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Czech language students from Voršilská study centre also attended the certificate award ceremony

On Thursday, June 6, one hundred students gathered in the chapel of the historic Arnošt z Pardubic dormitory to receive certificates for their successful completion of the Czech language courses. The ceremony took place in a pleasant atmosphere and with clearly articulated speeches so that the speakers could be understood by all the awardees. The ceremony was bravely moderated without a microphone, which added authenticity to her speech, by the head of the study centre in Prague Mgr. Petra Landergott Kalvínská.

"We have had a wonderful and intense academic year," said Mgr. Petra Landergott Kalvínská to sum up the past two semesters in the Voršilská centre, after the students, very well trained in their Czech classes, responded in unison to her greeting with a heart-touching "dobrý den". The reporting of statistics for this year was interactive, the numbers were shown on boards from which students read the numbers in Czech as part of their practice.

Thus, we were able to learn that this year the centre has enrolled 195 students in intensive Czech courses, 181 students in short courses, 961 students in evening courses, 180 Ukrainian students in retraining courses, 90 students targeting a specific language exam, about 50 American students in special programs for American universities, and 37 students in English courses for colleagues from European universities. In total, there were 1,694 students from 107 different countries.

"The students of Voršilská have the advantage that they can study all the time," said the director of ÚJOP, PhDr. Dana Hůlková Nývltová, Ph.D. describing the beauty of learning Czech in the Czech Republic. Still, they have deserved to enjoy the festive day on which they will receive certificates upon successful completion of their courses. She also mentioned the anniversary of the 50 years of ÚJOP's operation under Charles University, during which time thousands of students have met and thousands of stories, sometimes love stories, both happy and sad, have taken place. The director thanked all teachers and administrative staff who received small gifts for their important role in helping foreigners find a new home.

The event also included a cultural part, during which the winners of the student photography competition were announced. Marie Poláčková also mentioned other cultural events which the students of Czech took part in, such as the Advent concert, the exhibition in Emmaus and the international conference of foreign students of Czech. Only two students from Voršilská participated in the photography competition, but they both won a prize. Jack Simons, a student in the evening course, received a gift from ÚJOP as a reward for his award in the competition. The beautiful third prize in the competition went to César Macedo Rosique and his photo of a mountain goat in the mountains, for which he received a cinema voucher.

Then it was time for the actual awarding of certificates to the students from all the classes who finished their course this year. In addition, the students with the best exam results were awarded individually, and then another student selected by the class teacher. Gradually, from beginners to B2 level, all those who have reached this point in their Czech language education were rewarded. Mgr. Petra Landergott Kalvínská congratulated everyone, thanked them for their hard work and wished them all the best in their future studies and life.

Photos: Jan Malý