles University celebrated its 662nd anniversary












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            Press Release, April 7, 2010

            On April 7, 2010, during a ceremonial plenary meeting, Charles University commemorated the
            anniversary of the foundation of the oldest Central European university. During the celebr
            traditional Charles University's awards and medals were awarded, new members of the Rector

            introduced and professor Walter Pape received a doctorate honoris cause.

            The meeting began with a speech by the Rector of Charles University, professor Václav Hamp

            contemplated the relationship between science and education. In his speech, he promoted th
            ideal of higher education as a close communion of research and education, during which bot

            professors are supposed to take part in both research and educational activities. “At Char
            we have no so-called research-free subjects. The graduates, however, gravitate toward acad
            academic careers, based on their focus and skills. That doesn't mean that the students who

            leaving academia are any worse than those who choose it”, he said. At the same time, he st
            ethical aspect of the personality of an intellectual with higher education background shou
            behind his scientific or practical expertise.


            The Rector's speech was followed by the one by professor Jiří Pešek on the evolution of th
            between the state and the university. He pointed out that the university requires from the

            acts as an organizational and self-governing structure of the society, important impulses 
            challenges which define the current problems in the society. “At the same time, the univer
            be granted a certain state of stability of its existence and a certain measure of peace th

            it focus on the important topics and analyzing of their effects. Both these impulses on on
            time, peaceful environment and respect to our work on the other, are what we are lacking t
            research funding and education of sufficient quality”, Mr. Pešek said.


            The anniversary is also the occasion on which the Award for Representation and the Creativ
            as well as the Charles University's medals are being awarded. This year's recipients of th

            Representation are Lukáš Perůtka, first year student of the doctoral programme in Mathemat
            Živčák, graduate of the Information Science Master's programme, both from the Faculty of M
            Physics. In the three subsequent years, from 2007 to 2009, both of them fought their way i

            of the prestigious and challenging technological competition Imagine Cup. Last year, Lukáš
            Robotics and Algorithms category, becoming the first Czech student to earn a medal at the 


            The Creativity Award was granted to professor Petr Pyšek for his outstanding contribution 
            understanding of the causes and effects of biological invasions worldwide, and his remarka
            in ecology of invasive plants, which resulted in 17 papers in high-impact journals, includ

            Science journal. Professor Pyšek is a member of the Department of Ecology of the Faculty o
            also works at the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.


            The ceremonial atmosphere was rounded out by the act of awarding the Doctor Honoris Causa 
            title to professor Walter Pape from the University of Cologne on the grounds of his outsta
            contribution to the Czech-German relations in the fields of culture, science and education

            second honoris causa to be awarded this year. The first one was received by professor Anne
            the University of Oxford for her contribution to the understanding of the roots of Europea
            Reformation, the relationship between the Wycliffian and the Hussite traditions and the hi

            University of Oxford and Charles University.

            April 7, the day on which Charles IV founded the university with its four faculties (the F

            Theology, Law and Medicine) in 1348, is celebrated not only by the Charles University's ac
            but also by the general public, as since 2005, the day has been officially declared the Ed
            the government of the Czech Republic.


            Translation: Jaroslav Švelch