Dean of the faculty, Professor Tomáš Zima, Rector of Charles University, Professor Václav Hampl, and the head of the General Faculty Hospital, Mrs. Dana Jurásková, took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 1^st Faculty of Medicine building in Kateřinská Street.

“The building in Kateřinská Street had been in operation since October 15, 1883, 127 years and 5 days ago, and already on October 17, the first dissection took place here“, Dean Zima said in his speech about the history of the building and its first complete reconstruction. The reconstruction took place in 3 phases and cost around 550 million CZK. The faculty provided 25 million CZK and also made significant contributions to the funding of the equipment of the General Faculty Hospital’s Stomatology Clinic.

“Today marks the end of one of the most challenging reconstructions in the recent history of the 1^st Faculty of Medicine and the university. This demanding and extensive project is both an inspiration and a commitment. I wish you that your students follow in the tradition of their famous predecessors like professors Horbaczewsky, Hlava and Kabrhel even in the new building”, said Rector Václav Hampl. He highlighted the reconstruction of the Kateřinská building as a viable alternative to suburban campuses, as it offers cutting edge education and research environment, while maintaining the historical genius loci.

Minister of Ecuation, Youth and Sports, Mr. Josef Dobeš, joined the opening ceremony later, noting the importance of the faculty: “The 1^st Faculty of Medicine belongs with traditional institutions of higher education. It has a long history and fares well in the international arena, keeping up with other top institutions in the Czech Republic. Its scope of research is wide, it focuses on cutting edge research, demanding Master’s and doctoral programmes, while also offering Bachelor’s degrees and lifelong learning.”

Like 127 years ago, the building is the site of the Institute of Medical Biochemistry, the offices of the Dean of the 1^st Faculty of Medicine, and a part of the Stomatology Clinic. It also hosts the research labs of the Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics.

P.K.

Translation: Jaroslav Švelch