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ÚJOP UK's mission is to give support to young people from all over the world. We help Ukrainian students

The Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies at Charles University offers scholarship students a wide range of benefits and opportunities in preparation for a successful start of their academic career. From October 2023 to July 2024, 30 scholarship holders, who are benefiting from the unique opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, are trained at the Krystal study centre. In addition, six students have been able to modify their curriculum so that they can fulfil their dream of studying natural sciences.

"Those who have prepared themselves well have a chance to complete their studies, find a job and be successful. People who are attending the Language as a Gateway courses missed this chance back at home. The mission of ÚJOP UK is to support young people from all over the world who are looking for a quality education in the preparatory phase, which lays the foundation for their further studies and careers. I am glad that we can also provide this course for students from Ukraine in our portfolio, and we will continue to do so in the future," says Dana Hůlková-Nývltová, Director of ÚJOP UK, highlighting ÚJOP's assistance to Ukrainian students.

In the first weeks after the outbreak of the war, ÚJOP UK began to support refugees and Ukrainian students with its expertise, which it is known for worldwide: teaching Czech. In the first year of the conflict alone, 5280 lessons were taught. Intensive Czech language courses for freemovers and students of Charles University from Ukraine, intensive supplementary summer courses of Czech language and culture for Ukrainian university students and summer language courses for children of foreigners migrating from Ukraine were attended by 438 students and children.

ÚJOP UK continues to help in the second year of the war as well. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, which means that students do not have to worry about the financial burden of education. In addition, ÚJOP UK provides professional advice on choosing a suitable university and assistance in completing the application form.

Students have the opportunity to participate in leisure activities such as cultural, sporting and entertaining events, conversation clubs and info webinars, and also have the possibility to choose subjects within the courses. Most of them are preparing to study humanities and so it is not surprising that the most popular optional subjects include English, psychology and sociology.

"A really diverse mix of Ukrainian scholarship students has come together in our groups. Most of them are trying to deal with the intricacies of the Czech language and many of them are very successful," says their class teacher Vladimír Drbohlav: "They also find the opportunity to get in touch with other foreign students at ÚJOP to be an obvious advantage, so the courses provide an intensive contact not only with the Czech language but also with the international environment."

His colleague Irena Kobyláková adds, "The students made friends quite quickly and formed a great team. They like to discuss various topics, they have a lot to say, they are smart and skilful and they take their preparation for university very seriously. Thanks to their active approach, the classes went smoothly and the students coped well with both the swift pace and the broad spectrum of Czech studies. I believe they will grasp any chance given to them, they will not let it slip away and they will always find their way. This is what they proved to us throughout the course."