Resolution

Czech Rectors Conference (CRC) Plenum adopted at its 140th Meeting the following resolution:

1. CRC has long supported the efforts of the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Kateřina Valachová to increase the budget of higher education institutions by the promised 4.5 bill. CZK for the year 2018. Continuous and regular increase in funding the chapter of financing higher education institutions also in coming years is an essential precondition for quality enhancement of educational and creative activities of higher education institutions, for anticipated changes in the system of financing Czech higher education institutions as well as for their international competitiveness.
2. CRC has principal objections to the draft act on support of research, development and innovation which is not acceptable in this form as it contains a whole range of ambiguities and problematic passages. CRC recommends to finalize the act and re-discuss it with CRC.
3. CRC states there are still mistakes in corrected results of RD&I evaluation of the year 2015. CRC demands that these mistakes be corrected before the end of May 2017 and the damage to each higher education institution assessed. The corrections must be taken into account in the budget for the year 2018. Evaluation of the year 2016 must be processed to its final form before the end of October 2017. CRC welcomes the promise of the deputy of Deputy Prime Minister for the Science, Research and Innovation Arnošt Marks to fulfil both of these deadlines.
4. CRC supports model of evaluation of higher education institutions creative results proposed by CRC working group in accordance with “Metodika 17+” (for modules 1 and 2) approved by the Government of the Czech Republic and recommends further elaboration of the model also for modules 3 to 5. CRC suggests to present “Metodika” to the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports and to the Deputy Prime Minister for the Science, Research and Innovation.
5. CRC supports preparation of joint statement by CRC and the Czech Academy of Sciences on stabilization of RD&I system in the Czech Republic concerning particularly an increase in the share of institutional support.
6. CRC got acquainted with the proposal for a new 2018+ financing model for higher education institutions and makes the following comments:
   
   • The new financing model is only meaningful if the budget of public higher education institutions is increased by 4.5 billion CZK.
   • CRC recommends to sort higher education institutions to art, non-university and others.
   • Funding must be allocated to public higher education institutions as a whole.
   • Financing of the so called social demand (S indicator) should be conditioned by a long-term guarantee with a resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic.
   • Parameters within the K indicator must be precisely defined and their calculation and then their weight must be determined.

Ostrava, 13 April 2017